Grace for Big Messes

by Jamie Gunter

As I stood in line for a hot cocoa on a typically awesome mom-of-four Friday night at Target I watched some prom-goers who had just gotten through ahead of me. Yes- PROM goers. Full dress, makeup, hair, tuxes, Target. My people.

They were laughing, greeting others who joined them. But the girls- the beautiful made-up girls, I noticed. In a split second moment that only a seasoned female would have discerned, they looked the other girls up and down and assessed. I knew that question that fell on their meticulously made-up faces… am I prettier? Good enough? And my heart sank a little bit. Oh the wasted time we give to comparison.

A quote came upon me in that moment - “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” Dolly gets it! (Yes, THAT Dolly.)

I must confess that I am that girl in that dress with that look and those questions. Everyday. I have to shove it away and tell myself that I am a daughter of a King- a greatly loved, masterfully created (in God’s image no less), flawed and yet cherished promise. And now that I know…

May I share it.

May I whisper it into the ear of the young girl who wonders who thinks she is beautiful and what worth she has. May I spread it among the moms who have piles of clothes on their bedroom floor and forgot whether they brushed their teeth today.

We are so much more. More than clothes and hairstyles and skin and skinny jeans. We have hurts and desires and gifts and flaws and every single one of us is a big fat mess. But there is a promise we are given- that we are loved very, very much by a God who sent His son to be perfect on our behalf. Not just because He loves us but because He IS love. That is what He must do as LOVE itself. He gives. And loves us unconditionally.

Zephaniah 3:17 

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

May we see others as beautifully created as our Savior sees them. And may we have joy in knowing we are perfectly imperfect. May we be silly and fun-loving and free. Free in the knowledge that we are loved mightily.

Watchman Nee says, “Have we discovered how good the Lord is? Then in us he is as good as that! Is his power great? Then in us it is no less great!”

May we spread goodness. Joy. Love to the loveable and unloveable alike… because aren’t we all a mess without grace and mercy?

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

That Voice in Your Head? It's Lying

by Heidi Ashe


Do you hear them too?  Or is it just me?  The voices in my head that tell me someone else could do this better.  That someone else’s kids aren’t complaining about their breakfast, their lunch, their dinner.  That no one’s crying at their house.



Well it’s a sham.  Those voices are straight up lies.  No one can do you better than you.  There’s no one your family needs more than you.  Everyone’s kids are complaining and I assure you that if there’s a toddler or a teenager in that house, someone is crying.



Isn’t that just like the devil to get into our heads? He can’t have our hearts.

Jesus is there.

That space is taken.

So the devil is vying for all the other spaces. Your head, your kitchen, your car.

He’s trying to pick a fight with your husband, to take your sweet babies whiny voices to another decibel, and to turn up the volume on that colleague chewing beside you.



So how do we push past the voices, the negativity, the daily grind that more often than not tries to drag us down?  We run (or maybe crawl) to God and listen to what He says (because isn’t that all that matters?)



In Galatians 5:1, He calls us FREE.  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”



In Ephesians 1:7 & 8, He calls us REDEEMED and FORGIVEN and LAVISHED with GRACE.   “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”



When the voices become deafening or the pressure of the world becomes too much, crank the worship music, dig into His word or at the very least sing Jesus Loves Me when you want to scream (I promise it works!).



In a song I just recently heard by Dave Barnes there’s a line that says,



“I beg you see my brokenness  as how the light got in.”



That is my prayer friends, that my kids, my husband, my family, friends, colleagues would all see the broken in me and then the light of Jesus shining right on through.

The Real Enemy

My James study is coming along nicely (Thank you, John MacArthur commentary.). Thanks to everyone who continues to pray! God is showing me some really wonderful things in His Word. And, once again, I'm so thankful for dear friends and good writers who are visiting us on the blog while I'm away. This week's guest is Kayla Cook, my sense-of-humor twin. We could stay in our own little bubble, talking and laughing, for hours. I know this is true because recently we stood outside an abandoned RiteAid (Don't ask.) talking about Donald Trump for a lengthy amount of time.

We also have the same sophisticated taste in pop culture as you'll see below. Happy reading.

Jennifer
______________________________________

I'm a middle school teacher, so it should come as no surprise to you that I love middle school things.  The Biebs, Pretty Little Liars- they're my jam.  (I can feel you judging- really, it's fine.  I've accepted that I'm a nerd.)  Also on my list of middle school madness:  The Hunger Games series.

