Gathered Chick

He Knows...

2009-04-25T15:53:00.001-07:00

I've been going through a medical trial since last Saturday night. I'm not at death's door (that I know of), but when I read this post today on Beth Moore's blog, I knew I had to share it.

POST FROM BETH MOORE'S BLOG

Friday, April 10, 2009

Thinking About Death and Healing

Hey, my Darling Ones!

I'm sitting in the bed in my jammies with pillows propped up behind my back on a rare morning off. I've just finished my quiet time and on my second cup of coffee. (I'm obviously a little behind on the coffee.) Keith's still sound asleep and the dogs are in the backyard playing in some fresh mud. Oh, what they have done to my beautiful garden yard! But that's another story. My mind is full of other things and I know a few good friends who might help me process it.

It's Good Friday. I tend to have lots of heavy thoughts around this day every year. I do love Christmas so very much but I am far more moved by the season of reflection on the Cross of Christ and the celebration of our only true hope: His glorious resurrection. We are obviously so much surer of the timing of His Passion than we are His birth. We really can say, "Approximately this many years ago, this happened right around this exact time." Anniversaries are a powerful thing.

Yesterday I served at the memorial service of a fellow servant of Christ. She was just a few years older than me and her children, both boys, are the same ages of my girls. Belinda and I don't really have a family history together, though. We have a shared history of faith. Years ago, I suppose somewhere around 1990, I started teaching my first ungraded women's Sunday School class. I'd been teaching for years by that time but was a constant source of irritation to my department head because women came to the class who weren't the right age and some of them were even "single!" (To be fair, it really was supposed to be a class of young marrieds from 29-32.) I'd finally even been reported to my pastor, Brother John Bisagno, who called me into his office, laughed his head off and said, "I'm about to set you free." And Dayspring Class was born. Any woman of any age could come.

I cut my Biblical teeth on that class. I really did. I've told my beloved Curtis many times that there's nothing like being thrown out there to teach week after week after week. (He's doing that very thing, by the way.) Blowing it over and over then having the courage and the humility to get back up there again. It gets a communicator out of the habit of delivering a few overly-perfected speeches with just the right punch lines but a dwindling anointing - and pitches them out there into the world of high risk and steady criticism. Separates the men from the boys, so to speak. It is HARD WORK. Make no mistake. Don't ever wish for it. Do it only if you must because it is your God-given gift and not to use it would be disobedience. It's too hard otherwise and too much flesh can get tangled up in it. "Be ye not many teachers, because you will be more harshly judged," James warned us. But back to Belinda.

Early on in our class, this darling, petite blonde (bleached, like yours truly) entered our ranks with a personality that stole the hearts of every person in the class. Or, then again, it was her story that stole our hearts. She became quite a center of attention because she'd battled breast cancer several years before and it had come back with a vengeance. By the time I got to know Belinda, the doctors had told her that cancer had spread to her bones all the way from her skull to her knees. She was covered. Almost hopeless. Only that wild woman absolutely refused to give up. Her boys were still young and she intended to see them to manhood.

I have no idea why things work the way they do. I've seen mothers just as determined to raise their children yet die of cancer in only a few months. These things are only for the fathomless mind of God. We can't figure them out for the life of us. But if I were to offer a little conjecture, with His permission and patience, I'd tell you that maybe He gave Belinda those extra years (somewhat like Hezekiah) so that she could teach a tight-knit group of women how to put their faith where their big mouths were. She sought the Lord for Scriptures then told us what to pray for her and how to pray and that, if we were going to doubt, not to bother. And all of this in the most winsome way. She had the cutest personality ever. Several in our class nicknamed her Bubbles. I never could bring myself to do it. Too cool, maybe. But I tell you what I did call her. I called her a warrior. As I told them yesterday, I have never known a more courageous woman in all my life.

Some years later, I was asked to move to a different Sunday school hour to teach and I left my beloved Dayspring Class to the plans God had for them. Most of those women stayed intact and still study and worship together today. Belinda came to my new class many times but it was so large that it did not lend itself to the closeness we'd all enjoyed before. By this time, we no longer had the same need to pray for Belinda anyway. She was thriving. God had indeed given her what she'd so vehemently asked. There were others who moved to the top of our prayer lists.

Then about six months ago, at a Tuesday night Bible study, I saw Belinda at the altar weeping during praise and worship. (Our worship time is also an open-altar time and it is very, very special.) I went to her with haste and she looked up at me with an expression I'll never forget. "Beth, it's back. And if the Lord doesn't heal me, I'm going to die."

I felt it in my gut. I knew this time He was going to take her Home. That somehow her job was done. Though her assignment was undoubtedly much broader than this, God had used her to teach a group of women (of all ages, praise His Name!) how to pray with wild faith. Our lives had been changed forever. We'd seen first hand a little of what God could do.

Yesterday morning I grabbed my Bible, my black purse, and a prayer journal from 1994 that I'd taped a precious blonde woman's picture on and headed to my church. We celebrated Belinda Edgerton's life in a chapel packed full of people from all dimensions of her life. She'd made a mark on everybody from her coworkers at Shell Oil to her neighbors right there on her cul-de-sac. As I reflected on her life and thought about what I wanted to share, God brought the woman out of Luke 8 to my mind who pressed through the crowd to get to Jesus. She reached through the push-and-shove of public spectacle with the purity and simplicity of desperation. She somehow latched on to the hem of His garment and, let this fall afresh, she was healed.

We don't hear any more about that woman. Lord have mercy, she must have told her story a jillion times to anybody who would listen. But somewhere over there in Israel, her body has turned to ashes just like all her friends. It occurred to me that, while we are here on earth in these flesh-and-blood mortal bodies, all we can hope for is a hem of healing. Even if Belinda had been completely healed of her cancer, she would still have gotten sinus infections, stomach viruses, bad knees, and, one day, her sons still would have gone to her funeral. She just might have been a tad older. These bodies of ours are fashioned for a flash of time on this planet. God has healed all of us of many things but, in His great purposes, we can only grab the hem. Even a miracle of instant restoration from a terminal disease is still just a hem of healing.

One day we will trade the hem for the real Him. No more pressing through the crowd wondering if we're going to be among the few that see that kind of miracle. We will see Him. Jesus Christ, the risen King. We won't just touch the edge of His cloak. We will touch the God-man Himself in His spectacular immortal body but, significantly, one still bearing the scars of His visitation here. His wholeness is so utterly complete and infinitely perfect that we, upon the very sight of Him, will be made whole as well.

This, Beloved, is what we live for. Not for just another day here. But for that very day there.

Several months ago, Melissa had insisted upon going with me to have a dye test to follow up a suspicious mammogram. (No rumors please. I do not have breast cancer. Because my mother died with it, however, I never get the luxury of drama-less annual check-ups.) We were sitting in the waiting room and a rack was within arms reach offering all manner of brochure on various cancers. Melissa took one out after another and glanced over them, shaking her head. She looked up at me with that classic expression of hers and said, "Life is brutal, man."

I nodded.

We both sat silently for just a moment.

Then she said one of the most profound things I've ever heard.

"He knows it's scary to be us."

Yes, He does. Yes, He does. He does NOT take the fact lightly that we go through medical tests to see if we have a raging cancer. He does NOT take lightly that some of you are secretly fearing that the monster has come back. He does NOT take lightly that some of you are going through the cancer treatments of your own children. I had to pause and put my hand over my mouth on that one. Holding back the tears.

Son of David, have mercy on us! You know it's scary to be us! It's almost too much here, Lord. It's almost too much.

