Where, Oh, Where Has She Gone?

It's the season of Christmas parties and seeing friends. I was asked at one of these festive events if I still blogged. (Gulp) My answer was no. I went on to say that I hadn't blogged much at all since I got married. But, I also said that I hoped to start making time to do it more often. I hope to make more time for it.

Blogging is more for me—at least that's the way it seems. I never did have a lot of followers. I'm not an "Influencer" in the blog world. I'm just me. I'm sharing things that I learn along the way in this maze I call life. If my thoughts inspire or challenge others along the way, then God has used it for His purposes.

I do enjoy writing. My style is more of a conversation in my head that I need to put on paper. So, when you read my blog posts it's a little bit like we're sitting across the table, drinking a cup of tea or coffee, and talking about life. I've done a little professional writing in the past couple of years. I work for a publisher and have published some prose and poetry. I prefer writing prose, but did try my hand at a poem once. I suppose it's because of my blogging that writing prose comes more naturally to me.

My mom was the poet of our family and began writing her poems as a young girl and continued to write throughout her life. She wrote poems about each of her children and grandchildren. Those poems are treasures for all of us! She also wrote a lot of religious poetry. Somehow the content of what she and I write are probably very much the same, but she was able to put it in rhyme and verse, whereas I prefer to write without those restrictions. I never really thought about that before, but I guess we were cut from the same cloth—so to speak. Mom is no longer with us on this Earth. She's now with Dad in heaven and I'm certain that she is enjoying life there.

That is one of the changes in my life since I stopped blogging regularly. There was a period of time when I was taking care of Mom's affairs and seeing to her needs. Blindness robbed her of reading and writing in her final years—two of the things she most loved to do. I've pondered that more than a few times. I don't have any answers to the question of why those two things, but it does remind me to hold everything with an open hand.

Of course, I've mentioned before that I was married almost two years ago. It's amazing to realize that two years ago this week I was making last-minute plans for our wedding! I had a whole lot of help, though. Trying to put together a small wedding in roughly six weeks can be done, but not without help. My fiance (now husband) helped a lot. Several sweet friends stepped in and helped with other details like decorations, flowers, dress shopping, and wedding planning. Whew! That made everything a little easier.

Okay, what else have I been doing? Well, there's selling a house, moving twice, buying a new house, settling into a new life as a married person, and then working full time. Those are just the highlights, of course. In those in-between times, I'm attending church, trying to keep up with family and friends, and dealing with other things that life throws at us. Needless to say, when I get home in the evening after an aggravating commute (traffic is often horrible around here), I usually end up vegging in front of the television with my hubby. It's an escape and a way to relax. Writing is not uppermost on my mind, though I do think about it.

We've been singing about Hope, Peace, and Joy at church—the Advent words. Christmas is more than exchanging gifts. Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus's birth and the Hope, Joy, and Peace that only He can bring. As I sit here writing, I can see our Christmas tree about six feet away. My husband has hung an angel in the room and just beyond that is the star atop our tree. It reminds me of the scene in Luke 2:8-15, when the angel came to the shepherds to let them know of Jesus's birth:

This is the view from my chair. (c) themazeofourlives

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,  

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

'Tis the season to tell the Good News. The angel shared the news. Then the shepherds saw the babe in the manger and then they went on to spread the word. The One they had been awaiting had finally come! Share the gift of hope, joy, and peace this season. His name is Jesus!

Difficulty Equals Opportunity

"Every difficulty and every temptation that comes our way,

 if we receive it correctly, is God’s opportunity." 

[Quote from Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings.] 

I read that quote this morning during my quiet time. Hmmm. Something to think about.

Difficulty = Opportunity. 

Oh yes, I think I'd like to get in line for some of that opportunity--two extra scoops, please! Sorry, my sarcasm is showing. Honestly, difficulty is not something anybody looks forward to.

As I sit here, I'm processing what's already been a difficult week for my family and it doesn't show signs of letting up any time soon. Thankfully, there have also been some wonderful moments this week.

The devotional went on to talk about how David's run-in with a lion was an opportunity for God to show David that God was with him and through God he could face whatever came his way. When these "lions" come into our own lives we should recognize it as an opportunity from the Lord, "no matter how fierce it may outwardly seem."

So it appears that the "lions"we face today help us to face the "Goliaths" of the future. I don't know whether these current difficulties are lions or Goliaths. I suspect they are a little of both. When I've gone through difficulties in the past they sure seemed like Goliaths in the moment they were happening. Then sometime later, when a new difficulty arose, I looked back and thought, "that was nothing compared to now."

