A Request

I have had many calls this week from, or about, hurting women, women who have tried to put their all into their relationships and their family. These women are from all walks of life; some with children and some without, some with money and some without, some believers and some not. Whatever their situation many women are coming up empty. Today I just wanted to mention these women. Not to deal with the specifics, not even to respond to them with verses that sound like platitudes. There are many struggling. This is my chance to say that, yes, it can be hard. But wait; there is a better day around the corner.
Will you join me and pray for women you know that are struggling now?

Blessings.

the next time you are tempted to say the dreaded word...

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry

The previous post brought to mind Psalm 2.

I fear we, as a nation, are edging closer and closer to this position...

Do we want to kiss the Son with a Judas kiss or the kiss of the broken and contrite sinful woman who threw herself at the feet Jesus and wept, kissing his feet while wetting them with her tears, and wiping those tears off with her hair...

Psalm 2

1 Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.

3 "Let us break their chains," they say,
"and throw off their fetters."

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.

5 Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

6 "I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill."

7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD :
He said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.

8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You will rule them with an iron scepter;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Fear or Hope

This week we have seen good things. In a nation where people once practiced segregation, seeing an African-American elected to our highest office is something to celebrate. We have watched an exchange of power that other countries can only envy. Crowds gathered peacefully, young people marched in the parade, flags waved, people prayed, and the nation can and should celebrate all of that.

During this week of celebration over the presidential inauguration the word hope has been tossed around a lot. ‘You have chosen hope over fear” were the words, if I remember correctly, of our new president during his address to the crowds. Hope over fear. The words have a nice sound, don’t they? Of course we want hope. Everyone wants hope. But I am left with questions. (Yes, I know, I am always interrupting things with questions. My kids have complained about that often. Movies flood me with questions. Books. Sermons. The Bible. Nothing stops my questioning for long.) But what am I being asked to hope in, a man, this new man, who has little practice in leading? A different man, because we think that somehow a new person will not make the mistakes the old ones did? Perhaps he will be made of different mettle than the others were? Perhaps he will not carry the same weaknesses that the rest of humanity does? Perhaps he will bring change? All that remains to be seen. Perhaps he will bring change.

As much as we all want hope, none of us wants to live in fear. Decisions should not be based in fear. We should not have to live afraid. Should we? I have no desire to live a life of fear.

Yet, fear can work for us. The smoke from a volcanic eruption would cause fear. Fear that would be the impetus to move to a safe place. Thundering waves cause fear. Fear that might keep my kayak from ending up scattered in pieces over the rocks and me with it. Fear can be protective in the same way that pain can disclose danger. And there is another fear that I believe can protect us. That is fear of the Almighty God.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 1:7

“For God has so worked that men may fear Him.” Eccl. 3:14

I fear a God who created the universe. I fear a God who was too terrifying for Moses to even look on. I fear a God who thunders, who destroys, who disciplines. I fear the great I Am.

“There is none like Thee, O Lord;
Thou art great, and great is Thy name in might.
Who would not fear thee, O King, of the nations?” Jeremiah 10:6,7

That fear drives me. But listen to what that awesome and terrifying one says.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love:
Therefore I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

And:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” John 1: 12

I do live with fear then. Fear that I Am is angered when we destroy innocent life that was created in His image, especially on this anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Fear that there is one who is more awesome than we can imagine. Fear that He cares what we do and the choices we make.

So President Obama, I have to differ with you. I will choose fear of God over hope in a man. Come what may. And that fear leads to True Hope.

My Grandmother's Cranberry Glass

As I was showering this morning I saw the beautiful sunlight shining through my Grandmother's cranberry glass. She had a collection of cranberry glass and treasured it. As I saw the beautiful red glow on the wall it brought back a flood of Grandma memories:

• Her wonderful, spooky house in Minneapolis where she kept boarders, with it's musty smell and crazy hidey-holes.
• The way she would sprinkle brown sugar on the boiled carrots to make us eat them.
• The lilac bushes surrounding her house that were so much a part of her that I had lilacs at my wedding and when she died my Dad took clippings from those bushes to plant around our house on the east coast.
• Her ancient roller washing machine in the impossibly old basement - it's power to crush fingers kept me in serious nightmares for a while
• Running through the sprinkler on her front lawn in the brief but oppressively hot Minnesotan summers.

It was extraordinary how that simple glow of cranberry red brought back a wave of memories I hadn't recalled in years.

Sometimes it's good to relax and remember....

Things too wonderful for me to know

To follow up on the idea of my inability to comprehend the greatness of God as manifested in His Creation I am drawn to the completion of the book of Job (Job 42:1-6)

1 Then Job replied to the LORD :

2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.

3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'

5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.

6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."

I am GLAD that there is more to the world than my incredibly small understanding - I feel so puny and insignificant and yet then I am able to appreciate the glorious richness of God and His Creation!