If you're not familiar with The Hunger Games, I'll give you time to google a synopsis.  (Go for it.  I'll be here all night ;-) ).  In the second book and film, Catching Fire, there's a point towards the end where Katniss (our heroine) has been separated from her love interest, Peeta, and it seems that her allies have turned against her.  This is a fight to the death, so the situation is fairly dire.  She hears Finnick, one of her allies (maybe?) shouting her name, and she gets a clear shot of him through some brush.  Katniss is an excellent archer; she has her bow pulled and her arrow ready to take flight.  Just then, she and Finnick make eye contact, and he says ever so clearly, "Katniss, remember who the real enemy is."

It was around Christmas time and I sat crying in the front seat of my husband's car because the holidays can be difficult for me as a 20-something recovering pleaser who is still newly married.  How in the world were we going to be in 38374 places at once?  And we can sing all that "all I want for Christmas is you", a la Mariah Carey, but what we were really singing in our hearts was "all I want for Christmas is you and for you to go along with all my family's traditions because I want those for Christmas too".  And while we sat in silence waiting (hoping?) for the other to be the first to offer compromise, I heard that precious whisper in my heart, not from a fictional character, but from the Lover of my soul:  "Remember who the real enemy is."  Hint:  his name is not Garrett Cook.  Nor families who wanted us to be in 38374 places at once.  Or anyone else I've met in the flesh.

See, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12).  In the words of Priscilla Shirer in her book Fervent (stop reading this blog and go read her stuff immediately), "The real enemy isn't your husband.  Or your teenager.  Or your brother's wife.  Or your mother-in-law.  Or the weather.  Or your sweet tooth.  Or whatever powder keg of frustration really gets under your skin and sets you off before you can think straight."  We have an enemy, and he's real, and he's strong.  But Jesus is stronger, and when we belong to Him, the enemy has lost us for eternity, but that gives him all the more reason to mess with our here and now.

In the interest of being transparent, my heart has been bruised this week.  And for the first time in quite a while, I've found myself having to really fight for a soft heart.  To deliberately choose to show up and choose grace for myself and others.  To choose love over anger.  To consciously decide to remember who the real enemy is.  Jesus is the only one Who is perfectly faithful, and He is asking me to make these choices.

And so I do.  I make these choices sometimes through tears, which Jesus lovingly collects (Psalm 56:8).  I make these choices because when Jesus asks me to do something, I trust that His purpose is good and His heart is for me.  He loves me and He proves that love over and over; obedience is how I show I love Him back.

This week, when conflict erupts in big ways or small ways, when things get janky (janky:  a middle school term for busted and jacked up) and have to be made right, when you've been hurt or you're the one who has done the hurting (we've all been on both sides, by the way)- remember who the real enemy is.  And if he's working this hard, what amazing things is he trying to keep us from?  I can't wait to find out.

Open My Eyes

Can you picture it? 2 Kings 6 describes a small army of ragtag warriors completely surrounded by a brutal military force waiting for the sunlight to tear them limb from limb. The Israelites were terrified of the oncoming battle, none more so than the servant of the prophet Elisha. After rising early to get a better look at the enemy he returned to Elisha exclaiming, "Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?"

Elisha answered calmly, "Do not be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Kings 6:17

Yes, the enemy had horses and chariots, but God provided horses and chariots of fire.

Eyes opened. Fear gone.

The prayer "open my eyes" is seen throughout scripture, encouraging believers for thousands of years that there is more to be seen than you can actually see. Psalm 119:18 asks God plainly to "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law."

Friends, we walk around just like Elisha's servant seeing the bad, seeing the ugly, feeling our way through the darkness. And God is there clothed fully in light saying, "Open your eyes, child."

There is a lot of yuck in this world. I watch the news and want to take the hand of bitterness, hopelessness, and fear. I say to them, "Hey, guys. The world is a mess. I think we should be best friends." How easily we are led to believe that we cannot win.

If my eyes are closed, what exactly are they supposed to be opened to? What exactly am I supposed to be seeing, Lord?

Lean in with me and listen to Ephesians 1:18-21:

 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 

Let's dissect these verses and figure out exactly what it is God wants to open our eyes to:

• You may know the hope to which He has called you. What's the opposite of hope? Despair. And every time I feel it I should rebuke it. That's not where God has called me to live.
• The riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people. Hear that? Our inheritance from Him is glorious. Live like you know it.
• His incomparable great power for us who believe. Horses and chariots of fire, people. They encircle you, too.
• That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms. The same power that commanded Jesus from the grave is in you! Use it, work it, call it down.
• Far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And that power that lives in you? It's above everything. Every evil, every sin, every curse, every sadness, every broken family, every lost child, every addiction, every bad thing you see happening in this world. There is nothing so lost that it cannot be made new by the Name Above All Names. 

