Emergency Calls Only?

We just had a pretty strong earthquake - 5.8 (correction - since the quake first hit, the magnitude has been downgraded to a 5.4).

I really hate earthquakes. You feel completely at their mercy - how long they last, how strong they shake, how much damage is done.

My sweet husband and I were sitting in the living room listening to Pastor Mike's revised weekend message when the room started to rumble, the chandelier started to sway, and... well, I don't remember what happened next because I started to pray so loudly and firmly that I couldn't quite process anything else. All I know is it was long and it was pretty strong.

My cell phone isn't allowing me to check on my parents or sibs to see how they're doing because my cell service is stating "Emergency Calls Only."

I'm okay right now, but when we go to bed tonight, I probably won't sleep very deeply. My shoes will be beside the bed and I'll probably wear shorts under my nightie.

When I go to the grocery store later today, a few more canned goods will end up in my cart. I'll be checking our bottled water supplies to make sure we have the advised amount.

For all my preparations, there is nothing I can do to prevent or postpone an earthquake. However, when it does come, I can rest in knowing that it was ordained by God (Psalm 139:16). I am also secure in knowing that God will never block my prayer, like my cell phone blocks my calls. He is waiting to hear from me, even if it is during an earthquake He has ordained.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for allowing the earthquake to feel mild enough that nothing even fell off our walls. We praise You that You are always waiting and willing to hear from Your children. Thank You that all our days are ordained by You; nothing comes to us that You don't know about and haven't allowed for our good and Your glory (Romans 8:28). Please strengthen those who may have suffered injury or damage during the quake. Please give the rescue workers wisdom and clarity as they help those more greatly impacted.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Thank You, Mrs. Beresford

When I was a little girl, I spent hours at the piano, driving my family crazy with my pounding and pretending. I wanted to be a proficient piano player, but I didn't understand why I couldn't just sit down and play a piece of music like my mother could. I wanted to have the ability to beautifully perform, but I didn't want to do any of the work.

I took a few piano lessons here and there, but the only lesson I learned was how to give the teacher my parent's check without practicing very much in between lessons.

Then I went to college. I had a deep interest in music, but my "instrument" at the time was voice. In order to graduate in my major I had to pass a piano proficiency exam. My years of not seriously practicing wasn't going to cut it.

My music theory teacher was a wonderful woman who played the piano beautifully. Since I needed some help, she offered to tutor me. I believe the lessons ran $7 a week.

In her closet-sized office, she showed me how my hands should look like butterflies flitting across the keys. She pushed and encouraged me until I could finally play Debussy's Clare De Lune. She unveiled the secrets of embellishing hymns. Then one day, I found I was able to sit at the keyboard and sight-read a piece without much trouble, just like my mom.

Last Fall I cleaned out a closet and found a box of old papers from college. Surrounded by text books, term papers and exams, I sat and cried as I realized all I had gained from knowing this woman, my professor and piano teacher. As a young college student, I had no understanding of the indelible mark she was leaving on my life, both spiritually and musically.

So, I wrote her a letter and told her so. And, she wrote me the sweetest note back, in the same handwriting I remembered from my old music theory books.

Today I received word that Mrs. Beresford passed away last Wednesday. So here I sit. And cry. I am extremely thankful for what God did in my life through her. And, I am exceedingly glad I got a chance to tell her so.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for all the wonderful gifts you give us - for the beauty of music and the love of mentors who share their experience with us. Thank You for the gift of people and how You enrich our lives through others. Please use us in the lives of those around us for Your glory. And, please help us to remember to thank those who have helped us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

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Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Thank You, Lord

I stumbled upon this story today and just had to share it.

This was originally a blog post by Bible-teacher Beth Moore. It makes me wonder how many times I've argued with God, only to lose a blessing in the end. Here's a story of someone who did what God said and encountered Him in an amazing way.

April 20, 2005

At the Airport in Knoxville

Waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I’d had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say that because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.

