Life is a cornucopia of emotions. Today we celebrate Thanksgiving. It's a day to reflect on whom and what we are grateful for. For some, it's about family and friends. For some, it's about survival. For some, it's about joy. For some, it's about pain. For some, it's about rest. For some, it's about busyness. For some, it's a day of celebration. For some, it's a day of anxiousness and loneliness. For all, it's still another day that we have been given, a day we are not promised. We choose whether that is a curse or a blessing. We choose whether that is enough.
I choose enough. This has been a hard and trying season for me. My emotions have been tested. They have proven to be fragile and I have had to dig deeper to rely on what I know to be true vs. what I feel to be relevant or disappointing. What I know is that God has given me a measure of faith. It is a seed that was planted in the fertile ground of my soul. My soul is nurtured as I feed and water it with the Word of God and His living Water. The Holy Spirit lives within me. He is not characteristic of me and my traits. He is true to His own identity. The Holy Spirit of God is always the same and He does not change according to the person that embodies Him. He relates to and identifies with Himself, not to us as individuals. In short, He speaks truth. That is comforting. That is enough.
I have needed to employ everything I have ever learned and come to know about surrender, forgiveness, truth, grace and contentment in recent months and weeks. It has not been easy, but it has been enough. It has not been a natural response or my first response, but it has been inevitable and it has been enough. I have sinned more than once in my emotions of hurt and rejection, but God's truth and grace brought me to repentance. I have been forgiven by God and I have forgiven others. It has been enough.
There is something about this kickoff season to family holidays that triggers our souls. Whatever is deep down in there, gets a little bit of a tasering during this time of year. We get jolted. If we have areas of hurt, they tend to get stirred up. If we have emptiness, it seems to feel like the hole just gets bigger during these days when everyone else seems to be celebrating. When everyone else is throwing confetti, many feel like burying under the covers and sleeping through it all. Those feelings cannot just be stuffed like the Thanksgiving turkey. But they can be evaluated and appropriately dealt with and replaced with truth. We can validate that our feelings are real and that we certainly can't just ditch them. But we can also ask God to remind us of His truth and His faithfulness. We can pray and ask Him to replace doubt, fear, anxiety, loneliness and hurt with truth, love, grace, gratitude, praise and contentment. We can choose to call a friend or loved one and choose community over isolation. We can be with God and be with others. We can fight the urge to be alone in our pity party. Besides, those that have surrendered their hearts and will to Jesus are never alone. Sometimes we just have our backs turned to Him. He lovingly reaches out to us and turns us toward Him again, toward His love and comfort and joy. That is always Enough!
But let's be real. Not all circumstances, not all situations, not all people and families are peachy keen or honky dory. Some of them actually stink. But there is still a deeper more concrete truth. We can choose not to engage in dysfunction. We can choose to forgive as God has forgiven us. We can choose to be forgiven. We can choose grace. We can choose to focus on Who God is and what He has already done. He gave His only son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for my sins and yours. If He never did another thing, THAT is enough. The struggle is to remember this truth.
In our pain and self focus, it is easy to forget that it's not all about us. But God is so wise to have put truth into the bible and into our hearts. We are to be thankful in all things and through all circumstances. That kind of thankfulness helps us focus on Enough. Not all things are good. Not even all people are good. But God is always good. He is a good good Father. He has reminded me, that even through things and people that haven't been so good, He can and does still bring good out of it all and through it all for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. He is the LORD of redemption and blessings. He is always Enough.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Monday, October 10, 2016
Morals
If anything beneficial could come out of the distasteful political landscape of late, it may be that it could cause us to confront the lack of morals we, as a country, have espoused in recent years.
Morals. Every body's talking about morals all of a sudden. On any given day in modern society, they are a nuisance to many. Yet, this week, you would think "Leave it to Beaver" is once again the only type of entertainment consumed by the American public and that we all live and behave like the Waltons in our little houses on the prairie. I would love it if that were true, but that ship has long since sailed.
In the real world, I began to question the sincerity of a suddenly puritanical approach to American politics and society, in general. Ponder this, if you dare:
1. How many of the same people outraged over the terrible language Donald Trump uttered on tape some 11 years ago can claim they have always been morally upright in every way? Maybe a few, but probably not many.
