Hope for the Flowers

I have been doing loads of reading for the last couple of years (80+ books a year). I decided today to put down all the stuff that seems to be making me think so much and just read something for fun. I considered Peanuts, Disney, Shel Silverstein or fairy tales, but what won out was Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus. This is an old book, one I was raised on. I think it was one of my dad’s favorite stories. In spite of my hope to get away from anything that would make me think, this book still stirred up thoughts, but it did make me smile and laugh and feel courage to face something new. One line in the book really struck me. The book is about caterpillars finding their purpose and finding they were made to become butterflies. When one of the main characters meets a caterpillar who already knew his purpose she asks him how one becomes a butterfly. He answered, “You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” Do I love anything enough to give up what I am or have to pursue it? Something else to think about!

What we fill our lives with

Do you ever think about what you fill your life with? What are you reading, listening to and watching? Who are you spending time with? What is influencing you? How do you spend your time?

Everything that we choose to surround ourselves with has an influence on our behavior. It is important for us to consider our lifestyle carefully. Just as every bite of food we put into our bodies gives us energy, fat, health, bad cholesterol, or rich vitamins, the same thing it true about all we read, listen to, watch, or share with others. This is something I have found I need to monitor regularly, especially when I have more time on my hands because I get lazy about monitoring my choices. As I have been thinking so much lately I realize I need to be sure I am choosing things that balance it. When my mind goes into overdrive I need to get out and walk, work, or do something physical. When I get too serious I need to find reasons to smile, laugh, and find beauty in the things around me. Today is a gift to us. How are we spending it?

The other is always valued

A couple months ago I prayed that God would show me what it meant to be fully present with someone else. I wanted to invest so deeply in them that I was not distracted by anything else around me or any strange thoughts running through my head. While I can’t say I was fully present, I did experience a conversation where I was very deeply present and not distracted. I focused on the other person and the conversation we were a part of very intently in spite of many other things going on around me. It was a wonderful experience, and a time of connection that I will never forget.

I learned another lesson that day though. While my choice to be fully present was a blessing to the person I engaged with it didn’t have that same effect for others. My choice to engage in one conversation meant I neglected other things. My actions hurt and offended someone I care deeply about. I broke that person’s trust.

Our actions and in-actions affect those around us. When we choose something we are not choosing other things.

“As spiritual leaders, we are called to serve those that have been entrusted to us. Leadership in God’s kingdom is always about a downward rising. We are also called to clothe ourselves with humility. We are to relate to one another in such a way that the other is always valued above ourselves. Imagine a world where everyone competed to out-serve the other.” (Uprising by Erwin Raphael McManus, 46)

This quote leaves me to question how I reach beyond myself and my own selfish ways to value others. What am I willing to risk, give up, share, do? Do I give to others how I am most comfortable giving, or do I give in the best way for them to receive? Is my life about humilty and rising downward, or selfishness and conceit? Can I imagine a world where we competed to out-serve? If I can imagine it am I willing to try to live that way?

Sabbath is not a “day off”

“As Eugene Peterson has often pointed out, Sabbath is not a “day off” to catch your breath, it’s about completely reorienting your thinking. Sabbath means entering into God’s grace and God’s story and God’s ryhthms in ways that will not prepare you to reenter the rat race but that will make you exit the rat race for good. Truly to recognize Sabbath for what God intended is to change your life every day. To use the Sabbath as a launching pad for the same old destructive routines of busyness is to profane the Sabbath. The secular “weekend” is for recharging your batteries; the Sabbath is for trnsforming your mind.” (Proclaim the Wonder by Scott Hoezee, 217)

Did you know the Sabbath is about more than just rest. Exodus 20 does speak of rest, but Deuteronomy 5:15 speaks of rembering and redemption.
“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” 

 If Sabbath is to be more than a day off to rest, what is its purpose? How would our lives be affected if we really both understood and practiced Sabbath? How can you incorporate remembering God’s faithfulness and redemption into your Sabbath? 

Story of redemption

I just finished watching Seabiscuit. It is one of my favorite movies. Not because of the horses or the racing, although the horses are magnificent, but because it is such an amazing story of healing and redemption. It isn’t a story about a horse, but about how we are connected and only through being in relationship together are we able to find real healing.

Do you realize you are a broken person? Do you need others? Do others need you? How are you connecting with others today? Will your life be a story of healing and redemption?

Only the physical?

I was thinking about the table of balance and integrity I shared about a couple days ago. It involves physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual legs. This week has been overwhelming for me in hearing about the physical needs of those around me. Many people have health issues, or time related demands. They are struggling through how to keep that portion of their life in balance. What about the mental, emotional, and spiritual needs though?