Shortly after reading this devotional, I listened to a sermon by Charles Stanley. His message was about having courage in the midst of a difficult time. Funny how the Lord orchestrates these things! He used Paul as an example of someone who had courage to persevere despite many difficulties. One would say he had to Endure (my One Word for the year 2014). Ah-ha! Then the phrase that popped into my head during this message was...

Don't Give Up!

This was a phrase I heard many times during another difficult time. It was always a sweet reminder to have hope in God, to keep praying, to persevere, and most of all to trust God.

I'll end with the following scripture and a link to a favorite song:

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. 

We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  

We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. 

We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share 

in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus 

may also be seen in our bodies.
2 Corinthians 4:8

This is my command—be strong and courageous! 

Do not be afraid or discouraged. 

For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

"Don't Give Up" by Calling Glory

Nuggets of Wisdom: HOPE

It's been a while since I've shared some Nuggets of Wisdom. It used to be a regular feature on this blog, but thought it would be a good time to bring it back this week. It's been somewhat of a theme week for me.

Below are a few things I've run across this week that are "little jewels" I have found inspiring and helpful. I'll share the quote and then a few of my own thoughts.


Nugget #1

"When everything seems to be going wrong, refuse to get discouraged. ...The longer you wait for your prayers to be answered, the closer you are to a breakthrough." From Jesus Today by Sarah Young

It's so easy to get discouraged when things aren't going the way we planned or hoped, isn't it? We have hopes and dreams unfulfilled, day after day, week after week, and year after year. We pray fervently for someone and still don't see a change day after day, week after week, and year after year. Little by little the time between our petitions get a bit longer and sometimes we just give up. Then the Lord reminds us to keep praying, to keep waiting on Him, to place our hope in Him. The Lord uses the testimony of someone else to remind you: He Remembers. He hasn't forgotten. Oh, how sweet that reminder is.

Nugget #2

"...there is never a time when we cannot hope in God, whatever our need or however great our difficulty may be. Even when our situation appears to be impossible, our work is to 'hope in God.' Our hope will not be in vain, and in the Lord's own timing help will come." From Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman.

Well, this has been a week in which I needed to hear these encouraging words of hope, of promise, or God remembering me. It hasn't been a bad week at all. Rather it's been a week of sameness. I get up in the morning, go to work, come home, and go to bed. Very routine and sometimes dull. Oh, yeah I've been doing things around the house, on Facebook, some reading, that kind of thing. But sometimes I long for other things, a slightly different life. At the same time, I'm trying to embrace these quiet days of routine as all part of God's blessing. I am continuing to put my hope in God and his timing. I am thankful for that reminder this week: None of this is in vain; nothing is wasted.



Nugget #3

"You may be sure that God will never say to us, 'Stand still,' 'Sit still,' or 'Be still,' unless He is going to do something." From Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman.

I am always anxious to jump in and just "gitter done,"so sitting still and waiting on God to act often feels painfully slow. But, allowing God to work in His time in His way is always the best choice. I place my hope in God. I was talking with a friend with week about this very topic of "being still" before the Lord. This has been a recurring phrase in my life for the past two years. Over and over again, scripture has reminded me that I am supposed to be still in one particular area of my life: my singleness. It's the same one I've referred to above. And that leads me to one other nugget related to all of this...



Nugget #4

"...faith requires us to do nothing at all, while our human nature screams to interfere. In these cases we believe; therefore, we do not act. Wisdom is knowing the difference between the two." From Believing God by Beth Moore.

This quote will require a little background. Faith often requires action such as when God told Abraham to pick up and move or He told Noah to build an Ark. But, sometimes faith means taking no action. A case in point is when Jesus was being arrested before the crucifixion. He could have done something about it, but Jesus chose to trust God's plan.
     When the world screams at me that I need to do something about my singleness, it's hard not to get worked up about it. I mean, I really would like to do something about it. But, I have to keep going back to God and asking Him what what He wants me to do about it. The answer always comes back to: Wait. Be still. God wants to do something in my life and frankly I think He doesn't want to share the glory with me. Ha! But, I can place my hope in God and not in my self. Self always thinks she knows what should be done, but self is often wrong.


So, let me tie all this together...

Did you see a common thread running through all of these? It's the word Hope.
     Hope is lost when we don't see a future. When we can't see what God is doing, we can't see a future, and it's dark, that's when faith has to kick in. I've used this quote before on this blog and even have it posted in my kitchen:

"The greatest lessons in faith are learned in the dark." ~ Tony Evans

When we are hopeless (or discouraged) we cannot see the future or what God is doing. The future looks dark and God keeps telling us to be still because He knows the plan. You see, God knows the plans He has for us and it's a good one (Jeremiah 29:11). God does His best work behind the scenes. We just continue to look to Him for our hope and our future.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe 

that he exists and that he rewards those 

who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Wordy Wednesday

I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, 

and in His Word I put my hope. - Ps 130:5

Where is Hope When You Need It?