2. How many of those who were the first to throw stones, might need to be reminded that God sees their own thoughts, hearts, words and deeds? A few indictments for moral failure may be in order, if we are in a court of honesty and transparency.
3. How many of us use foul language, ourselves? Do we have a potty mouth either in public, or in private? Have we ever had inappropriate sexual behavior that is outside of God's will?
4. How many of us are diligent to guard our eyes, ears, hearts and souls against immorality? Do we keep offensive things from entering our world? Here are some questions to help us answer honestly:
- Have I ever in the past viewed, or am I presently viewing, anything that could be considered pornographic or, at least, sexually promiscuous?
- Do I watch television shows and movies, read books, or consume any kind of content that has bad language, sexual intimacy or lewdness - for example, have I read or watched Fifty Shades of Grey, Magic Mike or the like? Do I ever see sex scenes on the TV shows I watch? Are shows like the Bachelor and the Bachelorette things I watch because the relationships are wholesome? Or am I aware that sex is the norm in that atmosphere?
- Do I listen to music with lyrics that consider sexual conquests an accomplishment? There is sexual innuendo in much of today's popular music genres. Do I consider that offensive? Especially, if the music is fun and I don't really listen to the words they are saying?
- Do I make excuses for any of the above to rationalize that it's different for me and it's somehow okay?
I'm not defending the mistakes of Donald Trump. He has made many. I could not and wouldn't even try. I have even been angered by his words in the past. It's never okay to denigrate others with our words or actions. I hope he has changed, or can change, because I know that no one is exempt from being redeemable, no matter what they have done or said.
But, I started taking an honest look at how hypocritical many of us can be. The point is not to exonerate him, but to show us how shallow our own views and hearts can be. Our own sin looks pretty ugly on someone else, doesn't it? It should, at least.
But then, maybe we're not really looking at ourselves because we think what we do, personally, doesn't really have an effect on anyone else. Especially, since we didn't say what he said! And it's unlikely, even if we did, that it would be broadcast for the whole world to hear.
I contend that many of us have our own vulgarity issues. Pornography, for instance, that can be found in many of the above examples, has an effect on God, ourselves, our families and our relationships. It's not harmless. A large percentage of men, and some women, really have an issue with this. Some of us have never gone there, but too many have.
So, really, many of us are not in a position to throw stones, insults and innuendos, lest they turn into boomerangs. I'm reminded that I should take care of my own shortcomings instead of broadcasting others'. Forgive me, Lord. For I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I don't think I'm alone in that.
Morals. Every body's talking about morals all of a sudden. On any given day in modern society, they are a nuisance to many. Yet, this week, you would think "Leave it to Beaver" is once again the only type of entertainment consumed by the American public and that we all live and behave like the Waltons in our little houses on the prairie. I would love it if that were true, but that ship has long since sailed.
In the real world, I began to question the sincerity of a suddenly puritanical approach to American politics and society, in general. Ponder this, if you dare:
1. How many of the same people outraged over the terrible language Donald Trump uttered on tape some 11 years ago can claim they have always been morally upright in every way? Maybe a few, but probably not many.
2. How many of those who were the first to throw stones, might need to be reminded that God sees their own thoughts, hearts, words and deeds? A few indictments for moral failure may be in order, if we are in a court of honesty and transparency.
3. How many of us use foul language, ourselves? Do we have a potty mouth either in public, or in private? Have we ever had inappropriate sexual behavior that is outside of God's will?
4. How many of us are diligent to guard our eyes, ears, hearts and souls against immorality? Do we keep offensive things from entering our world? Here are some questions to help us answer honestly:
- Have I ever in the past viewed, or am I presently viewing, anything that could be considered pornographic or, at least, sexually promiscuous?
- Do I watch television shows and movies, read books, or consume any kind of content that has bad language, sexual intimacy or lewdness - for example, have I read or watched Fifty Shades of Grey, Magic Mike or the like? Do I ever see sex scenes on the TV shows I watch? Are shows like the Bachelor and the Bachelorette things I watch because the relationships are wholesome? Or am I aware that sex is the norm in that atmosphere?
