A few weeks back our church observed All Saints Day. Traditionally, All Saints Day is a day when the church takes time to acknowledge the saints who have come before them in the faith. Having grown up in the Southern Baptist church where All Saints Day was not observed, I find it is one of the traditions of the church that I enjoy. Most liturgical traditions I could take or leave, but All Saints Day is one tradition that I look forward to each year. It's a day that I find that I can reflect and take a moment to thank the Lord for those who have guided and influenced me along my journey of faith.
The day also gives me the opportunity to acknowledge a loss in my life that is always with me, the miscarriage of a child. It is a day to remember the feelings of joy at knowing I was carrying this new life within me, and to acknowledge the sadness of a heartbeat not heard. This was a moment in my life that shaped me as a mother-to-be, as a wife, and as a follower of Christ. I find comfort in remembering this moment and peace in knowing the Lord was there, leading me all the way.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." - Matthew 5:4
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
What's the Purpose of This Journey That I'm On?
What is the purpose of this journey that I am on?
To live each day to the fullest until it is gone.
- From poetry of my youth 1997 - MG
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:11-13
Purpose. As
humans, we give a lot of thought to purpose. Why are we here? What am I meant
to be? We fill our hearts with hopes and dreams that sometimes becomes one of
the guiding factors of our lives as we navigate our journey, or sadly, they can
become the stumbling blocks of regret. It’s easy to think that life will be
just as we want it to be if we achieve this particular goal or make this
certain dream come true. When we live that way, we’re living for the
destination instead of being mindful of the journey. If we don’t reach the
destination or it isn’t quite as we had hoped, we are left with discouragement
and regret.
The thing
about thinking so much about our purpose is that we can completely miss God’s
blessings and plans for us. When we focus on MY purpose and MY plans, we are
leaving God out of the equation. Instead of asking why we are here, as
followers of Christ we should be asking, “What does God have me here to do?”,
or “How can God use me?” Trust, belief, and seeking His will for our lives are
keys to living a true life of purpose. Keep your heart on the cross, but keep
your eyes on the road of the journey you are on. Sometimes our purpose is
moment to moment – a smile to someone who is hurting, a word of hope to someone
in despair - and it’s in those moments that we draw closer to God and others
see Him in us.
Write the
words in Jeremiah on your heart. Seek the Lord and trust that He has a purpose
for you.
-Written for Lighting the Way, a devotional segment of IllumiNATION Radio
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Nurturing Faith
Day Twenty-Eight -
Have you ever seen a mustard seed? Today I was planting mustard seeds in the garden, and I was amazed at how tiny they are. I couldn't help but wonder, if faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, what has my faith been doing? Is my faith moving mountains? Is it doing anything to further the kingdom of God? Do I really believe that faith - my faith - can do this?
On some level, I understand how the disciples were feeling in Matthew 17. They were confused. They came to Jesus and quietly asked him why they had not been able to drive the demon out of the boy. Knowing and believing are two different things. Knowing they were in the presence of the Messiah - God's son - and believing it were obviously not quite clicking. Believing that they, as Christ's disciples, had authority to drive out the demon in this boy in the name of Jesus was a thought that was likely still beyond their faith.
My faith may not be moving physical mountains...yet...but it is doing something. It is growing and changing every moment. It is knowing and believing that God has a plan, and that somehow he has made me a part of this plan. Like any seed that has been planted, it has to be nurtured so it can grow into something useful and beautiful.
For me, faith is believing that "unreasonable" things are possible, and knowing that I serve a God who is faithful to his word and can make the ordinary extraordinary.
"He replied, 'Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." - Matthew 17:20
Blessings!
Have you ever seen a mustard seed? Today I was planting mustard seeds in the garden, and I was amazed at how tiny they are. I couldn't help but wonder, if faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, what has my faith been doing? Is my faith moving mountains? Is it doing anything to further the kingdom of God? Do I really believe that faith - my faith - can do this?
