As we enter into the celebration of Easter, I want us to take a moment to reflect on some of the last moments Jesus had with his friends and see what we can apply to our lives.Read John 13. I’ve read this passage many times, but some things struck me this time regarding his friends. Verse 2 says that He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. He continued with a heart of love and compassion. Jesus knew that He would be with his friends only a little longer and He also knew that two of his friends would betray Him. However, he continued to reach out to them, to love them, and to teach them. He continues to do that with us as well!!

If I knew that a friend was going to betray me…I don’t think I would have been so gracious. I would not have been loving. I would have been bitter and angry and hurt. Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen yet He did not change the situation, nor did He stop loving them. He just let it go. Think about it for a minute….Jesus was close to His disciples. He fellowshiped with them. He taught them. He guided them and loved them. He poured out His heart to them…but in the end He knew that He would be betrayed. Yet He still moved forward with a heart that was pleasing to God. He did it in order to bring Glory to the Father. Jesus was obedient to His Father and He was teaching us about compassion and Christlike love. I wonder what Jesus thought when Judas  turned against Him for money. I wonder what Jesus thought when Simon Peter said “I’m ready to die for you!”…..hearing those words straight from Simon Peter’s mouth, but knowing that Simon Peter’s actions would not reflect his words.He  would deny knowing Jesus 3 times !  Ouch! It had to have hurt Jesus! But He still loved…..

It makeds me think of our committment! Jesus laid down His life for us even when we were still sinners! He laid down His life even though He knew that others didn’t believe. He is hoping and praying that all of us will come to Him! He was committed. His love was and continues to be evident! Where is our love for Him? Where is our committment?  Aren’t we just like Simon Peter and Judas? When in your life have you betrayed Jesus? When in your life have you made a choice that was not pleasing to Him? When in your life have you not stood up for Him?  If you read on in John 14:6-9  Jesus tells his friends that He is the way, the truth, and the life. In verse 7 He says “If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.”  Our only way to God is through Jesus. By uniting our lives with Jesus, we are united with God. Personally, I am getting drawn to the words if and really because I feel as if Jesus is telling me if you were really committed to me….you would know me and you would know my Father….really know me!!  In verse 9 Jesus is beside himself as He confronts Philip basically by saying you have got to be kidding me…I have been with you all this time and you still don’t know who I am?? I hear Jesus saying ….If you really knew me…you would follow in my ways (all the time). If you really knew me….you would love as I have  loved. If you really knew me, you would trust that I will take care of you. If you really knew me, you would be committed to reaching out to others. If you really knew me, you would make better choices. If you really knew me, you would spend time with me. If you really knew me, you wouldn’t betray me! How well do you know Jesus? Where is your committment to Him? What needs to change? If YOU really knew Him, how would YOUR life change?

Are you a Simon Peter? Are you a  Judas? Or would you rather be a John, the disciple who loved Jesus with all his heart? Where is your committment?

SEASONS OF DRYNESS MAKE THE ROOTS RUN DEEP, STRENGTHENING THE VINE FOR WHATEVER THE FUTURE HOLDS……

How do we respond to the silence of God? To the seasons of dryness?…Anger? Depression? Bitterness? Self condemnation?
OR DO WE RESPOND WITH….
with an EXPECTATION that God is about to bring you to a deeper knowledge of Himself?

Today I am focusing on the second answer…the EXPECTATION! Over the last few years, a good friend of mine gave me some advise…”Don’t have expectations because there are always disappointments!” I have learned to hold onto those words in relationships in my life…except for one…my relationship with Christ! He never disappoints! HE IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL!

Many Truths speak to me as I ponder the question “How do we respond to silence and seasons of dryness?”….Truths about God and His faithfulness in our lives….Knowing that He will never leave us nor forsake us…Knowing that He hears our Prayers…Knowing that as we come near to Him, He comes near to us…KNOWING that He is a Faithful God! When we have times of silence and distance, we need to keep those truths in our hearts and meditate on them day and night! I want to share one scripture that has spoken to me often over the last year …Psalm 46:10. BE STILL!! Easier said than done, but truly needed in our lives today! Don’t be anxious. Don’t worry. Be still and place it at His feet (even in the silence).Wait patiently for Him! The second part…”Know that I am God!” What does that say to you?? For me, it speaks volumes. I need to quit putting Him in a box. He is GOD! He can do all things!! He is more than we can even imagine…His Power, His Faithfulness, His Compassion, His Love…He is ALL KNOWING…The Beginning, The End…THE I AM….How can we NOT EXPECT the direction and vision He is about to show us! How can we question Him and His presense in our lives? He wants us to see and to hear and to know His plans!! He wants us to grow in our Faith and to become disciples for Him! Maybe we should have the mindset that the longer we have to wait, the greater expectation we should have….WOW, He is going to show me something really, really GOOD! It would make the waiting a little easier!! Wait for those Blessings and remember that His IS God and will Provide!

