I Want That!

There will be days when our journeys are filled with emotion, wants, and desires. When those days surface it makes for a lousy journey. The other day I stumbled through the morning, down the stairs, and through the living room. Every time I pass through the living room I cringe. I absolutely hate the set up. I have moved my furniture around at least 50 times and have yet to come up with something that I like. I'm tired of the mix matched yard sale chairs, the over sized hand me down recliners, and the cheap brown couches. Nothing matched and nothing fit! I desperately wanted new furniture.

Our living room is long and rectangular. The fire place is at one end while the television connections are at the other end. You really need two living spaces but the room isn't that big. Either way - I haven't been able to make any sense out of it and it has really caused me a great deal of stress.

I moved a piece of furniture and then stomped to the kitchen to do some dishes while I contemplated the next move. All the while a large list of wants ran through my thoughts. My spirit began to stir. I wanted to cry. I scrubbed on a spoon and then grabbed hold of a spatula. At that moment I pulled the end right off the spatula and couldn't get it back on. It was done - finished. I was too.

Its funny how the smallest things can push you right on over the edge. Who knew that a broken spatula would do that for me? I told my son that I needed to go upstairs and pray for a while. I fell to the floor and the dam broke. Tears saturated the carpet and kept coming! It was as if a volcano had erupted! I had no idea I had been carrying so much. I emptied every emotion, need, and want at the Lord's feet.

After the tears slowed for a moment I picked up my Bible and turned to the reading for that day. Still dripping with emotion, my eyes fell upon the Psalm.

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want."

Wow! I had to read it again. I shall not want. The Lord's Spirit moved me so much that I cried again. For the first time in my life I understood this Psalm in a different light. I have read Psalm 23 for years but it had never touched me like this.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul;"

At that moment, I felt the Lord touch me. My soul needed to be restored. I needed to lie before the Lord and weep. I needed to rest in the green pastures and beside the quiet waters. I needed restoration. My soul and heart had become weary over things that didn't matter. The Lord was my shepherd - I shall NOT want.

Sometimes our attention and focus is directed toward things on our journeys that do not matter. It is okay to want, wish, and desire. God has blessed me with wants, wishes, and desires in the past and he will do the same for you. However, this particular want had completely taken over my life. I couldn't enjoy sitting in my living room - though others could. I couldn't find content with the things I had - though others could.

God really did a work in my heart that day. I realized that I needed to turn my attention and focus back to where it needed to be - on God. I have no doubt that one day he will bless me with new furniture. But it will be in his timing and when I have completely surrendered to finding peace with what I have. So for the time being . . . "I shall not want."

Finding God in the details of that passage changed my heart, my thoughts, and my life.

Battle at Kruger

The other day I flipped through the channels trying to find something that would capture my attention. Ready to give up, I landed on an animal or wild kingdom channel. (not sure really which one only that it was all about animals) At that moment I watched what looked like a family. Mom, dad, and baby approached the water. Lions cowered to the side ready to attack  - - and so they did. They grabbed hold of the infant and landed in the water. The two adult buffaloes ran away. I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched a large crocodile  join the battle! The crocodile grabbed hold of the infant at one end while several lions tugged at the other end! My heart ached. I wanted to jump through the screen and rescue the distraught animal. While the scene unfolded - something began to unfold in my heart. It was as if God were speaking to me during that horrific moment. This was definitely a journey moment for me.

Suddenly I was reminded of how it is with us. We often feel as if we are being torn apart by wild animals. This world is rough and sometimes people can be just as viscous as the animals I watched. As I pondered that thought something even greater began to happen. Just when I thought it was all over  - God revealed something more!

Though the crocodile and all of his strength gave it his best, in the end the pack of lions would win the tug of war. They pulled the baby out of the water and on to the banks. Crouching over it, I could almost feel their teeth sinking deep within.

Without hesitation, a large group of water buffalo approached the scene. I was fascinated at how they hovered together, marched together, and stayed together. They didn't straggle in one by one - No! It reminded me of an army! They were in sync with one another - joined together - bonded. With harmony in their steps they came forward with such boldness and determination. The two adults who ran away came back with help! I leaned in toward the television and turned up the volume.

I watched as they began to encircle the lions. They surrounded them with a mission in mind. As the scene unfolded several of the buffalo raced forward with strength and courage, stomping at, chasing, and attacking the lions. They were angry. They were upset. They wanted the baby back!

And in that moment God spoke to me. How many of us in this world come upon a brother or a sister getting attacked and walk on by? Out of fear we often sit idle and watch without ever stepping in. I realize how scary it would be to try to intervene on our own - but God reminded me that if we can come together as a body of Christ and a group of people who will fight for one another than we can become a strong army.
At one point a huge buffalo rammed a lion throwing it up in the air. Several other buffalo joined in chasing the lions far away. The others gave way to fightng and chasing while some kept their stance and stood firm. They did not run nor were they chased away. Together they made a statement and stayed the course. In the end the baby miraculously staggered to its feet and walked toward the crowd standing firmly in front of it.