- Do I listen to music with lyrics that consider sexual conquests an accomplishment? There is sexual innuendo in much of today's popular music genres. Do I consider that offensive? Especially, if the music is fun and I don't really listen to the words they are saying?
- Do I make excuses for any of the above to rationalize that it's different for me and it's somehow okay?
I'm not defending the mistakes of Donald Trump. He has made many. I could not and wouldn't even try. I have even been angered by his words in the past. It's never okay to denigrate others with our words or actions. I hope he has changed, or can change, because I know that no one is exempt from being redeemable, no matter what they have done or said.
But, I started taking an honest look at how hypocritical many of us can be. The point is not to exonerate him, but to show us how shallow our own views and hearts can be. Our own sin looks pretty ugly on someone else, doesn't it? It should, at least.
But then, maybe we're not really looking at ourselves because we think what we do, personally, doesn't really have an effect on anyone else. Especially, since we didn't say what he said! And it's unlikely, even if we did, that it would be broadcast for the whole world to hear.
I contend that many of us have our own vulgarity issues. Pornography, for instance, that can be found in many of the above examples, has an effect on God, ourselves, our families and our relationships. It's not harmless. A large percentage of men, and some women, really have an issue with this. Some of us have never gone there, but too many have.
So, really, many of us are not in a position to throw stones, insults and innuendos, lest they turn into boomerangs. I'm reminded that I should take care of my own shortcomings instead of broadcasting others'. Forgive me, Lord. For I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I don't think I'm alone in that.
We can try to be good. But we are incapable of being good and embracing the morals that would honor God unless we know Him, personally. A Christian worldview is one in which we live and evaluate everything we do through the lens of a Christian perspective. We look at the life of Christ and we attempt to follow Him in obedience, in spirit and in truth. We fall short. It's not an easy path. We are humans and we tend to revert to human behavior which is sinful. We can be disobedient to God's Word and insist on doing things our own way. Or we can try our best to be obedient and rely on the Holy Spirit of God to help us be more like Jesus and carry out good behavior that we can't even begin to carry out in our own power. If we are willing, God is able to help us as an individual, and as a nation, to return to the morals that bring Him glory.
Monday, April 11, 2016
My Fight Song
I had a mammogram today. It's odd how you don't realize you are worried, but you wait a bit tensely for results. I got a good report, so I breathed a deep sigh of relief and a prayer of praise. I've now been a survivor of breast cancer for 6+ years and I'm grateful for each good report. It reminds me where my help comes from. My blessing of being cancer free had nothing to do with my ability to kick cancer's butt. I am convinced that God gave me the grace to survive. I'm even more confident that any healing I have experienced has come from His hand and not my ability to do it on my own.
I guess that is why I always pause when I hear people say, "I/they kicked cancer's butt!". I get where they are coming from. They are excited that they or a loved one has been victorious in the fight against cancer. They are just celebrating that. I cannot blame someone for celebrating the fact that they get to live another day and another season where cancer did not win, where they have survived the diagnosis. I understand and I really do love that song that goes something like, "This is my fight song, take back my life song", because it makes one feel encouraged and empowered.
I just don't happen to feel comfortable saying that I did anything in my own power. I didn't kick cancer's butt; my God did! I prayed. I believed God and He did it all. To say He saved me has layers and layers of truth and dimensions to it. He has saved me in so many ways. He saved my soul. He saved my marriage. He saved my life. Yes, I know Whom has saved me. I know where my help comes from: "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth". Psalm 121:2
I do have a fight song. It's a praise song. It is one that goes like this, "Your praise will ever be on my lips"!
"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You— I whom You have delivered."
Psalm 72:23
"I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips." Psalm 34:1
I am grateful today. My God continues to fight my battles and His praise will ever be on my lips!
I guess that is why I always pause when I hear people say, "I/they kicked cancer's butt!". I get where they are coming from. They are excited that they or a loved one has been victorious in the fight against cancer. They are just celebrating that. I cannot blame someone for celebrating the fact that they get to live another day and another season where cancer did not win, where they have survived the diagnosis. I understand and I really do love that song that goes something like, "This is my fight song, take back my life song", because it makes one feel encouraged and empowered.