And the thunder crashes in the heavens and the earth grows dark in the middle of the afternoon and a man, beaten to a bloody pulp, cries from a cross between two thieves, "It is finished!"

And death is overcome.

One day, Sweet Darling. ONE DAY. We will trade that hem for the real Him and there will be no more sickness. No more death. No more sadness. We will all be healed.

Bliss.

BLISS.

It's Not Up to Me

2009-04-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Does God really direct our paths? Does He have a specific will for our lives? I believe He does.

The Holman Bible Dictionary says, "God's sovereignty means He is in all and over all." "God's sovereignty moves toward a particular end, a specific purpose (Philippians 2:13)."

Sometimes it's easy to believe God doesn't have a specific plan for our lives. We struggle because our lives haven't become what we had hoped. So instead of believing God has a plan, we stop expecting so much. Pretty soon we wonder if He cares. Loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength becomes impossible because we feel so let down. (Mark 12:30)

But, God does have a plan and He always carries His plans out. He says so in His word.

"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."
Isaiah 46:10

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

But, we always need to remember this about God:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8

My waking hours for the last few weeks have been consumed with searching for a new job. I've not experienced the kind of job security the previous generation enjoyed. My last job search was less than six months ago.

Because I'm wiser (older) and more experienced (older), I felt I could be a little more particular during this recent job hunt. I was open to just about any job God might lead me to take. Unless... that job was in a particular town, was for a specific kind of boss, or required a pay cut. None of those things were options I wanted to consider.

I recently accepted a job I feel God has clearly led me to take - in that particular town, for that specific kind of boss, and for a small pay cut. I took this job because I could clearly see God leading me to this position.

Circumstances aren't always a clear indicator we're in God's will, but the way I found out about this job and the way I landed it are so extraordinary, I know God was directing my path. I had recently met the right people, at the right time, and was given just the right offer I needed in order to feel peace about accepting this position.

God's path for my life hasn't fit my preconceived notions. I would never have imagined I would be doing what I'm doing at this stage of my life. But, He is fulfilling Psalm 16:11 in my life. He has made known the path of LIFE, and I am learning that real joy comes only through His presence, not through my circumstances.

Each of the twists and turns in my life give me new opportunities to hold on to Him more tightly. Sometimes I completely let go, but He never leaves me (Hebrews 13:5). He is always there, ready for me to confess my sin so our relationship can be restored.

He shows me the path for my life in His word. As I live in obedience to Scripture, I experience some of those eternal pleasures mentioned in Psalm 16:11.

If my life plan was up to me, I would never cling to Him or experience the joy of walking with Him. Thankfully, my life plan is up to the One whose will can never be thwarted.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for choosing to show me the path of eternal life. Please help me to hear Your still small voice over everything else in my life. Cause me to cling tightly to You in both good times and bad. Thank You for having ways and thoughts that are higher than my ways and thoughts.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Gathered Chick Tip - KLOVE

2009-03-02T22:16:00.000-08:00

The more I dig into God's Word and study it, the more I realize how important it is to fill my mind and heart with good stuff (Philippians 4:8-9, James 1:21). One of the ways I accomplish this goal is to make sure the music I listen to is glorifying to God.

Now that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a Coldplay album every once in a while, but I try to make sure my musical diet consists mostly of lyrics that reflect Scripture.

One of my favorite ways to listen to good stuff is to visit www.klove.com. This incredible Christian radio station might be playing on the air in your area. But if it isn't, you can listen by visiting the website.

Because it's listener supported, everything you hear on air is truly positive and encouraging. This is a Christian radio station that isn't afraid to be called Christian. They pray for listener requests on-air, and even feature a Bible verse of the day.

Check it out. This is a fantastic way to nourish your spirit while you work at your computer. You might even find yourself visiting your computer just to listen!

The Ticket

2009-02-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

"When I was a little girl, " I said, "I went to my father and said, "Daddy, I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ."

"Tell me," said Father, "When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?"

"No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train."

"That is right," my father said, "and so it is with God's strength. Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ. He will supply all you need—just in time…"
Corrie ten Boom - from a letter she wrote in 1974

I could tell it was happening again. Something just wasn't right. It got to the point where I started mentioning it to my husband, and lying awake at night thinking about it. I'd been through this before, and thought it wouldn't happen again. But, to my astonishment, it was happening. And there was nothing I could do about it.

My entire adult life seems to have been littered with this occurrence. It has been the great road block that has kept me from going where I want to go. Anyone close to me knows exactly to what I'm referring. If you don't know, I won't bore you with the details. Let's just say it is has been tough to swallow.

Like I said, I've been through it before enough times to see the warning signs, and those signs scared me. I got to the point where I would burst into tears any moment when I was alone - in the car, in the restroom. I was so afraid I didn't have the strength to endure it again. I had plans that had to be fulfilled NOW in order for them to happen at all. This might be the final road block preventing these plans from ever coming to fruition. I'm getting older, and more tired, and just didn't think I had it in me to tackle this trial once more.

But, to my great surprise, when it happened, I actually experienced relief. I saw the miraculous hand of God handle the details for me. The first time I found myself alone in my car, not too long after it happened, I did cry a little, but found myself singing and even smiling. Me and Hall & Oates "You make-a my dreams come true. Woo oo oo oo." Our stereo iPod was on autoshuffle. This isn't the song I would have chosen for that moment, but I think it was the soundtrack God sovereignly chose for that moment.

I wasn't asked to be a martyr like Corrie ten Boom describes, but I was asked to handle something I didn't think I had the strength to endure. My Heavenly Father gave me the ticket—the strength I needed to endure having this difficult thing happen to me.

Oh, I still cry about it every so often, but fear is no longer my overwhelming emotion. I'm learning to be content in this circumstance. Yes, I pray this never happens to me again, but my hope doesn't come from what the future might hold. My hope comes from knowing I have a God who will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). He will give me the strength to endure anything that comes my way, when it comes my way.

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for providing the strength we need, when we need it. Thank You for never giving us more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). Please give each of us the courage, wisdom and determination to do whatever You've allowed in our lives for Your glory and our good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

A special thank you to Stephanie Schwartz who first shared the story of the ticket with me in her talk, The Secret of Contentment.

Gathered Chick Tip - Listening to the Bible

2009-02-17T17:48:00.000-08:00

I know something that will change your life.
I didn't say could, I said will.

Skeptical? I probably would be, too.

But, what if you could hear from someone who knows everything? Everything about you, everything about your future, and everything you are currently facing.

We can! God is speaking right now through His word, the Bible.

Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God is living and active. But, we don't take advantage of that living and active power when we're not reading it, researching it, meditating on it, talking about it, or memorizing it.

I know. You're busy. You can't fit one more thing into your life. If you have one more to-do, you'll....you'll.... You don't know what you'll do, but it won't be good.

But, what if you replaced some of the time you spend listening to the radio, music or your iPod with some Scripture? Don't add another to-do, just replace this with something you're already doing. Time spent driving in the car, working out on the treadmill or listening to music while fixing dinner could be spent ingesting the Word of God. And, that will be life-transforming.

Here's the link to the New Testament on CD I enjoy most:
http://www.amazon.com/Word-Becomes-Flesh-Audio-Testament/dp/0718009967/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234375359&sr=8-1

You can download the Bible from iTunes, buy CDs from Barnes and Noble, or you could even record your own voice reading passages from the Bible. Whatever you choose, don't miss out on the wonderful benefits of just listening to the Word of God.

