December 8, 2010

Mirrors

I have a love-hate relationship with mirrors. I experienced both of those feelings at a P.F. Chang's restaurant once. Excusing myself from the dinner table, I went to the restroom and stepped in front of the mirror. Due to low lights and surrounding stone walls, my skin looked more tan than blotchy, my hair more black than "cover-it-now" gray, and my blouse was wrinkle-and-toddler-stain free. I bent over the sink and smiled (inside and out) to put some lipstick on and there it was. A small tidbit of Kung Pao's chicken tucked in my teeth. How long had THAT been there? If I was a balloon, the noise of instant deflation would've been heard outside the restaurant.


The Word of God is likened to many different images in the Bible. It's like a two-edged sword in Heb. 4:12; like a hammer and fire in Jer. 23:29; like a lamp and light in Ps. 119; like a seed in Lk. 8 and John 6:63; like food in Matt. 4:4 and 1 Pet. 1; and also like a mirror.

James 1:23-25 (NAS) says "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."

You know, when I saw that chunk of chicken crouching in my gums, I whipped out one of those little tooth flossers in my purse and got rid of it. I didn't roll out a welcome mat and invite it to stay, nor did I try and cover it with a patch of gum. My flesh moves fast to remove outward flaws that can be seen by others.

But my heart is to be so filled with the Spirit of God and love for Him, that when His Word reflects to me a flaw in my character or a sinful spot on my heart, I should quickly move in obedience to do what God commands in my situation. Ignore the flesh that wants to cover it up, reason it away, coddle it like a friend, or as the verse says, walk away and ignore what has just been shown to me.

Take that spiritual dental floss of repentance and obedience wherever you go...cuz sin is just like Kung Pao's...it'll try to hide.

December 3, 2010

Promise From Our Provider


Praying this verse might encourage anyone preparing to spend Christmas with family or friends who are very lost. Or for those who are praying for God to use their voice to faithfully share Jesus with others.


2 Cor. 9:8, 10 "And God is able to make all grace abound to you... He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing."

December 2, 2010

Royal Performances

I didn't consciously think that sitting on the edge of my seat would help me drink in the symphony music any deeper, but I certainly was going to try. Up went the binoculars, down went the lights, and out came the world-renowned pianist. I'd watched a documentary years ago depicting her gold medal performance at a highly acclaimed international piano competition, but to watch her play in front of me nine years later, was an incredible honor. After adjusting her dress, carefully positioning her hands on the keys, and taking a deep breath, Rachmaninoff's finger-bending concerto began to flow from the ornate Steinway on center stage. I'd learned a bit about the historical background of the piece and its composer, so I had a deeper understanding of the music my ears feasted on. Thirty minutes later, the unrelenting ovations from the audience provoked the performer to play one last classical piece. I was in awe of the talent God had given this young performer.

Yet, her performance didn't draw me to tears like another instrumentalist does. Year after year, every time I hear the song, I inevitably tear up. I don't know anything about the composer, nor do I know the historical background of when this piece was written...but when I read the story behind the music, the melody will play in my memory and I become nearly inseparable in identifying with the soloist who performs.

Here are the lyrics from the "Little Drummer Boy."

Come they told me, (pa rum pum pum pum)
A new born King to see, (pa rum pum pum pum)
Our finest gifts we bring, (pa rum pum pum pum)
To lay before the King, (pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum),

So to honor Him, (pa rum pum pum pum),
When we come.

Little Baby, (pa rum pum pum pum)
I am a poor boy too, (pa rum pum pum pum)
I have no gift to bring, (pa rum pum pum pum)
That's fit to give the King, (pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,)

Shall I play for you, (pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum)?

Mary nodded, (pa rum pum pum pum)
The ox and lamb kept time, (pa rum pum pum pum)
I played my drum for Him, (pa rum pum pum pum)
I played my best for Him, (pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum),

Then He smiled at me, (pa rum pum pum pum)
Me and my drum.


So whatever your "drum" may be; however meager, simple, or small your gift seems to you, let's play our best for King Jesus...and see Him smile with pleasure at your performance to bless Him. Col. 3:23-24 NIV "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

November 21, 2010

"It's All About Us?"


"Well Shannon, if you'd pull your nose out of your navel and get your focus back on the Lord, you wouldn't be struggling so much," my friend said rather matter-of-factly.

"Ouch! I resemble that remark," I joked back. Yet, I knew it was true and pinpointed my problem. I was young in the Lord and used to doing whatever it took to fulfill my will and satisfy my flesh. So the Lord sent me a godly older woman from Queens, NY, that wouldn't hold back any punches and called it like she saw it. She was a strong, sharp, but deeply loving mentor that helped me grow by being merciless with my flesh.

As I stood in Border's bookstore yesterday, perusing the books under the Christian label, her words came back to my mind while I read the bindings on the shelves.
  • "New Day, New You"
  • "100 Ways to Simplify Your Life"
  • "How to Succeed at Being Yourself"
  • "It's Your Time"
  • "Your Best Life Now"
  • "Managing Your Emotions"
The Lord has brought me a long way from where I was 20 something years ago, but the root of my discontent and frustration is still (most often) ME and my flesh. These are Christian books? I could go on and on with the titles that do nothing more than reflect another "self-help" book with a few verses thrown in.