A friend shared a question she was wrestling with regarding her relationship with God on a blog last night. Her honesty about her emotional and spiritual state really struck me. I may know a lot about how those around me are doing physically, but do I know about the other elements of their life? Do I ever ask? Do I accept it when they share that side of things with me? What if their honesty includes that they are struggling with something I did, said, or didn’t do or say and should have? What if they honestly share that they are emotionally in need? Am I willing to receive, care, and embrace them? Do I walk beside them and support them when they are in need?

I have a very dear friend, my spirit sister, who challenges me with this every time we talk. She is deeply faithful in asking me point blank, how are you and what can I pray for? She stops a conversation when she feels she has been talking too much about herself and makes it clear that she doesn’t want to keep talking about her, but wants to hear about me. She doesn’t want the easy, surface level answers, but wants to hear my heart, my struggles, my fears, and my needs. She wants to know about my relationship with God, with others, and what I am doing to care for myself through all of it. She, more than anyone else in my life walks with me through my struggles and helps me to keep my table balanced. She helps me stay focused, optimistic, and honest. I love her for all of that.

Do you let others know how you are doing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? Do you know how they are doing?

What were you made to do?

In the book The Dream Giver, Bruce Wilkinson tells a story about a conversation he had with his friend, a Hollywood producer, and a waitress one day about dreams. His friend couldn’t believe that every person had been created with a big dream and that most people for whatever reason just aren’t pursuing that dream. To prove that everyone has a big dream, Bruce engaged a waitress in a conversation about her dreams and whether she was pursuing her big dream. Through the conversation Bruce encouraged the waitress to see her dream, see options to pursue it, and determine how she could achieve her dream. Within a few minutes she not only named her dream but was able to determine steps she could take right away to pursue it.   Bruce asks “With whom do you identify in the story? The producer? He thought people with big dreams are few and far between. Or the waitress? She always knew she had a dream, but never felt it was possible.”  Do you believe in dreams? Do you know what you were created for? Where do you find meaning in your life? What can you do today to move closer to your big dream?

Life of Balance and Integrity

Author Shannon Ethridge introduced me to the idea of A Life of Balance and Integrity. The idea is simple. When one of the legs of our table is out of balance with the others, our life is out of balance. 

This concept has stayed with me since the day I learned about it. It is so easy for me to focus on one area of my life without remembering the others need to stay in balance too. Have you examined your life lately for balance? What are you doing to maintain balance in your life?

God can now get at us!

“The young people, under the leadership of the pastor, were studying the story of Jesus’ baptism from Mark 1. The pastor pointed out that when the story talks about heaven’s being opened as soon as Jesus emerged from the Jordan River, the Greek word there means “to rip or to tear”; it is the same word used at the end of Mark when Jesus dies on the cross and the curtain in the temple is said to rip from top to bottom. The heavens were ripped open, and God’s Spirit in the form of a dove, descended on Jesus. The pastor told the young people that what this shows is that the barriers between God and us have now been removed; we once again have gracious access to God. But one young man in the group saw it in a slightly different way. ‘That’s not what it means, pastor. What it means is that God can now get at us! God is on the loose, and now nobody’s safe!’” (Proclaim the Wonder by Scott E. Hoezee)

Are you living like you have access to God, or like God has access to you? Does this distinction make a difference to you? You living like you are safe from God?

Carrying others’ burdens

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2) For each one should carry his own load. (Galatians 6:5)

I have been learning about the root languages behind our English translations of the Bible. English can leave verses like these confusing, but the root languages help provide clarity. “Burden” (v2) refers to something heavy like a boulder. “Load” (v5) refers to something lighter like a backpack.

Have you ever carried someone’s burden? Do you know how to stand along side someone else and help them? I have been learning a lot about that lately. In just the last 24 hours I have learned of five different people facing life threatening situations. Three are hospitalized for significant health issues, one had surgery to remove her colon yesterday, and another will have a kidney replacement in a few weeks because he is in kidney failure. Not only are these people in great need, but so are those closest to them who are offering support and care.

My heart and mind are filled with thoughts and emotions of how to walk with these people, support them, be community to them, and help carry their burdens. I know I can’t carry it for them, but coming along side them might make the load lighter or the path seem less lonely. I’m learning to love with empathy and depth, an amazing but often painful experience when others are in need.

Do I know how to pray?

I was praying for someone who is trying to adopt some siblings from Russia on Sunday and I found myself completely lost as to how to pray. No matter how I reworded things I seemed to be saying, “God, do it this way.” What right do I have to tell God how to handle the situtation? After all he is the creator!