I hope you understand by now that God has called us to the wonderful. Not just the making it or the getting by. God has called us to wonder and riches and hope. But our eyes are closed to it. We won't open them to the possibility that putting our faith into action can bring a beautiful clarity to our sight. 

If you feel like you're stumbling around in the darkness today, will you pray this prayer with me?

Father, the enemy is encamped around me. I am afraid. I am in despair. Lord, open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things you have called me to. Open my eyes to the hope, the riches, and the power of a life lived in Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, work in my life.

When Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to His followers the Holy Spirit had a very distinct appearance: flames, bright flames alight over the heads of each of those who believed. When I think back to Elisha I remember the horses and chariots of God's army alight with that very same fire of the Holy Spirit. I sense Elisha's utter confidence in the God of Angel Armies. Elisha said another prayer after his servant's eyes were opened. He asked God to blind the eyes of the enemy, so they could be diverted away. And it happened. They were blinded and Elisha led them away. The battle was over before it even began.

I know that many of us are fighting battles in our lives with enemies both seen and unseen. But I want you to understand today that "those who stand with us are more than those who stand with them." Your God and His perfect promises are with you, fighting for you. You, just like the Israelites with Elisha, need to offer nothing but prayer to God and allow Him to lead your enemy away. No fight or loss on your part, just confidence in the angel armies that surround you.

Because they are there, my friend, glowing with the fire of the Holy Spirit. So look, see, believe. Let today be the day you open your eyes.

The Lies We Buy

I watched this video awhile back on YouTube. You may have seen it, too. These women described themselves to a sketch artist. Then a stranger whom these women had just met described them to the same sketch artist. The difference in how the women saw themselves versus how the new acquaintance saw them was staggering. The women were quite critical of their own faces, exaggerating their flaws and riddled in self doubt. However, the faces the strangers described were pretty, cheerful, and confident.

Fiction versus fact. Ideas versus reality. A lie versus the truth.

I was reading this week in Ephesians about putting on the armor of God. God's Word and fashion tips? Hey, you know I'm there. Let's read:

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place... 

Ephesians 6:14

In ancient times, just as today, this belt was worn close to the body. It was a belt that held all other clothing in place. Without the belt tying everything together, all other clothing was meaningless and would not be secure on the body.

And isn't that just like truth? Without truth nothing else matters.

Friend, that's what I want us to see today. There are so many lies in this world written by the Father of Lies himself. Satan would love to have you believe the deceit he whispers in your ear.

You aren't pretty.
You aren't smart.
You are unworthy.
How dare you approach the throne of God?
You should be awash in guilt.
You aren't a good mother.
You are a terrible friend.
You aren't as good as her.

Lie.
Lie.
Lie.
These lies we buy.
And with every lie we buy, small pieces of truth are stolen.

So instead of listening to the whispers of lies, what if today we went to the truth and started believing that? What if we came to the throne of God and asked Him to reveal truth to us?

Father, what do I look like through Your eyes?

Isaiah 61:10 answers this question for us. Lean in with me and hear how God sees you:

I delight greatly in the Lord;

    my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,

    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

When God sees you, beloved, He sees you wearing righteousness and salvation. These precious garments bought by the blood of Jesus. And the blood of Jesus is powerful enough to cover anything, great enough to cover IT ALL.

When God sees you He sees nothing but holiness and perfection because that was won for you by your Savior. We are Daughters of God (Galatians 3:26).

But Satan wants you to doubt your lineage. He needs you to see yourself as unworthy to approach God's throne simply because he doesn't want you to approach God's throne.

He wants to steal your real identity. He wants to kill your belief that you are an Image Bearer of the Holy One. He wants to destroy the power of Jesus Christ in you.

He doesn't want you to know the truth.

Because the truth, just like that belt, holds us together. In particular, just like Ephesians tells us, it secures the breastplate of righteousness over our hearts. Satan wants us to forget our righteousness, wants us to forget that we are good and holy. But that belt, oh that belt of truth, wraps itself around our righteousness. Holding our salvation in place. The truth is there, secure, asking us to remember who we are! No, it's daring us to forget! Truth. Oh darling, the truth is what God sees.

The truth is that you are enough. Called. Anointed. Chosen.

Truth doesn't whisper because there is no shame in truth. Truth shouts! Can you hear it? It's shouting your name and the Name of Jesus in a beautiful song of salvation and abundance:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6

Have you come to the Father through Jesus? If you haven't then ask Jesus in sincere faith to save you from the lies of Satan. Turn from your sin and walk into the willing and merciful arms of Jesus.

And friend, if you have come to the Father through Jesus, act like it. Stop walking in the lies of guilt and shame and unworthiness. Stop buying into the lie and instead dance in the truth.