I just don't happen to feel comfortable saying that I did anything in my own power. I didn't kick cancer's butt; my God did! I prayed. I believed God and He did it all. To say He saved me has layers and layers of truth and dimensions to it. He has saved me in so many ways. He saved my soul. He saved my marriage. He saved my life. Yes, I know Whom has saved me. I know where my help comes from: "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth". Psalm 121:2
I do have a fight song. It's a praise song. It is one that goes like this, "Your praise will ever be on my lips"!
"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You— I whom You have delivered."
Psalm 72:23
"I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips." Psalm 34:1
I am grateful today. My God continues to fight my battles and His praise will ever be on my lips!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
I Can Do Something!
I saw this quote pop up several times on Facebook today:
"I AM ONLY ONE, BUT I AM ONE.
I CANNOT DO EVERYTHING, BUT I CAN DO SOMETHING.
AND I WILL NOT LET WHAT I CANNOT DO INTERFERE WITH WHAT I CAN DO."
--Edward Everett Hale
It comes at a really good time, because my heart has been conflicted about speaking up or staying quite. I am impressed by God that there is always a BEST way of doing something. My heart should be right and I should pray before I post. I haven't always done that in the past. Sometimes I react, before I pray. It's all a part of the mess I am.
I know I'm a mess. I've said it before and I'll say it again. But, I don't say it as shamefully as it sounds. I say it with awareness that God has given me another opportunity to grow closer to Him in my messiness. I can struggle through the unrest in my spirit because I realize I've not allowed His Holy Spirit to go before my own reaction to things. I can be still and know that He is God and that He will give me peace as I keep my eyes on Him and trust Him to work all things out for His Glory. It's in this process that I learn hard lessons. He convicts me; then I surrender and ask for forgiveness. He forgives me and shows me His way.
God has road signs for me to follow His path all throughout His Word. Sometimes I cruise right along and, sometimes, I see a squirrel and do the off-road thing. It's usually only a temporary detour and I am thankful that when I get back on His path for me that He provides rest stops along the way. It's at these rest stops where He replenishes my soul and allows me to rest in His promises. He re-fuels my soul and gives my spirit and heart the boost I need to be as bold as I can be with as much humility as I can muster.
One of my sweet pleasures is to read the Psalms of the bible in the Message version. I don't exactly like every translation it gives in some of the more instructional books of the bible, but I love the prose and the beauty that is brought to life through this version of the Psalms. In Psalm 119 there is a verse that says, "I'm single-minded in pursuit of You; don't let me miss the road signs You've posted. I've banked Your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt". This speaks loudly to me. I'm always tapping into the vault of my heart to remember and live in God's promises. Every time I sin, I'm reminded of the cost. I don't want to continue on that road. I don't want to bankrupt my soul, so I pursue God very purposefully so I can follow His road signs.
I've needed to reconcile my heart and soul with the heart of God. My heart was in accord with His, but my delivery was a detour from His chosen path. As always, I am drawn back to the road to reconciliation. That is one of the things I've grown to love about the Holy Spirit living within me. He points me in the right direction; He points me to the Father, always. And, He is patiently leading me back to the path He has me on.
Recent cultural events have left me distressed in my spirit. My heart wants to rise up in defense of certain things: for what I know to be good and right. My heart aches for the helpless and injustice makes me want to spring into action. Unfortunately, I often use my head and tongue instead of my heart and prayers. I try to rally support and I end up doing and saying things that were all me and less of what God intends. It affects my soul and it affects my spirit. It is a detour to what God intends.
This happened recently as I "liked" and "shared" many things I'm passionate about on Facebook. I cannot even wrap my heart and mind around the concept of the abortion business in this country and in the world. Even when revealing facts came out to expose it, recently, people continued to deny the evil it portrayed, and some even rallied to defend how noble people in this industry were. I thought my head was going to spin around and explode in fury as I read about the rationalizations that people have to defend those in this industry who seem to be immune to the plight of helpless children in the womb. They say the good outweighs the bad. I say that we should dig for truth and examine the evidence. I'm fully aware of "Talking Points" that are in place by communication departments of organizations to be utilized when speaking to the press or public. In cases of publicity crisis, you will see the same rote talking points used as a defense to fend off the crisis. We have seen that with the recent response to the telling videos that came out to expose the practices of Planned Parenthood. What they deem "good" is made to look much better than it is and it is inflated to appear to be a necessity to women's health. There are so many more and better options, but people don't look any further to find out for themselves. They simply believe the talking points manufactured by the organization.
