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Watchful

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I saw the most amazing sun rise this morning, I actually stopped and worshiped mid-run. It was just one of those, I-can’t-believe-I’m-actually-seeing-this kind of sights.

    When you see color spilled across the sky like that, you know the sun rise is near, right? Just as dark, heavy clouds forecast rain. In the same way, Jesus tells us to watch for signs of His return. Not as alarmists, or that we have the day and hour pegged, because that cannot happen. But just to be watchful.
    Luke 12:35-48 speaks on such watchfulness. I want to share some of this passage and encourage you to read the rest on your own. Starting in verse 35, Jesus says, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the 2nd or 3rd watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
    Wow! I don’t exactly know what to do with those words. I know what it means to be prepared. I know how to pack a camping trailer for a week’s vacation. Is that what He’s talking about? Or is it more like the first year Adam left for 10 days to go to Africa? I couldn’t sleep the night before, excitedly awaiting his arrival the next day. I cleaned the house, had food to cook, I was ready! To me, verse 35 conveys a message of anticipation and expectation of the Master’s return, that goes beyond what my everyday expresses.
    How am I to be ready for Christ’s return? Are you ready for Him to return? The word says it will be good for that person who watching, when He returns. Are you watching?

Sunrises or Not

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    Running today I wish I had some magical sun set to ponder on, or uphill battle I conquered with great words of wisdom to share. I don’t. Today, I just ran. Wasn’t really hard, wasn’t really fun, just did it. The only words that kept coming to mind were lyrics to a song that said, “I take up my cross and run to you.” Not exactly the encouraging light-hearted words I was wanting, but they did seem fitting since I WAS running. After mulling it over today, I was left with this….

    What exactly does it mean to pick up my cross and follow Jesus? Where is that exactly in the scriptures or is it just a catchy phrase to quote? Does carrying my cross simply mean each day picking up (embracing) my plate of life with its strengths and weakness together and just walking? The image comes to mind of life with preschoolers. Before heading out the door, we moms grab the diaper bag, purse, water bottles, last minute snacks and a change of clothes for our kids (and us!). Picking up the bags and placing them on one shoulder plus our child on the opposite hip, we exit the house. 

   I found the passage in Luke 14:27 and again in Matthew 10:37. The Luke verse goes like this, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” The passage goes on to describe someone who set out to build a tower. Will that person not sit down with pen and paper and estimate how much it will cost before building? He needs to make sure he’s saved enough money. Otherwise, he’ll get half-way through and realize he can’t afford to finish! Then everyone who sees the half built structure will laugh at him!
    So in the same way, I am to evaluate whether or not I’m willing to surrender it all. Because if I say I’m a follower of Jesus, yet get half way through life and realize I’m not willing to go any further, this requires too much of me, Jesus says, I’m not really his disciple. (see Luke 14:33) Ouch! But this cross to too heavy for me! Why do I have to carry it? Doesn’t Jesus say something about His burdens being light?
    Yes He does. Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” But it doesn’t stop there. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (11:29-30) Instead of exercising our physical muscles to handle the load, we are to “yoke” our self to Christ, learn from Him, THEN we experience rest and light burdens. Ahhh.
    The other verse running through my head as I process carrying my cross is 2 Corinthians 4:7-12: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed , but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”
    In the notes at the bottom of my bible, it says this, “ Once again, human weakness provides the occasion for the triumph of divine power, and daily ‘dying’ magnifies the wonder of daily resurrection life.” Boy that goes against what culture will tell us! An oxymoron of the faith…when we are weak THEN we are strong.
    Take up our cross. Follow Him. He is sufficient for all of me. Sometimes it’s following Him through beautiful sun rises and sets. Sometimes it’s fun and exciting. There’s metals and parties. Sometimes, it’s hard and painful. Even other times, it’s just a run, an act of obedience. But through it all, it’s a course worth running!
About a Mile “Satisfied”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KzB6XkIuIo 

Dew Drops

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Running this morning I couldn’t see two feet in front of me the fog was so thick. It shielded the sunrise and enjoying any sort of view for that matter. I was stuck with watching one foot go in front of the other.