And tell Satan to hit the road because it is your righteous right in Jesus to live in freedom.

Because that's another thing about truth. It sets you free. So go today and live in freedom. Live in truth.

Jesus said, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 

John 8:32 (emphasis mine)

Big Deals and Small Stuff

So, I'm pretty good at trusting God in Big Deal situations.

Emergency c-section? No worries, God is taking care of us.

My house burning down to the ground? Y'all, I literally praised God as I walked through the rubble and ashes.

Emotional trauma? No biggie, God will bring beauty from the ashes.

Yes, my faith in the Big is mighty. I believe that in tragedy and pain and sorrow that God holds me up with His righteous right hand like it says in Isaiah 41:10. I believe in Psalm 91 where God tells me He will cover me with His feathers. During these times of darkness I hold fast to Him, I long for Him. I find my joy and strength and peace only in Him.

But, thankfully, life isn't all Big Deal situations. Most of life is made up of the Small Stuff, and this friends, is where I fail.

See, I remember the God who parted the Red Sea, but I forget the God who watches the sparrow fall. I believe for the Big, but I forget in the Small.

I've found that when I'm facing Big Deals, I'm so close to the Lord. But then, thankfully, things get better. But this also means I do not cling to Him as tightly.

I need to start trusting God with my day to day, Small Stuff. I need to remember that He cares about my morning drive, my deadlines, my fleeting thoughts, my simple choices. God cares about it all and He wants to be included in it all. 

The Bible tells us that we should pray in all situations and for all things (I Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18), so doesn't this mean God cares about all situations and all things? He hears our prayers for help in small moments just as much as He hears our prayers for miracles. 

Psalm 139 speaks of God's intimate knowledge of us:

"...even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.

You know when I leave and when I get back;

    I’m never out of your sight.

You know everything I’m going to say

    before I start the first sentence.

I look behind me and you’re there,

    then up ahead and you’re there, too—

    your reassuring presence, coming and going.

This is too much, too wonderful—

    I can’t take it all in!"

I'm so thankful for a God who can handle the Big Deals. I'm so thankful that in hurricane-like situations I'm confident in a God who will keep me from drowning. But I also need to remember that He's the God of the Small Stuff, too. I shouldn't just be a bad-weather friend to God, only drawing close during turbulent times. I should draw close in all times. God loves me so much that He wants to be included in the smallest, most inconsequential times of my day. 

So, that's my resolution. In 2016 I will thank God for parting the seas and seeing me through the storms, but I will also thank Him in my smallest moments and include Him in my conversations, my coffee breaks, and my simple tasks.

Because Big Deal or Small Stuff, He's the God of it all.

#PrayforParis

Nehemiah sat stunned, hanging on every word of the escapees from Jerusalem. His heart belonged to that city and he was desperate for any news concerning its stability and its inhabitants. Questions rolled off his tongue in quick succession: Who else had escaped? Who had survived their exile? Was the city still standing?

And then, the crushing news: "The survivors of the city are in great trouble and great shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and it's gates are destroyed by fire." (Nehemiah 1: 3)

The city that Nehemiah loved had been brutalized by a foreign army and laid to waste, its inhabitants either killed, sent into exile, or barely surviving in the city walls.

But Nehemiah knows exactly what to do:

"As soon as I heard these words I sat down, wept and mourned and fasted, and I prayed."

I know how Nehemiah felt. All too sadly, for a woman only 34 years old, this feeling is familiar.

Littleton.

New York.

London.

Madrid.

Fort Hood.

Boston.

Charleston.

Paris.

There are more. There are always more.

I sit and watch the brutalization and violence in these beloved cities.

And just like the hashtags tell me and just like Nehemiah did, I fall to my knees.

I pray for Paris.

Because we need more than hashtags and French flag overlays on our profile pictures. We need to encounter the Holy, Living God. We need to ask Him to forgive our world and restore it.

Nehemiah's prayer lasts for seven verses and from his chambers in Susa almost 3 millennium ago he teaches us how to pray for Paris today:

Nehemiah 1:5-6 I said, “God, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: Look at me, listen to me. Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I’m praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel. And I’m including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you."

We come to God acknowledging His might, His sovereignty, His steadfast love. We remind Him that we are His people, a people who are in covenant love with Him. We are reminded of our great privilege to be His servants and this reminds us of the great ways we've failed him.

We come to His throne in earnest supplication and repentance for ourselves and for the world.

1:7-9 “We’ve treated you like dirt: We haven’t done what you told us, haven’t followed your commands, and haven’t respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant. All the same, remember the warning you posted to your servant Moses: ‘If you betray me, I’ll scatter you to the four winds, but if you come back to me and do what I tell you, I’ll gather up all these scattered peoples from wherever they ended up and put them back in the place I chose to mark with my Name.’"

