Take a Break

Sometimes when I have an amazing  opportunity it's all I can do to make myself take advantage of it. I come up with a million reasons why I shouldn't take the time. Things I think I need to do or just not wanting to get out of the house. Yet almost every time I end up having a great time and am so glad I took the time. 

Last night I had the opportunity to spend some time with my son at a Cirque Du Soleil show.  It didn't cost me anything but time and I was so glad I did. It was an incredible show and we both needed a break. In the midst of senior projects and college applications a couple of hours of enjoyment was a nice respite. 

I'm helping with a retreat this weekend and our topic is rest. I decided to heed the lessons I was preparing and just take a break and make sure my son did as well. 

I'm so glad I did. Sometimes you just have to take a break without guilt or stress. So do something fun for yourself even if it's just for a little while. 

When I am Weak

Today is Veterans Day and having been a military kid I appreciate the sacrifices that are made in the name of freedom. Our country is free because we fight to keep it that way. It takes more than one person to maintain freedom. 

Christ died to give us freedom from the chains that satan likes to bind us with. And in our weaknesses He is strong. But we need the help of other soldiers to face the days. As moms we need other moms to help and encourage us when we feel overwhelmed. As students we need other students who can tell us you will get through this. As friends we need friends who will lift us up when we are down and in turn we can lift them when they are down. 

Whatever the circumstances. We can't do life alone. We weren't made for that. We have to have other people to help us when we fall. I'm grateful for friends and family who have fought for my freedom abut even more grateful for a God who gave me the freedom to stand with Him.  His power is sufficient for all my needs. He sends the right people at the right time to help me be strong. I just have to trust Him and obey Him. 

“say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.””

Isaiah 35:4 NIV

Control Freak

I am a control freak. I like to know what's coming. The unexpected and surprises are not enjoyable to me. My posts lately all seem to revolve around change and my lack of control.

Just this weekend I did one of those Facebook quizzes (I don't put much stock in these) about your word for the new year. What do you know - my word was change. It seems to be the story of my life. 

I spent the weekend with my son and boyfriend on a college visit for my son to look at one more school. It was a vivid reminder of the upcoming changes and the possibilities for tomorrow. If I could write the script of my life I would just ink in each step for me and my kids and all my relationships to go exactly as I would like in the time I would like. Regretfully, I can't do that. I can't predict or even really plan the tomorrows. It would be so less scary if I could. 

What I can do, is pray. That's really all I can do. I do have to make steps to move forward and try to guide my kids wisely as they choose the next location for the next phase of life but I can't make those choices for them. I can try to make sure I have all the necessary things in line for the next phase of my life but I am not guaranteed tomorrow. 

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7 NIV

Natalie Grant has a beautiful new song called King of the World. If you haven't heard it you should. It's a great reminder of who controls our lives. Not us and certainly not me. Only God. 

God gave me a beautiful sunrise this morning and it was a vivid example of His hand at work. A new day, a new start. Each step with Him makes the changes less scary. 

Here's Your Sign

Judges 6:17-18 NIV, "Gideon replied, 'If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. ¹⁸ Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.' ”

I love the story of Gideon.  I think because he was so quick to ask for a tangible sign that God was telling him what to do.  Every day we have to make choices.  Some of them are simple - what to wear, what to eat or when to wake up for work.  Some choices are far more difficult and frightening.  When do I leave where I am or take a new job or which school should I attend?  Any time we face change we want to be sure we are making the right choice.  We don't want to get down the road and realize maybe we chose poorly. 

I've made my share of poor choices and I've made some excellent ones and in the grand scheme of things they all worked out okay.  Through each choice I've either learned something about myself or someone else, got to experience some hardship or blessing or just realized there wasn't really a good or bad choice.  The one thing I have figured out more than anything else is that if I am truly seeking God's will then the choice I make is the right one.  He's been in, on or behind all those choices - shaping me through them to be more like Him. 

Gideon and I have much in common.  More than once I have done something similar to this request of Gideon to God.

³⁶ Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— ³⁷ look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” ³⁸ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Judges 6:36-38 NIV

I've asked God to fulfill some small thing as part of my search to reassure me that He was in that choice.  Sometimes its been as small as just show me a certain thing today and I will see your hand.  Sometimes its a verse or a song that just seems to powerfully speak to the situation I am trying to decide about.  Then there are the amazing times where I asked for something to happen that is way outside of logic
and it happened even quicker and better than I could have asked.  He hasn't always answered that way and sometimes I have to just keep moving forward without the fleece being answered.  But even then God has been there. 