“For the Lord is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for His help.” Isaiah 30:18

As we wait, we struggle at times. We become frustrated and weary. We cry out and we ,at times, wonder where He is and why He is waiting so long to answer us. We become impatient…like a child. Children….one minute seems like eternity for them when they want something. You tell them, “one minute” and 10 seconds later they are in your face asking the same question. They have no concept of time…. Annoying isn’t it?! Their ability to be patient is truly lacking….But then I am convicted as I think about God and my patience with Him and His time….we are like little kids to Him too! You wonder what He is thinking or saying to us as we are constantly “in His face” pleading for an answer in OUR time. As we go back to Psalm 46 I can just hear Him saying (or yelling) “BE STILL CHILD! KNOW THAT I AM GOD”! …OUCH!

But when I ponder the waiting and the silence it also makes me think ….How many times are we just not listening and miss His voice!! I was reading in PRAYER by Philip Yancey that he heard a theologian remark once that in the Gospels people approach Jesus with a question 183 times whereas He replied with a direct answer only 3 times. Instead, Jesus responded with a different question, a story, or some other indirection. His point was that Jesus wants us to work out answers on our own…using His truth in His Word and learning how He lived His life. He wants us to work things out with the guidance of Him! If Jesus gives us direct answers all the time….how do we grow? Maybe the silence we encounter is truly a form of empowerment….not abandonment. He is using this time of silence to equip …..to empower….to renew…to engage us as His children… through the knowledge of HIM. Through the silence, maybe He is waiting for you to come to HIM. To Pray. To seek His Truth. To be empowered by His Word. He wants our roots to run deep! He wants us to strive to be like Him by earning it….not by having it handed to us on a platter! That is too easy!

I don’t know about you, but when I look back on the difficult times in my life when I had to fight my way through the rough patches, the valleys…..they truly did make the roots run deep, even in His silence. Those times made me stronger. They made me open my ears wider. They made me search for Him harder. They made me be still and know that He, and only He, IS GOD! Sure it would of been nice if He would have just handed me the easy way out…the clear voice…but then, would I be the person that I am today? Definately not.

If the silence is there in your life….”Be still and Know that He is God” …AND wait with EXPECTATION to see the light that He is about to reveal to YOU! Dig deep and seek the relationship that He WANTS with you! Meditate on His Word and may the Blessings Pour!! May your roots dig deep and may your vine be strengthened for the future!

A foreigner in a new land…..that’s how I feel right now as I enter into my new church each Sunday. As I write those words, guilt overwhelmes me. My heart aches as I know that is not the Christian way! I am trying to go in with an open heart and willing heart ready to hear God’s voice! But each Sunday, I feel disconnected and wanting to flee. Lord, give me direction and a purpose! Help!!

I pray. I study. I listen. Silence!! There is no road map! There are no flashing lights directing me. God, where are you?…I’m waiting!! A willing spirit wanting to serve Him! I hear Him say…patience my child! I KNOW that no matter what church we attend that we are all children of God. We are the church. We are His children. We are to form Unity. We are Family. We are His living stones built into His spiritual Temple made to work together with Christ as the cornerstone…so why does “foreigner”continues to cloud my thoughts? Why does He not just allow me to find the nitch and purpose now? It’s tough. It’s making me weary! And it’s only been 3 weeks. I know, I am impatient!

Have you ever felt like you just don’t fit..It reminds me of a puzzle (which by the way, I get so frustrated with puzzles! Thanks God for your sense of humor)…You know you are a piece of the puzzle but you have no idea where you will be placed? Who will you be connected to? How will you work together to create a beautiful piece that will contribute to the whole picture? A glorious picture! Somehow we all connect for His purpose…but finding that direction when you are from the outside entering into new territory is very clouded. You can’t just jump right in and start nugding each puzzle piece. They will probably get irritated and throw me aside! Baby steps I am told (by my husband!) Auggh! Patience is not my strong suit! Puzzles are not my idea of fun!! Just give me a soccer ball and let me shoot directly at the goal! If only it were that easy!

Being a foreigner reminds me of the story of Ruth and Naomi. You see, Ruth made her home in a foreign land. She had the choice to go “home” but chose to stay with Naomi to show her love and support. In Ruth 1:16-18, she made the commitment to the Lord and to Naomi to go on the journey. They arrived in Bethlehem in late Spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest. Ruth would go out and gather grain behind all the harvesters. She found herself working in fields….alone. But even though she was a foreigner, she was treated well. She was given opportunity to harvest behind the other workers. She was able to pick up what they had dropped for her. And most importantly she was told to come back and stay with the harvesters until the entire harvest was completed. As she helped in the Harvest she became accepted and also took part in the blessing! The journey brought joy!

As a foreigner in a new land….I see planting…and I know that a harvest is coming. I pray that I will be a part of helping in that Harvest just as Ruth was! Please pray that I will hear His voice and that I would remain in his love and guidance and most importantly that I would wait patiently for the Lord and not grow weary! Pray that I hold onto the words of Romans 8:28! Help me to work together for the Good!Give me a purpose Lord!! Begin to work!!

“Today is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

I was running the other morning on the treadmill…..grumpy that I was even exercising at 8am on a Saturday morning! I am NOT a morning person by any stretch….but sometimes we need to get right down to it in the morning hours to make sure it gets done! Otherwise, I don’t know about you , but I will find an excuse! Anyways, as I was running…a song came on that caught my attention! God always knows what is on our hearts and speaks to us in amazing ways! A purpose to everything! Here are some of the lyrics….

Today is the Day
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
I won’t worry about tomorrow
I’m trusting in what You say
I’m putting my fears aside
I’m leaving my doubts behind
I’m giving my hopes and dreams to You Jesus
I’m reaching my hands to Yours
Believing there’s so much more
Knowing all that YOu have in store for me is good
I will stand upon your truth
All my days I’ll live for you

Needless to say, I was lifted off my feet and began to praise Him for the blessings in my life! I know that there are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice! We’ve all been there. I don’t know who is reading the blog or where you are in your life right now…..but I hope that this one will bless you and bring hope to your situation and allow you to pause. Look at the words of the song…

“put your fears aside, put the doubts behind….knowing all you have in store for me is good.”

Set your heart and mind on Him….when you do that, you are reminded of all the good that the Lord has done and you will begin to rejoice and be glad!! Don’t worry about tomorrow. Take one day at a time and reach out to Him and trust in all He promises.

Life can be overwhelming at times as we struggle with situations out of our control, illness that engulfs us, relational issues that bring us down, financial burdens…. the list could go on and on. But the Lord didn’t say that we wouldn’t struggle. In fact he said in the book of John,”Here on Earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” He was here. He knows. These trials take their tolls on all of us. But through them, our faith will be seen as genuine. Put your confidence in Him and know that he will continue to rescue. He is our refuge and our strength! Reach out and rejoice as He hears your cries! Exalt Him for who He is. Believe He can do what He says. Praise his Holy name. It all begins with Praise! He will turn your mourning into joyful dancing! Watch and see what happens!

Psalm 28:6-7
Psalm 27:1
Psalm 27:14

You don’t want to miss this scripture reading!!! Don’t skip it!
Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30…..see what happens when His children praise even when the battle is ahead of them and the enemy is strong.

REJOICE AND BE GLAD for the Lord hears us and pours out His love and protection on us all!!
AMEN!:)

1 Peter 2:2 tells us to, “Long for the pure milk of God’s word, so that by means of it, you may grow. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”

Once we see a need for God’s Word and begin to find nourishment in Christ, our spiritual appetite will increase and we will start to mature.  How strong is your desire for God’s Word? How strong is your desire for a relationship with Him?

They always say ” You can’t just eat one chip!!”  I know I sure can’t ….they just keep telling me to put my hand back in the bag! They draw me back for more! It applies to candy as well….I remember telling my children,okay you can have one M&M! What a mean mom!!  That is just pure torture especially for those who love chocolate! It tastes so good, you always come back for more!

Shouldn’t this concept apply to God’s Word as well….as we seek His truth and wisdom ,we begin to understand all that He has for us hidden in His Word. As we begin to understand and learn, we long for more of what He has to offer us.  He keeps pulling us back so that we can continue to grow in Him and to taste all that He has given.Are you longing for more?  Are you like the newborn craving for more milk…spiritual milk?How strong is your desire for God’s Word? Or have you been discouraged along the way?

I know for me it has been a rocky road…one full of silent and frustrating times where I could not understand one word that He was trying to tell me. I remember times where I would open the Word and be discouraged as I could not find anything relevent to my current situation and at the same time hear others that have heard him speak countless times and guided them through difficulties. I remember times where I wouldn’t even open the Word because I was angry at His silence. Ever been there?

I know many have experienced these struggling times as I have. I know many have that longing to know more  and to get closer to God but just can’t seem to get that initial taste to keep them coming back for more.I also know many who have refused to even seek Him because they don’t understand how they can learn from a book that is  so “ancient” or even think of having a personal relationship with someone they can’t even hear or see. It’s not easy to understand , but all it takes is a desire in you heart to seek and God will reach out His hand and pull you in.

The Lord has been faithful in my journey….even on the broken road.  Those roads have brought me closer to Him than ever before. I never thought I would say those words, but it is true. Through the struggles and through the silence, He has reached out His hand and taught me to hang on. He has given me little tastes along the way that have kept me coming back for more and  ultimately have helped  me to rely on Him. Through it all, He has taught me that He blesses the broken roads and that as I turn to  His strength, I will walk through those valleys and come upon fresh springs that will nourish my soul forever.

Set your hearts on  the Pilgrimage! Know that it is a journey that God wants us all to take….but we need to take the first step and never stop walking. Do not grow weary, friends. We are all on a journey to know God better, to build our relationship with Him, and to follow His will and  to serve in His name. We need to look straight ahead and trust Him more. One thing that the Psalms has taught me over the last 2 months is that God hears our cries. He wants our full attention and a surrendered heart so that we can seek Him with everything we have. Don’t hold back!! He is faithful in all His promises and  He has done amazing things in the past and will continue to do amazing things in the future. As you trust in the Lord you will find security ,not  defeat, and  you will endure! Don’t give up, keep your eyes on Him because that is where your help comes from….the maker of Heaven and Earth. Count on Him and put your hope  in His Word….because in the end the Destination is Worth the Trip!

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8

DONT’ STOP AT ONE CHIP!!

1. At the 1988 Grammy Awards, “Don’t Worry Be Happy” won ‘Best Song of the Year’, and the album ‘Simple Pleasures’ won ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance’. (That same year, Bobby also won ‘Best Jazz Performance’ for his duet with Rob Wasserman on “Brothers”.) The album Simple Pleasures sold triple Platinum.
2. Here are the Lyrics:

Here’s a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t Worry — Be Happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it Double
Don’t Worry — Be Happy
Ain’t got no place to lay your head,
somebody came and took your bed
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
The landlord say your rent is late,
he may have to litigate
Don’t Worry — Be Happy
Ain’t got not cash, ain’t got no style,
ain’t got no gal to make you smile
Don’t Worry — Be Happy
Cause when you worry your face will frown
and that will bring everybody down
Don’t Worry — Be Happy!

Okay, I hope you aren’t hating me by now because I put that song in your head for the rest of the day!!

Jeff and I have memories to that song, as we were at Ohio University at the time, and we would walk along the path by the river and he would sing it with a huge smile on his face! I thought about this song as I came across scripture the other day in my quiet time…..I know many of you have read this scripture before but it is also one of those scriptures that many of us don’t allow to take root and sow into our hearts as we live our lives…..because, all of us WORRY!! We worry about the economy, we worry about our marriages, we worry about our children, we worry about our health, we worry about loved ones, we worry about….the list could go on and on…..we worry everyday!

Think about this statement for a minute…”Worry has more to do with perspective than with circumstances.” Is that true?  We all have circumstances that can bring us worry…..but how those circumstances are perceived can truly change our approach to how we handle those troubled times. We wonder how those individuals who are going through such difficult circumstances  fight through it. Those that have Christ in their life seem to have more peace and contentment and understanding during trials and hardships. Why?

Jesus warns about worry in Luke 12:22-32. He commands us not to worry. Yet it is so hard to avoid! Worry is pointless because  it only causes anxiety and stress and eventually that takes its toll on our bodies. He tells us not to worry about everday life…that He cares for all of us, even the ravens in the air and the lillies in the field. If God cares so much for things such as those, don’t you think He cares even more for you. The most amazing truth that I gather from this scripture is the  fact that He already knows all of our needs and most importantly that He wants to provide for our needs. If we “seek His Kingdom above all else, he will give you everything you need. ” It doesn’t get any better than that!! Above all, it brings him joy to give to his children!

Worry never changes a single thing EXCEPT the worrier!! History shows itself that no matter how much we worry, we can’t make a tornado go away, we can’t keep our children from making poor choices, we can’t cure the latest disease! It doesn’t get us anywhere…it only gives us something to do. Don’t spend another moment today worrying about the things you have no control over….instead give them to our Father who has control over all!

Proverbs 12:25 and Philippians 4:6-7 truly give us the answer to all our worries. Oh yeah, and don’t forget about the song….Don’t Worry, Be Happy!:)