We have to be careful what we read and who we listen to. Is the book we are soaking in teaching us how to improve ourselves or how to cry out in prayer to the One Who can change us? Is it causing us to crave more of Jesus or crave more of what He does for us? Are we being pulled more towards making a name for ourselves or are we learning what John 3:30 says, "He must become greater; I must become less."

Learning to live a life that denies your flesh is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. But our Jesus has promised in 2 Peter 1:3, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." Sometimes, He sends a friend...or a husband...or a child, that reveals to you how loud your flesh is and how strong your will is. And when you find yourself wanting to scream in frustration, don't buy a Christian "self-help/success" book, pull your nose out of your navel and fix your eyes on Jesus. Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT) "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it."


Now THAT is success...

November 12, 2010

Night to Remember...Again

This blog was originally posted in March 2009. But it's one of the most read and requested. Since we just had our 11th anniversary and I have a gift card for dinner waiting to be used in my purse, I thought I'd re-post this for a smile. Life has slowed down a bit and I'll be blogging again soon. I do hope our next dinner out will be a bit different than this one. :)

Special nights call for special preparation. Scott and I received a gift certificate to a posh restaurant (one we'd never be able to set foot in otherwise) and I winced while gazing at a "too-tight-at-this-age" black dress. The next outfit in the closet was as frumpy as Grandma from the Walton's and the third option displayed abstract art from Gerber on the shoulder. Actually, the majority of my clothes could be used for Rorschach inkblot tests nowadays. I settled on a mustard yellow outfit stuck way in the back. Without a tan, it makes me look "ill" in full sunlight, but I reasoned it would be dark soon and the remaining selections weren't even negotiable. I tiptoed past the nursery into the bathroom to call all cosmetic promises to the task.

Looking up into the mirror, I remembered a sermon I'd heard years ago about vanity. The essence of it compared the length of time we take to prepare ourselves outwardly versus how long we prepare our hearts inwardly before coming to church. I heard it years before I discovered that "crow's feet" did not refer to poultry, "laugh lines" weren't from a comedy skit, and "baggage" is what fits right underneath my eyes nowadays. What I actually needed was duct tape and Spackle rather than CoverGirl and MaryKay.

I plopped the magnification mirror up on the counter and scared myself. There was my eye, 12 times its normal size, with the surrounding wrinkles making me look more like my friend's Chinese Sharpei. I wish makeup was a paint-by-number set...I don't do well with freelance. But there I was, pulling feverishly at skin folds, contemplating the pros and cons of botulism injections. Maybe I should use tape along my forehead like one of my friends do for her wrinkles. I mean...packing tape came in tremendously handy as a substitute belt when I was pregnant. The small strips I had attached from my pants to my tummy held up great during one morning's church service. If it didn't crunch so loudly when I walked and hugged people, I would've used it a lot more often.

Time was running short. I realized I was bordering on obsession and quickly prayed, "Lord, I just wanna look nice for my honey. Could you help Scott see past my newly painted clown face and exaggerate his color-blindness for my apparel? Could you blur his vision from seeing my very tired, aging eyes?"

I'm here to say, once again, that God answers prayer. The restaurant's lights were so dim, the whole meal was spent conversing with his silhouette. He would often lean forward and ask me to repeat myself as his hearing is going bad and he couldn't read my lips in the dark. Afterward, we'd stopped for coffee in a well-lit place, but within minutes, his allergies erupted and he could barely open his watering eyes. We quickly had to make our way home. As soon as we walked in the door, the smell from a candle I'd forgotten about hit us like a caramel tsunami and Scott began to wheeze asthmatically. We thanked our gracious babysitters and apologized a thousand times over for the obnoxious smell...which was now making me nauseous.

As I watched my handsome husband make a beeline towards the bedroom, his eyes were closed, swollen, watering, and his breathing was labored. Within minutes, the lights were out, his head covered and he'd drifted off to sleep. It was 9:15.

God answered prayer. Not exactly the way I thought He would...but He always answers prayer.

September 8, 2010

"What I Tell You in Darkness..."

About four years ago, I was going through a somewhat "dark" time that would eventually become darker in the days ahead. One morning, after I had had a disturbing dream, I searched through the Word diligently for comfort and reassurance, but felt spiritually deaf. Looking back on it, I was probably more like Mary Magdalene at the tomb of Jesus. She was weeping so hard that she did not recognize the Lord, but thought He was just the gardener. Jesus may have shown me many things in the Word that morning, but I missed it because of my grief. I later came across a poem that took on the Lord's voice and spoke straight to my heart. It was written by a woman that had debilitating arthritis and suffered greatly; Annie Johnson Flint.

It still greatly encourages me today, so I'd like to share it with you.


"What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in the light."
My words of consolation, my songs in the night;
When the shadows have vanished and the morn breaks again,
Go tell what I have told you to the children of men.

"What I tell you in darkness," when the wind whips the sea,
When the waves overwhelm you and you cry unto Me;
When My voice stills the tempest, My words calm your fear,
That tell to your brothers, their fainting hearts cheer.

"What I tell you in darkness," when I answer your call
Where you walk in rough places, and stumble and fall;
When My Word lights your pathway, a lamp to your feet,
To those who fall beside you, my message repeat.

"What I tell you in darkness," hold fast in your heart;
From the desert place of waiting, when I call you apart,
From the stillness and the shadow where you were so blest
Go forth and speak to others who know not My rest.

