Month: September 2018

I first stumbled across this verse when my oldest was in wilderness therapy. I clung to it because it gave me hope. I knew God was with him, growing and maturing him, helping him make his way. Now that training hikes are upon us as he and the hubs begin to prepare for their Appalachian Trail adventures, I’m clinging to this verse again, but now I understand that He is also with me as I make my way through the wilderness of my fears.

I am a worrier from way back. Perhaps it is the planner in me, always thinking through scenarios, trying to be sure I am fully prepared. At this moment, knowing that my role is to carry on on the home front, I see my fear very clearly as the wild, untamed, unmanageable wilderness that it is. Lord Jesus, make a way.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for this amazing opportunity for my hubs and our oldest. Thank You for the assurance that You will walk with them on every step of this journey—from the preparation and training to the amazing adventure of the trail. Thank You also for the assurance that You are with me and our youngest as we continue to work on laying our fears and anxieties at Your feet and clothing ourselves in Your grace and peace. Help all of us remember that You are with us in every wilderness, that You will never leave us, that You are making a way. Draw us closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I try to teach my students that words are important, valuable, that what they say matters. I have them write every day and strive to help all of them learn to better articulate their thoughts so they can more effectively communicate with others. I always wonder how successful I am in my goal, whether what I’m having them do makes a difference.

Yesterday I was asked to speak about a student who left this world way too soon. I prayed diligently that I would be able to honor my student and bring healing to his family with my words. And I was able to share journals that my student wrote while in my class—journals about his Savior, about the fragile nature of life, about his love for his family—important words, healing words.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your presence yesterday as I spoke about my student. Thank You for the words he wrote while he was with me and for the beautiful picture they paint of a kind young man. Help us always to be mindful of our words, Lord. Help us to use them to point others to You. Draw us closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

This morning my reading took me to Matthew 15 and the faith of the Canaanite woman. The one thing that is unmistakable to me in this passage is the strength of her belief in Jesus’s power to be compassionate and to heal. Her confident reply to Him and His response and healing immediately brought to mind Hebrews 4:16.

Yet still I am troubled because it almost seems from her story that healing is dependent on faith. If the faith is strong enough, the healing will occur. But I have prayed diligently for healing before, my prayer joining so many others for a miracle, only to have my loved one taken Home. I don’t believe Jesus is cruel—better luck praying harder next time—so I am left with the wisdom of Isaiah 55:8 and my rock-solid faith in my Savior. His actions, which make no sense to me at times, must be beyond my ability to comprehend. I trust and believe in His love, grace, goodness, and sovereignty.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your grace and power. Thank You that in the absence of understanding in this life, I have the utter assurance that You are in control, that Your fierce love does not fail, and that Your way is often beyond my comprehension. Help me to confidently approach You with every concern and to know with steadfast assurance that You are in control, no matter what. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I used to think it was good for me to vent a bit if something got me riled up, but the older I get, the more I realize that for me, that is not an effective strategy. I once thought of venting as releasing steam—releasing pressure before I blew. Now it seems more akin to striking a match to dry kindling—instead of helping me regain perspective, venting seems to get me more wound up and angrier, which isn’t good for anybody.

My physical reaction to my own negativity is startling to me. My breath becomes shallow. My heart rate quickens. My voice volume gets louder. Sometimes my hands shake. Just writing about it is causing the same reactions. Conversely, when my intention is to build others up, my heart rate and breathing both slow. My anxiety decreases. It makes me feel good, light and positive, when my goal is to build others up.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the timely reminder that I am in control of my thoughts and my words and that they have tremendous power to build up or to destroy. Help me to steady my mind and heart on You. Help me to strive to lift others up and encourage them. Draw us all closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

Last night, sleep was hard to come by. Many factors contributed to my poor night’s sleep, but the end result is that this morning, I am exhausted, and my thoughts seem anxiously chaotic. As I began my prayer time, I had no idea where God was leading me this morning and feared my sleep-deprived mind might not be able to hear His still, small voice.

But my Savior is steadfast and faithful. He not only showed up, He brought His peace for my addled thoughts. “Peace. Be still. Hush. Settle down. I’m here, even in the confusion. I’ve got you in the palm of my hand. You are mine. I won’t leave you. Just breathe and trust and know I am God, I am yours, I am here.”