I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.

I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I’d just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport…..an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere?

There I sat, trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let’s admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I’ve learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.

I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. “Oh, no, God, please, no.” I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, “Don’t make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I’ll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don’t make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!” There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, “Please don’t make me witness to this man. Not now. I’ll do it on the plane.” Then I heard it… ”I don’t want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair.”

The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, “God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I’m on this Lord. I’m you’re girl! You’ve never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am on him. I am going to witness to this man.”

Again, as clearly as I’ve ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. “That is not what I said, Beth. I don’t want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair.” I looked up at God and quipped, “I don’t have a hairbrush. It’s in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?”

God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God’s word: “I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:17 I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself.

Even as I retell this story my pulse quickens and as I retell this story, I feel those same butterflies.

I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, “Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?” He looked back at me and said, “What did you say?” “May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?” To which he responded in volume ten, “Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you’re going to have to talk louder than that.” At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, “SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?” At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, “If you really want to.”

Are you kidding? Of course I didn’t want to. But God didn’t seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, “Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don’t have a hairbrush.” “I have one in my bag,” he responded. I went around to the back ot the wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger’s old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man’s hair.

It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don’t do many things well, but must admit I’ve had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I’d done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull. A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man’s hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair.

I know this sounds so strange, but I’ve never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while. The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God’s. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant’s. I slipped the brush back in the bag, went around the chair to face him.

I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees, and said, “Sir, do you know my Jesus?” He said, “Yes, I do.” Well, that figures, I thought. He explained, “I’ve known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn’t marry me until I got to know the Savior.” He said, “You see, the problem is, I haven’t seen my bride in months. I’ve had open-heart surgery, and she’s been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride.”

Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we’re completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I’ll never forget it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I’d acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.

I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, “That old man’s sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?” I said, “Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!” And we got to share.

I learned something about God that day. He knows if you’re exhausted because you’re hungry, you’re serving in the wrong place, or it is time to move on, but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you’re hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you’re sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!

I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one I had missed along the way… all because I didn’t want people to think I was strange. God didn’t send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Life shouldn’t be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, “Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!"

Ice Cream and Brain-Freeze Lessons

It's strange how quickly a good thing can become a bad thing. Ice cream is definitely a good thing, but too much of it in one bite and you'll experience brain-freeze.

I remember sitting at my grandmother's dining room table, where we ate every Sunday after church, anticipating the moment when I would be served a cold bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream. I was practically salivating while I waited for my serving to be dished. I was eager to dig in because, as the old Shake 'n Bake commercial used to tout, "I helped!"

My younger sister and I helped by feeding the big blue ice-cream-making-machine plenty of crushed ice and salt. Being accustomed to licking bowls of cake batter and homemade frosting off the beaters, I always tried to eat the salt and ice, thinking it would be a tasty precursor. Of course, they weren't tasty. No matter how pretty the rock salt looked, one small taste was more than enough.

As our dessert was served, I was always warned to take small bites and eat slowly. When I didn't, the inevitable and instant headache helped me slow down for the next bite. Actually, I was incapacitated for a few moments, so that slowed me down, too.

Unfortunately, not every good thing in life offers brain-freeze to help you slow down and take the proverbial small bite. I'll bet you can think of a few examples in your life of good things that in large quantity have begun to feel like bad things.

For instance, you probably have a long list of good things to accomplish this week, but they seem like bad things because the list feels so overwhelming. Or maybe you've eaten a few too many bowls of ice cream this summer and now need to take the time and energy to lose the extra weight. Maybe God has answered your prayer for a spouse, but the extra laundry and cooking threaten to overwhelm you.

Whatever your good-thing-turned-bad might be, the Bible has some encouragement for us. It tells us, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1.

What's the season of your life right now? We aren't meant to do every thing every day. Life isn't good about telling us this truth. Unlike the brain-freeze we get from too much homemade ice cream, life beckons us to do it all, right now.