    Heading down the path I brushed something away from my eye only to feel it was wet. Had I been crying without realizing it?! It’s possible, but no. Then I realized it was the water droplets from running through this cloud of fog. I looked around and the glistening grass confirmed the same conclusion. The tiny accumulated water droplets proved the heavy moisture in the air was REAL even though I couldn’t SEE it.
    So many times life leaves us in a fog and we don’t know where He’s leading us. The good news is we don’t have to know! That’s the secret joy of Following Jesus instead of Leading Jesus. But I believe if we look close enough, we’ll go to wipe a tear and realize an evidence of He’s Presence that we didn’t expect.
    I think of Moses when he left the Presence of God. His face radiated God’s glory so brightly, he wore a veil to contain it. Second Corinthians 3:15-18 speaks of the veil this way:
Even to this day when Moses is read [the law], a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
The veiled has been torn (the fog has lifted) and God’s glory is radiating through us as we are transformed into His likeness! Wow!
    Sometimes it takes a friend lovingly grabbing our face and physically pointing out those dew drops because we are so focused on the fog. “No, look – THERE He is! I know this is difficult and you don’t FEEL God now, or wonder why/how He could allow this, but LOOK at THIS!” This tiny blessing of laughter, or financial provision or a phone call from a friend can accumulate. What happens when thousands of water droplets accumulate? They from a puddle we can actually see. Like physical evidence we can bring into the courtroom. That’s how our faith is strengthened!
    So if life’s foggy – and it will be – look for the rain droplets and smile that He is with YOU!

I invite you to listen to “You Carry Me” by Moriah Peters…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODs78s6ceWA

Disguised Rest

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I have always loved a good birthday party. Time with friends, and cake, silly games, and cake, celebrating another year, and yes, CAKE! But I hadn’t heard of a “Golden” birthday until this year. According to my sources, it’s when, for instance, you turn 25 on the 25th that month. Mine would’ve been 13 on the 13th  of December, and my mom completely dropped the ball! Adam said the ultimate would be turning 29 on Feb 29th! Anyway, a friend of our family recently celebrated this momentous occasion and had a party to match it. The party included a sleep over, where the kids (and adults) decided, actually determined to stay awake all night. My oldest son was up for the challenge, so we agreed he could try. Upon picking him up in the morning, we were told he hit the finish line (of 7:30) and then crashed on the chair. With 30 people crowded in the same room,  Caleb never woke up.  It reminded me of when he was a baby and could sleep through anything!

So how can someone REST in a room full of NOISE ? That just doesn’t fit into my idea of rest.  My *idea* of rest is peaceful, quiet, dark and solitude. Maybe that’s not quite accurate. Maybe life doesn’t have to be quiet to be restful?  Just as you can be in a crowd of people yet still feel lonely.
Also,  this allusive rest,  if taken from this picture may require staying  up all night to achieve. There was nothing disturbing my son as he slept in that chair. He was THAT tired. In fact, as I snuggled close to him, he didn’t push me away or jab at me either. He wanted me there and returned the embrace.
Isn’t the same true with us? Yes, we pray for sweet dreams, safety and protection, smooth sailing, but isn’t it when life gives us exactly the opposite that we are more apt to lean into our Savior? When the night doesn’t bring with it the sleep we ache for, or the day doesn’t ring with resolution to our problems we find our self at the feet of Jesus.  As one song puts it, these times can actually be our “Blessings in Disguise”.
Our Savior calls us to intimacy with Him. He alone can be the peace through life’s squalls. He sees the tears we cry and the battle scars we incur.  He says, “Do you trust me?” Do we trust Him through the sleep-less nights and the clamor of life’s gatherings? It’s HERE we stop resisting, instead embrace His arms and truly REST.

Wonderful Well Water

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The weather this morning excited me as I strapped on my shoes and hit the pavement. The first cool, crisp morning since Spring.  A little weary of how far I thought I could go today, due to my shins bothering me.  You know, in general, I don’t like pain. I know that’s a news flash but when pain hits, I’m ready to stop. And some pain signals of deeper problems, but this wasn’t that. This was just agitating and trying to get me off course!
I know this sounds goofy, but before setting out, I ask the Lord to direct my steps. To guide me where to run where He has something for me. If nothing stands out or comes to mind I have a “usual” course. Well, today I ran to the point where I planned to turn around, but it didn’t seem time to stop,  so I kept going, and going until finally a telephone pole transformer caught my eye and I decided to turn around there. With that now in focus, I wasn’t paying attention to much else. As I approached, I realized this is where our water companies treatment plant is. My heart leaped and my spirit almost wept.  It was a well! Yes, I knew the water company had this here, but how awesome for today that God would lead me to turn around at a well!
 You see, just before I headed out, I was praying that God would show me how to find His rest IN my circumstances. When life is just hectic and I can’t slow it down anymore how can I find God’s rest? This well reminds me that HE is the well of living water. And He will lead me to it, if I will just listen. Jesus told the woman at the well that if she drank from His water she would never thirst again. “Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13) Come to the well. Bring your worries, burdens and lay them down here. Then you will find rest. How do you expect to run, Julie, with burdens on your back? Do Olympic runners wear backpacks to the race? No! They run in the least amount of clothes possible. It’s painful to run with shin splints,  yes? Would you let me help you with those? Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Then you can run the race that’s before you. 
Wow, all that from a well treatment plant! God can use ANYTHING!