On some level, I understand how the disciples were feeling in Matthew 17. They were confused. They came to Jesus and quietly asked him why they had not been able to drive the demon out of the boy. Knowing and believing are two different things. Knowing they were in the presence of the Messiah - God's son - and believing it were obviously not quite clicking. Believing that they, as Christ's disciples, had authority to drive out the demon in this boy in the name of Jesus was a thought that was likely still beyond their faith.
My faith may not be moving physical mountains...yet...but it is doing something. It is growing and changing every moment. It is knowing and believing that God has a plan, and that somehow he has made me a part of this plan. Like any seed that has been planted, it has to be nurtured so it can grow into something useful and beautiful.
For me, faith is believing that "unreasonable" things are possible, and knowing that I serve a God who is faithful to his word and can make the ordinary extraordinary.
"He replied, 'Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." - Matthew 17:20
Blessings!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
God's Word Never Fails
Day Twenty-Four -
There is something unique about studying God's Word. It is something that I have not experienced in studying any other book. God's Word is straightforward, yet mysterious - ever-changing, yet faithfully constant. There is something incredibly beautiful about it. It is the one book that I can open, and even if I have read it's verses countless times, I will truly learn something new. Something new about God's ways. Something new about myself. It grows and matures as we grow and mature in our faith. I may start one place while studying, but it never fails that I will end up in a completely different place in the Bible. Completely different, but totally connected. That is the beauty of the scriptures. They are timeless, as God himself is timeless. They are a tapestry, woven together, pointing to the one true thing - Christ, the glory of God, living in us. The Word of God is a mirror to our souls, a refuge in the storms of our life, and our sword as we face the battle that rages around us. It is a true picture of our Creator.
"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." - Colossians 1:27
Blessings!
There is something unique about studying God's Word. It is something that I have not experienced in studying any other book. God's Word is straightforward, yet mysterious - ever-changing, yet faithfully constant. There is something incredibly beautiful about it. It is the one book that I can open, and even if I have read it's verses countless times, I will truly learn something new. Something new about God's ways. Something new about myself. It grows and matures as we grow and mature in our faith. I may start one place while studying, but it never fails that I will end up in a completely different place in the Bible. Completely different, but totally connected. That is the beauty of the scriptures. They are timeless, as God himself is timeless. They are a tapestry, woven together, pointing to the one true thing - Christ, the glory of God, living in us. The Word of God is a mirror to our souls, a refuge in the storms of our life, and our sword as we face the battle that rages around us. It is a true picture of our Creator.
"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." - Colossians 1:27
Blessings!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Stepping Out of God's Way
Days Nineteen and Twenty -
The hardest part of stepping out of the way and truly trusting the Lord to do his will is taking the first step. It means being mindful and actually giving thought to what you are doing and saying. And it definitely means not living life on auto pilot. For me, it feels like a whole new way of living. It's not about just go-go-going and doing everything that comes my way - assuming that everything I come across is because God put it there for me to do. Sometimes I think he puts things in my path to see if I am really hearing him, not necessarily setting me up to fail, but just making sure I'm paying attention. I've found that I can do all sorts of "godly" things, but if those things are distracting me from his presence are they really all that important?
Don't get me wrong. It isn't the easiest thing in the world for me to turn the constant go-go-go of my brain off, especially when it comes to things that I know I could very easily do. A lot of times I know it's my pride or my desire to be in control to jump at the chance to do something. Perhaps it's even a chance to avoid trusting the Lord. Yeah, I said it. Because if I'm busy doing "godly" things, too busy to do much more than go through the routine of the Christian life, then maybe I don't have to worry about getting out of my comfort zone. If I'm so busy doing the "God" stuff, then I definitely don't have time to worry about getting out of the mediocre and follow God right into the extraordinary- not that my mediocre is all that boring.