Baptized - Again

2009-02-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

I've been a Christian for a long time. I've gone to church since I was in the womb, attended Christian schools most of my life, and can recite many passages in the Bible. So, you can imagine my surprise when I realized I needed to be baptized—again.

My discovery came while going through a wonderful discipleship program called Partners written by my pastor, Mike Fabarez . I figured this course would be a piece of cake since the material covers the fundamentals of being a Christian. After all, I've had YEARS of Christian schooling and Bible study.

Although the subjects covered in this discipleship program are based on the Christian principles I've been taught my entire life, I made a startling discovery while going through the very first chapter. In it I was asked to specifically recall how I came to faith in Christ and my point of repentance.

I couldn't really answer that question—at least, I couldn't answer it easily. I can't remember not believing in Christ as God and Savior. My parents did a great job of making that truth clear to me, and I've never questioned it.

My problem was I couldn't remember when I repented.

I remember asking Jesus into my heart one fall evening when I was in the 6th grade. But, when I really thought about that moment, I realized I had only done this in order to have a spiritual birthday. We knew a missionary who was always talking about his spiritual birthday, so I wanted one too. Why pass up the chance to be celebrated and have cake twice a year, right?

For months after I completed that first chapter, I pondered on and off when I might have repented. I asked God to please release me from this desire to know; I didn't want to waste time and energy on something that was unnecessary. But, I kept finding myself confronted with the issue.

Scripture makes clear the need for repentance to accompany faith for salvation. James 2:19 says that even the demons believe, so mental assent isn't enough. We must believe AND repent (Acts 20:21). In fact, if you study all the presentations of the gospel in the book of Acts, you'll find faith and repentance consistently required for salvation. This is the only acceptable response to the gospel.

Please know that the act of repentance is in no way a good work done of ourselves. If that was true, then we should get an equal amount of praise and glory for being smart enough to choose to repent and put our faith in Christ. No—only God can cause us to see our need for a Savior and respond in repentance. He draws us to Him, not the other way around (John 6:44). But, even though God does the work through us, we're still required to repent in order to receive salvation.

After much prayer and soul searching, with confidence I realized that I chose to turn from my sin in my final year of college. Up until that point, I had been living solely for myself. This meant that my original baptism just before college happened before I became a Christian.

My first baptism came about because it was a requirement to be in a traveling Christian singing group. Even when traveling the world and singing to others about God, I was still living for myself. I knew all the right words to say, but my heart had not yet been transformed. Even I was deceived when I agreed to be baptized that first time.

Are you able to point to a time period when God placed you in Christ? You don't have to know the day or even month, but you should be able to generally know when it happened.

I'm glad someone asked me to remember when I repented and put my faith in Christ. Do you know when you repented and put your faith in Christ? If you don't, I encourage you to think about it. It could make an eternal difference.

God,
Thank You for showing your love for us by sending Jesus to live and die in our place. Thank You for Your Spirit who helps us know we are Yours and that nothing can snatch us out of Your hand. I'm so glad I will never be without You - both here on earth and for eternity in heaven.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

A Gathered Chick is someone who has turned to God in repentance and placed their faith in Christ (Acts 20:21). Click here for a short video that explains this life-changing truth.

Gathered Chick Tip: Scripture Memory

2009-01-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

2009 should be a year when we fill our hearts and minds with the truths of the Bible—the very words of God (Romans 3:2).

Besides reading it, researching it, meditating on it and talking about it, we should be memorizing the Bible. (Click here for a fantastic message on the Centrality of Scripture.)

Think you can't memorize scripture? Think again!

Beth Moore has posted a three-part Scripture Memory Tutorial on her blog that I thought was worth sharing. Check it out and see if it doesn't assist you in RENEWing your mind (Romans 12:2).

Click here: http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/2009/01/scripture-memory-mini-tutorial_08.html

Your Turn: What are some tools you use to hide God's word in your heart?

Fresh Start

2009-01-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

Here we are, more than two full weeks into the new year, and I'm only just now writing my first Gathered Chick blog post. Yes, I know—these devotional posts are supposed to be published weekly. At least, that was the commitment I made when I started this blog.

But, lately I've been distracted by all the extra time I've spent evaluating my activities. You see, I recently not only turned the page on a new year, but I also began a new decade in my life. I'm now a card-carrying member of the 40-is-sporty club. [sigh]

Someone recently shared that since the average age of death for women in America is 80, then I'm half way through my life. That startling statistic hasn't given me enough pause to stop eating ice cream, but it has made me take a close look at my life, what I think is important, and what I want to do with the second half of my life.

This time of evaluation could be rather depressing, and some days it has been. But, just like the five stages of grief, at some point you have to learn to accept what is and move on. And once I learned to accept 40 (trust me, it wasn't quite this dramatic—although my husband may beg to differ...) I realized this is a fresh start for me—hope springs anew.

In reality, I didn't need another birthday to give me a fresh start. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds me that God's mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. This means God is ready to grant me a do over every day, even multiple times a day (1 John 1:9).

How is 2009 going so far for you? Do you feel like you need a fresh start already? Our loving, living God is waiting to give it to you. Whether you need to start fresh with Him for the first time or the 4 millionth time, His faithfulness is great. All we have to do is ask for it.

Lord,
Thank You that Your faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 89:2). You are perfectly reliable and aren't swayed by opinion. I'm so glad You offer us fresh starts whether we need them daily, hourly or moment by moment. Thank You for your great mercy and love. Please help us accomplish what You have given us to do in this season of our lives. If we need to reach out to You for the first time, enable us to do so. If it's been a while since we had a meaningful talk with You, help us make that happen. Let 2009 be a year full of meaningful pursuits—with You and for You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

A Gathered Chick is someone who has turned to God in repentance and placed their faith in Christ (Acts 20:21). Click here for a short video on what that means, and how your fresh start can begin today.

Stay Tuned...

2009-01-08T11:42:00.001-08:00

2009 is going to be a great year for us as Gathered Chicks.

Stay tuned for the first blog post of the year, coming in the next couple of days...

What Can I Give Him For Christmas?

2008-12-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas week. Not that I needed to tell you so. Even if you're organized, you probably still have a few last minute gifts to buy. There's always someone who didn't make your Christmas list, but should have.

On December 1, my to-give list is always shorter than it is on December 24. I don't know if it's the spirit of generosity in the air, or just that I've given up on trying to stay within a budget, but I always end up needing a few more gifts than I initially anticipated.

Last year I read an article somewhere that made me add one more item to my giving list. I feel silly that I didn't think of it myself. After all, we're celebrating His birthday—it's what Christmas is all about. Of course, I'm referring to giving something to God for Christmas.

Last year, I felt He wanted me to trust Him more. He certainly gave me opportunity after opportunity to trust Him more in 2008.

This year I've asked Him again: what can I give You, Lord? How can I best honor You this Christmas season? What would You like to see more, or less, of in my life?

He is always faithful to answer when I ask Him these types of questions. He wants to shape and mold me into a vessel that can best be used for Him. We would all be wise to ask Him what He would like to see changed in our lives. He is good and faithful.

May I encourage You to add Him to Your gift-giving list this year? Spend a few moments right now asking Him what You can give Him for Christmas this year. You might be surprised by what He tells you.

God,
Thank You for the wonderful gift of Jesus, who came to earth and died so that I might live (Galations 2:20). Please reveal what You'd like me to give You for Christmas. Give me a quiet heart to hear You, and a willing attitude to respond according to Your will.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

What Christmas is All About...

