Every Day

“Relying on God has to begin 
all over again every day
as if nothing had yet been done.” 
C.S. Lewis

Ain't that the truth! I spent too long wandering far off the path God had for me, but there was never a day I woke up and said, "Today is the day I'll stop following God and do my own thing!" It started small and seemingly innocent--but that first small decision that took me a tiny step off God's path made subsequent sinful choices easier, and eventually the little things became bigger and bigger. As one of my favorite songs says, "People never crumble in a day; it's a slow fade."

I've learned that every morning I have a decision to make: who am I going to follow today? I've trusted the Lord with my salvation, and with my day to day life, but in order to keep my focus where it needs to be, I have to recommit each morning. Before I even get out of bed in the morning, I start with a quick prayer of Psalm 118:24: "This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it," and I tell God (and myself!) that I submit myself anew to Him today. At night before I go to sleep, I ask the Lord to "wake me up in the morning, and open my ears to listen as one ready to take orders." (Isaiah 50:4 MSG) Of course, spending time alone with God each day, and spending time in the Word each day are also essential, but I saw the biggest difference in my spiritual life just when I began that very brief prayer each morning to set the tone for my whole day.

Find more "In Other Words" here today.

Worthy of My Trust

“Give yourself permission not to know and be satisfied knowing the One who does.” – Joyce Meyer

I enjoy making lists. I'm very organized, and get extremely cranky if things are disorderly. I research things thoroughly before making decisions on things like buying a child carseat, or choosing homeschool curriculum. I'm also a BIG-time planner. I tell you all these things to make this point: I like to know what's going on!

The good Lord, of course, knows all these things about me. I believe He even created me this way for a reason, but I'm still learning to let Him steer these "gifts" in the direction He wants me to use them. I am a work in progress, and so glad to know He's not done with me yet. {grin}

Right now, and for the past couple of weeks, I have been fighting with the desire to know NOW whether or not we will be adopting those two sweet children I've been talking about lately. Just when I thought I had a clear answer, things stalled. For a month. A month that seems like forever. I don't want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed, but I don't want to give up hope, either. If only I had an answer! But then, the Lord reminds me that I must "be still and know that [He] is God." He's had to remind me of this over and over again.

What I'm s-l-o-w-l-y learning is that I don't need to know everything because God will let me know what I need to know, when I need to know it. All I really need to do is trust that He is in control. The same God who laid the foundations of the earth; the same God who told the sea, "This far and no farther will you come;" the same God who commands the morning to begin and directs the movements of the stars; the same God who knows when the mountain goats give birth and who gave the horse it's strength... this is the same God who created me and is intimately involved in the details of my life. (See Job 38-39)

It may not always be easy for me to not know, but I know the Lord of all creation, and He is most certainly worthy of my trust.


For more In "Other" Words today, please visit Mama's Little Treasures.

Take the First Step

"Take the first step in faith.
You don't have to see the whole staircase.
Just take the first step."
Martin Luther King, Jr

About an hour and a half away from where I live is a state park called Amicalola Falls. In the Cherokee language, amicalola means "tumbling waters." It's easy to see why.The falls are 729 feet high. One of the most amazing aspects of these great falls is that such power comes from a seemingly slow, gentle, and fairly small river. In fact, I'd call it merely a creek, rather than a river. If I had a good running start, I could jump most of the way across the creek. Just think of all that hidden power. I think that's how we are. Only the Lord knows what we're capable of, and what kind of great things we can accomplish if we let Him use us, even when we appear -- to ourselves and others -- as ordinary.

There are 600 stairs that lead up & down alongside the falls. I was on a retreat at this great park over the weekend, and on Saturday, I went to see these breath-taking falls. When I started down those 600 stairs, I couldn't really see them all, but I knew it was a LONG way down. I didn't plan to go all the way because I did not think my legs or my out-of-shape lungs could handle it. I decided I'd start down, and stop when I got tired. After taking a little break, though, I realized how much more I could see if I kept going, so I decided to go just a little bit farther. Then I saw a rainbow in the mist at the top of the falls, and I wanted a better look, so I went still farther. After climbing down 425 stairs (No, I didn't count; a sign told me how many there are!), I reached the bridge that crosses just below the biggest cascade of the series of waterfalls. I stood for a while on the bridge just taking in the beauty all around me, then decided to go the remaining 175 steps beyond the bridge so I could see the falls from a different vantage point.