I know I am supposed to pray, and God wants me to ask for things and tell him my heart, but I am wrestling with how to do that and what is okay to pray for. It is so easy to pray for what I want, or what I think should happen. I know I can leave it open and pray that his will is done, but that doesn’t seem quite right either. It seems funny to me that after being a Christian for over 20 years and being raised to pray my entire life that I am finally getting around to this question.

At least I do know the answer to why I pray! Now if I could only figure out how to pray without treating God like a vending machine.

Turning bad into good

A couple years ago I went through a really tough time in my life. It was a time where I lost a lot and went through enormous changes, both in the facts of my life (job, church, etc.) but also inwardly. When I talk to people about that experience and tell them that it changed my life they often focus on the fact of all I lost and all the struggle I went through. I haven’t yet learned how to explain to them that it wasn’t the experience itself that changed my life but rather what I learned from it and how I have been able to apply that.

Ever since that time I have been thinking about how to take that painful experience in my life and turn it to something good. There are such great examples of people who have done with with illness, death, child abductions, etc. Those tragedies in their lives have motivated them to do something good for others because of all they went through.

That has been my heart for the last two years. I am starting to feel like I might be at a place to finally take on that challenge. It will be interesting to see what comes of that.

Is there anything in your life you are holding back from? Why? What will it take to get you to follow through with your dream, desire, or goal? How can you turn something bad into something good and make a difference?

I want to think like a 5 year old

I have been thinking of questions. Who asks lots of questions? Young children. I want to be like them. Not only do they ask a lot of questions, but they often ask good questions, and hard questions…..questions that start with WHY.

For the past few days I have been asking myself that question. Why? Why do I do what I do? Why do I believe what I believe? Why am I choosing this or that? Why do I desire or hope for something? Why do I care?

I want to be intentional about all I do. I want it to matter, not to me, but to someone else, in some bigger way. I don’t want to be recognized for it, I just want my time, energy, effort, thoughts, and relationships to mean something. Something real, not something that is meaningful only to me.

I am going to start asking “why” more, especially about ministry and relationships with others. Will it help me be more focused and intentional? Will it separate what is needed from what is liked or desired? Will it teach me more about what really matters in life?

Godstop 2

When was the last time you recognized that God answered a prayer?
Yesterday I had the great joy of witnessing the prayers of many people be answered as some changes were made regarding the staff at my church. I sat watching it all unfold and knew it had God’s hand on it. This was all made possible through the gifts of a church in another state. A lavish gift that was unexpected. A gift that truly changed lives and will change more as it continues to unfold.

As I went through the day I watched for other prayers that had been answered and was able to witness several. It brought me much joy to know God was there.

Are you looking for God? He is here among us, alive and active. Where are we overlooking him? Why are we overlooking him?

Casting and following vision

I have been thinking about vision, and leadership a lot lately. It seems to be a theme that touches a lot of areas of my life, especially at work.

Although I have thought about this previously in life, vision and the casting of vision has never been as real to me as it has in the past year. Being part of a new church where vision casting has been important and critical for success has been an interesting learning process. I also have worked at two different jobs and with five different managers each with different vision. Currently at work I am under a new manager who has a very different style and thought pattern than the past manager. My manager is doing a great job of trying to gather information and listen to people before make broad sweeping changes, but has tipped her hand enough to let everyone know that changes will be coming. It has left those working under her leadership floundering for direction, purpose, and connections as we wait for her new vision to be cast.

“Where there is no vision the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV) I have seen and experienced the truth behind this statement. Without vision and direction of where to go it is so difficult to follow and support. I have also experienced how powerful it can be to have a vision that others buy into and embrace. The truth is that most of the time I don’t find myself in either of those places, but instead find myself knowing, understanding, and embracing only part of someone’s vision. Depending on the situation this can either allow me the room I desire to get out of moving forward or leave me frustrated because I desire to understand and embrace more but lack what I need to make the missing connections.

If you don’t understand the vision and leadership of those you are following what is your response? I was faced with that question last week. It was a situation where I really care about the vision, the outcomes, and the people involved so I went to the leader and sought further direction and understanding. That can be a humbling thing to do because you are admiting your lack of knowledge and understanding, but sometimes it can open the door for wonderful interactions and connections to take place.

Where in your life are you following others vision? Are you following well and supporting your leader? Where are you casting vision? Are you casting vision in a way that others understand? Are you willing to admit when you don’t understand and ask for help along the way?

We are in this journey together, and no one has it all figured out. I hope you catch the vision of someone or something else. It is a powerful experience that can be used to change the world.

Redemption – Are you ready to jump?

A couple months ago I watched as my 2 year old niece stood on the end of the couch and jumped across the gap to the love seat into her father’s arms. To her it was game that she did repeatedly. After a couple rounds her father stopped her before she jumped and asked her “Is it all about you?” She was quick to respond yes and jumped again. Again her father asked her the question. The same answer was given and she went flying into his arms for another round of the game.