2008-12-15T21:53:00.000-08:00

Thank You, God, for your never changing truth. You are the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

This Christmas season please help us to celebrate and praise You more than we ever have.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Praise Him—Still

2008-12-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

So, how's it going? Have you taken the challenge to Praise Him—No Matter What?

Sometimes it's easy to give up. You get in a groove of praising Him one day, only to find the next day too discouraging to think straight. Although this is considered The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (TM), it can also be difficult in many ways. Colds and flu are being passed around, our schedules get jam-packed, our budget isn't stretching as far as we'd like, and each Christmas marks another year when (fill in the blank) didn't happen. It can be tough.

Whether you're waiting for a spouse, or a job, or for circumstances to get easier, these are the times when we've got to be praising God the most. If we aren't praising Him now, how much more will we neglect praise when things are going well?

Last week this blog featured clips from Facing the Giants. This week, I want to feature a song used in Fireproof, another movie put together by the same people who made Facing the Giants. Here are the lyrics:

I’m waiting

I’m waiting on You, Lord

And I am hopeful

I’m waiting on You, Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting

I will serve You

While I’m waiting

I will worship

While I’m waiting

I will not faint

I’ll be running the race

Even while I wait

I’m waiting

I’m waiting on You, Lord

And I am peaceful

I’m waiting on You, Lord

Though it’s not easy

But faithfully, I will wait

Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

(Song by John Waller)

Whatever you're waiting for - whether it be for circumstances to improve, or a pain in your heart to subside, or simply for a warmer, brighter day - let's worship and praise Him while we're waiting.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving us so. Even when life feels too hard and we become impatient, we can experience joy by focusing our thoughts on You. Thank You for being the God of all comfort who comforts us in our troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3). Help us put our hope in You alone (Psalm 42:11). I commit right now to take my eyes off my life, and give my praise to You, my good (1 Chronicles 16:34), loving (1 John 4:16), and holy (1 Peter 1:15-16) God. Thank You for who You are and what You've done for me.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Click below to hear "While I'm Waiting,"and be sure to post your personal praise to God in the comments section:

Praise Him—No Matter What

2008-12-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

Grant Taylor: I want God to bless this team so much people will talk about what He did. But it means we gotta give Him our best in every area. And if we win, we praise Him. And if we lose, we praise Him. Either way we honor Him with our actions and our attitudes. So I'm askin' you... What are you living for? I resolve to give God everything I've got, then I'll leave the results up to Him. I want to know if you'll join me.

From Facing The Giants

If we win, we praise Him. And if we lose, we praise Him.

I watched Facing the Giants for the first time a few days ago. By the time I dropped the DVD into the player, I'd already had a rough day and the insecurities of life were threatening to flatten me with the force of a steamroller. A couple of times I was tempted to turn the movie off. I really wasn't in the mood to watch a happy-ending story where every prayer is answered. Real life isn't full of easy fixes, and that's certainly not where my life felt like it was heading that night.

Until I saw this scene:

I was so moved and convicted. This scene grabbed my heart and helped me realize I've been looking at my circumstances from the world's perspective.

Am I giving my very best to God? No matter what the outcome appears to be?

As the movie continued, I considered how my thinking has somehow deteriorated—again— into being outcome based. I marveled at how often I think thoughts such as, I could be more obedient if only God answered my prayers.

Yet, the next powerful scene in the movie shows I need to reverse the order of that thought for it to be Biblical. God might answer more of my prayers if I was only more obedient.

(Note: unfortunately YouTube doesn't have any clips of this specific scene.
Fast forward to minute 5:30 to see this scene for yourself.)

If we win, we praise Him. If we lose, we praise Him.

God has told us in His word that His will for our lives includes being thankful for all circumstances (I Thessalonians 5:16-18). Wouldn't thankfulness to God include praising Him for what He is doing, for who He is, for the circumstances He has given us?

During this busy holiday season, I'm determining to give God praise no matter what my situation, no matter how I feel. God owns me (I Corinthians 6:20) and He deserves my praise. Even if everything I encounter during this season is more difficult than I'd like, I am committing to focus on the One who will one day wipe every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4). That seems like a pretty good reason to praise Him right there!

Will you join me?

God,
I praise You for who You are, and what You are doing in my life. I thank You for these busy days. I praise You because You promise to never leave or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). Please help me keep my eyes on You and my heart focused on giving You praise—no matter what.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

2008-11-27T06:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Gathered Chick Reader,

I am thankful for YOU! Whoever you are, wherever you live, thank you for blessing me by visiting this blog. My prayer is that every visit will leave you encouraged in your walk with Christ. May your Thanksgiving day be overflowing with love for our Lord who has done so much for us.

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving thanks.

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

God,
You ARE good. Thank You for Your enduring love. Thank You for Your continued faithfulness. Please put a song in our hearts today and every day as we focus on continually praising You for who You are and thanking You for what You've done.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Being Sure

2008-11-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

2 Peter 1:10-11
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Do you know where you are going when you die? Not just hope, but know?

In our post-modern world, most people would say they are going to heaven. They think, "I'm a good person. I haven't killed anyone. I haven't robbed any banks. I am nice to others. So, yes, I'm going to heaven."

But, if being good is the standard for getting into heaven, how good is good enough?

For others, they think they are getting into heaven on the basis of their belief in Jesus. "I believe in Jesus and all that. So, yes, I'm going to heaven."

But, the Bible says "even the demons believe" (James 2:19).

Since demons are surely not going to heaven, for after all, it wouldn't be heaven with them, is there any way we can know for sure we're going to heaven?

In 2 Peter 1:10-11, the Bible, a book without error, tells us we can not only be sure, but we are told to "make our calling and election sure." That's another way of saying we are to make certain we know without a doubt where we stand with God, and that includes where we're going after this life is over.

2 Peter 1:10 tells us we need to see if "these things," (the things listed in verses 5-7) are expanding in our lives—not in perfection, but there and increasing. If we don't see an increase in faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love, then we need to take a serious look at our lives.

A godly woman recently said, "We have to base our assurance on current spiritual progression, not on a past spiritual profession." We can say we are Christians all we want. But, don't let it just be empty words. We are commanded to respond to God according to His standards. If you never crack open the Bible, or don't believe it is the truth, if you find yourself with hate in your heart towards any person, if you are being asked to do something good and won't do it, then you might need to ask yourself some hard questions.

"The doing doesn’t cause your election to be secure; it’s the trust in Christ that makes the fact of your election secure. But spiritual growth gives the Christian a basis for confidence that her salvation is in fact truly secure. In summary, spiritual growth doesn’t help you earn or keep your salvation; it keeps you sure that you possessed it in the first place."

I'll ask you again—Do you know where you are going when you die? Not just hope, but know?

Take just a few quiet minutes and compare your life to the standard of God's word. If you think you are a Christian, but don't see any evidence of it, click here to learn how you can be sure right now. True assurance doesn't come from our own pride and following our own standards, it comes from the peace only God can give. He won't let you rest until you've settled this matter.

God,
Thank You for making Your standards clear in Your word. Thank You that we can know right now, today, where we're going when this life is over—even if it's 20, 30 or 50 years from now. Thank You for pushing us to settle this matter in our hearts right now, today. Help us take constant inventory to be sure we're growing in You each and every day, always anticipating the rich welcome we'll receive into eternal kingdom.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Special appreciation goes to Women's Bible Study teacher Jennifer Morris who generously shared her notes on 1 Peter 1:10-11. Thanks Jennifer!

The B-I-B-L-E, Yes, That's the Book For Me

2008-11-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

This week we have a guest contributor, Linda Danahy. Linda is a Bible study leader at my church, and shared some wonderful encouragement about the truth of God's Word in a recent email. I thought you would be encouraged by it, too.