Hope.

How many times each day do we say this word (or think it)? Probably more often than we realize. Think about the situations in which we use this term:

I hope I make it to work on time.

I hope there's not too much traffic on the road.

I hope my friend will call.

I hope I don't get sick after eating that rich food.

I hope I don't have to stand in line too long.

Okay. You get the idea. In general, I think people are filled with hope. My best guess is that hope is there because we are made in God's image. He has given us that quality because God IS hope. Our souls search for hope--probably in more earthly things more often than not. Ultimately, God is the hope that our souls are longing for.

So, here's a question: If we are (in general) hopeful, why do we often feel so hopeless?  

Well, the obvious spiritual answer here is because of sin in the world. But, I'm interested in exploring the less obvious answers to this question.

Have you ever felt like a situation was hopeless? I have. From my limited perspective I only see dead ends. An impossible situation with no obvious solution requires nothing short of a miracle. Because I'm not in the miracle business and don't know anyone else who is, that leaves only God to do it.

God recently reminded me of this word HOPE. I was feeling a bit down about some circumstances. Then I started noticing this word popping up all over the place. I got the message. God was reminding me that He is hope, therefore I can have hope. My hope is in God who is able to do considerably and abundantly more than I can ever do (Ephesians 3:20). God has my back. He's powerful. And, hello: Even the verse I have at the top of this blog mentions the hope God is going to give me. The Bible is full of hope!

Why then do we actually feel hopeless? Well, it seems that sometimes we lose track of the Truth. Knowing the Word will help and understanding God's ways are not our ways. The Bible clearly tell us that we will have trouble in this world (John 16:33). When we're prepared for that eventuality and understand God's sovereignty (He is in control), then we can let faith take over. A very wise teacher recently said that confusion about circumstances are okay. Keep trusting and have confidence in God!

Emotion also has a huge part in this thing we call hope. When things are going well, we feel hopeful. (FYI: Hopeful is Full of Hope). Here's a practical example: Let's say you purchase a beautiful bush to plant in the yard. The weather is perfect--not too hot, not too cold, just enough rain and sun. The bush is starting to look beautiful. After a few weeks the rain stops and the temperatures soar. The lack of rain and heat begins to take its toll on the plant. There's no rain in the forecast and you have to go on vacation. If you're not there to water it every day, it's hopeless to think the bush will survive. The bush hasn't been in the ground long enough to put deep roots in the ground. So, when things stop going your way, you lose hope.

The things of this Earth will disappoint us. We can count on that. But, we don't have to believe everything our mind tell us. There are times we need to simply keep our eyes fixed on God and trust Him.

Nuggets of Wisdom: Blessing Behind Every Storm

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I began reading a book called Hope Being Gone (Trusting God in the Tough Times) by Cherie Hill. I actually borrowed it through an eReader lending program. I finished it about a week ago and I'm still processing it all.

This eBook contains bonus chapters from two other books by the same author. One is called Be Still. If you've been reading any of my previous blog posts, you may recognize how that phrase has been weaving its way in and through my spiritual life for the past year. Be Still, Kristi, and Know that I am God. How amazing to have this as bonus material! I'll share more from the second bonus book another day.

Today I thought I would share a few meaty quotes, from Be Still.

"When we're resigned to God's care, we won't be frightened by undesirable news, and we won't be trying to constantly figure out the next step. If we have faith in God, we will simply trust, wait, and expect God."

"Don't make the mistake of basing your faith on a particular outcome. We've all done it. We've prayed for God to answer our prayers with very detailed expectations, and we've seen our faith crumble to pieces when things didn't happen the way we thought they should....Faith that grows us trusts in 'Someone' rather than 'something.' "

"God has assured us that there is a blessing behind every storm. When God allows a storm in your life...it has great purpose; if you miss the purpose, you may miss God's will for your life."

from Be Still by Cherie Hill

Coasting Through Life?

Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) 
by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we
[firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult
 in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph
in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that 
pressure and affliction and hardship 
produce patient and unswerving endurance.

And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character
(approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] 
produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.

Romans 5:2-4  Amplified Bible (AMP)

I used this AMP translation because of the built-in definitions for illustration.

Suffering produces patience.
Patience produces character.
Character produces hope.