Every time I'm out in God's creation, I feel so small compared to the vastness of the trees and the mountains and things like 729-foot waterfalls. At the same time, though, I always feel close to God when I take the time to admire what He's created, and to remember that He not only created me, but He loves me so much that He died -- for me! After catching my breath, I headed back up all 600 stairs. At the top, I looked back towards the west, where the mountains showed why they are called the Blue Ridge, and the setting sun painted the sky varying shades of pink and orange. My legs were jelly, I was really out of breath, and my heart was pounding, but if I hadn't taken those stairs, I would have missed so much. I believe that's how it is in life. We must depend completely upon Christ. When I can't see the staircase, I have to hold His hand and let Him guide me. I don't even have to be willing (yet!) to go all the way, but I do have to make the decision to take that first step. He can't make me -- it has to be my choice. As I trust Him, He'll show me things that make me want to keep going, holding his hand all the while. When I get to where He wanted me to go, I'll be so glad I did it, even if I'm out of breath and ever-so-tired. It will all be worth it. Over the past week or so, as we look for answers & guidance about our adoption, I have said several times that I'd love to have crystal ball to see into the future. The thing about that crystal ball, though, is that even if I could know the future, I probably couldn't handle it. God gives me what I need for today. Only today. Not tomorrow or next week or next year. When I get to the next day, He'll give me all I need for that day.

We don't need to count the stairs. We don't need to know how long it will take us to climb them all. We just have to take that first step, leaning on God and letting him lead us.

"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." Proverbs 3:5-6

In Other Words is hosted today at Shorty Bear's Place.

In Other Words ~ Mr. Grinch

What does Christmas mean these days? Looking around at the stores and magazines and neighboring houses, one would think it means festive decor and twinkling lights; delicious homemade cookies and hot cocoa; and beautifully wrapped gifts from your loved ones' wish lists. All of those things are nice, and enjoyable, and can become lovely, cherished memories, but are they really what Christmas is about?

When I think of Christmas, I think of cozy evenings cuddled on the couch near a twinkling Christmas tree. I think of baking homemade goodies, singing Christmas carols, thoughtfully chosen gifts, Christmas cards in the mailbox, and festive fun with extended family that we don't see often enough. Are these things what Christmas is really about?

I believe so... partly. Because all those things are born of love, and what Christmas is really about is the Gift of Love. It's about remembering the time when God chose to send his only Son to this world with the purpose of healing our broken relationship with Him. Does Christmas come from a store? No, Mr. Grinch; everything good about Christmas comes from Love Himself.

For more In Other Words, visit Lori at All You Have to Give.

Every Road

And I don’t regret the rain,
And the nights I felt the pain,
And the tears I had to cry some
of those times along the way.
Every road I had to take,
Every time my heart would break -
It was just something that
I had to get through
To get me to you…”

“To Get Me To You” [Hope Floats Soundtrack]

This quote is true of my relationship with Christ. I've explained that more in depth here, but basically, I never truly followed Christ until I'd been "broken." Before that, I believed, but I felt like I was doing an okay job with my life; I talked to God pretty often, but tried my best not to listen to Him. It was the pain and the tears and the broken heart that brought me finally to my knees and to Him. I made big mistakes, but He used them to bring me to Himself. And there are no words to thank Him enough for that.

But this quote also makes me think of my relationship with Ken. Our first dance was to "God Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts. We chose that song because we both felt that God brought us together despite all the screw-ups in our lives. He used those things for good. Ken and I wrote our own vows. We did not collaborate on them, or read each other's before the ceremony, but both of us included something about our broken roads leading to each other, and how that made us appreciate each other so much more because of the potholes in the roads we'd traveled up to that time. We still feel that way, and it's that appreciation for what we have now--appreciation for what God has given us--that gets us through difficulties.


By the way, how d'ya like my swanky new blog design? I'm still tweaking it, but I think it suits me because I love the clothes & hairstyles, the dancing, the movies, the vocabulary, and especially the cheesy advertising of the 1940's & 50's!

Hospitality

“Hospitality is becoming an almost forgotten Christian virtue in our style of life today… In the New Testament, however, hospitality was a distinctive mark of Christians and Christian communities.”
~Alexander Strauchfrom The Hospitality Commands

In the Bible, hospitality is ranked rather high in the list of how we as Christians should live. Paul instructs Timothy that older women should be known for their good works, including hospitality (1 Timothy 5:10). And in Romans 12:9-18, we're encouraged to live a life "full of love without hypocrisy", and hospitality is included in the instrutions on how we are to love: "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with those in need; practice hospitality."

It's this verse, however, that speaks to me the most:
"Keep your love for one another at full strength. Be hospitable to one another without complaining... if anyone serves, his service should be from the strength God provides, so that in everything God may be glorified through Christ Jesus." (1 Peter 4:8-11)

We know that love is a command from God. We must love, not just when we feel like it, but all the time, and we must love everyone! Love is a verb, not a noun! The essense of all that Jesus taught can be boiled down to a few words, echoed by a cute little cross-stiched pillow I have in the sunroom where my desk sits:

"Love God. Love one another."

Simple, but profound. If we refer back to that verse I like so much in 1 Peter, we see that being hospitable is a way that we can love one another. It's always seemed me that smiles and laughter are contagious; I believe love is contagious, too. As we show love to one another, we strengthen each other, and then that love we've shared can be taken and spread around elsewhere so it can continue to grow and spread. Rumors and gossip tend to spread like wildfire, but wouldn't it be lovely to have love spread like wildfire instead!?!

My home isn't grand. There's no fancy oven in my kitchen. Even after vacuuming, some dog hair will still be found on floors and furniture (I've heard that's why they call it fur-niture!). My flower bed, which you must pass on the way to my front door, is not weed-free by any stretch of the imagination. But despite all of that, my home is beautiful because it's full of love--and the reason it's full of love is because the Lord lives here. The weeds and dog hair don't matter, as long as I open my home to friends and family and share that love.

Visit Chelsey at Joyfully Living for more "In Other Words" today.

A Noble Calling

“Dear Lord, I do not ask that Thou shouldst give me some high work of thine, some noble calling or some wondrous task. Give me a little hand to hold in mine.” ~ Anonymous

Proverbs 17:6 says, "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." God, the Father of all creation, reminds many times in the Bible that parents are to be honored. Even from the cross, Jesus thought of his mother's well-being, and asked the disciple John to care for her as if she were John's own mother (John 19:26-27). If Jesus honored his mother this way, what does that say of the great worth of parents? Devoting twenty-one verses to describing the "Wife of Noble Character" also speaks to the high calling of motherhood; this Proverbs 31 woman is worth more than rubies, and her children will call her blessed. That's certainly nothing to take lightly!

The Bible is clear that we are responsible for our children's education. This applies even if we don't choose to homeschool. We're told in Deuteronomy 6:7, "Repeat them [God's teachings] to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." And Paul reminds us that Timothy became a believer because he was taught from childhood by his mother and grandmother (Acts 16:1, 2 Timothy 1:5 & 3:15). Discipling our children is an awesome responsibility!

I cherish the little hand in mine, but I believe having a child is indeed the most noble of callings, and certainly a wondrous task. I can think of no other higher work the Lord could give me than being responsible for the care and teaching of a child.

Step Into the Muck

“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat…We must find each other.” ~Mother Teresa

Our society in general, I think, tends to enjoy anonymity. We like to get out and be social, but we don't like to let our "real" selves out into the open. With our co-workers, neighbors, at church, and often even in our own families, we paste on a smile and pretend everything is ok. Though we do care, we often just don't want to get mired down in the muck of other people's lives, and we sure don't want them involved in the muck and mire of our own lives. It's inconvenient, awkward, painful, and sometimes downright icky.

But sometimes the muck and mire get too deep, possibly because of a situation slowly spiraling out of control, or maybe due to a sudden tragedy--and eventually we are stuck in that quagmire. There is no way out of it without help and love and friendship. Yes, God is with us always, but sometimes we need a tangible shoulder to lean on or neck to hug, and God can love on us through the care of others; in fact, I believe that's one of God's favorite ways to show his love. However, if we've isolated and insulated ourselves from others, there are fewer people in position to help when we're in that muck.

We need other people, especially fellow Christians, for encouragement, too. There is a new Casting Crowns song that says, "people never crumble in a day... it's a slow fade..." No one suddenly decides that today is the day they'll turn away from God or fall into great sin. It's a slow process, and it can be halted by meaningful, honest relationships in our lives. We have an obligation to help others prevent that slow fade, and I believe we also have an obligation to seek solid relationships to help prevent ourselves from crumbling, too.

"Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception." Hebrews 3:12-13

Recently, I heard a man speak about his experience in a very poor third-world country. Before he left to return home, he and the others with him told the people that they were praying for them because of their great poverty. The people, in turn, told him, "We are praying for you because of your great wealth." Those "poor" people knew Christ in an intimate way because they had to depend on him for every thing, including whether or not they would eat that day or the next. But they knew that we, in our abundance, don't "need" to cling so tightly to Christ. When things are going okay, we tend to keep God at arm's length, and we do the same thing with the people in our lives. Let's stop that! As Mother Teresa said, "We must find each other."

May we to cling to the cross every day, and to open our arms every day to the people God puts in our lives. May we be willing and available to step into the muck and help each other climb out of it, into our arms, and wrapped in Christ's love.


For more "In Other Words" today, visit Amy at In Pursuit of Proverbs 31.