Lord, Thank You for this day, for Your calming presence, for always fighting for me, even when I am exhausted. Quiet the chaotic thoughts within me today, Lord. Be my strength. Draw me closer to You. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I chuckled as I read this verse this morning because I thought immediately of my boys and the number of times I’ve asked them in their lives if they have washed their hands, especially before a meal. On the heels of the chuckle came a sobering thought—I am a rule follower. In and of itself, that’s not a bad thing; however, rule followers especially have to guard against blind rule following, devoid of any desire other than following the letter of the law.

God doesn’t want my blind, slavish obedience. If He did, He would not have given me free will, the ability to choose Him because I want to, not because I have to. He doesn’t want adherence to the rules above all else. Living that way leaves no room for love, grace, or mercy, and all three are vital to our Savior, much more so than rigid rule following.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder not to get so caught up in rules, customs, and traditions that we turn our hearts from You. You would much rather have our love, our whole hearts, broken open for You, filled with Your love, compassion, and mercy, than have our mindless adherence to the rules. Help me to always have a heart for You and Your people. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

This is going to be a busy week. It is the kind of week where I’m exhausted before it begins, thinking of all that must be done. Some folks thrive off the stress of doing, but it wears me out. However, I laughed when the Lord brought me back to Martha this morning. Martha and I go way back. I’ve been trying to be more Mary and less Martha in my life, thought I’d been making progress, but perhaps in all my busyness, I haven’t come as far as I had hoped.

Ultimately, what is lost when I get swept up in my own busyness is my connection with my Savior. I put Him high on a shelf so that He doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, forgetting that my connection with Him is vitally important so that I don’t lose sight of why I’m here. If my existence is just about checking items off my “to do” list instead of about drawing near to and glorifying my Savior, I’m absolutely lost.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder to cling to You and glorify You, regardless of my obligations. Help me not to lose sight of the most important thing in my life—You. Help me not to get so swept up in the world’s busyness that I lose sight of my purpose in You. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I try to be a positive person. Most of the time I am successful, but I have to be on my guard. Sometimes the negative creeps in when I’m not paying attention.  This morning, for instance, before my feet even hit the floor, my head was already swirling with things that should have been done, that other people failed to do, that I had to do. I cannot allow the negative to hijack my thoughts and my day, and it will if I let it.

The beauty of my attitude is that I am in control of it. I get to choose whether to notice and dwell on the good or the bad. I try to cling to Romans 8:37–despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us. Sometimes it’s easy to trust that promise. Sometimes it takes Herculean effort to block out the clamoring world and focus instead on my Savior.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that I get to choose what I focus on each day. Help me to cling to these verses from 1 Thessalonians and from Romans. Help me to focus on Your love, Your light, and Your grace. Help me to rejoice and be glad in You and to celebrate the many positive things that happen each day. Help me to be a light and an encouragement to all those I encounter. Draw us closer to You. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I think many of us are instructed from an early age to be kind and helpful to others, especially those who are new or struggling. Personally, I know the anxiety of being the new one, the one who feels awkwardly out of place. My heart goes out to those who feel that sting, and it is easy for me to be kind. I treat them the way I want to be treated in similar situations.

But sometimes it is harder for me to show hospitality to those in my closest circle, those who know me best, who love even the difficult-to-love parts of me. Sometimes—way more often than I’m comfortable admitting,— when I am feeling particularly vulnerable or sad or anxious, those to whom I should be kindest and most hospitable see the very worst, most prickly and unlovable side of me. Jesus, help me.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the perspective that I am a steward, a caretaker, of Your grace. Thank You for the insight that I still have work to do in the area of hospitality, especially with those I love best. Help me, always, to show Your grace to others through my hospitality to them. Help me to check my ego at the door and to seek opportunities to serve others in love. Draw us all closer to You. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I am a planner in many areas of my life. It works well for me much of the time. But it also means that I often enter a situation with a plan, an idea of what should happen, when, and how. And when I have those expectations and they are not met, it’s not always easy for me to adapt, to relax, to go with the flow.

In hindsight, I guess entering a situation with a rigid plan reflects a pretty high opinion of myself. I think situations should go according to my plan. I think life should bend to my will. I guess I am still working through how to have a plan so that I am not aimless, but keeping that plan flexible enough that I don’t come unglued when it doesn’t pan out the way I envisioned. Jesus help me.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that my way is not Your way nor THE way. Help me learn to navigate life so that I am neither aimless with no expectations nor rigidly locked into my own plan. Help me to breathe and to be present with those I love and those you place in my life. Draw us closer to You. Amen.

Have a blessed day.