This is an abbreviated version of her email, so please reach out to me if you'd like the full version.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I was studying this weekend, I hit [a question in our Bible study] and I had to pause. The question was “Explain as you would to someone who believes the Bible is written by men and not inspired by God, why I know the Bible is the word of God.” Why did I pause? Because I felt unsure of how I would answer. I did not feel confident that I could tell someone clearly, with conviction and excitement why I believed the Bible was the inspired word of God!

So that is what I have been mulling this past weekend. I did some research that I needed to do and this is what I came up with:

My first thoughts were [because] the Bible tells us so…

2Tim 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Our verses this week [in our study were] in 2Peter 1:20-21 “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had it’s origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Concerning God speaking directly to people, here are some Scriptures which helped me see clearly see how God conveyed his message (Numbers 12:1-9, Deuteronomy 18:14-22).

The more I dug in with my word searches of the words “prophet” and “prophecy” I was amazed by all that God has to say about the Scripture being God-breathed and the veracity of the Scripture through predictive prophecy. Take a few moments and type in the word “prophecy” in a Bible Gateway word search – header after header is “The Prophecy of…” By doing this I really sensed the magnitude of the prophecy revealed by God.

Here are some basic, substantiated historical facts about the Bible…

The Bible was written over a 1500 year span of time on three continents. It was written by 40 authors and contains 66 books. The majority of the book is eye witness accounts. There is amazing consistency in the writings. The text speaks with agreement and reliability on hundreds of controversial subjects. Yet it tells one story from beginning to end, God’s salvation of man through Jesus Christ.

The world recognizes the writings of Plato, Socrates, Homer and Aristotle. There are only 643 copies of Homer’s Iliad which was the most famous book in ancient Greece. There are 10 copies of Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars; the earliest copies of this book were made 1,000 years after it was written.

There were 5,366 manuscripts of the New Testament found and compared; these copies date from as early as 70 years after the original writing.

We now have the Dead Sea Scrolls and other archaeological finds which substantiate for the world the authenticity of the Bible!

The most exciting aspect of sharing with someone about the veracity of the Scripture is that God gave you this opportunity to be useful to Him!! He will empower you to speak in that moment and you will plant seeds, if you don’t panic at the question. Don’t panic, PRAY, “Father, you have opened up this conversation and I am your conduit. Please let your words flow in and through me that this meeting will bring you honor and glory.” The words will come and you will be able to engage them in an important conversation – your divine appointment for that moment in time! Oh to be useful to Him!!

Then there may be the opportunity to ask them about something that they might have been questioning in their life, maybe a difficulty. You can share with them how you have struggled with difficulties and found amazing answers within the Scripture. Possibly share with them a struggle you may have had and the verses that you knew where God’s promises to you, his words of guidance and wisdom. If you have your Bible, open to some of your favorite verses and show them the verses; have them read one of them out loud. Often times the most critical people have never opened the Bible and read something from it. Share with them how excited you are when you are mulling something, struggling with something, or just need something to express the joy you are feeling and you go directly to your Bible; there you have consistently found clarity, wisdom, insight and words of great joy.

What a cool conversation may ensue when we don’t panic but pray and we begin to share the joy we feel about the amazing, incredible book that God has given us which is his inspired word. Ladies, we are planting seeds any time we are given the opportunity to share something about our glorious, Holy Lord God Almighty. Delight that you have been found worthy to be the conduit he has chosen to use in that moment to touch a heart, to plant an seed, to be a reflection of our King!

As we know God so wants us to have a boldness, a confidence and a delight when we speak his word. We delve into our Bible study each day so we will be able to convey his word accurately when he calls upon us. In that quiet, intimate time with him, he is preparing us for the encounters and experiences of the day ahead. It is amazing how often he will have us share with someone something we just learned in his word or something we are working on in our sanctification. That is why we delve into the Scriptures daily! So dig! Delight in his word and with great excitement look forward to being useful to him!

May we bless God today in our thoughts, words and actions bringing him great honor and glory!

Big hugs and much love,

Linda

PS. Then at that next cup of coffee, sharing the Biblical Gospel message will be as easy as opening your Bible and saying, “I want to share the most profound experience of my life and it is written about right here in the Scripture!”

Your Duty Today—and Every Day

2008-11-03T19:45:00.001-08:00

November 4, 2008
Today we as Americans have the privilege to freely cast our vote for the next President of the United States of America. Freedom is the cornerstone of this country—it is what our founding fathers fought to give us. Freedom to speak freely and worship God without fear makes America the greatest nation in the world. However, our privilege to vote pales in comparison to our privilege—and duty—to pray.

Whoever is the next President of this great nation will face some of the toughest obstacles the leader of the free world has ever come up against. This person will be in charge of our brave men and women overseas who are fighting for freedom in areas where fear, captivity and torture were once the norm. The next leader of the United States of America will impact legislation on the issue of life (for more information, I urge you to click here, and then again here.) Frankly, the 44th President of the United States will either help align us closer to Biblical principles, or farther away.

That is why it is imperative that we be praying for both John McCain and Barack Obama today, tomorrow, and then for the rest of the election winner's presidency. This is our privilege as Americans. This is our duty as Christians.

If you want specific ideas on how to be praying, visit PresidentialPrayerTeam.org. They will not only suggest ways to pray for the two candidates, but will give you insight on how to pray for President Bush as he ends his final term in office. They even provide ideas on how to specifically pray for our troops and their families.

If you are feeling nervous about the election's outcome, I want to encourage you. This sign has hung in my home for over 16 years:
God is sovereign. He has us where we are for His glory and our good.

God is indeed sovereign. He has known since the creation of the world who will be our next President. He determined when and where we would live, all so people might seek Him.
Acts 17:26-27
26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

I'm sure you've already been urged to vote—and I hope you will. But I would like to urge you to do one more thing today and every day:
1 Timothy 2:1-3
1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior

Holy God,
We declare our allegiance to You above all else. Your name is the holiest in all the earth. You are good, and what You do is good (Ps. 119:68). We ask that Your will would be done in this election. Please forgive us for not speaking to You more about the direction in which our country is moving. Help us to do our part in moving it towards Biblical principles. Thank You for the freedom we enjoy, and make us bold in speaking to others about You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

The Most Important Issue For Which You Will Ever Vote

2008-10-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

I don't generally write about politics on this blog. After all, Gathered Chick was designed to encourage Christians in their faith, and perhaps engage those who haven't repented and put their whole faith in Christ (if that's you, check out this helpful video: www.sharetheumbrella.org).

However, I contend that what I'm about to share isn't a political issue as much as it's a moral issue. With the upcoming United States presidential elections occurring in a few short days, it's become more and more apparent to me that many Bible believing Christians have been duped into thinking that the issue of life and abortion is merely a political issue. Sure, they say they would never have an abortion, but who are they to tell someone else what to do with their body? I've been grieved to hear people comment that their choice for president doesn't impact the issue of life and the abortion rates in the U.S. Faithful Christians have said that since Roe v. Wade wasn't overturned under the Bush administration, it probably never will be.

I could go on and on with the disturbing things I've heard lately and give a sound rebuttal. But, it wouldn't be as sound as the compelling blog Randy Alcorn has recently written concerning the issue of life in the upcoming presidential election. Get a cup of coffee and prepare to take about 10 minutes to read his blog all the way through. Randy has successfully reminded us all why the issue of life is the most important issue for which we will ever vote.