"What I tell you in darkness," in the long night of fear,
When I wake and watch beside you, and no other is near;
In the gloom of the Garden, where you echo my prayer--
That speak to those around you who agonize there.

September 2, 2010

I Can't Help

With a list of things to do longer than the paper I wrote on, I grabbed my coffee, gave it a fresh dose of radiation, and started at the top. Within a couple of hours, I looked at my little girl and said, "Now we're going to do something fun! I really would like your help. Let's go into your room and take down all the toys off your shelf and..."

"Noooooo!" she interjected. "Mommy I can't help you today. I have things in my hands." She lifted up a big plush lamb blanket and her little stuffed Peep. As a smile crawled across my face, a frown stomped across hers and she continued, "I mean it. I can't do anything with my hands full!"

If our heavenly Father graciously invites us to help Him in some way, I pray our response is not "I can't Lord. My hands are too full." What are they filled with?

Corrie ten Boom once said, "Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open."

 Eph. 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

August 28, 2010

Songs Of Grief


A friend of mine lost their spouse not long ago. They sent me a text message one day "Why is it so much easier to praise the Lord when the sun is shining in life?"

I know their love for God and faithful service for many years. The last thing I wanted to do was to give some trite or inappropriate response to their sincere pain and vulnerability. I prayed and asked the Lord if He had anything for me to share with them. Only one thing came to mind and I typed...

A heavy heart of grief and mourning plays a different song of praise. It's not filled with clapping, but played in minor keys from the heart, while sung with silent sighs of trust.

August 10, 2010

Joni's Battle with Cancer

Many of you have heard of Joni Eareckson Tada. Writer, singer, song-writer, artist, international speaker, founder of "Wheels for the World" and Jesus-loving quadriplegic. If not, here is a link to her website (Joni and Friends). I've followed her for many years and was shocked when I heard of her recent diagnosis with breast cancer. To be honest, I began to weep. I've read enough of her books to feel as though she is a distant friend and mentor.

The books, "When God Weeps" and "The God I Love," have made significant impacts to my Christian walk. I recommend the first book to nearly everyone I know. I just went to her website and listened to her 3 minute update on her cancer. I've known many unnamed heroes that have battled cancer glorifying the Lord. Grace is on their lips, praise is in their hearts, and the things that God does in and through them are living testimonies of the power and reality of a Savior. But only those closest to them get to hear their testimonies. So I thought I'd post one of Joni's updates so you could taste and hear of God's goodness through her testimony. 

Cancer Update #2 | Radio | Joni and Friends

If you'd like to read or hear more, click HERE.

July 29, 2010

The Path to Blessing

I loved today's Streams devotional. Thought I'd share...

"To him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon because he hath wholly followed the Lord" (Deut. 1:36).

Every hard duty that lies in your path, that you would rather not do, that it will cost you pain and struggle or sore effort to do, has a blessing in it. Not to do it, at whatever cost, is to miss the blessing.

Every hard piece of road on which you see the Master's shoe-prints and along which He bids you follow Him, surely leads to blessing, which you cannot get if you cannot go over the steep, thorny path.

Every point of battle to which you come, where you must draw your sword and fight the enemy, has a possible victory which will prove a rich blessing to your life. Every heavy load that you are called to lift hides in itself some strange secret of strength.  --J. R. Miller

July 24, 2010

Staying Far-Sighted

I think we've all heard this song 100 times but I needed to re-direct my focus on eternity tonight. The "temporary things" in our individual worlds can keep us very short-sighted if we allow them. So here's a reminder of what lasts forever.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:16-18

July 18, 2010

A Simple Day at the Inferno

"God sets the solitary in families..."
Psalm 68:6a

I don't know how I graduated from college. I actually thought it would be a great idea to take my daughter to a huge outdoor park after I had seen the weather forecast for full sun, spray paint humidity and 90 something degree heat. Being the planner that I am, I believed a few bottles of water, sunscreen and a great snack was all that any child would need to have fun.

I was right...it was all she needed. Me on the other hand...

About 30 minutes into this Sahara Desert excursion, I started to get a headache and felt a bit nauseous. Then I realized I was surrounded by a giant flock of mothers...my son's age. Not a one of them looked like they used hair coloring for the same reason I did. They each wore stylish shoes or fashionista sandals, while I donned my best pair of sneakers. I needed help climbing around the jungle and scaling walls without being an insurance risk. I rubbed my arthritic shoulder while I pushed M. on the swing, then leaned over to someone behind Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses and said, "Is this a special Mom's Club hangout or something?"

"Oh no," she replied. "But if you come here long enough, you get to know us regulars and now we're all friends."

To be honest, I began to slip into a mild dose of adolescent insecurity as they all laughed and shared the latest news and updates with each other. So I started to pray. It's not just a principle I learned in Sunday School-my God never leaves me. He is a Friend above all friends. Maybe I'd have some opportunity to reach out to someone despite feeling as out of place as our President would be at a Tea Party rally.

As time passed and the rubber on my Nike's melted into the wood chips, I listened to conversations about TV shows, movies, purses and kids toys that I have never heard of. There wasn't one occasion I could have jumped in and added my own superficiality nor directed the conversation spiritually. I just continued to smile while periodically catching my daughter when she'd fall off things.

