Tag: Walking in Truth

To Love Like Him

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Sitting on my bed in Kenya I was overlooking a glorious sunrise over the Indian Ocean. I couldn’t believe it… I mean, I remember the plane ride and all, but to wake up to THIS view was unbelievable! It was so beautiful, breath-taking, HOT and amazing. Yesterday I held a crawly starfish and a spiny sea urchin in the palm of my hand. But today, my encouragement came from 1 Cor 13. Starting with verse 4, it reads:

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Dead Fish Smell

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Have you ever passed by something dead? You know you have by what? Yes, the smell! Sometimes you can’t even see it, but the smell takes your breath away.  I was jogging by a fence with a pond on the other side of it when this powerful rotten smell nearly choked me –  which is not good when you’re already out of breath! Death stinks.


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In His Steps

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When Adam and I steal an opportunity to dash off by ourselves – leaving the kids with my parents– we usually find our way to some sort of hiking trail. As we’re either climbing up the rocks or cascading down the slope, I like to place my foot in the exact footprint that Adam just left behind. Then I don’t have to think. He’s still standing so I should be fine. We can now freely carry on a conversation because I’m not worrying about my next step.

 That’s what I think of when I read 1 John 2:4-6…
  
    “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

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Slow Down, Children at Play

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I realized mid-way through my jog yesterday that I’ve not been surrendering my course to the Lord. I’ve just been setting out running my usual route without even thinking about it. Yesterday’s cool and cloudy weather reminded me to ask the Lord where I should run to. Passing up my usual 3 mile mark, I wondered how far this run would go and what was in store.

    I finally came to a sign that stood out to me to be my turn around mark. It said, “Slow Down, Children at Play.” Those words tingled as they processed. We ask cars to slow down and watch for playing children. Do I slow down and marvel at my children playing? I used to during the preschool years. Looking back, those days seem slow-paced and peaceful, compared to school schedules, play dates, martial arts, guitar lessons and don’t forget gymnastics that fill my days now. On second thought, maybe these times are just DIFFERENT rather than harder or easier. However it goes, the question still stings a little. Do I slow down and allow my children to play…play with each other…play in nature, exploring…play with legos, engineering…play without hearing me hollering “ Come on, put that away! Why do you have to make such a mess?”…
    Before I saw that sign I’d prayed that the Lord would show me what to focus on with my kids. Sometimes I can be so near-sighted, I see TODAY going well according to my schedule, but what’s going on underneath it all? Well, thank you Lord, I see it now. I FEEL it – Slow Down Julie, Children at Play. But how do I do that? What does that look like? There’s so many choices today of things to be involved it. Homeschooling  seems to add more options to the table rather than decrease them. How do I know what to say “Yes” or “No” to?
    Pondering that question led me to think about our family’s priorities and goals. Have you noticed that some people are more goal driven than others? I happen to be one of those people who NEED, MUST know where we are going and why we are going there! JGreat to travel with! I don’t want to be side-tracked and I don’t want to waste time! So why do we homeschool? An even better question is what is our purpose as a family? We choose to homeschool to make disciples of our children through providing a solid, life- equipping education, opportunities to grow using real life scenarios to strengthen our faith, and practice all these things TOGETHER. We do not fulfill this perfectly every day, or every other day, but this is our GOAL. You may have another one! You do not have to agree with mine or feel the need to take on mine as your own.
    So, if an activity enhances and fulfills this statement, I should say YES to that. However, if the activity is good, but does not help us grow, I may need to say NO, for it might pull us away from the goal. Whew! I wish I could report my excellence in choosing the right answer. But I am still learning. Writing this is proof I’m working through it.  Why is it my tendency to over-stuff-cram-quickly-hurry,-one more thing into life? Then I wonder why the kids are arguing, jockey-ing for position, acting like ungrateful spoiled brats…while I’m feeling worn out, frustrated, drained, confused and probably hungry!! There is definitely something wrong with this equation.  We have a wrong variable somewhere.
    Don’t misunderstand me…there is no formula for life. No magic pill to take. Life naturally takes on a fast pace when more than 1 person live under a roof. So let’s not rush it more by adding needless extras that detract from the beauty of the family.