Click here to read Randy Alcorn's blog: www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

Circumstances and Perspective - God's Perfect Work

2008-10-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

There is a saying amongst Christians that goes something like "God is rarely early, but He is never late." Usually, this axiom is uttered when someone has just been spared from a difficult circumstance, and not a moment too soon.

But, what about the Christian who has not seen God spare their loved one from death, or their home from repossession, or their marriage from divorce? What kind of comfort is it to them that God is rarely early, but never late?

Thankfully, that pithy saying is found no where in the Bible. Instead, the Bible is the very place where we learn that God's will included sending three men into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). What were Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah - usually referred to as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - thinking when they took that final step into what could have only been considered their certain death? If you were in their place, would you have had faith in your God? Or, like me, do you fear you would have lost that faith when the circumstances of your life went awry?

I am guilty of believing in God's goodness when life is going my way. When I'm well rested, have a full stomach, and am enjoying my surroundings, I can easily say that God is good. Unfortunately, I struggle when God has willed that I go without something I want. This way of thinking isn't right.

As Christians, we must learn to think Biblically and say with Moses, "His works are perfect, and all His ways are just" (Deuteronomy 32:3-4). In the same vein, we're called in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to be joyful, prayerful and thankful because this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus.

Let's stop looking at God through the perspective of our circumstances. Instead, let's work to look at our circumstances through God's perspective. We may not see God working as we wish, but we will see His perfect work in our lives.

God,
Thank You for all the blessings you bestow on us each day - for food, and rest, and beauty. Thank You that You do care for our needs. In those times when it appears all is lost, we trust You have a plan that is perfect and just. Please enable us to see our circumstances through the truth of Your word. Help us to be constantly joyful, prayerful and thankful knowing that as we do, we are fulfilling Your will for our lives. We love You, Lord. Thank You for loving us first.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

In what ways has God shown His perfect work to you personally? Click the comment button just under this post and share an example of how God is working in your life. Sometimes a circumstance we didn't want has come upon us, but there is often an unexpected blessing in the midst of the pain. Let's practice being joyful, prayerful and thankful by sharing an example of His perfect work in our lives.

Love - Worth Fighting For

2008-10-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave
May God send angels to guard the door
No, Love is not a fight
But its something worth fighting for
Love is Not a Fight by Warren Barfield
Listen to it at www.warrenbarfield.com

Last week I blogged about loving those who aren't easy to love. Since then I've seen the movie Fireproof where this concept was more fully explored. What happens when God puts you in a situation where the person who is supposed to love you the most, loves you the least?

In the case of the characters in this movie, their marriage is falling apart. The husband and wife function as roommates who no longer care to be in the presence of the other. They live their lives for themselves, with no thought of how their actions, dreams and plans affect the person they vowed to love "for as long as they both shall live."

Through a turn of events, the husband is encouraged to go against his feelings of dislike for his wife and do loving acts for her anyway. Eventually he realizes he is unable to do this in and of himself. The power of repentance and putting his faith in Christ is clearly shown.

Fireproof reminds the viewer that God is the only source of unconditional love. We cannot sustain love for a difficult person in our own strength. The only way someone is able to give love to an unlovable person is through the power of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every person when they repent and put their faith in Christ.

Go and see this powerful movie. Take your spouse. If you are single, take a friend. Definitely take some kleenex.

We can no longer ignore God's call for us to love unconditionally; no matter how we feel. There are concepts in this movie that can be borrowed and used when we need help to love. Because love is something worth fighting for.

God,
You are so faithful to us, even though we are often unfaithful to You (2 Timothy 2:13). You have called us to love - not because we feel like it and not in order to get others to like us. You call us to love in order to bring glory to You. Thank You for resources that help us live out what You command us to do in Your word, the Bible. Help us to fight against our feelings and live a life of love (Ephesians 5:2).
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Have you seen Fireproof yet? What did you think? Tell us - what was your big takeaway?

Love One Another

2008-09-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:34

Over and over in the Bible, we are commanded to love one another. Paul shares in his letter to the Romans that we are to be devoted to our fellow Christians in brotherly love (Romans 12:10). Jesus tells us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). An old praise song says, "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love" (John 13:35). The word "love" appears in the King James Version of the Bible 610 times. God wants us to love!

I recently heard someone say the Biblical requirement to love is repeated so many times because it can be so hard for us to do. If it was easy, we wouldn't need the constant reminder!

Barriers to love can be

our jealousy towards others
our own selfishness
the unloving actions of others
rejection by someone who should have loved us

So what do we do when we know we are to love someone, especially a fellow Christian, yet they give us little-to-no reason to carry out that command? What happens when we've gone out of our way to love someone, and they show no love in return?

Thankfully, God doesn't tell us to love someone in order to get them to love us. In fact, no where are we guaranteed the love of another human being just because we loved them first. We've got to continue to love, in spite of the return.

One tangible thing that has helped me when I've struggled to love is to pray for that person. I purposefully ask God to bless that person in greater ways than He blesses me. I specifically and deliberately ask God to give them all the good things I want for myself. Although this prayer feels painful at first, I always end up losing the hurt I feel - and I often find I have warm feelings towards them. Oh, it doesn't happen right away, but it always happens.

God,
Thank You for giving us tools to do what You command. Thank You for the gift of prayer. Thank You for the ability to love. Thank You that when we do what You ask, our feelings sometimes follow - making it easier to do what You want. I'm glad You're in charge. Thank You for the people You've chosen to put in my life. Please help me to be more and more loving to those around me.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

The command to love is important to God and needs to be important to us. What practical steps do you take when you need to love someone who is hard to love? Leave a comment and let us know!

This One's For You - Seed and Bread

2008-09-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

I recently read the below post on Beth Moore's blog. Beth's insights were so powerful and timely that I wanted to share them with you.

God, please bless each reader as they visit this site today. Give them encouragement and the strength to continue moving down the path You've put them on. Increase their faith and boldness for You. Help them to remember what You've done in the past, and increase their belief in You for the future.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries Blog
Monday, September 8, 2008
Seed and Bread

Just in case somebody could use the encouragement, I thought I'd pitch something out on the table that God ministered to me this morning then led me to share at staff prayer time. Maybe some of you are like us. We each have some long term prayer requests out there that we're still waiting for God to bring to wild fruition. Like you, we get tempted at times to give up on that thing ever coming to pass even though we were so sure it was God's will and had the support of His Word. Maybe we got what we thought was a vivid word from God about something but now we're confused. Sometimes we really do misinterpret what He said or what His Word promised and God graciously reveals that to us. Other times, however, we let impatience strangle our spirits and near-sightedness steal our vision. We lose sight of the fact that He's using time and subsequent events to bring the word to pass. His point to me recently has been that if I'd live in a greater present reality and awareness of all He's brought to fruition, I will be more patient and full of faith concerning what is still in process. The thing is, we're on to the next request before we've even gotten a chance to sit and savor how He answered the last. Maybe this is too much review for some but I'm one of those kinds of people who needs to constantly relearn things.

God's been reminding me of the powerful words of Isaiah 55:8-11.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

The part He's really been highlighting to me is the "seed for the sower and bread for the eater." Seeds: words we're planting and waiting on. Bread: words that have endured the test of time and the heat of the furnace and finally made it to our tables. Here's what occurred to me. At any given time, we have both: words from God we're still waiting on and words from God that have recently come to pass. Sometimes we're so focused on the seed that hasn't shown a harvest that we ignore the bread sitting right in front of us. We faint from sowing the seed because we're not eating the bread. Stop a minute. Consider what God has done. Marvel over how He's answered prayer and brought words to pass. Think about a crisis five years ago that doesn't even take up ink in your prayer journal anymore. Reflect on how many things God has taken from seed to bread in your life. Note it. Meditate on it. Don't drive through it. Dine on it. Slap some butter on that warm bread and savor a slow bite of it!