Thankfully, I have a Savior who is patient with me and loves me even when I'm not being the best version of myself. When I've been ready to jump in and do something, he gives me that little spiritual tap on the shoulder - "Nope. Not yet.". Sure it takes some adjustment, but truthfully I want to be doing what he wants me to do. He's the Creator of the world, how could a life following him not be amazing? I want peace and to be joyful in what I'm doing - not to be so busy and stressed that I miss the blessings the Lord puts in my path. Lately, I've been realizing that I've missed some of the greatest blessings that were right in front of my face just by being so busy.
Time to take that first step...
Blessings!
The hardest part of stepping out of the way and truly trusting the Lord to do his will is taking the first step. It means being mindful and actually giving thought to what you are doing and saying. And it definitely means not living life on auto pilot. For me, it feels like a whole new way of living. It's not about just go-go-going and doing everything that comes my way - assuming that everything I come across is because God put it there for me to do. Sometimes I think he puts things in my path to see if I am really hearing him, not necessarily setting me up to fail, but just making sure I'm paying attention. I've found that I can do all sorts of "godly" things, but if those things are distracting me from his presence are they really all that important?
Don't get me wrong. It isn't the easiest thing in the world for me to turn the constant go-go-go of my brain off, especially when it comes to things that I know I could very easily do. A lot of times I know it's my pride or my desire to be in control to jump at the chance to do something. Perhaps it's even a chance to avoid trusting the Lord. Yeah, I said it. Because if I'm busy doing "godly" things, too busy to do much more than go through the routine of the Christian life, then maybe I don't have to worry about getting out of my comfort zone. If I'm so busy doing the "God" stuff, then I definitely don't have time to worry about getting out of the mediocre and follow God right into the extraordinary- not that my mediocre is all that boring.
Thankfully, I have a Savior who is patient with me and loves me even when I'm not being the best version of myself. When I've been ready to jump in and do something, he gives me that little spiritual tap on the shoulder - "Nope. Not yet.". Sure it takes some adjustment, but truthfully I want to be doing what he wants me to do. He's the Creator of the world, how could a life following him not be amazing? I want peace and to be joyful in what I'm doing - not to be so busy and stressed that I miss the blessings the Lord puts in my path. Lately, I've been realizing that I've missed some of the greatest blessings that were right in front of my face just by being so busy.
Time to take that first step...
Blessings!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Only God Can Work That Way
Day Eighteen -
I have found myself saying, "Only God can work that way" a lot lately. It's so true. The things that he does to turn people's lives around or how he uses the last person you could possibly imagine to do the most extraordinary things is something that only he could do. I think that gets forgotten in modern Christianity sometimes. We don't talk enough about what God is doing in the lives of the average person. Even we chalk things up to coincidence. The power of our witness and testimony gets lost in the shuffle of church life. Is it because we're afraid of how God works or that we don't believe God works that way anymore? Does it not fit into the traditional or contemporary worship model? Is testimony of the people too unscripted, something clergy can't control? Would we rather hear the testimony of a famous person than the person sitting next to us in the pews? Is that all that rates as an extraordinary move of God?
I'm not trying to be cynical. I've just been thinking about how much I enjoy hearing people's testimonies. I find it encouraging to hear how God is/has moved in their lives. It gets me thinking about my own life and how God has brought me to the point that I am in my life. I sure know I couldn't have gotten here without his help and the prayers of some very faithful people. I'm thankful he answered those prayers...because only God can work that way.
"And he did not permit him but said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." Mark 5:19 (ESV)
Blessings!
I have found myself saying, "Only God can work that way" a lot lately. It's so true. The things that he does to turn people's lives around or how he uses the last person you could possibly imagine to do the most extraordinary things is something that only he could do. I think that gets forgotten in modern Christianity sometimes. We don't talk enough about what God is doing in the lives of the average person. Even we chalk things up to coincidence. The power of our witness and testimony gets lost in the shuffle of church life. Is it because we're afraid of how God works or that we don't believe God works that way anymore? Does it not fit into the traditional or contemporary worship model? Is testimony of the people too unscripted, something clergy can't control? Would we rather hear the testimony of a famous person than the person sitting next to us in the pews? Is that all that rates as an extraordinary move of God?