Then, I didn't catch her. Screaming is an instant magnet on a playground. As I lifted her up and pulled wood from her hair and mouth, I saw an ocean of eyes glaring over the tops of sunglasses. I wiped M's tears, kissed her dirty nose and set her right back up on the elevated catwalk so she could face her fear. It was an important battle...

As lunch approached, M. and I packed up our gear and headed for the car. The other mom's had everything from portable refrigerators to coolers with fans attached. I'll learn. I turned the van key on and looked into the pavilion where everyone was sitting. I felt miserable physically but sad at the thought I couldn't connect with one life. Then a woman caught my eye with 2 little boys in tow.

She had worn out tennis shoes, ankle socks, frumpy shorts and rebellious curly hair. Her expression looked like she needed more than V-8 juice. Another one like me from the land of misfits. Just when I thought I should warn her of what lie ahead, her T-shirt told me she'd already been here and conquered this land of make believe. It read "Today is SO tomorrow."

Instant smile. Next time I come, I'll make sure my vanity is left at home while my cooler is packed with lunch. I'll also be lookin' for this lady.

July 13, 2010

Coffee Thoughts

The air was thick, hot and made your skin feel like the sticky side of tape, but it didn't stop us from having fun last night. Daddy played the guitar and sang songs, ranging from country knee-slappers to worship music, while our 3 year old danced with moves that have never been created by another human being. It must be my husband's side...

By the time we tucked her in bed, I was convinced that all three of us would fall asleep once we closed our eyes to pray. Nevertheless, we made it half-way through when my daughter stopped us and said, "I can't pray."

"Why can't you pray?" I asked.

"I can't work anymore. I'm done working" she answered.

Once she learns the scriptures, I bet there's going to be some interesting conversations in our future. But I was thinking about prayer this morning. Prayer is definitely work. Yet, it's to be motivated by love. When you take any act of service or duty or responsibility and add sincere love to it, then it's transformed into delight, rather than drudgery. It causes joy rather than resentment. It blesses the heart of God.

Whether it be prayer, going to church, cleaning floors, doing laundry, or working in a Godless environment in the world, may our hearts be motivated by love for Jesus. Enjoy your day!

July 5, 2010

Lesson From History

I'm going to post something out of the ordinary. I felt a strong nudge from the Lord to brush up on "prophecy" issues about a month ago and snatched a few books out of my honey's office. One of them had a quote attributed to A. F. Tytler and I'd like to share it.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.

Civilizations are made up of individuals. Individuals don't need 200 years to walk through this cycle on a personal, spiritual level. Just a thought.

July 2, 2010

Weeds and Seeds

Taken from Matt.13: 24-30 "Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away... The owner's servants came to him and said..."Where did the weeds come from?'" "'An enemy did this,' he replied."

I've never had a garden before. I can make silk flowers wilt and cactus cry. But leaner times call for courageous creativity and practicality. So I decided...I must garden. It's the right thing to do.

My education came from one conversation last fall with a master gardener who seemed to speak about vegetables using their Latin names. By the time spring rolled around, it was all Greek to me. I tossed the notes.

I channeled my education from YouTube, gardening magazines and an old copy of the Farmer's almanac. I think I'd be doing better if I'd studied "Gardening for Dummies." Nevertheless, there is food outside. Some of it looks happy...some abused. Torrential rains, bugs with big appetites, and lettuce loving slugs are a few of the enemies in my garden. Then there are those wicked weeds.

Why is it that weeds grow better than food? Feast or famine; floods or drought; hot or cold-they thrive. As I was pulling them near my pepper plants yesterday, I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Poison ivy popped up everywhere! I shouted out to my husband, "I can't believe it's emerging now after 3 months of constant weeding!" He calmly replied, "Poison roots grow deep."

Poison roots grow deep. He didn't mean to sound that profound, but I did the "loving-wife-admiring-her-husband" smile and listened to those words echo in my mind.  In Jesus' parable, the weeds were sown while everyone was sleeping. Unaware that an enemy was close by. Unaware that harmful seeds were being sown right next to good seeds. Unaware of the long-term intention of damage and destruction of the crop.

In Luke 8 (Matt.13), we know that the "seed" Jesus spoke of is the Word of God. We also read how the "soil" is likened to our heart. We see that our enemy sows "weeds" right next to the seeds in order to harm whatever type of crop is growing for the Lord. We also read that it was done while those who are tending the garden were sleeping. Interesting...

Romans 13:11 "...knowing the time, that now it is high time to wake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed." 

Psalm 199:148 "My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word."

1 Cor.15:34 "Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God."

Prov. 4:23 NIV"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

These are the days we can't "sleep." There is one goal of our enemy...to harm, damage, or destroy anything that is grown of eternal value for the Lord. He's relentless and will thrive in any condition...if allowed to grow.

June 27, 2010

What To Do Today...

"And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me]."
Mark 8:34amplified

Heaven's Bank Tellers

About a year ago, I was driving to the grocery store thinking, not praying, about a particular person. As my husband would say, they had more talent in their pinky finger than we did combined. Outwardly beautiful and inwardly more so because of Jesus, I wondered would God would do with them in the coming days.