We come to God remembering that He is just and will always do what He says He will.

We come in true repentance knowing God will move heaven and earth to restore and heal what is broken.

We come to God knowing He will not cast the sinner out, but bring the repentant in to dwell with Him.

1:10-11 “Well, there they are—your servants, your people whom you so powerfully and impressively redeemed. O Master, listen to me, listen to your servant’s prayer—and yes, to all your servants who delight in honoring you—and make me successful today so that I get what I want from the king.”

We come to God reminding Him that we are His people, that there is a remnant in all cities who love Him and seek Him.

We come to God asking Him to grant mercy.

We come acknowledging our only way to success in this war is through Him.

Because we are in a war. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

If you think the mastermind behind these attacks on our beloved cities is man, you are mistaken. The violence and sheer terror bear the mark of Satan himself. Satan who declared war on Jesus at the beginning of time and declares war on His people today.

And we, in our frail humanity, cannot win.

But Jesus can.

See, Nehemiah's prayer was answered. God heard his servant's prayer and sent him home to Jerusalem to rebuild its wall and restore its people.

And just like God heard the earnest and repentant prayer of Nehemiah, He will hear ours, too.

So, let us run to God's throne with prayer. Let us, in sincere supplication, repent and ask our mighty and good God to reign supreme on earth.

Let's pray for repentance.

Let's pray for restoration.

Let's pray for mercy.

Let's pray for light to overtake darkness.

Friends, let's pray for Paris.

Becoming Grace

I was about to turn onto the main road near my house, but quickly approaching was a small silver car. I stopped and waited for the car to pass in front of me, but instead this car quickly turned off the road not using her turn signal.

I don’t have patience with this. Drivers who aren’t courteous are a big pet peeve of mine. Turn signals, headlights, slow lanes. These were made to be used.

Stupid silver car.

Moments later I was pulling out of the post office. And guess what?

I forgot to use my turn signal and totally inconvenienced an oncoming car.

Maybe this is just a small example, but how often do scenarios like this play out in my life?

I have zero patience for others when they mess up, but expect kindness and understanding and consideration be extended to me when I do.

I think I’m grace-spoiled. God is such a giver. He has bought my freedom through His Son, Jesus. He is a patient Father who disciplines me with love. I know that He still loves me when I fail Him.

Psalm 103:8 says that The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

But I forget. I don't forget that I've been given grace.

What I forget is that others deserve my grace.

What if I extended forgiveness and love to others in the same way it’s been given to me?

Maybe I will find a gentler, kinder version of myself. Maybe I will find a more free, less stressed face in the mirror.

Ephesians 2:8 reminds us, “ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Y’all, I need God’s grace. God’s grace is the base of every good thing in my life. It is the hub from which all other blessings flow.

Verse 10 goes on to say this: “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

What if I was bought by grace to become grace itself?

Grace bought me. Grace saved me. Grace gives good things to me. I should be giving it away.

My favorite hymn reminds me: Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be.

Since I’ve been given grace in such abundance it is only right that I give it.

So maybe the next time I’m so eager to place blame on someone for a mistake, I should instead place grace.

Today I will try. I will try to show myself as God’s handiwork. I will look like someone who is compassionate and gracious. Someone who is slow to anger. Someone who is abounding in love.

I’ll look a little less grace-spoiled.

I’ll look a little more grace-full.

Leave the Light On

The Joker. Gypsy. Bride. Hippie. Woody Woodpecker.

What do all these things have in common?

They were all Halloween costumes I proudly wore as a child.

I'll never forget the year I was a toucan. (Yes, a toucan.) My mother lovingly stapled hundreds of construction paper feathers to a black garbage bag.

That's love, folks.

I didn't live in a neighborhood so we'd always drive around to houses of people we knew looking for porch lights that were on.

Boo to the friends whose porch lights were off. They will never know the wonder of seeing a 7 year old girl wearing a Hefty bag covered in feathers.

Oh, you know. You know you've been the person to turn off all your lights, close the blinds, and hide in your bedroom watching Hocus Pocus until all the merriment of Halloween was over.

We say Bah Humbug to Halloween!

Our hearts are two sizes too small to celebrate this day.

We hate Halloween!

Don't like it!

No way!

And anyway, doesn't it have something to do with Satan and devil worship? I mean, WWJD?

Hmmmm...what would Jesus do?

For at one time you were darkness, 

but now you are light in the Lord. 

Walk as children of light!

Ephesians 5:8

No matter how you celebrated in Halloweens past or plan to celebrate in Halloweens future there's always been much debate on the Christian church, Halloween and our role in it. Some churches embrace the night fully and have trunk or treat events, some hold fall carnivals, and some stay out of it altogether.