Tea and Wine

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Steeping my tea this evening in the kitchen, kids quiet in bed and just Adam and I letting our shoulders down after a long day, I smiled at how God can use simple things like tea to teach me. My dear husband and I were discussing how when we pray for something, typically in one way or another God gives it to us. This was in the context of character training. When we pray for Him to show us how to be more ____(fill in the blank) He does! At that moment I was watching the water in my cup go from clear to tea colored, because that’s what I put in it.

Well, imagine for a minute that we are the tea bag and our circumstances/LIFE  are the water, and God’s Word and the Holy Spirit are the air around the cup. God the Father, in His Sovereignty, continually dips us in the water  of life just enough to saturate us, then brings us back up to get some refreshing  air. Then, making sure we don’t get too much air only,  back in we go. Over and over again. And what temperature is the water when you’re making tea? Yes, HOT… boiling! Ever felt HOT circumstances? And what happens to that tea bag as it’s continually immersed over and over again? It bleeds over into the water and flavors  and colors it according to what was in the bag.
 
2 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge  of Him.”
Through those HOT water times of life, God is steeping out His qualities that He put in us, and will use those to encourage, color and strengthen those around us, and in the process be a pleasing aroma to Him! That is what I call hope!
 
On the other hand, have you ever tasted bitter tea? They make it. I guess some people like it. Not wanting to take a simple illustration too far, but if you put a bitter tea bag into water, you get bitter tea! And to that I go to an illustration Jesus used when speaking about fasting. The question was, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Mat 9:14) Jesus began to answer about not sewing a patch of new cloth onto an old one, for the new patch will pull away and mess up the whole thing. Then, He says, “Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins.. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No,  they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (9:17) In other words,  Jesus came to establish a new covenant. The old one is gone and can’t even be mixed with the new one.
 
In the same way, our OLD self must be poured out to allow for the NEW self, created to be like Christ in true righteousness and holiness, to be poured in.  The only problem is, as long as we wear  this skin, that old self likes to feed off the bones we toss it. Before long, it’s nourished and taking form again. Truth is, however, even if it does take form, it’s only a corpse, because for those who are IN Christ, we are a NEW creation! The old has gone, the new has come. And that is something to Praise God for. That He can take even the bitterest and nastiest tasting TEA, and turn it into a TRIUMPH and an aroma that is pleasing. AMEN!!

Scenic Road Not Taken

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Today I took a route I’ve never run before. Unlike the straight way I usually take with its inspiring sunrises over pastures, this road curved back and forth, which made me scoot over for traffic, jump over a tree branch and pray away the ferocious sounding dogs barking at me. It was darker than the other route, for trees canopied over the road on all sides. Add to that a sneeky hill that about killed me on the way out. You can tell I had a great attitude! When I finally came to where my usual road feeds in, I looked to my left and behold, an electrifying sunset met my glance. I just dropped my shoulders and prayed, “Lord, look how beautiful it is over there! Why didn’t I take THAT route today?” To which I felt a gentle whisper say, “My child, you don’t always get to take the scenic route. Through it all, I’m still with you.”
 
How many times have I looked at the life of a friend and thought, “Man, they’ve got it made!” or “I wish I could home school like them.” If, if, if, and what if! Then there’s the why’s. “Why can’t we go that way, Lord? Why does this road have to be so hard and have so much traffic? The path is smoother over there and the sun is shinning.” To which the Lord can respond, “Yes, it is, but that’s not YOUR path. Maybe I have something for you to learn in these potholes, traffic, hills and barking dogs.”
 