I don't know about you but sometimes I'm so busy pestering the seed that my bread is gets stale.

While you wait on that seed, eat that bread.

I love you,
Beth

Faithful

2008-09-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15

God abounds in love and faithfulness. He is gracious and compassionate. We know these attributes are true of Him, because “the Bible tells us so.” But, in our world where we’ve been conditioned to expect microwave-quick (and sometimes that’s too slow for me!), it’s easy to think God’s faithfulness has been delayed. We wait patiently for resolutions that are slow in coming, all while missing the areas in our lives where God has been quietly faithful. This blog, Gathered Chick, is a place where God has shown Himself quietly faithful to me.

When I began writing these weekly Gathered Chick blog posts almost 13 months ago, I was simply being obedient to what I felt God was calling me to do. One day early last year, I was complaining to God about the Christian blogs I regularly visited. "Lord," I said, "all these blogs are written by stay-at-home moms who brag about the cute things their children are doing, or the new house they're getting, or the neat trip they're taking. My life isn't like their lives. I'm just looking for a little encouragement when I visit."

God's answer was gentle but quick - He told me to start writing what I wanted to read. Shocked, I tried to ignore what I thought I'd heard, but it was unmistakable. God was asking me to stop dreaming about writing (something I was often doing) and use my desire and ability to encourage others. I agreed to start blogging and committed to writing one blog a week.

Amazingly, over a year - and 49 posts - has passed. Throughout this time, God has proven Himself more than faithful. As I look back, I see how the Lord has answered many of my prayers for Gathered Chick.

My initial prayers for the blog were, and continue to be, that I would write something worth reading. Hopefully God is answering that prayer. I recognize that my writing abilities aren't extraordinary, but God is always faithful to give me something to share here. Hopefully a Gathered Chick blog entry or two have encouraged you.

My next prayer was that God would send readers to this blog. Gathered Chick was visited by a faithful few at first - mostly relatives and close friends. In the last 15 days, Gathered Chick has been visited 79 times by people all over the world, including Canada, Norway, Great Britain, Cayman Islands and Croatia. Over the last year, we've had readers from 41 out of the 50 United States and visits from 16 other unique countries. I have no idea who these readers are, or why they’ve visited, but God has sent them.

Even though I didn’t pray for it, God knew I needed motivation to keep writing. I tend to give up on anything that doesn't offer instant gratification. Yet, I continue to press on as a member of the blogosphere. My desire to keep writing can only be from God.

I'm not sure what led you here, but God knows why you are reading this post. Just as He has shown Himself faithful through this little blog, God longs to show Himself faithful in your life, too. In the midst of your busy day, take a few moments to ask God to show you where He has been faithful in your life. If you can’t think of anything, ask Him to show you evidence of His unfailing love today. The Lord longs to be gracious to you (Isaiah 30:18).

Lord,
Thank You for being compassionate and gracious to us. Thank you for revealing evidences of your unfailing love and faithfulness to us. Please give us a fresh glimpse of Your work in our lives today. Reveal more of Yourself to us as we watch for You. And help us to remember to thank You when we’ve seen You revealed.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

How has God been faithful to You lately? Share with us - and tell us where you're located - by clicking on the comments button below. What an encouragement it will be for others to see how God is working in your life!

Questions and Answers

2008-08-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever asked God why He allowed something bad to happen in your life? Have you wondered why He didn't save you from unwanted circumstances, especially when you knew He could have?

If you have, you are in good company. Recently as I read my Bible, I came to see that two of Jesus' well-loved friends also asked these questions.

John 11 tells us about Mary, her sister, Martha, and their brother, Lazarus. Lazarus is sick, but when Jesus is told, He waits two days before going to see His sick friend. As Jesus finally arrives in the town where the siblings live, He learns his friend has died and was buried four days prior.

Mary and Martha know Jesus well enough to be certain that He could have saved their brother's life. When Martha is told that Jesus is coming, she goes out to meet Him on the road in to town. She greets Him by saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Later, Mary also goes out to see Jesus and says the exact same thing. These sisters clearly could not understand why Jesus didn't come when they wanted. They didn't understand why their powerful friend didn't keep their painful loss from happening.

Don't we sometimes feel the same as Mary and Martha? We know our God is loving and powerful, but we don't understand why He waits to show up and use His power to help us. We sometimes get so caught up in wondering why God wouldn't help us, that we don't "go out and meet Him" like Mary and Martha did. We, instead, choose to turn our backs on the One who seems to be causing us so much hurt.

But, just like Mary and Martha, we find that by telling God how we feel, He does two things for us. He weeps with us (Jesus wept) and He allows us to see the glory of God. Then He resurrects what was dead - either by giving us new dreams or reviving the one that has died.

Jesus never indicated that Mary and Martha were wrong to remind Him that He could have saved their brother - for He surely could have done so. But, He didn't give an answer to either sister. Instead of needing to know the answer to the whys, we need to recognize God's compassion for us and His ability to show His glory through our circumstances.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

Heavenly Father,
Thank You that Your timing is perfect. Sometimes we get so caught up in the happenings of this world, that we lose our eternal perspective. Remind us to share our feelings with You, knowing You care for us (1 Peter 5:7) and You have a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

God's Perfect Will

2008-08-26T17:00:00.001-07:00

I am in the midst of too-much-to-do-and-not-enough-time-to-do-it, but I didn't want this week to go by without some fresh encouragement at Gathered Chick.

A dear and trusted friend forwarded this devotional to me. I found it very helpful - I hope you do, too.

God's Perfect Will

Much of our Christian walk seems to involve searching for God's will. We
search for His perfect will for our job, home, school, church, and
relationships; and we're often frustrated because God seems silent
regarding the details of our life. But God is not silent! His Word
reveals much of His will, and a large portion of His will for our life
today is the same as for every past generation.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

We often gloss over such passages, thinking we already understand and ought
to search for "deeper" truths. But in God's plan for us to be "conformed
to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29) there is no greater challenge to
our faith. Do we really believe God is in control? Does our life - our
attitude - reflect this belief?

Our Heavenly Father desires us to live each moment with a thankful heart,
full of joy - regardless of our circumstances. Why? Because this reveals
our trust in a loving God. He wants us to continually commune with Him in
prayer and refuse to leave His presence to pursue concerns or pleasures of
the world. This portion of God's will has been clearly revealed!

Some are facing situations today which make following this portion of God's
will very difficult. They see absolutely no reason for rejoicing and can't
understand how God can be directing their path. How is it possible to
remain by His side when being pressed down from all directions and when the
pulls of the world seem relentless?

We must begin by viewing our life from an eternal perspective rather than
the temporary nature of the world; "The world and its desires pass away,
but the man who does the will of God lives forever" (1 John 2:17). All our
trials will soon be gone (do we really believe this?). God is in control
and, in the end, ALL will glorify His name; "In all things God works for
the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28). As we trust and love Him
with all our heart, He works ALL things for the good - no matter how bad
our situation may appear or how difficult it may be to understand His
plan. He IS in control! This level of trust is what Paul referred to as
"the secret of being content" (Philippians 4:12).

