Monday, March 30, 2009

Waiting

I try very hard to give my writing ideas to the Lord. I want my words blessed by Him for the benefit of others and to point them to Christ. Sometimes I get ideas right away; other times I have to wait...and wait...and wait.

But I notice that when I do wait, I am amazed by the results. He knows exactly what needs to be said and when. He has never disappointed me when I've chosen to wait on Him.

Impatient? Don't be. You're better off waiting on the Lord. He'll bring about exactly what you need in His most appropriate timing.

"Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day." Psalm 25:5

Friday, March 27, 2009

Long Distance

Long distance used to be a big deal years ago. I remember watching an “I Love Lucy” episode where Lucy was trying to call Little Ricky from Europe and was having a difficult time getting through. Today, we have our cell phones that help cut the cost of long distance charges and have an almost instantaneous connection.

I spoke to my Grandmother yesterday who lives in New Mexico. It was great catching up on all the latest with her, and she enjoyed hearing the news about me and my family. At the end of the call she mentioned, “It would be nice to see you sometime soon.” Yes, it would be nice to be able to hop a plane to visit, but the costs don’t make a trip like that easy, especially when I have a family of six to consider in the factoring.

Too bad we couldn’t just transport ourselves like on Star Trek. It would save time and money, and allow for convenient visitations to see our loved ones. Unfortunately, that piece of science fiction has yet to emerge as reality; and I really doubt it ever will. I’ll just have to settle for those long distance phone calls and the occasional letters and e-mails that keep us all connected until the budget can afford another visit.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Ignoring the Warning Signs

Last week I sprained my ankle coming down my walkway. I heard a nice little pop as my foot twisted. There was immediate pain, but thankfully it didn't last long, and the swelling was minor.

This past Sunday, though, my ankle was throbbing. I wondered if I hadn't pampered it enough during the week, so I did a crash course in ankle care: elevating the foot, soaking in warm water and epsom salts, and wrapping with an elastic bandage. The swelling went away, the bruise stayed, and so did the pain. I decided yesterday morning I needed to see a doctor to rule out any possible bone fracture that such an injury could create.

I took a trip to urgent care and got x-rays and an exam. The good news is that my bones are fine. The bad news is that my pain will probably last for another month. I'm not really looking forward to that. But I do have to be thankful that I took the time to follow up on the warning signs my body was given me. If there had been a fracture, and I had ignored the pain, I could have done worse damage to my foot.

God gives us warning signs. He loves us so much that He wants us to follow His rules, not because He is a cruel dictator; but because He knows exactly what is good and healthy for us and He wants us to enjoy the life He has given us to the fullest.

Is God given you warning signs? Don't ignore them. Obey Him so you can be blessed.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Thoughts After a Rain

I love how the clouds look after a rain. They are like big white cotton balls or big puffy globs of cotton candy that float about in the wind. They look beautiful against the brilliant blue sky. The air is also fresh and crisp. No smog is sight.

These kind of days are near perfect. I wonder how much more beautiful a non-fallen world would have been like. It must have been absolutely spectacular.

When this world passes away, we will have a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). I can't wait to see what awesome beauty God will show us then.

Friday, March 20, 2009

You're Not Insignificant

Do you have friends or family that you see totally being used by God? Maybe they have been given the gift of discernment, the gift of encouragement, or even the gift of helps and you see God blessing their efforts. Then you look at yourself and wonder why God would create you to be so insignificant.

First of all, as a child of God you are not insignificant. He created you with precisely the right skills, talents, and physical makeup. No one else in the world is even close to His design for you. That shows significance.

Secondly, we aren't supposed to compare ourselves with others. Some people will be given many special gifts that bless God and others. Some will have only a few. But it is our focus with what God has given us that counts.

So instead of comparing yourself with someone, ask God to show you how you can be a blessing. Ask Him to guide you in the use of your skills and talents. Then trust Him to show you in His proper timing.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Choosing to Despair

I liked watching the “Anne of Green Gables” series on PBS with Megan Follows playing Anne Shirley and Colleen Dewhurst playing Marilla Cuthbert. One of the scenes that I particularly enjoyed was when Anne dramatically said, “I’m in the depths of despair!” Marilla’s answer was profound: “To despair is to turn your back on God.”

Despair is a choice we make when we choose to let our circumstances drown out the promises that God has given us in His Word. It is when we let the fears and doubts in our head overwhelm us to the point that we don’t see the light of His goodness.

Hope can penetrate this darkness. When we call out to God and trust Him to remove the despair, we will eventually see a little glimmer of hope that will blossom and grow as we ask Him to fill us with His Spirit.

Psalm 42:5 is a great comforting Scripture: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”

If we never look beyond our situations, we will despair. But if we give our troubles to the Lord and seek His light, we will have hope that will see us through. Don’t choose to despair. Choose to have hope from the Lord.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Buried in Bitterness

Are you angry about anything in your life right now? Is there a situation that you've been dealing with where you feel you've gotten the wrong end of the deal? Are your frustrations just getting worse? You are buried in bitterness.

Our mind is an amazing thing. We use it all the time to analyze, think, create, and function. But there are times when our minds can look at a circumstance, inplant doubts and fears and fables, and turn it into a melting pot of hostile feelings that make us unsympathetic, insensitive, and hateful. Once this bitterness grows, our mindset changes and we become something we would have been shocked to see in others.

Granted, some situations do call for anger. But the Bible tells us in Psalm 4:4, "Be angry, and do not sin." We sin when we take our frustration to the next level and express it in ugly thoughts and actions. When this happens, only repenting to the Lord, and asking for a renewed mind, will turn our stone cold heart into a healthy one (see Ezekiel 11:19 and Psalm 51). Then we need to hand the situation over to Him, and let God deal with the issue, since vengeance is for God alone (Deuteronomy 32:35a).

Are you buried in bitterness? Only God can dig you out!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Daily Trust

Trusting God is a continuing process. Some days it's easy, but other days it's hard. We never quite become perfect at it. I feel, though, it's worth the effort each and every day.

When we trust God daily, we relieve ourselves of the self-induced pressure to do it all. We acknowledge that God is our LORD (all caps!), and that we relinguish control of the steering wheel we try to grab so many times. This is blind trust, but God is the most capable driver/problem solver/ stress reducer that we will ever have.

Have you heard about those company or group retreats where you put a blindfold on and then leap backwards into the awaiting arms of your colleagues? Trusting God is easier than that. No, we aren't supposed to leap off buildings and expect Him to catch us. But we can hand Him our problems, knowing that He will present us with an outcome that is meant to bless, encourage, and comfort us, even if we don't see the results right away.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

God is waiting to help us with all our cares and concerns. But first we need to trust Him.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Stressin'

Stress comes in many shapes and forms; at least to my dentist. I’ve been having sore gums for the past two weeks, so I made an appointment thinking I had something stuck near my crown. Turns out my tooth is stressed.

I must be grinding my teeth at night because I can’t think of any out of the ordinary stresses in my life at the moment. Of course, our normal day to day duties can be stressful: driving in traffic, trying to drop off and pick up the kids on time, deciding what meals to make on a daily basis, and washing the never-ending piles of laundry.

My dentist’s advice? Baby the tooth. Rinse with salt water. Watch my clenching. She also ground a few edges of the problem tooth to smooth my bite. If I follow her suggestions, I should see some progress (and some much needed relief) soon.

We can also follow simple guidelines from God’s Word to help reduce the stress in our everyday lives. We can cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We should be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6). And we can trust the Lord with all our hearts and allow Him to direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Even if I follow my dentist’s advice, my gums will need time to heal. It will also take time to learn to relax in God’s Word; but the resulting peace will be welcome.

Are you stressin’? Let God help you find relief.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Learning

Do you like to learn? Normally, I enjoy learning, but once in a while, I find it humbling because I need to learn from my mistakes.

One of the things God showed me recently was I needed to learn to trust Him. There had been promises that He shared through His word, and, because of fear or foolishness, I forgot to trust. I ended up causing tensions that didn't have to happen. Thankfully the situation was rectified, but only after I've made myself look rather silly and childish.

I have taken courage from the Apostle Paul. He had much to learn, despite being the well-educated man that he was. His troubles and persecutions taught him many lessons, trust being one of them. He also learned to be content. In Philippians 4:11 he wrote, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content..."

Oh, that it were so easy to always trust, always be content, and always be eager to learn! At least I'm willing to try, and I know the Lord will help me as I daily put myself into His hands.

What is God calling you to learn?

Friday, March 6, 2009

Remembering to Breathe

I'm being trying to be faithful to my new exercise regime. The DVD I chose is an in-home walking program with interval training in the mix. I really enjoy it.

Because it's a DVD, I watch and workout to the same dialogue. One of the comments the trainer makes about midway into the session is, "Don't hold your breath!" She is encouraging us to take deep breaths and to exhale, particularly during the increased intervals, so our oxygen is circulating well within our bodies.

Sometimes our lives get so busy and stressful that we don't remember to breathe. I'm not talking about breathing techniques. I'm talking about taking a moment to remember we're not alone in the midst of our trials or circumstances. We have a God who loves us and who wants us to call out to Him for help and encouragements. When we do so, and trust Him with the results of our situations instead of relying on ourselves, we develop a brighter attitude, a fresher spirit, and a peace that is beyond explanation.

Are you remembering to breathe in the Lord's faithfulness?

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Following Directions

How are you at following directions? My kids brought home a little test paper from school with a list of instructions. You were supposed to read everything before you started. My daughter showed me her paper filled with all sorts of pictures that the instructions had included. The funny thing was, it was a trick test, because when you read the list, the very last item said, "Do not do any of the above." She had failed to follow the directions.

Sometimes we are so eager to get things started and get things done that we don't read the directions properly. We wander off track or the item we are building isn't done right because we didn't take the time to be accurate and sure.

Sometimes God gives us specific directions to follow. I'm not talking about Bible commands. Those are a given. I'm talking about how sometimes He gives us a certain line of
Scripture or He stirs our heart to do a specific task. For whatever reason, we don't obey completely or at all. Sometimes we lack the strength to handle the situation. That is no excuse because God is the One who we are to draw strength from. Sometimes we are afraid of consequences. We are supposed to be obedient first and let God handle the consequences.

Following directions is vital in the life of the Christian because we honor God with our obedience. By trusting His directions we are praising who He is. It's not always easy, but with God all things are possible. Call on God to help you follow directions.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Giving God Your Hopes

What do you do with failed hopes? Do you toss them aside into a pile never to try again? Do you regret that you even tried in the first place? We all have looked forward or expected something to happen, but have faced failure in its fruition. Many times it's because of circumstances beyond our control. Maybe we were waiting for someone to complete a task, but they did not follow through. Or maybe we dreamed unrealistically of an event we desperately wanted to take place. Whatever the reason, we all have had hopes dashed.

In these cases, we need to give our hopes to God. He knows our disappointments and our dreams. He knows our hurts and frustrations. When we give our hopes to Him, we are trusting Him to guide us in the circumstances we can't see because He sees all and knows the whys and the hows.

When we give Him our hopes, we are telling Him we want Him to guide our tomorrows. We are asking Him to take our hurts and heal them, so that under His direction, we can have new hopes and dreams once again.

Have you had your hopes dashed? Give them to God and see what new and better hopes He gives to you.