Maybe this isn't your season to get plenty of sleep, so you can spend time holding your little one. Or maybe your to-do list never gets completed because you've gone back to school. Perhaps you wish you could take a big bite out of success, but you know that you weren't created to work 50, 60, 70 hours a week.

"There is a time for everything." When we listen for our Heavenly Father to tell us what we should include in this season, and obey when He tells us to drop something good, we will experience joy and peace.

It's a little like finishing a delicious bowl of homemade ice cream without getting brain-freeze.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the seasons of our lives. Thank You for creating a time for everything. Please help me understand what You want for me in this season of my life. Please enable me to concentrate on what You want me do right now. Help me to listen and obey when You ask me to drop something that seems good, but is only getting in the way of what You've designed for me in this season. Thank You for caring about my life.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

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The Dress

I'm currently going through a wonderful discipleship program at our church called Partners. Last week, my Partners' mentor and I discussed the chapter on the Holy Spirit. We committed to working harder at listening for the Holy Spirit's prompts in our lives. Later that week, God taught me a wonderful lesson about really listening to Him with a right heart.

On Saturday, my husband and I were to attend a swanky wedding on the beach in La Jolla, and I knew I didn't have anything in my closet that would be appropriate to wear. I don't enjoy shopping for clothes, so I dreaded having to go out and buy something.

On Friday, I asked God to please make me aware of His voice and lead me to the right store and the right dress for me. I have to admit that I didn't really believe He would do so - but I certainly hoped He would. I, frankly, just wanted Him to quickly solve this problem for me so I could get on with my day.

Even in the midst of my concern that I wouldn't find a dress, I resolved to trust Him with my whole heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). Shopping tends to cause me a lot of anxiety and I really did desire to stay calm so I could listen for His promptings.

I started Friday morning by spending between 30 - 60 minutes each at five different stores. Although I found one dress that could work, it was more than I wanted to spend and this dress made my calves look enormous - not the look I wanted. I put that dress on hold and continued my quest. As I exited each store, my ability to stay calm and continue to trust God diminished.

At lunch time, I wearily made my way home. I was certain that fat-calf-dress was going to have to do. Tired and discouraged, I made myself some lunch and felt God prompt me to head over to a mall that I don't often frequent. I kind of ignored this prompt for about an hour - I just didn't want to go out there again. After all, I thought I'd been listening for His voice, was determined to trust Him with my whole heart (Proverbs 3:5-6), and had become discouraged by all the time this was taking. Didn't God know I wanted to solve this quickly!?!

I arrived at the mall, hot and tired. Immediately, I remembered a section of dresses that I had seen there a few weeks ago. One dress in particular had caught my eye, but at the time I had no need for such an item so I passed it by. I wondered if the dress would still be there?

When I arrived at the dress section, I was surprised to see the dress still displayed for sale. I tried to quell my excitement as I searched the rack for one in my size. After all, how many times have I seen something cute while shopping only to determine the price was too high or the store no longer had any in my size.

This time the price looked about right, but the size was an issue. They had ten dresses in size 16 and one in size 8. I just knew neither size would work and spent the next 15 minutes scouring the store for a misplaced dress in my size. The thought kept coming to me that I should just try the size 8, but I ignored the thought. There is nothing worse than being excited about an item only to have it be a disaster in the dressing room.

Finally, I realized I had no choice but to try on the size 8. There were no other dresses that even slightly appealed to me, and the store didn't have any other sizes of the dress.

And you know what? The size 8 fit. It was like this dress was made for me. I stood in the dressing room for quite a while, thinking I was delusional. There was no way this dress should have fit, but it did.

I was immediately floored by God's graciousness. He had gently taught me a lesson and allowed me to get a beautiful dress for a great price. What was the lesson? God wants me to listen to Him, but He wants me to listen with a right heart.