I'm not trying to be cynical. I've just been thinking about how much I enjoy hearing people's testimonies. I find it encouraging to hear how God is/has moved in their lives. It gets me thinking about my own life and how God has brought me to the point that I am in my life. I sure know I couldn't have gotten here without his help and the prayers of some very faithful people. I'm thankful he answered those prayers...because only God can work that way.
"And he did not permit him but said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." Mark 5:19 (ESV)
Blessings!
Signs of Life
Day Seventeen -
A few days ago, I posted a picture of a peach tree blooming in the community garden. On the other side of the garden is another peach tree. This one was in terrible shape. It, too, had been a victim of last year's brutal summer heat - possibly even more so than the tree that has already bloomed. There seemed to be no hope for this little peach tree, and would have most likely been dug up at our next garden work day.
Today, as I was walking through the garden during a break from a hectic day of work, I simply prayed, 'Please Lord, show me some sign that this tree is still alive'. Now, I know some people might think it's a little bizarre to pray for a tree. But just like the blooms on the other tree gave me some hope, I was really in need of some hope - a visible, tangible sign of God's enduring hope. I looked at the tree closely - the bark was dry and some of the tiny branches had broken from wind - but then I saw the most miraculous thing. I saw tiny green shoots coming through the dry branches of the tree. These shoots were so tiny, I could barely see them. I tried to take a picture, but they weren't visible. Those tiny green shoots were a beautiful sight. They were a sign of life.
I truly needed that. I needed something positive - something hopeful. Last week was tough. I felt like I had been through the ringer, so to speak, but something about this little peach tree's tiny blooms resonated with me. No matter how weary or confused I may have been feeling, I needed to have faith and trust the Lord to carry me through the desert places. It also taught me not to discount things before truly giving them a chance - be that my own gifts and talents or those of others. Most of the gardeners were ready to remove that tree from the garden two weeks ago. If we had, we would removed a living tree. Don't give up! God can do mighty things with a tiny spark of life. He knows the perfect timing for things. No matter how hard I may try to "make things happen", the truth is, they can only happen in his perfect time.
"And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food." - Genesis 2:9a
Blessings!
A few days ago, I posted a picture of a peach tree blooming in the community garden. On the other side of the garden is another peach tree. This one was in terrible shape. It, too, had been a victim of last year's brutal summer heat - possibly even more so than the tree that has already bloomed. There seemed to be no hope for this little peach tree, and would have most likely been dug up at our next garden work day.
Today, as I was walking through the garden during a break from a hectic day of work, I simply prayed, 'Please Lord, show me some sign that this tree is still alive'. Now, I know some people might think it's a little bizarre to pray for a tree. But just like the blooms on the other tree gave me some hope, I was really in need of some hope - a visible, tangible sign of God's enduring hope. I looked at the tree closely - the bark was dry and some of the tiny branches had broken from wind - but then I saw the most miraculous thing. I saw tiny green shoots coming through the dry branches of the tree. These shoots were so tiny, I could barely see them. I tried to take a picture, but they weren't visible. Those tiny green shoots were a beautiful sight. They were a sign of life.
I truly needed that. I needed something positive - something hopeful. Last week was tough. I felt like I had been through the ringer, so to speak, but something about this little peach tree's tiny blooms resonated with me. No matter how weary or confused I may have been feeling, I needed to have faith and trust the Lord to carry me through the desert places. It also taught me not to discount things before truly giving them a chance - be that my own gifts and talents or those of others. Most of the gardeners were ready to remove that tree from the garden two weeks ago. If we had, we would removed a living tree. Don't give up! God can do mighty things with a tiny spark of life. He knows the perfect timing for things. No matter how hard I may try to "make things happen", the truth is, they can only happen in his perfect time.
"And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food." - Genesis 2:9a
Blessings!
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