Instantly, the Lord switched the channel of my thoughts and a brief scenario played in my head. I was standing next to Him when He handed me a very large bag stuffed with unknown contents. He told me to go down the road a bit, stand on a small platform, and when a crowd gathered around, open the bag and give without restraint the contents to everyone that came. As I stood on this small platform, people came of all ages and types. Some weak, some sick, some young, some not-so-young, some very depressed and discouraged, while others seemed to be well-groomed, successful and happy. I then reached into the bag and pulled out fistfuls of $100s and $1,000 bills and began to give them to the people. I was as surprised as they were, but I met their words of gratitude with "The Lord gave me this for you." As I patted my pockets, I realized I was a pauper myself...I didn't even have a penny.

The vision disappeared as I was pulling into the parking lot. In my thoughts I thanked the Lord and said "Wow. I will share that with _________ so they will remember with all the talent you've given them, they truly only have what came from Your hand."

But the Lord showed me that this is for every one of us. His Word says that we have nothing unless we have first received it (Jn.3:27). It says that without Him, we can DO nothing (Jn.15:5). Romans 7:18 says "I know that in me dwells no good thing."

Yet...2 Cor.4:7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." And finally in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

So don't be surprised when God puts you in a place where spiritually needy people are. Where they may be sick in their sin, discouraged about the world, depressed in darkness or swimming in the world's temporary counterfeit pleasures. If you have Jesus, you have "all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" that's ever existed. You have heaven's wealth and the fulfillment of every longing soul-Jesus. Just open up and dispense whatever God has given you to share and remember...we don't have a penny's worth of eternity to give in ourselves.


Mark 8:6 "So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude."

June 8, 2010

Parents Have Eyes but a Child Knows

I can't remember how many years of my childhood I believed the saying that "Mothers have eyes in the back of their heads." Since the percentage of getting caught when I did something wrong was nearly perfect, I didn't need to see them to believe it. I may have fallen for that much longer than my belief in Santa Claus.

Yet, never once was I told...warned...that "children are born with parent sensors." These hidden, internal alarm systems that know exactly when to go off and cause a child to act, react or refuse to act at the worst possible moments. Let me give you proof.

As an infant, this internal alarm will wake the baby up and cause them to cry EXACTLY at the moment your sleep-deprived brain shuts off and you begin to dream. Though they can't utter a word, just try and lift a video recorder and watch the smile disappear and adorable behavior a mere memory. Just when you're heading out the door to go to church, breathless while trying to make it on time (for once), their little sensors let them know they have a new outfit on that has yet to be "baptized" with their breakfast. See? Psalm 139 says God knows our "down sittings and uprisings." So do they.

As a child grows, this "parental sensor" becomes even more astounding in its inopportune precision. Try and tiptoe to the bathroom for a 2 minute pit stop while your child is deeply enthralled in a video. That sensor will alert your Johnny (no pun intended) so that the moment you take your seat, there will either be a knock on the door or a little munchkin in front of you saying, "whatcha' doin' Mama?"

Don't ever try putting hair coloring on without another adult in the home. Their sensors must react to the chemicals because some kind of problem invariably will ensue to make you miss your rinse time. I narrowly escaped looking like the poster girl for a bad radiation experiment.

Yes...the following parental activities are guaranteed to trigger those internal alarms and cause some kind of cataclysmic event:
  •  Talking on the phone
  • Talking to your spouse
  • Talking to anyone other than them
  • Starting dinner
  • Standing in a checkout line
  • Trying to read...anything
  • Getting out of the house for an appointment
  • Stepping into the shower or tub
  • Needing to concentrate
  • Dressing them in a new article of clothing or something WHITE
  • Saying things like "Be careful" or "Don't touch that." 
The list is actually infinite. I'm not bitter. I just felt the need to notify others who were never warned about these supernatural gifts given to....parents? It must be one of the top ten instruments in God's toolbox to bring out the fullness of James 1:4 "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Patience. 

18 years will seem like 18 seconds in hindsight. I'll regret the lump on my forehead from hitting it into the wall but I'll never regret all of the gifts tucked inside this child to teach me how to be more like Jesus.

Psalm 127:3a "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD..."

May 24, 2010

Giggles, Grandma then Glory

We had a gorgeous evening one day last week. There was a breeze pushing the perfect temperature through the trees with background music from birds "singing for their supper."  I grabbed my little girl's hand and said, "Let's take your ball outside and play until the mosquitoes come to visit."

I threw a football through the trees for the dog while kicking a giant pink orb high into the air. Some made up game ensued and jiggling giggles began to fill the back yard. Every now and then, there would be a pause so dandelion seeds could be blown into the air or a bug could be watched like the paparazzi.

Then out of nowhere, that 3 year old threw her head back to the sky and thrust her bear-hugging arms out wide and shouted, "GOD, I LOVE YOU!" And as her arms dropped, she just stared at the sponge-painted clouds in the sky for a minute and whispered "That's heaven up there mommy."

Pure, spontaneous love. We were quiet for a while...

That night, as we knelt by her bed to pray, in the midst of all kinds of blessings invoked for family, friends, stuffed animals and toys, she said "And thank you God that Nani (her grandma that went to heaven 6 months ago) has joy in heaven and you sing with her."

How did she know that? What did she hear as she stared so long into the heavens?

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zeph. 3:17

May 19, 2010

Glory Follows Suffering

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18, NKJV

Bad things do happen to those Jesus loves. But remember this spiritual principle: Glory follows suffering, and life follows death.