After I read this verse I realized how absolutely true it is. It was as if a lightbulb went off in my mind. That's always how it is when God reveals something to me through scripture. I may have read it before and just glossed right over it. However, this time something about it really resonated with me. I've seen this process unfold in my life over the past year. The pressure put on my life through circumstances produced patience, character, and hope.

It's natural to try and resist pressure. It's uncomfortable. Let's avoid it at all costs. It's much easier to just coast through life. I don't like conflict! But what does coasting produce in my life? Nothing of lasting value. Please don't think I'm talking about rest when I mention coasting. Rest is valuable and necessary. God brings us to places of rest at certain times in our life (Psalm 23:2-3). Coasting means to slide down an incline through the effect of gravity and/or move aimlessly with little effort. Coasting seems to produce spoiled childlike (immature, soft) characteristics. Have you ever been around someone who was spoiled and catered to? Everything seems to be have handed to them with no effort on their part at all. [My mind immediately goes to Nellie Olsen on Little House on the Prairie!] Nobody likes to be around people like that for very long.

Spiritually speaking, coasting through life doesn't make for a mature Christian. One of the purposes of a Christian is to be more Christ-like. To remain immature and be aimless--never experiencing hardships--does not accomplish Christlikeness. A little effort produces stronger faith muscles for endurance. While it seems counterintuitive to rejoice in suffering and hardships, Paul tells us that God is accomplishing great things within us. It's all for His glory and to further His kingdom.

Resistance is Futile

Captain Picard as a Borg Drone (Please refer to copyright information below)

As I've written on this blog before, I am a fan of Star Trek. I recently watched a number of these movies during a marathon so perhaps that's why I am drawing on Star Trek as an example for today's post.

If you are unfamiliar with Star Trek (I pity you) the Borg is a fictional alien species who attempts to achieve perfection by assimilating humans and any cybernetic organism into their collective. This species and their advanced capabilities became quite a foe for the Star Trek crew. Their introduction to everyone--before assimilation--was this line, "Resistance is futile." In other words, we have plans to assimilate you, we will accomplish it, and any efforts to resist this effort is futile. So you might as well just believe it.

Have I lost you yet? Stay with me here.

This Borg phrase came to mind recently as I was pondering the issue of keeping the faith. There are many times when I want to believe in God's promises but when it takes so long to see something happening, my faith begins to waver. I begin to have doubts, especially if I do not see any progress. I'm such a visual person that if I don't see something, I have a hard time grasping it. If I see someone building a brick wall, I can look at it going up brick-by-brick and know that at some point that wall will be finished. But, God often works behind the scenes and I don't see the bricks going up. Translated in my brain, Nothing is happening.

This year has been all about faith-building for me. Simply put: Trusting God in every area of my life. If God has told me something that aligns with scripture, I believe it...until my faith wavers. God reminded me that if I believe it, then I need to live like I believe it. Then He reminded me of Hebrews 11:1...

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for 

will actually happen; it gives us assurance 

about things we cannot see.

I have always liked this verse but it takes on a special meaning right now as I walk out this faith. Where does the Borg come into all of this? Glad you asked. I'm getting there.

When I go on reading the remainder of Hebrews chapter 11, I have the opportunity to read about all the ordinary people of the Bible who walked out their faith and were commended by God. This chapter is typically referred to as The Hall of Faith. We tend to look at this people as extraordinary individuals with lots more faith than us. Maybe. Or maybe they started out just like us. But they believed God and trusted Him, stepping out in faith. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses all have some amazing examples faith and trust in God. They were willing to believe, to surrender, and to follow God based on a promise. They didn't know how God was going to work things out. 

All these people earned a good reputation

 because of their faith, yet none of them received 

all that God had promised.

--Hebrews 11:39

True, not all of these people actually got to see their promise fulfilled. But that doesn't mean God didn't honor His promise.

So, Resistance is Futile.

Why am I resisting (not believing)? After reading about all of these great people of faith, how can I not believe? To not believe would be futile. And, to rephrase what I said earlier...
     God has plans,
          He will accomplish it,
               so I might as well just believe it.   

God is good.

What are you believing God for today?
   





The Borg image is a low-resolution screenshot of a copyrighted television program or station ID. As such, the copyright for it is most likely owned by the company or corporation that produced it. This image is being used only to identify the subject for commentary purposes and qualifies as fair use under United States copyright law. Any other uses of this image, might be copyright infringement. The image will be removed from this website should the copyright holder request. I will "make it so."

Wordy Wednesday

For this world 

is not our permanent home; 

we are looking forward 

to a home yet to come. 