My heart has been, and still is, to speak out for the helpless, but I allowed my flesh to react to the injustice of it all. I should have been driven to intense prayer. Instead, I was driven to intellectually amassing as much information as possible so I could know the truth and defend it. My thought was to make people aware of the injustice. When they saw it, how could they continue to keep their heads in the sand or turn a blind eye to such atrocities? Indeed. I'm not really sure of the human psyche, but I quickly realized that people will ignore you and give you the cold shoulder if you speak out about things that are not politically correct. They will deem you negative to even bring it up. They will judge you for sharing such things on Facebook. Everyone seems to be free to post about whatever cause or issue they deem acceptable on Facebook. I have learned that killing babies for profit and asking people to look for truth in politics are not among the things people find acceptable. I honestly feel ostracized for even voicing an opinion. I'm aware that people didn't ask me to be their educator and I quickly realized I needed to step back and pray more than post.
I don't believe I was wrong to share facts that can educate others, but I do believe my reactions of disgust for these people were not surrendered to God. My heart was not exactly right towards them. That is where I felt my spirit in need of reconciliation. I will always continue to advocate for those that are the least of us. I will always give a voice to those who aren't allowed to ever have one. I will always rally to champion a true and deserving underdog. What I will not do is continue to try to do it in my own strength and in my own way. I am one person and I will continue to do what God gives me the grace and peace to do. I will speak only when I have prayed about it long and hard. The truth remains - somebody has to speak. It may not be me, but, if God allows me, why not me?
I believe I can effect the most change in this world through prayer. That doesn't mean I won't "like" things that spur passion within me or "share" things that can educate people with truth about important issues. It does mean I will have my heart in the right place before I do it and I will pray for God's direction. It means that I will yield to God's direction on this journey I am on. I will look for His road signs and I will purpose to be reconciled to Him and His ways so I can be someone who builds bridges instead of one that puts up road blocks in this Road to Reconciliation to our Savior and His ways.
I know I will never argue anyone over to the way I see things. But with the right heart and attitude, I may just be able to pray them into the Kingdom of God!
"I AM ONLY ONE, BUT I AM ONE.
I CANNOT DO EVERYTHING, BUT I CAN DO SOMETHING.
AND I WILL NOT LET WHAT I CANNOT DO INTERFERE WITH WHAT I CAN DO."
--Edward Everett Hale
It comes at a really good time, because my heart has been conflicted about speaking up or staying quite. I am impressed by God that there is always a BEST way of doing something. My heart should be right and I should pray before I post. I haven't always done that in the past. Sometimes I react, before I pray. It's all a part of the mess I am.
I know I'm a mess. I've said it before and I'll say it again. But, I don't say it as shamefully as it sounds. I say it with awareness that God has given me another opportunity to grow closer to Him in my messiness. I can struggle through the unrest in my spirit because I realize I've not allowed His Holy Spirit to go before my own reaction to things. I can be still and know that He is God and that He will give me peace as I keep my eyes on Him and trust Him to work all things out for His Glory. It's in this process that I learn hard lessons. He convicts me; then I surrender and ask for forgiveness. He forgives me and shows me His way.
God has road signs for me to follow His path all throughout His Word. Sometimes I cruise right along and, sometimes, I see a squirrel and do the off-road thing. It's usually only a temporary detour and I am thankful that when I get back on His path for me that He provides rest stops along the way. It's at these rest stops where He replenishes my soul and allows me to rest in His promises. He re-fuels my soul and gives my spirit and heart the boost I need to be as bold as I can be with as much humility as I can muster.
One of my sweet pleasures is to read the Psalms of the bible in the Message version. I don't exactly like every translation it gives in some of the more instructional books of the bible, but I love the prose and the beauty that is brought to life through this version of the Psalms. In Psalm 119 there is a verse that says, "I'm single-minded in pursuit of You; don't let me miss the road signs You've posted. I've banked Your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt". This speaks loudly to me. I'm always tapping into the vault of my heart to remember and live in God's promises. Every time I sin, I'm reminded of the cost. I don't want to continue on that road. I don't want to bankrupt my soul, so I pursue God very purposefully so I can follow His road signs.
I've needed to reconcile my heart and soul with the heart of God. My heart was in accord with His, but my delivery was a detour from His chosen path. As always, I am drawn back to the road to reconciliation. That is one of the things I've grown to love about the Holy Spirit living within me. He points me in the right direction; He points me to the Father, always. And, He is patiently leading me back to the path He has me on.
Recent cultural events have left me distressed in my spirit. My heart wants to rise up in defense of certain things: for what I know to be good and right. My heart aches for the helpless and injustice makes me want to spring into action. Unfortunately, I often use my head and tongue instead of my heart and prayers. I try to rally support and I end up doing and saying things that were all me and less of what God intends. It affects my soul and it affects my spirit. It is a detour to what God intends.
This happened recently as I "liked" and "shared" many things I'm passionate about on Facebook. I cannot even wrap my heart and mind around the concept of the abortion business in this country and in the world. Even when revealing facts came out to expose it, recently, people continued to deny the evil it portrayed, and some even rallied to defend how noble people in this industry were. I thought my head was going to spin around and explode in fury as I read about the rationalizations that people have to defend those in this industry who seem to be immune to the plight of helpless children in the womb. They say the good outweighs the bad. I say that we should dig for truth and examine the evidence. I'm fully aware of "Talking Points" that are in place by communication departments of organizations to be utilized when speaking to the press or public. In cases of publicity crisis, you will see the same rote talking points used as a defense to fend off the crisis. We have seen that with the recent response to the telling videos that came out to expose the practices of Planned Parenthood. What they deem "good" is made to look much better than it is and it is inflated to appear to be a necessity to women's health. There are so many more and better options, but people don't look any further to find out for themselves. They simply believe the talking points manufactured by the organization.
My heart has been, and still is, to speak out for the helpless, but I allowed my flesh to react to the injustice of it all. I should have been driven to intense prayer. Instead, I was driven to intellectually amassing as much information as possible so I could know the truth and defend it. My thought was to make people aware of the injustice. When they saw it, how could they continue to keep their heads in the sand or turn a blind eye to such atrocities? Indeed. I'm not really sure of the human psyche, but I quickly realized that people will ignore you and give you the cold shoulder if you speak out about things that are not politically correct. They will deem you negative to even bring it up. They will judge you for sharing such things on Facebook. Everyone seems to be free to post about whatever cause or issue they deem acceptable on Facebook. I have learned that killing babies for profit and asking people to look for truth in politics are not among the things people find acceptable. I honestly feel ostracized for even voicing an opinion. I'm aware that people didn't ask me to be their educator and I quickly realized I needed to step back and pray more than post.
I don't believe I was wrong to share facts that can educate others, but I do believe my reactions of disgust for these people were not surrendered to God. My heart was not exactly right towards them. That is where I felt my spirit in need of reconciliation. I will always continue to advocate for those that are the least of us. I will always give a voice to those who aren't allowed to ever have one. I will always rally to champion a true and deserving underdog. What I will not do is continue to try to do it in my own strength and in my own way. I am one person and I will continue to do what God gives me the grace and peace to do. I will speak only when I have prayed about it long and hard. The truth remains - somebody has to speak. It may not be me, but, if God allows me, why not me?
I believe I can effect the most change in this world through prayer. That doesn't mean I won't "like" things that spur passion within me or "share" things that can educate people with truth about important issues. It does mean I will have my heart in the right place before I do it and I will pray for God's direction. It means that I will yield to God's direction on this journey I am on. I will look for His road signs and I will purpose to be reconciled to Him and His ways so I can be someone who builds bridges instead of one that puts up road blocks in this Road to Reconciliation to our Savior and His ways.
I know I will never argue anyone over to the way I see things. But with the right heart and attitude, I may just be able to pray them into the Kingdom of God!
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