Miss Audrey Wetherell Johnson was a woman greatly beloved of God. Born in England, educated in Europe, delivered from agnosticism, and transformed by God's grace into a gifted Bible teacher and preacher, she answered God's call to the mission field in China during the 1930s. After years of teaching pastors and church leaders in a theological seminary in Beijing, Miss Johnson was scooped up with other missionaries and placed in a Japanese concentration camp for three years of intolerable and unmentionable suffering. Yet once again we glimpse God's glory when we learn that Miss Johnson was finally released, came to America, and began Bible Study Fellowship, an international ministry that now has approximately one million men and women who use her material and format to study God's Word each week.

If something bad has happened to you, would you look forward to the glory that IS coming?!
(This devotional was taken from Anne Graham Lotz)

CLICK HERE for the song "The Way to Joy" by Sherri Youngward. 

May 4, 2010

Cup Wars

Mark 14:36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." (NKJV)

John 17 is truly an amazing passage to me and one in which the Holy Spirit continually brings to remembrance. I will never fully comprehend the depth of unity Jesus spoke of which He had with His Father and the Father with Him. A unity that is perfect, pure, unhindered and undiluted in its intimacy, yet one in which He prayed that EVERY believer would have with one another and with Himself.

Taking this into account, what we read about in Mark 14 shows us that we have a Savior absolutely acquainted with all of our ways¹. He loved His Father, did nothing independently nor outside of His Father’s will, yet He did not want to take the “cup” that the Father was giving to Him. We are fairly detached, being only an outside observer, of the wrestling that took place in the garden of Gethsemane. It can even be hard to imagine when we read about Jesus sweating great drops of blood.

We know the work of the cross was accomplished when Jesus said, “It is finished,” yet the victory came before-hand, when He said in the garden “nevertheless.” Just a reminder...in case you’re wrestling in agony with a “cup” that you’ve been handed. It’s ok to wrestle, as long as our heart bows in submission to the same word of victory. Then, like Jesus...after the cross, will come the power of His resurrection. “For the joy that was set before Him, He endured...”

¹Ps. 139:3

April 30, 2010

From Hard Rock to Worship

 “And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.” Gen 28:11b “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." Gen 28:16

Jacob was on a journey out of obedience to his father when one night, as the sun had set, he tried to find rest on a pile of rocks. Can you imagine the difficulty?

Yet, have YOU ever come to a time when the "light" of God's path seemed to have disappeared, “darkness” came, and since you couldn't continue forward, you tried to find rest but it was far from comfortable? Jacob did not see that it was in that formidable place that the LORD was with him, just as He had been his entire journey. Darkness and light are the same to God (Ps. 139:12), though it can seem very different to us. But our God will be faithful to reveal Himself to us and we will say, "Surely, the LORD is in this place!" though we did not know it.

Once Jacob woke up to that realization, those stones were immediately converted into an altar of praise and worship. Verse 18 says "And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it." When we are unaware of the Lord being with us, the hard things we try and rest upon can be very difficult...even painful. But when we find that Jesus is our Rock (Dt. 32), He has become our "rest" (Heb. 4), and this Rock was "anointed with the oil of gladness (Ps. 45:7), then we discover that there is no stone of difficulty that cannot be turned into an altar of praise and worship. Gen 28:15 "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.”

April 22, 2010

Little Miracles...



I’d like to share a personal prayer request for a dear Christian family that could use some extra prayer support. I met Mike and Trudy Carmody about 18 years ago and we became very close friends. They had a gorgeous, healthy baby boy named Michael that brought lots of joy wherever he went. The Carmody’s ended up moving to Ohio and I moved to New York not long afterward, so we lost contact. Recently reconnecting, I’ve heard the story of their little miracle daughter Gabrielle and the long, health journey the Lord has had them on. I’d like to put a brief synopsis from their Caring Bridge website here so that you could pray along with me. If you actually log in and read the journal, you’ll see a perfect demonstration of God’s grace, strength, faithfulness and love through some of the most difficult trials in life. Here’s a brief intro...

Gabrielle is our miracle child.  She has overcome numerous challenges in her thirteen years of life. She has been diagnosed with Severe Idiomatic Infantile Scoliosis. Her spinal curvature is 150 degrees.  She has a lateral "C" curve that rotates to her left side.  The size of the curve has caused a severe distortion of her chest cavity.  This distortion has had an impact on the development of Gabrielle's lungs and has altered the path of her esophagus.  As a result, Gabrielle has had trouble gaining and maintaining a healthy weight. At one point not long ago, she was down to 32 pounds.
 Gabrielle was in traction for a little over 2 months. For the 14 hour surgery that occurred on April 13th, they removed 2 ribs on the left and 3 ribs on the right.  They then started the vertebral resection (removing the vertebrae).  Throughout the surgery they had monitored Gabrielle's spinal function.  All was going well until they had removed 1/3 of the first vertebrae.  2 of the monitoring points dropped and a third (motor skills) stayed high.  At that point the decision was made to stop progressing.  They installed 2 rods to reinforce her back and closed her up. 
She has been slowly progressing in a special facility just for this disease in Texas, but Mike had to return to work in Cleveland, Ohio, leaving Gabrielle and her mother Trudy in Dallas. 