~ Hebrews 13:14

I'd like to share a little bonus video to go along with our Bible passage this week. I don't know about you, but lately it seems so many people have been experiencing earthly trials and tribulations. It makes us weary and as I said in my post earlier this week, we can become discouraged. As believers in Jesus, the Christ, we can draw strength from him for this journey and rejoice in knowing that one day we will be at home with Him. 

Steven Curtis Chapman performing "Long Way Home"

Please note: this is performance was recorded live and it's not perfect like you might hear on an album. I wanted to share this version simply because I love the fact that it's not perfect. He even struggles to get out all the notes in this song, yet he perseveres. A great example for us.

The Easy Way vs. The Best Way

There's an adage in the business world which goes something like this: "Do you want it fast? Do you want it cheap? Or do you want it good? Pick two." In other words, you cannot have all three. It's either going to be fast and cheap (but not good), fast and good (but not cheap), or cheap and good (but not fast). That does seem to describe most products in the marketplace, doesn't it? I'll admit that I like to do things the easy way, which is usually the fastest route, even if it's not always the best way.

Have you ever noticed that God rarely seems to do things the "easy way?" At least, it never seems like the easy way when it involves something I want, I'm waiting on, or interrupts my plans. My mind goes to a story we all know about a young woman who received a divine revelation which directly affected her life and her plans. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a very young woman. In our day and age she would be considered a girl, probably still in school and looking forward proms. But Mary's future had been planned by her family that she would marry a carpenter, Joseph. All was going according to plan until she had an angelic visit announcing a "change of plan." God had something different in mind for Mary and Joseph.

Of course, the first thing Mary did was question this new plan: “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” Luke 1:34   [Questioning. Check.]

Then Mary responded to the angel: “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Luke 1:38   [Acceptance and Anticipating. Okay, a very hesitant check.]


Finally, Mary shared the news with a loved one, she considered all that had happened, and responded like all of us would when our plans suddenly get changed by singing: “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!" Luke 1:46-47  [Sharing and Singing. Half a check for talking about it.]

If you go on to follow the life of Mary, you'll note that several times she "ponders things in her heart." Those are the things which she observes but cannot explain outside of God's sovereignty. She holds them in her heart, probably (just guessing here) rolling them over in her mind multiple times hoping that one day it will all make sense. So why would God choose to interrupt her plans and expose Mary to ridicule for being unmarried and pregnant? Of course, looking back from our perspective we can see that it was all for God's glory that He chose that particular path for her.

Confession: These are not my typical responses to a sudden change of plans. Depending on the scenario, I can sometimes roll with the change and be flexible. But if it's something I was really, really counting on it could take me a good, long while to get through the questioning stage and then I might accept it begrudgingly. Note to self: There's definitely something to be learned from Mary.

God always chooses the best way for us. His best way may not always be the fastest or the funnest way. The best way often involves stretching our faith to the point in which we are forced to draw upon God's strength and usually teaches us something we might not have learned any other way. The best way will likely be different for each one of us. Two people could be going through similar circumstances. One person's "best way" may involve waiting for an answer to a prayer for years. The other person's "best way" may involve waiting for an answer to prayer for a few months. Doesn't seem fair, does it? Yeah...This is the point where trust becomes essential. Trusting in God's sovereignty and His loyal love. We can try to manipulate our circumstances but we may miss out on some blessings along the way.

Another confession: I've been through 22 months of "the best way." Now, if I had received a divine message from an angel about the circumstances that would unfold, I doubt that I could have handled the news as well as Mary. But, God knew exactly what He was doing. I've learned so much, have been blessed beyond measure, and grown closer to the Lord than ever. 

Three On Thursday

Three quick thoughts for this day...

Wait 

Have you not known?  

Have you not heard? 

The everlasting God, the Lord,  

The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.  

His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak, 

And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,  

And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord 

Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

~ Isaiah 40: 28-31

Hope 

Why am I discouraged?
   Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
 my Savior and my God!

~ Psalm 42:10

Trust

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

Hope for this Unsteady Heart

Earlier this week I wrote a post about true love and trusting Jesus.  Events drove me to my knees seeking the Lord. It was during those unsteady times that Jesus stepped in to steady my heart, to catch the tears, and He lovingly walked with me through the uncertainty. There is hope for the unsteady heart and that hope can be found through Jesus.

I'm a big fan of Kari Jobe and especially her song called Steady My Heart. I've heard it on the radio recently and identified with the lyrics. I want to share the video here for anyone else who may be experiencing the unsteadiness that life brings. I hope you will be blessed by this song as much as I have been.