I thought my heart was right from the beginning, but I was full of selfish motives. I wanted to involve God in my dress shopping because I had hoped He would make it less painful for me. But really, I wasn't interested in Him being my God, I wanted Him to be my personal shopper.

God loves His children and wants to give good things to us (Matthew 7:9-11). But, He demands a rightful place in our lives. In the Ten Commandments, we are told that we are to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20). My "other gods" included wanting what I wanted, wanting not to spend excessive time shopping, wanting Him to hurry up and serve me.

God knew my heart wasn't completely pure, but He knew I wanted it to be. I think He brought me to the end of my own ideas of where to shop and the end of my own physical strength to show how His ways and thoughts are higher than mine (Isaiah 55:9) - He is GOD. And, He can be trusted (Proverbs 3:5-6).

If I will lay down my own plans and desires and allow Him to truly reign in my life, He will respond in ways much greater than I can imagine (Ephesians 3:20) - like finding me a beautiful dress and teaching me a little about listening to Him with a pure heart.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for allowing us to see Your goodness in the land of the living. Please give us ears to hear Your promptings in our lives and help us always check those promptings against the truth of your Scripture, knowing You would never contradict Your word, The Bible. Thank You for speaking to us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

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God Alone Can Make Easters of Good Fridays

Philip De Courcy spoke last weekend at Compass Bible Church. If you missed it, click here. His message was truly profound.

Pastor De Courcy's sermon, entitled "It's Not As Bad As You Think," was taken from Genesis 50:20. In this passage, Joseph is speaking to his brothers not long after their father's death. He tells them, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good." That's a pretty loaded statement to make to anyone, but especially to your brothers.

Sadly, Joseph's family was just about as dysfunctional as it gets. In case you don't know this story, the trouble started because Joseph was clearly his father, Jacob's, favorite. His ten older brothers didn't appreciate Joseph's high position in their family - especially when he shared a dream in which he learned his family would one day bow down to him (see Genesis 37).

This "dream" of Joseph's was too much for his brothers. They sold him into slavery and allowed their father to think his favorite son was dead (Genesis 37). Long story short, Joseph found himself wrongly imprisoned but, later, found himself in the palace of Pharaoh (Genesis 40-45). "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good."

It is easy for us to think that God is only involved in certain, good details of our lives. Surely, He has no hand in the evil that happens. But, Pastor De Courcy reminded us that God is Sovereign and has allowed everything that happens. This is because God knows what the ultimate outcome will be, and, for the Christian, it is always for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

As Pastor De Courcy profoundly shared, "On Good Friday, when the devil was doing his worst, God was doing His best - redeeming man." Good Friday didn't make sense to most who were present that day. It appeared that God had lost and Satan had won. God's Son was being killed - a most grievous evil. But, only God knew that in this heinous act, His Son was doing what no one else could do - take the punishment for the sin of the world (John 1:29).

This does not mean that God is the author of sin, but He does ordain everything that comes to pass. This can be a hard fact to swallow, especially if you've gone through something especially tragic at the hands of another. But, if you are a Christian, then God has ordained that terrible thing for some kind of good. We may never see what that good is this side of heaven, but we are promised in Romans 8:28 that the good is there.

Do you believe that God has allowed a terrible tragedy, or even just a bad day, in your life for good? Can you trust that God has allowed what you didn't want to have happen for the ultimate good of your life?

Remember, God alone can make Easters of Good Fridays. Don't take my word for it, click the link at the beginning of this post to view Pastor De Courcy's message in its entirety.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your great and precious promises in Your word, the Bible. Your promises are true, even if I can't see evidences of some of them right now. Please strengthen my faith in You and Your word as I wait for Your promises to come to fruition in my life. Thank You that all Your promises are "Yes!" in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). Please help me to trust You as I believe the truth of Romans 8:28 - That in all things You work for the good of those who love You, who have been called according to Your purpose. Thank You for this encouraging truth.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen