Word of the Week: JOY

Joy. Pure joy!

She ran, skipped, and jumped along the path through the ‘jungle’.

The spark of joy revealed in her eyes at the sight of the flower-strewn path was absolutely priceless.

I could feel her excitement as clearly as I could see it on her face. If the essence of pure joy were to ever be bottled, I think it would contain energy dispersed by two year old children at play!

The third candle of advent is JOY.

I’ve anticipated this holiday trip that we are currently on for many months. I counted down the weeks and days with excitement. Each moment of the 27 hours that we spent journeying to Australia from Belize was worth every second. Our time of traveling brought us to a place of hugs, laughter, smiles, story times, climbing towers, pushing swings, dressing stuffed animals, and baking cookies.

The trip was long, the wait was hard, but the joy we felt upon arrival erased the aches and pains of all the miles that separate us from family.

Many years ago, before our children were born, Tom’s grandmother Sharp baked Christmas cookies for us.

Tom’s mother picked up the tradition for our kids, and now it’s my turn with our son’s children.

Our children are 30 and 27. Our youngest was home with us for Christmas for the last time in 2012. We have only put up a tree once in the last five years. It’s been hard to find joy in an empty nest at Christmas.

Here, with our granddaughter, the joy is infectious. My heart swells with anticipation as we awaken each morning to discover what songs and stories she will enlighten us with for the day. I relax as my heart rises above the emotional hardships and the years of longing to grandparent in real life.

Joy creeps in as I marvel at the wonder in her eyes and cherish the hope born from her laughter.

I understand why a candle of JOY is needed as we countdown the days until the celebration of Christ's birth. Light cannot be overcome by darkness and the light of His joy is powerful enough to penetrate the human spirit.

I am grateful for my encounter with joy as my husband and I wait with our son and his family for the birth of their second child!

May God also fill your eyes with wonder and light up every corner of your life with His joy as you await the celebration of our King!

Word of the Week: HOPE

Tom and I are eagerly awaiting time with our family in Australia.

It's been two years since we've seen our son, daughter in love, and granddaughter.

This year our hopeful hearts await the birth of our second grandchild, creating priceless memories with our granddaughter, and treasuring moments with Spencer and Meesha.

I wrote my first Christmas song two years ago. And the very first line is, "Hope was born in a manger".

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. In many churches around the world the candle of Hope would have been lit today.

Is there any hope in your heart this year?

If so, then where are you placing your hope?

Eve had hope when the serpent told her that she could be like God. Her misplaced hope led to expulsion from the Garden of Eden. We must be careful about where we place our hope. Misplaced hope can have eternal consequences.

I have hopes and dreams for my granddaughter and the grandbaby that is on the way but the true Hope of the world was born over 2000 years ago.

Jesus Christ is our Hope! And our hope in Him will never disappoint.

May this be a season for the God of Hope to fill each one of us with His presence.

May this be a season of hope in our hearts, our homes, and our communities.

May this be a season of celebrating the birth of the God of all Hope!

You can listen to that first Christmas song here!

Word of the Week: Understanding

As I was out for my walk this morning I meditated on the word ‘Courage”.

As I got close to a house that is under construction I could see that I would have to walk between two cars and several groups of men.

I thought, "now is the time to practice being courageous!"

A narrow path in the middle of the road was all that was left between the two parked cars.

Taking a deep cleansing breath I braced myself for whatever comments these men might make and determined in my mind to ignore whatever they said to me.

After successfully passing through that gauntlet of men suddenly, 8 highly agitated workers were running toward me, alternating between covering their heads and waving their arms, and screaming, “Abejas! Abejas!”

I know a bit of Spanish but not enough to know what they were shouting about. I slowed down somewhat but kept advancing forward in my effort to get home in time to shower and get to bible study.

In the distance I can see a neighbor heading home with six dogs on leashes. I thought maybe the men were afraid of dogs. His dogs have never bothered me so I continue walking, ignoring the men’s frantic cries.

One of them comes closer waving his arms yelling, “Señora, abejas!” Three of them are now in front of me yelling, “Abejas” and I yell back, “I don’t understand! No entiendo!”  

My lack of understanding collides with the fervency of their efforts and slowly increases my annoyance as I fight to remain calm.

One man turns the direction I’m headed and pointed at a tree up the road. I still don’t know what I’m supposed to be seeing and I’m in a hurry so again I let them know that I don’t understand.

One of the workers held out his hand motioning me to stop,  looking exasperated and desperate to get his message across, he took his phone from his pocket as the English word finally came to him, and he shouted, “BEES!”

Now I get why they were frantically running, why they didn’t want me to walk any further, and why they were passionately trying to get me to understand.

The man with the phone makes a call and asks me to wait “for safety”.

A few minutes later a truck pulls up driven by a man dressed in protective clothing. I get into the vehicle and he drives me past the tree to the corner and I’m able to finish my walk from there.

My head and heart had prepared not to trust these men. I’ve become so accustomed to taunting whistles, crude comments, and uncomfortable stares from construction workers that initially I didn’t respect their genuine concern for my welfare. And I was so determined to practice being courageous that I was willing to ignore whatever they were saying and just keep on walking.

Psalm 119:34 says,

Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;

I will put them into practice with all my heart.

I have lost count of the number of times I’ve ignored God’s warnings because I cannot see any danger ahead and I don’t understand what He is trying to tell me.

I’m grateful for the lessons that God brings into my life, the spiritual and the practical. This morning He mercifully showed His willingness to protect me by any means possible and as a bonus He taught me the Spanish word for bees!

Word of the Week: Truth

I've been preparing my notes to speak at Legacy this weekend and the word that I have had on my mind is Truth. So I decided to give you a sample of one of the devotionals from my ebook!

Truth

“And you will know the truth,

and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:32 NLT

Knowing the truth brings freedom from bondage, freedom from life altering lies, and freedom from despair.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He’s the freedom that we need to know. He’s the Truth that we must embrace.

He’s the Truth that will erase the lies we’ve carried in our heads. No falsehood or distortion can successfully stand in the light of Him.

His name is Truth, His character is truth, His word is truth. Truth bathed in the grace of God that has the power to transform us from the inside out.

Walking in truth places us on the path of righteous living. Washing our minds with the truth places us in the center of His will.

Waiting on truth to be revealed in our situation places us in the palm of His hand. His loving words are a balm for every battle-scarred soul. Cling to the God of all truth!

Prayer:

Precious Truth, our Savior, our Lord, guide us in the way of truth. Help us to listen for Your trustworthy voice and lay aside any whispers of darkness. Keep us steadfast and strong in the light. We praise You, we thank You, we love You. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

To get your copy of my devotional ebook click on the title below:

Exalt His Name

Word of the Week: Relearning

It was a bright cold day in April,

and the clocks were striking thirteen.

~George Orwell, 1984

Looking around the international airport in Moscow, Russia, I watched a clock strike 13.

Well, the clock didn’t literally strike, it was digital. Large red numbers proclaiming 13:00. Russia uses a 24 hour clock.

Instantly transporting me to my childhood and reminding me of my father’s military days, he would often use military time to tell me and my little brothers when something needed to be done.  

“Police your area by 0800 hours!”, he would command. In English that meant our rooms needed to be cleaned before 8 am.

When I saw that it was 13 o’clock I had to think for a minute or so until it came to me. It’s 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

Dread mixed with fear filled my stomach. Fighting back tears acknowledging that not only did I need to learn a new language but I also needed to learn how to tell time.

Everything I thought I knew would need to be relearned.

Gone were the days of grocery shopping with a list and coupons in Southern California. Needing a list remained but coupons were replaced by a Russian/English dictionary.

Something as simple as asking for 2 lbs of ground beef transformed to asking for a kilo of farsh. Numbers, weights, measures, time, words, sights, sounds, facial expressions...everything overwhelmed and yet excited me.

An adventure that began as words God whispered to my husband, evolved into a dream, and were brought to reality when the plane landed. Over the next five years our family would learn to navigate this new world.

I never expected to live among the adversary. Growing up in a military home on various Air Force bases in the eastern part of the US, Russia had been our cold war enemy for my entire childhood.

How was this a part of God’s plan? Needless to say my patriotic father, the career soldier, was not thrilled when we announced our plans to move to Russia. However, my mother’s comment, “You got your orders so you have to go.” was typical of a military wife.

God’s orders, His calling, took us on a life altering journey. And His guidance and strength continue to propel us in our ministry life.

I wish I could say that each day as a missionary is profoundly meaningful, filled with glorious insight, and bathed deeply with inner peace. Most days back in Russia and now here in Belize are fairly ordinary.

For every believer, each breath, each lesson, each and every tear, and each peal of shared laughter hold a touch of the divine.

It’s been many years since that clock at the airport awakened me to a new reality. I’ve realized that each stage of life requires learning a new skill no matter where you live in the world.

You don’t have to see 13 o’clock to catapult you into a new way of thinking. It could be something as simple as a wedding, the birth of a child, teenage drama, an empty nest, a new job, the loss of a parent, each experience- the good, the bad, and the grace-filled, all provoke change and growth.

With each stage of life everything I thought I knew needed to be relearned.

Have you had to face a time of relearning something you thought you knew? I’d love to hear about it!

Word of the Week: Exalt

 

Come let us tell of the LORD’s greatness;

let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:3 NLT

As we exalt the name of God together, we give honor to Who He is, What He has done, What He can do, and Why He cares for us.

I wrote this song to give honor and glory to the name of God.

As I penned each verse various names came to mind from the Word. When I finished the song I went back and counted the names of God that I had used.

I was astonished to discover 25 names of God in the song.

That means that there are:

25 ways to tell of His greatness.

25 ways ways to tell of Who He is.

25 ways to get to know Him more intimately.

25 ways to exalt Him!

Each time I sing this song, each time I talk about this song, my desire is to exalt Him. My desire is to know Him more deeply and make Him known.

How well do you know Him?

He is:

Yahweh
Creator
Sustainer
Deliverer
Almighty God
Marvelous
Way Maker
Counselor
King
Rock of Salvation
Amazing
Friend
Worthy
Foundation
Way
Truth
Strength
Alpha
Omega
Ancient of Days
Anointed One
Consuming Fire
Immanuel
High Priest
Lord of Lords

Let’s aim to know Him intimately and exalt His name together!

Love Where God Lives

Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.

Psalm 26:8 NIV

Where does God live? As a believer He lives in you!

The church is not a building. The church is His people.

Embrace and love the places where His glory lives. Allow the Holy Spirit to have room in your heart. Let Him take over your life. You won’t regret a life lived wholeheartedly for Him.

Live with intention.

Live with vigilance.

Live with hope.

Live with peace.

Live with the knowledge that He lives in you!

I spent years wondering if I looked good enough, if I was smart enough, and if I was strong enough to serve Him. Years wasted being fearful, aimless, and filled with doubt.

I didn’t see myself the way God sees me. I knew He loved me but I didn’t always love me. So I questioned His love for me because I couldn’t see my own worth.

I grew up in the era where we sang hymns about being lowly and was taught not to think too highly of myself.

As I was studying Psalms earlier this year I saw this passage and it finally clicked that the house where God dwells is me!

I need to love how God designed me and utilize each one of the gifts and talents He gave me, all for His glory.

He equips His house, He fills His house, and He makes His house a home.

That is my deep desire for myself and for you! Let God move into His house full time. Not just on Sundays, not just when you feel good, but each and everyday!

And remember He is not just in you but He is in your brothers and sisters in Christ. Respect and love them too!

Value them as you value yourself in God. "Why gaze with envy at the mountain where God chooses to live," like it says in Psalms 68:16.

Encourage those living for Him. Champion them instead of comparing, competing, or criticizing.

May this be our prayer:

Precious Yahweh,

May we remember that we are Your dwelling place. We are Your sanctuary. You live in our praises. You make a home in our hearts. Our bodies are not our own but they are temples dedicated to reflecting Your glory. We trust You to equip us and empower us to serve You. May we begin today to live lives that are worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus. May we live to honor You. And may we love the house where Your glory dwells!

Amen.

She Said What?

Up, down, and back up again go her eyes, forming judgement within seconds. I hear a pop of air as she sucks her teeth, finally looking me in the eyes declaring, “I thought you were taller.”

“I wish I was!” I call out as I keep on shopping. I thought of a smartass reply but decided not to go there. I remember my friend Sadie telling me to keep it ‘light and polite’ in such situations.

Normally, I value critical words especially after a performance or when someone has read something I’ve written. I want to learn and grow so I try to process each situation and see if there is truth to what was said.

But, that encounter left me bewildered. And instead of tears I left the supermarket laughing. Um, yeah, I’m short! You may have seen me with heels on. You may have seen me on tv sitting in a tall chair. Sorry that my 5’ 2 ½’’ frame left you disappointed. You’ll have to hand that complaint over to God because there is absolutely nothing I can do about it!

If you were to tell me that my phrasing in a song could have been better, or my clothes were a distraction, or what I said was hurtful, I could ponder those things and make a change.

How often do we speak to others in critical tones over things that they have no control over? I ask myself if I’ve done this...I’m sure even in this area I come up short.

Contemplating how rude her words sounded I could get offended. She may not have meant it to be offensive. But, her tone definitely had an air of shock and disappointment to it. And her actions indicated judgement.

On Facebook we see people passionately degrading and dehumanizing someone with just a few keystrokes.

It’s not in the Bible but it’s etched in my mind as a proverb. “If you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all!”

Rarely do people keep their opinions to themselves these days. Social media makes us all feel like we have to weigh in. Whether the issue is inconsequential or a story that impacts a nation, everyone wants to weigh in.  

But, where has all the kindness gone?

Are we communicating with one another or are we comparing, competing, and condemning?

Thoughtless words can hurt as much as words spoken in anger.

I wonder how many times someone thought I was being rude. At my age I can look back on situations from years gone by and evaluate how I could have better handled the awkward or tense moments I’ve faced along the way.

As I head off to church this morning I have Proverbs 16:24 in mind:

Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

I pray that my words will be a blessing to someone’s soul as I strive to greet people with kindness instead of condemnation.