We talked about redemption today at church. The image of my niece flooded my mind. How often is our relationship with God like her actions? God is waiting for us to jump into relationship with him. He has called us, pursued us, wooed us, romanced us, waited for us, and longed for us. He is ready to catch us and hold us safely in his arms. When we do jump he is always there. At the same time God stops us and asks why we are jumping. Are we in the relationship with him just for us? Is our life only about us or are we sharing it, really sharing it with others?

I can imagine a different ending to the image of niece. It is the prayer I have for her as she grows in her relationship with God. When he asks her, “Is it all about you?”, I hope she will learn to stop, listen, think, and answer No! I hope she will fall on her knees and recognize what he has done for her and how deeply he loves her. I hope she will ask him in return what it should be about, what he wants it to be about. I hope she will understand redemption with her entire being, and then jump with all she has into his loving arms.

I hope I too can have the relationship with God that I pray my niece will have. How would your life be different if you really understood God’s redemption and walked in it? I pray I can learn about that this week.

It’s Sunday

Is church on your agenda for today? I have had amazing conversations with people about why it is something I invest my time in. Do you ever think about why you go to church? Is it to connect with people? To learn about God? To worship God? To serve? To get out of the house? Because it gives you a family thing to do together? Because your parent’s raised you to go? Becuase you feel guilty if you don’t go? Because you know you should? Because your friend/spouse is going and you like being with them?

Do you go to church for you, others, God, or a combination of all?

Are you willing to answer honestly about why you attend church? I am not sure any of these are bad reasons. I have probably used every one of them over the years. However, an honest answer might tell us something about our own hearts. I don’t even know if the bible speaks directly to this issue. What I do know it says is “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) Whether church is a part of your day today or not, God wants us to have a Sabbath and to keep it holy. That day doesn’t have to be today, but are you taking a Sabbath? Are you keeping it holy? If not, what are you going to do to change that?

Have a great day! I am off to church….let’s see, why am I going again?

Godstop

I learned about the concept of Godstops from speaker/author Beth Moore. I don’t remember what her full intention of the idea was, but what it has become for me is the reminder to stop for a moment to recognize something God has been a part of. Stop to recognize it, and stop to give him praise. Sometimes the stop has to be purposeful so that I take time to recognize that God is working around me.

I had one of those this morning. In early December I had a growing desire to give and be more involved with others. As my church is new and small the opportunities are limited there because many of the needs occur at the same time (like Sunday mornings). I also don’t want that to be the only place I am involved with people. I want to share more with the community and meet people who have different views about life than I do. Since December I have been looking for some opportunities where I could be involved. That has been a frustrating experience with little success so far. I felt very discouraged earlier this week as my desire to share was so strong with no outlet.

This morning I realized with great excitement that God has been answering my request in an amazing way. For three weeks in a row I have been asked between Thursday evening and Saturday morning if I was available to help someone on Saturday. One of the things I appreciate about being single (one of the only things) is the fact that I have complete control of my schedule. Each week I was able to answer yes to this request and give freely of my time and energy to share with others.

What a blessing today was to me! It gave me a chance to see God work. To have quiet time to praise him in the middle of the day while holding a sleeping child. To take a walk with friends in the sunshine. To eat a meal with someone else. To laugh and smile. To work. To love. I am so thankful that those I shared today with had the courage to say they needed help. What a joy it is to share life together!

Can we get creative?

I recently learned about an organization that has teamed children’s play with providing water for a community.

PlayPumps International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to help improve the lives of children and their families by providing easy access to clean drinking water, enhancing public health, and offering play equipment to millions across Africa.

It has left me pondering and dreaming. How else can we get creative? Play is a natural part of life for children, and water is a daily need. This seems like such an easy connection and I wonder if we are making life too hard. Are there other things that can be teamed together like this? Have other organizations done the same? What could I do or you do to change the world like this?

Crazy

I have a big passion for music. While I have some musical ability I have a much greater appreciation for others musical gifts.

At times I can really appreciate the music itself, but typically the lyrics can make or break the music for me. One of the songs that has really struck a chord with me is Crazy by Mercy Me.

“I have not been called to the wisdom of this world…But to a God who is calling out to me… And even though the world my think I’m losing touch with reality. It would be crazy to choose this world over eternity.”

My heart’s cry today is to be crazy. May I be crazy enough to choose God, to choose others, to choose risk, to choose life. May I be crazy enough to choose wisdom not from this world, but from an all knowing God. May I be crazy enough to love, live, and give of all I am.