I'm not here to talk about that. I don't want to talk about church history or pagan rituals. I'm here saying let's look at Halloween as an opportunity.

In John 17 Jesus says that you and I are not defined by the world, but we still have to live here. Why? Why do we live here? Because He has given us a mission - to declare His truth to the world.

I always celebrate Halloween with the tiny thought in my brain of what does God think of all this?

And, friend, I can't answer that.

But I can respond to Jesus' commissioning of you and me. For all the evil and darkness that Satan and His evil forces claim Halloween to be, what if we claimed it for Jesus? What if we took a night meant for darkness and made it a night devoted to light?

What would Jesus do on this night?

Well, he'd take it back. Jesus has literally taken the keys to death and Hell from Satan. So let's take Halloween, too.

What if on the night when Satan feels strongest we made him tremble at the power of Jesus' Name?

Jesus says to us "the harvest is plentiful!" There are so many in our communities who don't understand the saving goodness and grace of Jesus. You have neighbors and friends who are clueless when it comes to knowing the Gospel. And you know who is supposed to tell them about it?

You are.

Jesus also tells us that the workers are few. It doesn't take a mathematician to realize that there's much work to be done in getting people to heaven and we need every one of God's people declaring His truth to our neighbors.

So this year let's be the houses that not only keep their porch lights on, but have the best candy. Let's not just decorate our yards with pumpkins, but let's invite our neighbors over and cultivate relationships. Let's extend hospitality and warmth and, well, Jesus.

Use this night as an opportunity to do your part as a harvest worker.

Don't be the house that shuts the world out. Be the house that invites it in.

This world is dark and, some believe, is darkest on Halloween.

There's not a better night to share Light. Let this night be for sharing the Name of Jesus.

Let this be the year you leave your light on.

The Sun and the Son

I am cold all the time. Unless it is a solid 80 degrees in a room I will need a sweater. Or better yet, a Snuggie. I have just resigned myself to the fact that from October to April wearing cute clothes is not necessary because they will be covered up by a large coat.

Do you know what the absolute best feeling is to this cold-natured gal?

Recess at 12:30 every day.

Stepping out of the school building onto the playground and feeling the bright, warm sun shining on you. You know that kind of warmth I'm talking about. The Vitamin D almost tangibly soaking into your skin?

I see it in every child as they reach the door. The walk becomes a run. The quiet, inside-voice becomes a shout. The "I just took another assessment" face becomes the "I'm a kid again" grin.

I mean, even the smallest child knows that all living things need the sun, right? I can ask my five year old: "Buddy, what does a plant need to grow big?"

"Water and sun." (He's a genius! Surely some famous botanist in the making.)

Kidding aside, even a Kindergartener knows that living things thrive in the sunlight.

So, ahem. An ode to the sun:

I love the sun
Not because I can see it
But because I can feel its warmth
It reinvigorates my weary bones
Brightens my perspective
Makes my heart take a deep breath
Reassures me of goodness
Chases away the blackest night
In the sun, I find the source of my very existence
In its light is my very life

Now, I bet if you listed all the reasons you love Jesus it would read exactly the same way.

Let's try:

I love the Son
Not because I can see Him
But because I can feel His warmth
He reinvigorates my weary bones
Brightens my perspective
Makes my heart take a deep breath
Reassures me of goodness
Chases away the blackest night
In the Son, I find the source of my very existence
In His light is my very life

Matthew 4:16, referencing Isaiah 9:2 says this:

The people living in darkness

have seen a great light; 

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned.

Before Jesus came, the world had been living in a long, dark night. Clouds covered the moon. There was not a star to be seen.

But He came. And He ushered in the dawn.

Then He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

Because the weight of darkness is heavy.

But the light of Jesus is light - as a feather.

I hope we realize that before Jesus came we walked in the valley of death. There was no mercy, no grace, no future.

We walked in cold, darkness.

But then! He came and all these things were supplied - in abundance.

Job 38:19-20 says,

What is the way to the abode of light?

And where does darkness reside? Can you take

them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwelling?

I know where darkness lives. I've seen it in the world. I've seen it in me.

But, I know where light lives, too. And True Light only lives with my Jesus. Because He is that light. 

See, the sun and the Son have much in common. They renew. They reveal things unseen in darkness. In their presence I draw strength. In them is life.

This week is Holy Week. The week we remember the days and events leading up to the resurrection of Jesus. I need to prepare my heart for such a celebration. So today and every day this week I will:

Dwell in light.

Choose light.

Look for light.