Friends

"The Christian life is a pilgrimage. At times the road is difficult and we get lonely. Sometimes we may get discouraged and consider abandoning the journey. It is at such times that God will place a friend alongside us. One of God’s most precious gifts to us is friends who encourage us and lovingly challenge us to ‘keep going.’"

By Henry T. Blackaby & Richard Blackaby
from their devotional book, Experiencing God

True friendship is one of the biggest blessings God can give us. I am blessed with wonderful friends: some from childhood, some almost brand new, and quite a few in-between. Years ago, I went through a pruning process--not of my own choosing, but necessary nonetheless. Pruning is always painful, and I thought I'd never be able to truly trust anyone to be, as Anne of Green Gables would say, a "bosom friend." A true friend should "speak the truth in love" if they see that we are turning down a bad path, but should still "love at all times" (Proverbs 17:17), despite our mistakes. During that time in my life, there was one friend in particular--one of those childhood friends--who stood by my side through it all. That friend isn't Christian, but God still used her; I firmly believe that God can use anybody, even those who deny his existence.

Doing things the world's way often seems easier than choosing to do things God's way. That's one of the reasons we need friends to encourage us, to be a "Barnabas" for us. Saul, known as an extremely anti-Christian terrorist, came to know and trust Christ, but because of his reputation, Jesus' disciples were afraid to trust him. But Barnabas stood up for Saul (now known as Paul). Paul ended up being an amazing evangelical preacher and wrote numerous books of the Bible, but he would not have been able to join the group of disciples or do such powerful work for Christ without the support and encouragement of Barnabas. Another Biblical story that inspires me is about Daniel, who chose to stick to his beliefs, even when threatened with death. Having friends who shared his commitment to the same beliefs helped him to persevere. They prayed for Daniel, trusted God, and stood by their friend, no matter what the cost (Daniel 2:17-18).

It constantly amazes me how God places just the right person in my life at just the right time, and uses that friendship to bless both me and my friend. When I decided to homeschool, I didn't know anyone who homeschooled, but over the past few years I have become great friends with many homeschool moms. When Ken and I began to think about adoption, we didn't know very many adoptive parents, but in the past year, I have lost count of how many people now in our lives have blessed or encouraged us in some way because of their experiences or personal knowledge about adoption. I could go on and on about specific ways God has used friends to bless me, and about how God has used me to bless or encourage a friend. Even here in blog-land!

Friends really are one of God's most precious gifts. Thank you to every single friend in my life--past and present, old and new, those I can reach out and hug in person as well as those in blogland I may never actually meet--for all the ways God has used you to bless and encourage me, and for letting God use me to bless and encourage you!

"Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Thanks to Bonnie at "Ink it Blog" for hosting today's "In Other Words"!

The Little Snail that Could

I love having things to stretch my brain around; things I might not have thought to ponder on my own. Here is one such thing:

"By perseverance the snail reached the ark."
~Charles Spurgeon~

Snails are slow. Dreadfully slow. Their evil counterparts -- slugs -- eat my hostas and sometimes munch on my lamb's ear, and they are just plain gross. But I digress. The point is, snails are S-L-O-W. This makes me wonder, how did the snail made it to the ark in time? If all the animals got "the call" at the same time, if the lions and horses and monkeys and dogs and birds all got started at the same time as the lowly snail, then HOW did he get there in time? I have a theory...

The snail was slow, so he lived a less hurried, less frantic life. This allowed him time to "be still" and know that God is God. The snail listened carefully to the still small voice of God, so he started his long, slow journey way before those faster four-legged and flying creatures. He knew God's plans for him because he took the time to listen.

Webster's American Family dictionary defines "perseverance" this way:

1) steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. 2) continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.

The little snail continued despite the hardships and discouragements he faced. He persevered because he knew that God was with him. Even if he didn't know the hows and the whys, he knew that God was in control. He knew that his difficulties were only temporary and that his troubles would be over when he reached his destination: for him, that was the ark. For us, it's heaven: eternity with God.

Revisit Webster's second definition for a minute. God's grace never ends. It is with us always, and because of that continuing state of grace, we will have eternal salvation. In Titus 3:7, Paul reminds us that "[God] generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."

I never thought I'd say this about a mollusk, but I want to be like that little snail. A visit to Wikipedia revealed that snails are extraordinarily diverse in habit, and can be found in a wide range of different environments, including deserts and even "the abyssal depths of the sea". That means we can all be like the snail: we can persevere no matter who we are, no matter where we live, no matter what the circumstances-- even if we are in the figurative desert of our lives or when we feel that we are in the abyssal depths of the sea.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

To see what others have written about today's "in other words", visit Deborah at Chocolate and Coffee.