Wonder

From whose womb has come the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who has given birth?
Water becomes hard like stone,
And the surface of the deep is imprisoned.
Job 38:29,30



I just enjoyed a weekend full of icy wonder. I have also been listening to old sermons by Ravi Zacharias, sermons on wonder. Recently, two different people mentioned this series. It is a series I heard quite a while ago but had completely forgotten. According to Ravi, "when wonder is lost ... dignity is lost as man is reduced to mere matter ...and when wonder is lost gratitude is lost. Gratitude is indispensable for existence." Ravi also referred to a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life..." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Posted in honor of MLK Jr. Day)

I still have to battle a winter tendency to neglect gratitude, but a chance to be awed by God's creation was a gentle nudge. He is the One 'that can do all things'. Even at this cold season, time to appreciate God and a world that is not mere matter, a universe where we are more than flotsam and jetsam, can restore wonder and gratitude.

Blessings, wonder, and peace multiplied.

"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?"
"Is it at your command that the the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?" Job 38:4 & 39:27

His Love endureth forever

On December 1st, 2008, I enjoyed watching the rare confluence of the moon, Jupiter and Venus. It seems so wonderful that our world is so ordered that these astronomical phenomena are completely predictable. I realize that the scientists have known this for years, but it never ceases to amaze me that God created such an exquisitely perfect and ordered world.

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.

6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.

7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.

8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.

9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.

24 and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.

25 and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Shadows...

While at the beach I noticed something unusual - the shadow that I expected of the football was not what I was seeing. It was weird to see the vertical elongated shadow when I thought I would see a horizontal one. It was then that I realized how little I understood about the SUN - the shadow was changing each minute as the sun dipped in the evening sky. I had one tiny little idea about how the football's shadow would look but the SUN changed the shadow every minute I was standing there. It reminded me of how fixed and finite our ideas become concerning the SON. How we create a box that we fit our Lord into, never realizing His immense capacity to shine on us, to help us, to warm us, to help us see things in His way.

I see that these thoughts are a bit scrambled and yet I like them - I have underestimated my God so much that I live a life often cast into one solitary shadow.I want to have people look at me and see a shadow that changes and grows with the influence of the Lord on me.

As a photographer I am constantly seeing new and wonderful things in God's creation - may it continue to be so...

The refuse, the bitter, turned to good

Two quite different ways of saying something similar:

It is so bitter it goes nigh to death;
Yet there I gained such good, that, to convey
The tale, I'll write what else I found therewith.

~Dante "The Divine Comedy-Hell", Canto 1, Dorothy Sayers translation


"God is in the business of taking old pieces of our lives,
refinishing them, and -- at just the right time -- surprising
us with newfound beauty."

~Susan Duke

He delights in unchanging love...

Micah 7:18

"Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity
And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in unchanging love. "

The thought of being the forgiven child of a pardoning God who delights in UNCHANGING Love!
What a humbling and yet stimulating thought to meditate upon. He never changes though we are so changeable.

"When I had journeyed half of our life's way,
I found myself within a shadowed forest,
for I had lost the path that does not stray."
-The Inferno

Over 700 years ago Dante penned these opening lines to The Divine Comedy. How often have we thought we were following a straight path but realized we were hopelessly lost? We glance around and evaluate the landscape to find we are in a shadowed forest unable to figure out how we managed to arrive in the first place. The path is plain and straight, it is the pilgrim who holds a broken compass. C. S. Lewis described it as, "rats in the cellar" and Gordon MacDonald as, "dragons that highjack our soul." But probably the best description of our dark underside is by the prophet Jeremiah, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it." (Jer. 17:9)

I believe many churches have actually done us a disservice by categorizing and cataloging sins. How often have we heard someone whisper that a fellow Christian has "fallen" as if some have actually risen above the vulnerability to have their souls high-jacked by dragons. Or worse, that some have been able to slay those dragons so that they cease their torment. The young Christian man who yields to a homosexual temptation is considered fallen. The Christian couple who divorces has fallen. The young girl in the teen group who has an abortion is fallen. We mentally compare and catalog and say because we have not yielded to these sins we are somehow more righteous. Pride, avarice, gluttony, lust, wrath, idleness, envy. Does the Christian community really dare to think they are not fallen because they can hide some sins more easily than others? The internal compass is broken and the dragons lurk just beneath the surface in every one of us. My hope is that we will be transparent about who we are, honest about where we are, and sincere about what we seek. It is only then that we will be able to encourage and truly help each other with our burdens as we make this pilgrimage.

My Meditation

Thank you to all who have signed up and all who have posted. I pray that this blog will be an avenue for growth in many lives.

It has been days and I am still on the same portion of the verse, my verse from day one of the blog. Has anyone else been working on a particular passage? I find the verse has a rhythm. 4 counts, 3 counts, 4 quick counts. It’s time to move on. At least it should be, but my heart still wants to hear these 11 syllables. My plan was to learn the first portion, and then proceed to the next. This is a section of scripture that I intended to learn years ago. It is time to do so, with diligence. But…the proper way to learn scripture is probably not to bounce the words around in my head, tick the syllables off on my fingers and then experiment with the wording. What if the preposition were different? Could the verse then hold the same meaning? Change the order of the words? What will that do to the verse? How long will it take me to complete a portion of scripture if I keep playing games with the words?

I know the drill – how I am supposed to do this. Repeat the words, exactly. Tuck them away in my heart. Move on to the next verse in the passage.

Nevertheless, I suspect I am looking at another day of the same 11 syllables rolling around in my head. They float around me when I drive. They wave like a ribbon behind me when I walk. Bounce in front of me when I do the dishes. What kind of meditation is this?

Blessings to you and Peace Multiplied.

...every tear from my eyes Is saved when I cry

A song from my past...

Mansion Builder by 2nd Chapter of Acts

I've been told that there are those
Who will learn how to fly
And I've been told that there are those
Who will never die
And I've been told that there are stars
That will never lose their shine
And that there is a Morning Star
Who knows my mind

So why should I worry?
Why should I fret?
'Cause I've got a Mansion Builder
Who ain't through with me yet

And I've been told that there's a
Crystal lake in the sky
And every tear from my eyes
Is saved when I cry
And I've been told there'll come a time
When the sun will cease to shine
And that there is a Morning Star
Who knows my mind

A new perspective on "Footprints"

I have often heard and enjoyed the poem "Footprints", where we learn of our Lord's care for us, as He carries us during the hard times.

I was at the beach over New Year's and took photos of my own footprints. I inadvertently took the photo in the opposite direction that I had intended. Upon reexamining the photo it seems so very appropriate to show our footprints walking INTO our loving Lord's arms.

So, as we all contemplate a New Year, we should keep in mind that we should always be walking upright, confident in our knowledge that we are always in our Father's care.

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
1 Peter 5:7

Brokenness

I am a broken woman. There is probably nothing that brings that reality home more than running into an old acquaintance I hadn't seen in 15 years. As soon as the niceties were exchanged, she plunged headlong into a praise and worship service that would have rivalled any contemporary Christian service and shamed any spirit-filled preacher. I heard about her blessed marriage, perfect children, new ministry for the autumn years of her life, and what a marvellous and wonderful God she knew. For almost 20 minutes I stood speechless as she recounted the abundance of her blessings. I wondered what she would have thought if I had said, "I left my home and family with only the clothes on my back, went through a divorce, lost the respect of my children, family, and friends, shattered my dreams, and stand before you with only regrets and remorse." After she had finished talking I mumbled something like, "It was nice to see you again too," and with tears stinging my eyes I left the store where I had run into her.



I did what I sometimes do when I am feeling worthless and infinitesimally small, I wandered into the nearest Christian bookstore looking for answers. Maybe there was someone else out there who, like I had, worked so hard for so many years on their Christian walk yet failed so miserably also. But when I entered the store so many of the titles mocked me. Your Best Life Now! Find the Love of Your Life! I went to the bargain section with the rest of the rejects, and when I found the bargain clearance books I knew I was right at home. Tucked in a corner was a title that caught my eye, Rebuilding Your Broken World by Gordon MacDonald. I opened the book and read this sentence, "Almost everyone in the Bible had a broken-world experience. Virtually no one was exempt." Broken world experiences are not anomalies. I am not alone. I bought that bargain clearance book and carried it to my car clutched against my chest like a life preserver thrown to a drowning man. God is still good. I know He is in the business of rebuilding broken worlds. Maybe with Gordon MacDonald's help I'll find that my broken world can be rebuilt. We'll help each other here on this forum and encourage each other as we strive for peace and joy and restoration. The peace or our Lord Jesus be with you all.

Words on Women and Strength

If you have the time take a minute to watch this video. It is a moving reminder of how blessed we are to have the support and encouragement of friends. There have been many times when the names of friends have made up a good part of my 'thankfulness list.' In our search for God, what a blessing to have people around us willing to "Bear one another's burdens."

Blessings and Peace Multiplied.

Welcome!

The first week of the New Year is gray, cold and rainy. I find it takes effort to keep my mind in a good place. In the spirit of Philippians chapter 4, I would like to dwell better on things that are good, lovely, worthy of praise. To that end I am starting this blog. My plan is to choose verses, or a poem, or hymn, and focus on it for as much time as I need. Please add what you are reading or viewing that is encouraging to you. Perhaps we can create a network of support for each other. My prayer for my friends, family and for myself is peace multiplied.


...May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... I Peter 1:2b-3a

So that's where I'm starting. Anyone care to join me?