Slow down mom…the kids are playing!  And they say, they won’t be kids forever…

Prideful Flying Snot (no picture needed!)

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    Have you ever tried to swallow some spit that just wouldn’t stay down? Then you swallow REAL hard but it still keeps coming back up! So what  do you do then?  Yep, spit it out!! I think the same example can apply to our PRIDE.  Swallow your pride and it might keep creeping back up. Maybe we actually need to spit it out instead!
 
    You know those “secret places” of our heart and mind that no one knows about? Yes, those things we’d like to keep it that way! I’ve found that sometimes those places pose a perfect breeding ground for  enemy strongholds. He likes to creep in through a skewed thought and then widen that crack through repetition until finally we’re actually listening to him. But what would happen, if when that first ugly head of ________ (pride, deceit, envy, malice, rage, theft, self pity…) showed itself we grabbed a friend or  spouse and confessed that instead of stifling it? Saying to them, for instance, “I’m really struggling with this right now. Would you help hold me accountable/ encourage me in this area?”  Just some act to spit that nasty lugie out before it spreads anywhere else. In doing that, pride has to leave, because confession takes humility.  First Peter 5:5 says “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” That humility is a choice. Being proud comes more naturally!
 
    However, a walk of humility can sometimes be humiliating! I’d rather keep on the mask that says I’ve got it all figured out and am implementing it daily, can’t you tell!! Humility means admitting, smiling, giving grace because I need grace, extending mercy because God extended it first, asking for forgiveness . . OUCH and OUCH.  Then there’s the flip side. If I share these things, they can come back to bite me! My friend  may think differently about me… may not like me any more…honestly, I may lose my image!  Yes. But is it really “MY” image?
 
    At the turn around mark one day on my run I saw a “For sale by owner” sign. This reminded me of the fact that I am not my own. I was bought with a price- the precious blood of Jesus.  In exchange for that, I’m asked to surrender the right to myself.  The “RIGHT” to be my own boss…to make decisions for ME…to have the RIGHT to  ___because I deserve it! Have I got to the point of placing a “For sale by owner” sign on myself? Can I resign to the fact that I am no longer my own master? Now, the life I live, I live for my new Master Jesus Christ who actually knows what’s best for me, even though it may seem difficult at the time to walk through.
    
    Well enough deep talk about for sale signs and snot…. But food for thought until next time…..

Watching Pt 2

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My daughter was the flower girl in my cousin’s wedding this year. In my eyes, this wedding receives the “wedding of the year” award. It was carefully planned for a whole year. From the engagement pictures to the bridal shower, to the flowers,     the cake,  the day of  groom-bride gifts, to the reception and rehearsal, it was PLANNED and then EXECUTED with precision. I think the bride and groom can look back with wonderful memories of their exquisitely special day.

    Have you ever thought what the wedding banquet will look like when Christ returns for US, His BRIDE? Can you even picture yourself as the Bride of Christ? Well, believe it you shall, and think on it you must, for it is TRUE!
    Revelation 19:6-8: “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar or rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)’”
    Have you ever thought that events in this life are preparing us for Heaven? I don’t mean physical things like houses and cars and clothes. But spiritual things like, hardships, struggles, disappointments, death, divorce, broken hearts, etc  do a work in our hearts with the goal of purification. One day, when our work here is completed, we will meet Jesus at the other end of that isle. We will leave behind all flesh and bones and finally be united in perfect purity to our Creator. I believe that’s what the meaning of “his bride has made herself ready.” We talked about being prepared for his coming, and what  that looks like. One way, is to allow the trials in life to purify ourself.
    1 Peter 1:3-7: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kind of trials. These have come so that you faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
    My favorite part of that verse is that my faith is of greater worth to God than gold. He will go to any lengths  to refine me until I’m proved genuine. I see that as the getting ready process for the wedding banquet to come! In today’s world, 1 year is along time to wait and plan the wedding ceremony. Preparations beckon, and great expectations await. However, The Lamb of God invites US to a wedding ceremony that will surpass it all!
    Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”
    Are you ready?

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.