Darkness has no place with me. I am a child of Light! (Ephesians 5:8) 

Again, Jesus spoke to them saying,

I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.

John 8:12

The Light of the world lives in me. I would do well to remember it.

Precious Jesus, Light of the World,

Create in us a heart that is aflame with holy light.

Lord, may it be so.

The Worth of His Work

Sometimes I play a precious annoying game with my husband called "List the Reasons You Love Me." This game can also be called "I'm Feeling Needy and Fishing for Compliments." I highly enjoy it and am considering selling the rights to Hasbro.

Here are the rules:  Husband hugs me and tells me he loves me.  I say, "Tell me why."  Husband then lists at least three things he loves about me (This is a game minimum.).

Honestly, just typing this is embarrassing, but it's all true.  I actually do this. And my husband sweetly obliges. And I listen, hanging onto every word.

This man and I have been together for almost 15 years.  We've experienced the highs and lows of life and everything in-between:  overwhelming joy, sadness, loss, want, plenty.  Children, houses, jobs.  We have run the gamut together.  He is the epitome of loyalty and faithfulness and has never given me a moment's pause of his love for me.

So why do I need reminding?

Is it the feminine in me?  Demons from my childhood surfacing?  My ego?

Or maybe it's just because we all sometimes question our worth.

I think we as humanity, be us female or male or those facing demons from the past or those wanting an ego boost wrestle with this:

What is my worth?

I need to share a wonderful story with you; an astounding revelation God gave me a few years ago.  It was a normal day.  I was driving somewhere alone (which is a rarity). The sun was shining.  I turned right onto the main road near my house and the precious sound of Jesus came flooding into my head:

"Tell me how I feel about you."

A message was sent into my heart and I was overwhelmed with joy and brightness and love. Laughter was there, too.  It was like witnessing a father lifting a precious, smiling child into the air.  The father laughing along, eyes shining.

"Tell me how I feel about you."

"You delight in me."

"Yes!"

Sweet friends, do you need a reminder of your worth today?  Then here it is! The Creator of the universe, the Almighty God, the Ancient of Days, The Great I Am says this to you:

I delight in you.

The LORD your God among you is powerful— he will save and he will take joyful delight in you. In his love he will quiet you; he will celebrate with singing because of you. 

~ Zephaniah 3:17

The love that God has for you is pure and perfect.  It is never-ending. He doesn't see you as a burden.  He sees you as His perfect, most important work of art.  Ephesians 2:10 says we are His masterpiece.  You are His workmanship and The Artist's work is worth much!  You think an original Rembrandt is worth a fortune?  My friend, you are an original of God Himself!  

Romans 8:38-39 tells us that nothing can separate us from His love... ever. Not even "any created thing." Created things like our sin or our mistaken self-perceptions:

38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This, dear ones, is some powerful stuff.  This kind of love is found only in the divine, only in the perfect.  And luckily for us, God is both.

So now tell me:  How does He feel about you?

Yes!  He delights in you.

Do not question your precious value, friend.  You still doubt this value?  Do you think this message applies to others and not to you?

Then this message is especially for you.  

So the next time you begin to question your worth because of a spouse, a boss, a child, or a friend, remind yourself of this:

The Lord of all creation takes delight in me.  And this delight takes shape as laughter and song, warm breezes and sunshine.  It looks like children running on a seashore.  It feels like lying under a great shady oak with streams of warm sunlight dancing through the leaves.  It smells like a Christmas tree.  It sounds like one lone bird you hear singing as you stand in your kitchen washing dishes.  It tastes like the first thirty seconds of Double Bubble gum.  

Every warm and wonderful feeling you've ever felt is how God feels about you.

Now go and live, knowing your worth.

Dear Lord,

You have told us to shout!  Exhorted us to sing and rejoice!  You have turned back enemies like self-pity and self-doubt.  You have told us not to let our heads hang in sadness and defeat.  God let us walk proudly with each step because you have taken such great delight in us.  We are your work, God, and your work is worth much.

Lord may it be so.

Amen.

To Make the Mountain Move

When I was a child I was a huge fan of the Christian vocalist Sandi Patty.  If you don't know who she is I see an extended YouTube session happening in your life.  She was to Christian music in the 80s as the Apostle Paul is to the New Testament - she's half of it.

Sandi Patty.  Oh how I loved her.  The sweet voice.  The big hair.  When I grew up I wanted to be Sandi Patty.  Oh God, give me big hair and a big voice like Sandi Patty.  (Well, hey.  One outta two ain't bad.  I have hair in abundance.)