³⁹ Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” ⁴⁰ That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. Judges 6:39-40

Even after Gideon tested God again, God went on to use Gideon in a mighty way leaving no doubts to anyone watching that it was all God.  Sometimes when we question God, His answer is so obvious that there is no doubt that God is all over it.  I love when that happens.  The hard part is when we are listening and watching and we don't seem to get a sign of any kind.  Then we have to hold to the promises He gives and be wise in our choices trusting Him above all else.  Because that's when we will get to share with the world just how great our God is. 

So when you get a great "here's your sign" from God then be quick to thank Him and tuck it away so when you don't get one another time you can stand firm in Him knowing that even when we don't get a big sign He is still working it all out for us.

Sand Through the Hourglass

Acts 3:21 NIV Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

What is it about time?  One day it seems as if the minutes creep by and the next day they seem to fly.  A new year is just a short time away and I am in a state of unrest.  Excited for the promise of new tomorrows and sad at the promise of changes and endings.  It is a mixed up time.  Trying not to look too much ahead so as not to lose focus on today.  Anticipating changes that will be good and some bittersweet.  

God's time and our time never seem to be the same. I remember being younger and thinking the days seemed to move so slow and growing up seemed so far away. Then I had kids. Now each day seems to move faster towards them being out of the house and starting their own lives. It's a mixed blessing. 

Why is it that when we finally get old enough to appreciate time it seems to be sliding through our hands like those pieces of sand that trickle through the hourglass?  When we want to do something or are waiting for a change it seems the good changes slow down time and the not so good changes speed up time. Is it the fear or excitement that seems to impact our view of time? I'm not sure but I know without a doubt that the way I view time and the way God views time is different. 

I don't think we can fully comprehend time in this world. Until we sit at the feet of Jesus and time is never ending. For this world we just have to use the time we have without rushing towards tomorrow and stay focused on today. Just one day at a time. Focused on God who is the one who holds time in His hands. Trusting Him to show us what the next step holds. 

I wish I could slow the time down as my kids prepare to move on but at the same time I wish I could speed toward some exciting future events. Who knows what tomorrow will hold but I will trust my God to carry me through until such a time as we meet Him in the air. 

One of These is not Like the Other

Ephesians 4: 22-23 NIV You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Some times its hard to be different.  In a world where we spend a lot of time comparing ourselves to people who we think are better or maybe worse than us we get caught up in trying to be different than who we were created to be.

In the last few weeks, days and even moments God has been hammering this home to me.  I am not like anyone else and I am not better than anyone else and I am not worse than any one else.  I am me.  Just me - the one He created me to be.  My mind tends to run in circles sometimes making me look to the left or right or down to see who is the same or similar to me.  Who thinks the same or agrees with me or who isn't living life or expressing themselves the way I do or the way I think they should. 

The part God is really beating into me is that my only comparison should be to His character.  Am I becoming more like Him.  And although my relationship with God is just that - MINE!! I should be a reflection of Him to those who I encounter everyday.  I will not be perfect in this lifetime.  I will not stop comparing myself to others in this lifetime.  Because I am human.  I'm not Christ who walked the earth as fully man and fully God - perfect in every way. 

It really is hard not compare and not to judge.  Pride makes me want to pat myself on the back when I feel like I've got it and my self-esteem makes me want to beat myself up when I don't.  I should be concerned about others only to the extent to answer the questions - Can they see Jesus in me and how can I be Jesus to them?  How can I help them see Jesus - not in judgment but in love.  Not trying to convince them of my way or where they are messed up or hey look at me I'm worthy and equal to you even though I don't walk in the same circles as you - but hey - can I love you like Jesus did. 

So I hope that in this world, I'm not just like everybody else and when our paths intersect you see in me the confidence of Christ and the reflection of His character.  I've got a long way to go but He is showing me every day what I need to do different. 

2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Made New

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV

When we come to the point that we recognize our sin and that Christ died to save us then we repent and He begins a work in us to make us new. In that moment we are assured of eternity with Him. That is an awesome thing but it shouldn't be the end. 

We should daily recognize our need for Him and we should long to grow closer to Him. We do that through Bible study and prayer and fellowship with other believers. Daily we have to lay down ourselves recognizing our weakness and allowing Him to be strong through us. 

Some of us struggle with admitting we are weak. Whether we just don't want to acknowledge that we can't do it or that we have too much pride to lay it down but our weakness is the opportunity that allows Christ to shine. He is strong when we are weak. 

It's not my place to judge anyone else's walk with Christ and I certainly can't pretend to know what is in someone's heart but I do know that if I'm growing in Christ then I should gradually begin to look more like Him. I should show "... love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

I should  be slowly becoming more like Christ. If people look at me and don't see a change then they are likely going to question my salvation. I pray that I continue to mature and become more like Him. Someday we will see fully what we are in Him and understand Him fully until then we have to daily seek Him first. 

“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 NIV