You can imagine the heart ache...but in every journal entry, the grace of God is more than evident. They love the Lord with all their hearts and because they want to bring Him glory through all of this, would you please join me in prayer for this amazing family? If you’d like to see more, read more, be in awe of the photo’s...then log on to Caring Bridge’s website yourself at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gabriellecarmody

April 20, 2010

Too Busy To Eat




Mk.6:31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
In Mark 6 it is amazing to read about the things the disciples were enabled to do by the Lord for a short-term missions trip. Can you imagine their excitement as they shared with others the good news of Jesus Christ, and then healed the sick or cast out demons? Then, like little children replaying the day's events to a parent, they shared all that they did and said to Jesus when they returned. The fields were ripe for harvest and there was an abundance of ministry opportunities. 

But then we see that Jesus suddenly shifted the disciples focus. They had their time to serve, but now was the time they needed fellowship with Him alone and to "eat" for themselves. They had been so busy feeding "spiritual" food to impoverished people that they were tired and hungry themselves. 


We might think that the “need outweighed the cost,” but Jesus did not sacrifice His disciples for their service. Rather, His love for them knew the greater need of the moment. They would have time in the future to minister and serve again, but for now, the Shepherd was causing His sheep to lie down in green pastures (Ps 23). 


Let’s always remember that times of rest or solitude called for by the Lord are no less important than “much service.” His love will always look out for what is best for His child, since the poor and needy will always be among us (Matt. 26:11). 

April 8, 2010

Choking on Size 7's

Peter wasn't the only one who knew what a foot tasted like. I left a meeting recently with my size 7's hanging from my mouth. A friend of mine calls it her "gate problem." When the mouth swings wide open without your permission.

"I need a better latch. Wait. Make mine a padlock" I responded. Half of my drive home I asked the Lord's forgiveness while trying to send a back-peddling text message of apology to my friend.

In Mark 1:41-45, Jesus cleansed a leper that sought to be healed. (NAS)

And He (Jesus) sternly warned him... “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest...as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas.

Have you ever identified yourself with this leper? I have. Newly cleansed from a horrible disease that has kept him separated from family and friends and he's supposed to "say nothing to anyone?" I can almost feel the floods of emotion that overcame him and drowned out the Lord's command. But by not keeping his mouth closed like Jesus asked....even though it may not have made sense to him...look what the consequences were:
  • He missed an opportunity to be used as a testimony to the religious leaders that Jesus was the Messiah. His actions would have spoken volumes more than his words. 
  • The thankful testimony of the leper reached many ears and stirred curious minds, but the hearts of those in the city were unreached by the Lord (at that time). 
Sometimes, I need the Lord's boldness and the Spirit's power to give me the right words to speak to others about the gospel and truth. But always, I need to be obedient when the Lord has told me to be quiet. His ways are above our ways and oftentimes, past finding out (Isaiah 55:8).

I really need to get my hands on that poster that says "Preach the Word always. When necessary, use words." In the meantime, I hope I'm done flossing with shoe laces.

March 21, 2010

Getting Our Hands Dirty

"Mama! I'm all messy!" My daughter had a dot of oatmeal on her hand and nearly panicked. Is this normal? She's only 2. What she has deemed dirty, messy and uncomfortable, since she was able to express herself, are trademarks of toddlerhood to me.

On her first birthday, I plopped my lopsided attempt at a cake in front of her and scooped up my camera. Surely I would have classic pictures of her face smothered in vanilla foundation, her hair streaked with Elmo icing highlights, and both hands wrapped with gloves from Duncan Hines!

But no. She meticulously picked apart her piece of cake, using only a few fingers on one hand and thereby leaving a mere splotch or two of white icing around her lips. I'll have no pictures to embarrass her with when she's being courted by some handsome young man in her 30's. Did 30's slip out?

But I thought about this in lieu of a conversation I had not long ago. A woman had been homeschooling her children for years and volunteering at church whenever she could but she had to return to the workplace. She said "I hate the filth of the world. I hate hearing the language and working in an office full of gossip and back-biting. I always go home feeling so dirty and depressed."

I don't wanna minimize what she goes through each day at all. MANY of us as Christians, do now or have in the past, worked in the world surrounded by people who don't know Jesus. Their lifestyles, habits, conversations, motives, and actions can sometimes be worse than most network TV shows. BUT...where would each of us be without the grace of God?!

I don't necessarily want to change my daughter's disgust for dirt, but I am constantly trying to change her perspective. What if we saw each person as a possibility rather than a problem? Potential for eternity rather than a pitfall for us? The Word does tell us "Greater is He that is within you, than he that is within the world" (1 Jn.4:4). Every person we encounter is an individual opportunity to BE JESUS to them. Does that high of a calling grip you? We often pray for the Lord to send forth laborers into the field, but we don't want to be the laborer. Or we'd like a different field.

But the field was cursed in Genesis due to sin. So when you work in the world, it may be embedded with weeds of wickedness, roots of bitterness, entangled tares and various diseases of the heart. It may be intense spiritual labor on your part (in cooperation with His Spirit) for the Lord to receive a harvest. But what are your tools?

There are too many to list...but here are a few. You have prayer that begins to fertilize the soil and fasting that breaks the enemies hardened ground. You have the Word which will plant seeds and you have the Son which will cause those seeds to grow. "A soft answer" can be a gracious gift with a daily watering of mercy in one form or another. And the greatest gift of all is love. It was the goodness of God that led you to repentance (Rom. 2:4). It may sound trite or oversimplified to you, but when we remember the cross, it should become more clear. I wallowed in more mire, guck, and filth than I would ever want to write about. 