I tell you about this obsession because of a song. A simple, meant-for-children song.  Until I began writing this blog entry I had not heard it out loud in nearly 25 years.  If you've never heard this song, called "Miracles Can Happen," imagine this:  the melody is a bit reggae meets Kidz Bop with some mean tuba thrown in at the bridge.  I know, the very height of musical sophistication.

While I hadn't heard this song aloud in quite awhile, it played in my head often over the years.  Very often.  Every time I hear the word 'miracle' a switch is flicked, the needle placed on the record and the words of the song start to play:

Miracles can happen

to those who love the Lord

Blessed are they that believe in Him

His kingdom shall be yours

Miracles happen.  I mean, do they?  Have you ever witnessed a miracle?  Seen the impossible made possible?  Or is this the stuff of fairy tales and children's songs?  There are lots of examples of miracles in the Bible:  the building of the ark, the parting of the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho falling, the slaying of Goliath which - Whohoo! Yes! - is covered in the Sandi Patty song!  Another excuse to sing along:

There was a boy named David

who fought a giant man

All the people were afraid of him

but only David took a stand

Goliath marched with his sword and shield 

shouting, "Where is your God now?"

David's shield was his faith in God

It was his faith that knocked that giant out

(How did this stuff not win multiple Grammys?  Especially with that mean tuba?)

Okay, we say miracles happen in the Bible.  But this is real life.  Stuff like that doesn't happen to me...or does it?  Can it?

In Matthew 17:20 Jesus says, "If you have the faith of a mustard seed (which is less than 1 mm long!  That's like this:  - ) and you tell this mountain to move, it will move."

 I don't know about you, but I tend to put serious stock in those red letter words.  And Jesus is telling me I only need a little, tiny bit of faith for a miracle to occur in my life!

In fact, Hebrews 11 has a list of those in the Bible who were full of faith.  This list in Hebrews is a place of honor; a veritable Who's Who of children's Sunday school lessons.  Among those listed?  Noah and his ark, Moses and the staff that parted the Red Sea, Joshua and his horn that knocked those walls down, and David with his stone that slew Goliath.  Faith is constantly honored in the Bible and Hebrews counts the faithful among those who "please God (v. 6)" and those who are "commended (v. 39)" by God.

Yes, please.  I would like to please God and have Him give me compliments.  I mean, these are some serious desires of a godly heart!

Have you ever told a mountain to move?  (Or a mole hill?)  Have you ever had the faith to ask God for the utterly impossible?  And be willing to thank Him whether He chooses to answer according to your wishes or not?

Here's the thing:  All these Biblical narratives are real life.  And they can be our real life, too.  I'm not saying we need to survive a flood or part a great sea or knock down a wall or kill a giant.

Or wait...maybe we do.

Do you need to survive a situation in which you feel like you are utterly sinking?  Do you need to take a journey to a better place in life, but it seems too difficult?  Do you need to knock down a wall that's keeping you from God's promises?  Do you need to rid yourself of a giant-sized bully that keeps taunting you?

These, friends - these are the miracles that our God produces.  Every day.  You just have to have the faith that He can.  Ephesians 3:20 says that God can do immeasurably more than we can even ask or imagine!  That's incredible!

So why aren't we asking?

A miracle was born last week to my friends Jamie and Eric.  His name is Hayden.  He was only expected to live moments after his birth, but he lived an incredible, love-filled five days.  In his short earthly life he pointed countless people to Jesus while his parents showed the world what bold faith looks like. They reminded us that blessed are they that believe!  His kingdom shall be ours!

Miracles can happen.

Is that sea, that journey, that wall, that giant taunting you?  Can you hear them? Where is your God now?

My friends, your God is everywhere.

What did Sandi say?  "It was his faith that knocked that giant out."

Let's be a people who have faith in our God to produce the miracles we need. Let's ask Him to save us from drowning, to part the sea, to knock down the wall, to rid us of the giant.

To make the mountain move.  

Where is my God now?

With my own eyes I will see the downfall

of my enemies. (Micah 7:10)

The Lord will say,

"Yes! I will do mighty miracles for you,

like when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt." (Micah 7:15)

(emphasis mine)

Almighty Father,

Let us be believers in your ability to change our lives, to defeat our enemies, to move our mountains. When they ask, Where is your God? let us show them the Lord's mighty miracles in our lives and shout with outstretched arms:  Ha! Where is My God not?

Lord, may it be so.

Amen.

(Friend, please hear me:  if you've ever experienced a time when God did not move the way you wished and your miracle did not look the way you wanted, it was not for your lack of faith.  You were precious in His sight and angels sang because of the faith you showed.  You will be rewarded for it.  I pray that during your time of distress you felt Him.  He has promised to be "close to the broken-hearted" and to "comfort those who mourn."  It is my most fervent prayer that you felt his presence.)