Touched and moved by the emotion of it all I began to understand how God created us and what the church should be about -  to stand up for one another, join in and fight for one another, to not let our family members go it alone, to come against the enemy through prayer, to battle together like an army, to face the enemy with a vengeance and to declare "That is my family!" To fight for the life of a loved one - to embrace - hold fast - and to never loosen our grip. That is what the church is all about. That is what we should be all about. 

That day I did find God in the details of something I would never have imagined could speak to me in such a way. Allow God to open your eyes and to speak to you today. Your journey will never be the same!

Journey Without Fear

Fear: paralyzes, freezes, causes anxiety, stress, and an abundance of other issues. How many of us are on a journey filled with fear? Whatever the issue, whatever the cause, it is one of the most terrifying places to be and to travel.

Jacob was an old man when he left his home and started his journey to Egypt so that he could see his son Joseph. Imagine uprooting from the home you have lived for so long. Imagine uprooting from your land.

I have been trying to get my mother, who just turned 80 years old this year, to move to a place that would better suit her health and provide her with some quality of life. Many of you understand this scenario.
It is pretty fearful for anyone to leave their home and journey to a new place, but imagine someone aged and settled doing that.

One night God spoke to Jacob in a vision. "Jacob! Jacob!" he called."

"Here I am," Jacob replied."

"I am God," the voice said, "the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will see to it that you become a great nation there. I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring your descendants back again."
(Gen 46:1-4)

God looks at the heart and though Jacob may not have expressed his fear, God saw that he had fear. He had to reassure Jacob that all things would be well and that he would not be alone on his journey. He reassured him that his descendants would be taken care of and that he would bring them back to their land. What a relief that must have been for Jacob!

We worry about so much in life. Our worries cause us great fear - whether we will be okay - whether to stay or go - what job to take - will our children be taken care of - and so much more. To come to a place where we know that God will take care of us and watch over us will alleviate so much of that fear. I know - wouldn't it be nice to hear that thundering voice as Jacob heard? Then we could be sure. Well we can be sure. God promises to take care of us just as he did for Jacob. We can journey without fear.

This new year - with your new journey - begin to trust - begin to believe that God is with you - and you will find that your journey will be so much more satisfying.
Journey without fear!

Have You Had Breakfast?

I'm not much of a breakfast eater (though I should be). I have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I try but don't get it down too often. The other day in the hustle and bustle of things my oldest son declared to the world, "I'm going to have me a big ol' bowl of thankfulness."

Taken back I chuckled and asked, "A bowl of what?"

"A big bowl of thankfulness," he said grinning loud and strong.

No one was really sure where that came from or for what reason. Over the next few days, I started to gnaw a bit on those words. They kept coming back to me and as I really thought about what he said I allowed God to settle gently upon me and speak to my heart.

I realized that we often carry our bowls of thankfulness around with us. Taking them in our arms and for all the world to see we raise them to the heavens and shout, "Oh I am thankful! See!" Sometimes to even convince ourselves.

But what my son said resonated with me. To consume, eat, absorb, take in, inhale,  . . . our thankfulness is different. It is one thing to hold on to them for the world to see and to remind ourselves of being thankful and yet another to actually consume thankfulness! When we have allowed the thankfulness to penetrate the deepest part of our souls then something happens. When we can consume every blessing, miracle, glory, beauty, smile, laughter, deliverance, provision, and good deed then something happens. Suddenly thankfulness becomes a part of us - a part of our lives - a part of our journey. We don't have to carry the bowl around with us as a reminder - we are the reminder!  To live a journey filled with thankfulness will be a journey with less stress, less anxiety, less worries, and less pessimism.

Hummmm - maybe breakfast is the best meal of the day? I open the pantry door and know just what I will reach for.

The Other Side

Sometimes our journeys lead us to the other side. The other side of what? You might ask. The other side of your situation, job, living, life. There is another side.

"When Jesus noticed how large the crowd was growing, he instructed his disciples to cross over to the other side of the lake."

Upon first moving to Colorado, I was asked to lead worship for the small church my husband pastored. I had no idea what it would be like inheriting a praise team already established! Needless to say, it was not like starting from scratch and I was worried about making any changes. One day in my quiet time desperately seeking God and asking him to show me which way I should go, I came upon this passage. As I read those words the Lord's presence fell upon my heart and I knew that it was time to cross over to the other side - to make the changes. I had no idea what that would look like or how difficult it would be - only that we needed to.