Another dark zone for me is  the fear factor. FEAR of the unknown. What happens if….. what about…and don’t forget….My husband spells out fear this way: False Evidence Appearing Real. Ever experience that? My mind can place me in unrealistic situations so fast that I believe I’m there and then I’m afraid. Then I look around to see who noticed me leave reality or ask me what I’m thinking about. But in the face of all that, God tells me and you to “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze…Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you…” (Isaiah 43:1-3a,4.)
 
Can you believe He loves us THAT much?! He says, “You, (place your name) are MINE!” God, in His love and great mercy will see us through the windy, dark, scary paths of life. In time, if we let Him, His light will burn away our darkness and we will be left with a beautiful intimacy with our Savior that shines brighter than a sunrise over the pastures!


Uphill both ways

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“Back when I was a child we had to walk to school, in the snow, uphill BOTH ways!” Has anyone heard that one? My husband likes to tell a similar story to our kids as a way of saying, “Hey, you’ve got it easy, quit complaining!”

My run this morning had a similar tone to it. As I set out, I heard the voice of my old cross-country coach saying, “Let’s go run some hills today”. Cringing, I remembered how I used to actually enjoy running those hills back then. I’ve never been fast. I would just out last ‘em, and hills were my chance! I remember our district race was the hardest route of the whole year. Hills spotted the entire 2 miles, with the biggest one sitting 100 yards from the finish line. You could hear the crowd ½ a mile away cheering the girls on as they raced up that hill. Many medals were won and lost there.
 
Growing up we lived out at Holly Lake Ranch. A little wooded seclusion amidst exciting timeshare amenities. That’s where I learned hills. Jogging with my granddaddy in those days took us up some giants, so I just thought hills were a normal part of the sport. Fast forward to today, I honestly prefer the level ground of Mineola. You have to search to find some hills here. Well, today, I found them! I took a left where I usually take a right and ran down and down, at least a mile until finally I turned around. I laughed at the situation I was in. To go further on meant up hill, and to turn around meant, UP HILL! So, looks like up hill it is!
 
You see, hills reveal what you’re really made of. This is when it’s time to implement all those coaching lessons you’ve heard. You also realize your gaps – where you still need work.
 
Aren’t there times in life that no matter where you go, it’s uphill both ways? Someone once coined it a “catch 22” or to be explicit, “*@*@ if you do, *@*@ if you don’t”. I guess it’s actually rare to actually please all parties involved, but isn’t that what we try to do? Conflict usually isn’t the goal!
 
Running up that hill, I had my head down and all I focused on was the road in view from the brim of my hat down to my feet. I was thanking God for the up-hills in life, because they breed endurance and endurance breeds character. I desire to be a woman of character. The infamous James 1:2-4 fits beautifully here. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish is work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Have you ever met a kid who had all the answers but had never run up any hills? The one you tell, “Come talk to me in 10 years!” The testing of our faith (a.k.a HILLS!) develops perseverance (a.k.a MATURITY!) Without it, we’re like a wet noodle handshake.
 

Life is full of up-hill battles. Be encouraged. One step at a time. Do not try to measure how long this hill will last, but instead, continually thank the Lord for His strength, and how He’s overcome many hills before and this one will be no different. Even when it’s up-hill both ways, He will finish what He started. Remember, medals are won and lost on the hills.

To Flee or not to Flee

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Remember the movie “The Runaway Bride”? Julia Roberts played a bride who continually ran away when it came time to say “I do”. Maybe it was a good thing to run from some of those guys, but finally she met someone of worth. But the wedding anxieties were just too much, and she still put on her running shoes and ran.

Jogging down the road this morning, in the early glimmers of light, I thought about the different things in life I want to run away from. The difficulties, drama, confrontation, or even daily questions and chores, “what’s for dinner?”, “did you wash any socks?”, sweep the floor, load the dishwasher,  honestly can drive me to do what Julia Roberts did in that movie, run away! But I’m glad I don’t…

This did bring to mind 2 places in scripture that involve running…or not running. The first one is the second part of James 4:7, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Now, looking at several scriptures, (I Cor 6:18, 10:14, 1 Tim 6:11, 2 Tim 2:22) they tells us plainly TO flee several things: sexual immorality, idolatry, evil desires of youth, the love of money to name a few. So, to summarize, resist the devil and HE will flee; and I am to FLEE from temptation, lest I stare at it too long. Now, my wheels are really churning. What would happen, per-se, if I was to flee from the devil and just “resist” temptation. Would that work? Is that the same thing? What’s the difference?

 I do believe there’s a difference, and here’s why. If we flee from the devil we wind up in a dog fight. Satan is faster and stronger than we are. The faster we run away from him, the faster he pursues us. If we just muster up enough strength to “resist” temptation, we end up staying longer than we ever needed to. It comes down to how dependent are we on the Spirit to decipher between the two. I know I get blowing and going along and solving my issues the best way I know how, until I realize I’m facing the same thing over and over again. I stop and say, “what am I really fighting here? What is the root to why I’m feeling/reacting this way?”

There are times we need to just keep walking, maybe even run (flee temptation) and there are also times to press in. First Corinthians 10:14-15 assures us, “No temptation has seized you except what’s common to man. God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” So what’s the way out? For me that’s been sharing aloud with a friend, or spouse, the thoughts that can haunt me. I believe it’s time for Christians to stop playing charades and be AUTHENTIC with each other. This is a two partner dance. Partner #1 has to humble herself to BE authentic, regardless of the potential cost. Partner #2 has to LISTEN to the words spoken and cast NO judgement or CONDEMNATION towards the other person. That particular area may not be your individual struggle, but we all have something! Partner #2 must also commit to keeping that information confidential and never EVER use that information as gossip or fire starter. This would be Partner #1’s worst fear coming true in being authentic!! No temptation has seized you except what’s common to man. None of us are exempt from Satan’s attacks – from difficult marriages, to trouble with kids, to entertainment choices, we are all fallen people and we need one another if we are to walk blameless in this life and not fall into the snares set for us.

“The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1) In the face of Satan, our only resistance is to stand firm.  He wants us to tuck tail and run as fast as we can, scared to death. On the other hand, we can choose to pull out our shield of faith, and allow our “Heavenly Daddy” to handle Him. Otherwise, Satan will chase us around with accusations and condemnations until we crack or give in, because we feel as if we’ve done it anyway!

So the next time life tosses you a reason to run, maybe its time to turn in your running shoes, like Roberts, and commit to fighting the good fight of faith.

Relational Rose Bush

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In my garden, I have the quote, “In the garden of life friends are the flowers”. I heard someone reply to that, “But watch out for the thorns, I hear it’s a common hazard for both friend and flower.”
Yes, roses have thorns. And so do I! If I’m going to be working in my rose garden, what do I need to do? Do I reach in unprotected and then curse the rose for hurting me? I could, but is it really the roses’ fault? What did I think would happen?! No, I would wear gloves and possibly even long sleeves with pants depending on how big the garden is and what I’m doing there. I also might carry some Band-Aids and Neosporin close by in case of an accidental scrape. The fact is part of the rose IS its THORN.
Since that first bite of forbidden fruit eaten in the Garden of Eden, we have dealt with thorns. It’s just part of it. Part of being in community with other human beings is dealing with their thorns. So, we can pretend they aren’t there, get scratched, curse the friend and never plant roses again. OR we can look at the situation for what it is – we ALL have thorns – and dress accordingly, prepared to apply God’s grace, even liberally when/where needed!
Think for a minute about the rose thorn. Why do thorns grow around this beautiful flower? Could it be a source of protection against predators? I bet if we thought about it, some of the “thorns” on OUR stem could trace back to protection mechanisms. Maybe we’ve been hurt, so to protect ourselves from that incident ever happening again, we’ve grown a thorn to keep that particular predator away. Thorns could also be as a result of what kind of home we grew up in. We’ve created certain boundary lines to protect our flower. Whatever the case, thorns aren’t all bad. They provide a valuable level of protection for a beautiful specimen of nature, and also remind us that we’re not in Heaven yet.
The thorn does, however demand respect when handling. I believe we do to. That’s why in Ephesians Paul encourages us to speak the TRUTH in LOVE to each other. The context of this exhortation is that we grow up. We stop being infants and blown about from here to there with every new season of “cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming”. (4:14) Paul pleads with the church to speak truth to one another and grow up into Christ as the Head of this body. “From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (4:16) What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ! Do you think the early church body dealt with any thorns? You bet! We can’t avoid them. Instead, if we have any chance at looking appealing to non-believers, we must learn how to deal with them.
“In the garden of life, friends are the flowers” sounds like relationships (and gardening for that matter!) come easy. But just like gardening, friendships must be watered, tended to, pruned, fertilized and much more.  I’m thankful we have a Perfect Gardner, Jesus Himself who says He will help us through the thorns and roses of life.