And yet, here was God's heart when I was deepest in my sin - Ezek.16:8-10 "Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine," declares the Lord GOD. "Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk." Please read that chapter for yourself. What a love God has for us. Our filth for His forgiveness. Our failure begot His favor. What an exchange.

March 14, 2010

"Prodigals and Their Moms"

When I was a child, there were certain words that had very little meaning to me: divorce, infertility, cancer, miscarriage, death, and prodigals. But as time passed, each of those words came to life as uninvited guests and now hold a very significant place in my heart.

Though none of those circumstances are ever desired, the Lord has many "treasures in darkness and riches in secret places" to share with us during those times (Isa. 45:3). I just watched an episode of the "Today's Faith" program, hosted by Cheryl Brodersen on HisChannel.com, and the topic centered on "Prodigals." My personal prayer list has prodigals from coast-to-coast, as do many of yours. But this was such a wonderful and rich interview that I had to post it for others to glean from. If you have a prodigal child, know someone who does, or just want to gain a deeper insight into this particular area, please take a moment to watch. As Cheryl states in the interview, the fact that Jesus even tells the story about a prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, should bring great comfort and hope to any parents heart. He knew this would be a very real circumstance in many people's lives.

March 5, 2010

Miracles and Motivators

John 6:2 "Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased."

Signs. I remember as a little girl, my Dad used to take me to "healing" meetings. There was one night in particular, a young teenage girl with long, wispy hair, was pulled up to the platform and all of the lights in the audience were dimmed. She hobbled over to the so-called "faith healer" who sat her down in a chair, carefully pulled her right leg up and then slid another chair underneath it. I promptly got out of my seat, pardoned and excused myself as I pushed past, crawled over and scooted through the legs of every individual between that platform and I. Something BIG was about to happen...especially since the music intensified.

Though I learned later the guy was a con, I wanted to go back the next night, and the next, and so on. To see a miracle happen for others meant that there might be a miracle for me. I had a great desire to see a miracle in my childhood.

So it's easy to understand why "multitudes" began to follow Jesus. He was touching lepers with lethal disease. He healed bad eyesight, paralysis, anemia, the deaf, those with crippled limbs, and even raised the dead. There was no limit to His power and not enough books to contain all that He did. I would have followed.

John 6:25-27 "And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled."

 Now there's a difference. Initially, they followed Him for the signs, but once the Lord performed a miracle that "filled their stomachs," their motivation changed. For every one that says they follow Christ, "motives" will be periodically checked by the Holy Spirit. Circumstances in our lives can surface the real reason we say we are Christians. Is it because we want to see Him do a miracle for us? Is it because we believe following Him will give us good health, decent wealth, protection from injury, deliverance from hard times? Is it because we have goals and ambitions and want His blessings on them so they do not fail? Why do we follow Jesus?

Hear Job's wise reflection, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10)
May our motivation to follow Jesus be solely for WHO He is. "I Am the Good Shepherd." Jn.10:11

February 15, 2010

Fellowship With Our Eyelids

It's Monday. Normally, I'm at church for women's prayer and my girl is off playing with one of her adopted aunts, but it's the season where colds spread at the speed of our national debt. So, I get to play nurse and fight germ warfare for homeland security instead. It takes some mighty big bacteria to knock that toddler off her feet, but I got extra time in the Word this morning as a result.

Remember the passage in Luke 9:28-32 "And it came to pass...(Jesus) took Peter and John and James...to a mountain to pray." Now pushing our Sunday school responses aside, you have to admit, THAT is a special prayer meeting! Have you ever really imagined yourself in one of those disciple's places? Picture yourself right there. Jesus looks over and says, "Let's you and I go with James and John to the top of this mountain to pray." I can visualize jumping to my feet, fighting pride (in complete futility), and walking up the side of the mountain with Jesus. Once there, I probably would have done a lot of listening and agreed with everything the Lord said. Whatever His words were, He was right. If my eyes were closed, I would've peeked. If I would've peeked, I'd have seen what those three honored guests missed.

"And as He was praying, the appearance of His countenance became altered (different), and His raiment became dazzling white [flashing with the brilliance of lightning]."(Amplified)

You know the story...Jesus' humanity instantly changed and Moses and Elijah appear and talk with Him. What did they say?! Sometimes, we read over scriptures and miss the stunning revelations because of our familiarity. It must have been a phenomenal experience...that Peter, James and John were missing because they were asleep. Asleep!

Just when I think "I'd never...how could they?" the Lord reminds me how many invitations to pray with a few friends I didn't show up for. He reminds me how many times I've gone to prayer and didn't listen, but voiced my petitions and left. He reminded me of the many ways that I have also "slept" and missed out on opportunities to see Him glorified.

But we have a gracious Savior Who still allowed those sleeping disciples to see and hear the "glorious" once they woke up. They also heard the voice of the Father speak to them directly afterward. No matter where we find ourselves today, we can pray. We can ask the Lord to give us ears to hear His voice. We can ask the Lord to keep us alert and spiritually "awake". We can ask Him to show us, if we have forgotten or do not realize, the gracious and innumerable privileges we have by being able to pray and talk with God.

John 20:29 "Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."