As I read further I found that in the midst of the crossing "Suddenly a terrible storm came up, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping."

Where's Jesus when you need him! He says "cross over" and then falls asleep in the middle of the storm! The crossing over with the praise team was not as smooth as I would have liked. Making changes is never easy. Changing patterns and routines are always difficult in any situation. There are bound to be storms along the journey. But I pressed on and was determined to cross over just as Christ had directed.

Sometimes our crossings are smooth as if gliding on glass while at other times we face the rolling seas and the high winds. There will be times when God says, "let us cross over to the other side" and out of fear or insecurities we stay on the safe side living in our every day ruts. Only God knows what awaits us on the other side.

I do love those devoted disciples who willing followed Christ through rough terrain and endless miles of road never knowing what a day would bring. At least they were willing to follow and on more than one occasion they cried out, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" (not in those exact words) Life does feel like that sometimes.

"And Jesus answered, 'Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!' Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm."

You see, it is not God's desire or goal that we should be harmed by the raging seas or face frightful moments. His desire is to love us, to be loved, provide for us, and to give us hope and a future. Our crossing over to the other side may not be painless, but God promises to ride the boat with us.  In my Bible reading for January 11, 2011, I came upon this passage once again. Once again I found myself praying and asking God which way I should go. Once again I found him saying, "Come let us cross over to the other side."  A New Journey Begins.

Am I Going the Right Way?

"Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which way to turn."  Psalm 5: 8

Even David understood that if God didn't lead him on the right path then his enemies would devour him. Not only would they devour him but they would "conquer" him. David understood that if he chose to travel the wrong path then he would not be able to defeat his enemies. He understood the importance of following God on his journey. He understood how important it was to take the path God wanted him to take. How many of us at this very moment are traveling a path where we are constantly fighting our enemies? How many of us are on a miserable path and have no idea where it is taking us? It is tiring and exhausting. Perhaps it is time to ask ourselves, "Am I taking the path God has directed me to take or is it a path I chose for myself?

Get on the Right Path

• Pray, ask, seek God. Find out if this is the path God wants you to take.
• If the path you are on has not been God directed then it may be time to exit this road and take a different route.Once we have found the right path then we will see that the enemy will not have the upper hand and that God's hand of provision will be upon us. We will come to find joy on our journey and that we are much happier. We will come to see that truly our journey can be successful.

A New Journey - A New You!

Success in the Journey

"Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful."                                                                        Genesis 24:21

I love Abraham's servant. He was asked to go find a wife for Isaac.  All he wanted to do was please God and please his master. What I love is that he asked God to make his journey successful. He asked God to help him succeed - this day - on this journey. "Then he prayed, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham."  You see, the servant had a lot of anxiety about his task and whether he could pull it off. He had concerns about whether he would be able to find the right woman to take back to Isaac. There was quite a bit of pressure - what if he had failed? What if he could not find her?

Well, the Lord answered his prayer that day and God did lead the servant the right way. God did send the one woman that would be the perfect wife for Isaac. The servant didn't waste any time in falling on his knees in gratitude before the Lord and praising him.

"Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, saying, “Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”

Successful Journeys

The truth is, our journeys are often filled with success. Things turn out just as they should, we find those very needed items we have been searching for, there were no disasters that particular day, we made it to work on time in spite of the traffic, an unexplained check came in the mail, the kids didn't fight, food in the pantry stretched farther than we thought, and so much more. We do have successful journeys.

I want to be more like the servant who prayed at the beginning of his journey - recognized when it had become successful - and understood the hand in the success. I want to be more like that servant who at first recognition falls to his knees and praises the one who helped the journey become successful.

A new journey - a new you!

A New Year - A New You

As we journey to a new year many of you are deciding what new year resolutions to enforce. I, myself, at this very moment am searching through my mind like a computer to decide which one to stop on. Do I just randomly touch my imaginary screen and land on anything or do I give it some thought and truly decide what changes I should make this year? How many of us have made the same resolutions year after year?

The truth is - I should really consult with the one who created my imaginary computer in my mind. I should really consult with the maker of every fiber and detail within me - he would know everything there is to know about me. After all his hand formed me and with his tools alone he would know what needs fixing.

So - before I decide what step to take towards my new year and new journey - I will sit - pray - seek - listen - and most importantly - accept - before moving forward. Its one thing to make changes we would like - a new body - taking better care of ourselves - stop the sugar - exercise more - and on and on - but to change something God points out in our life is different. We tend to look at the outer when making our new years resolution but this year - along with doing that - I really want to take a deep look at the inside because I don't want to be the same person I was last year. I truly want to take a step in my journey toward everything God wants me to be.

So . . . my first step toward my new journey in this new year . . . spend time with God.