There are certainly times when God will give us very specific direction,
but perhaps He's waiting until we follow His general will for our
life. Let's come before Him today with a thankful and loving heart. Let's
enter His presence and refuse to be taken away by circumstances which will
soon fade. Let's trust Him without compromise and joyfully walk each step
by faith according to God's perfect will.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive08.htm

A Gathered Chick Tip - John Piper

2008-08-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for great resources that can help me grow as a Christian. As a result, I've enjoyed reading books by John Piper. They are well-written, practical and full of sound teaching and advice.

So, you can imagine how delighted I was when I found his resources online at his website - for FREE! I do not fully understand how John Piper makes this possible, but he does.

Having worked in the Christian bookstore industry for a number of years, it is refreshing to see someone who is truly interested in the spiritual growth of others. Unfortunately, many Christian authors cannot afford, or perhaps have not thought about how, to offer their resources for free.

Take some time today to check out John Piper's website: www.DesiringGod.org. There you'll be able to read John Piper's blog, download full versions of books and study guides, order resources, and more!

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Christian leaders who teach us how to love You and enjoy You more. Thank You for John Piper and Desiring God ministries. Help us to soak ourselves in Your word and Your truth. And help us to pass along to others what You impart to us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

To Confront or Not to Confront - That is the Question

2008-08-11T10:31:00.001-07:00

One of the toughest things we have to do on this earth is to learn to confront others. Such a fine line is walked when we have been wronged seriously enough to confront our offender. It is extremely easy to slip into sin when we are wronged. If we aren't very careful, our response can be more sinful than the original wrong done to us.

Some sinful ways of handling a wrong are so familiar, we've forgotten it's even sin. For instance, we can approach the situation by choosing to take our pride and hurt to everyone around, except the one who has wronged us. Or, we might choose not to confront, while never forgiving the offender, causing deep wounds in us that are slow to heal.

Over and over in Scripture we are given instructions on how to treat others. Proverbs 19:11 says, "a man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Yet Jesus tells us, "if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him." (Luke 17:3)

So which is it? Do we try to be "nice" to everyone and overlook sin? Or do we go out of our way to rebuke everyone we meet?

I think the key lies in Galatians 5:25, "...let us keep in step with the Spirit." We must constantly check with the Lord to see how He would have us handle the conflict in our lives.

This morning I sent a difficult letter to a woman who has owed me money for quite a while. (I had signed up for a conference that was canceled and never received a refund.) Last week when I asked the Lord what I should do regarding this situation, I clearly received the answer of, "Do Nothing." Over and over, I asked Him what He wanted me to do. Yet, I was to simply obey and "Do Nothing," trusting Him for the outcome. However, for the last two days, without even asking Him, I felt released to Do Something. I specifically asked the Lord this morning to please clarify what I was sensing. I believe I was not only released to reach out to her, but that I was to do so for the good of the kingdom of God. Interestingly, unlike last week when I was grieved not to respond to this wrong, I was grieved at now having to confront her.

While the outcome is unknown, God is growing me in this area of living Biblically. While the Bible does call us to love one another, for the sake of His great name and the holiness of His bride, the church, we are sometimes called by God to confront sin (Matthew 18:15-20). And sometimes we are called by God to "overlook an offense." No matter how I feel like responding, my job is to discuss it with God, faithfully following His Word and His leading.

Heavenly Father,
I'll admit that sometimes I just want formulas to follow, but in Your love and mercy You give us a relationship with You instead. Thank You for conflicts with others that remind us to talk with You about everything that is happening in our lives. Please help us to react to others according to Your Word and according to Your will. Please use us to further Your kingdom, knowing You will give us the strength we need to carry out everything You call us to do.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Redecorating.....Still

2008-08-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

Back in January, I shared that we hired a friend to help get our place looking a little better. (If you missed that post, click here.) Our dear Lucy has worked wonders. She showed us how to use what we already had to the best advantage, and she patiently taught us how to shop for the items that would look best in our little space. She gently pushed us to spend a little more than we planned, but, oh!, the end result is worth it.

For instance, our new Pier 1 closeout sale curtains not only make our living area look beautiful, but they have kept out the harsh summer sun - something our old curtain arrangement didn't do. When our DVD/CD dresser was falling apart, I never considered changing out the curtains. Now, I think this was one of the best investments we've ever made - otherwise we would have spent the majority of this summer in a mall or movie theatre just to get away from the glare and heat!

The redecorating isn't quite finished. We still have a few pictures to decide on and we're awaiting the arrival of our recovered "dumpster" chair; a great chair Lucy found near a dumpster on one of her travels.

However, unlike my home that will soon be "done," the interior redecorating of my mind will never be done. Our patient and loving God continues to reveal areas that need work. He uncovers thoughts that must be tweaked a little in order to line up with Scripture. He shows me thoughts that need to be thrown out completely. Sometimes He takes the time to tear a thought down to the bare bones so we can recover it completely with His Word - a little like our "dumpster" chair.

We are warned in Romans 12:2 to not conform any longer to the pattern of this world. That's because it is so easy to do! The world is all around us, pulling us to fulfill it's standard of success, or beauty, or happiness.

In order to withstand the powerful enticement of the world, we must constantly feed our mind with the Word of God. How do we practically do so? By reading the Word, meditating on it, memorizing and praying it. We must constantly look for ways to fill our minds with thoughts that glorify God. In fact, Colossians 3 says we should set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.

The world insidiously seeks to make its view, our view. This is becoming more and more evident in the Christian books I see for sale. Sadly, many churches are accepting - and teaching - that conforming to the world is a good thing. Jesus told us we are to be in the world, but not of the world (John 17:14-15). And, that starts with our mind.

How are your thoughts lining up with the Word of God? Do you get more information from People magazine or TV each day than you do from Scripture? Do you struggle with being content and grateful for what God has given you because you feel you should have more? Have you worked hard for the things the world says are important, only to find them dissatisfying in the end? (I'm speaking to myself, too, here!)

True satisfaction only comes from God. We must choose to make His thoughts, ours. Only then can we be assured of being in the center of His will"—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Heavenly Father,
Thank You, so very much, for giving us Your wonderful Word to direct us and transform us. Please help our forgetful minds to remember that Your transformation is better than anything the world has to offer. Enable us, and give us opportunities, to fill our minds with Your Word. Help us to never tire of hearing it and applying it to our lives, knowing that as we do, Your will is made known to us. Thank You, Lord.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Emergency Calls Only?

2008-07-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

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

RSS Subscription Feed

2008-07-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Chicks,
I'm having trouble with my RSS Subscription Feed, so I plan to take that feature down later tonight. If any of you subscribe using the RSS Feed, please let me know by contacting me at gatheredchick@gmail.com. I'll do my very best to find the solution as soon as possible.

Thanks!

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

Thank You, Lord

2008-07-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

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

If you'd like to subscribe to the Gathered Chick weekly posts, click on the "Subscribe to Gathered Chick" RSS feed icon in the upper right hand of this blog. I hope this post encouraged you in your walk with Christ. Thanks for reading!

The Dress

2008-06-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

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

If you'd like to subscribe to the Gathered Chick weekly posts, click on the "Subscribe to Gathered Chick" RSS feed icon in the upper right hand of this blog. I hope this post encouraged you in your walk with Christ. Thanks for reading!

God Alone Can Make Easters of Good Fridays

2008-06-23T17:26:00.001-07:00

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

Still Squeaking and Squishing

2008-06-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

I just heard Squeak-Squish walk through the complex on her way back from the pool. (Who on earth is Squeak-Squish? Click here to find out.)

The distinctive sound of her wet flip-flops meeting the pavement is part of the evening ritual around here. I have no idea what time she goes to the pool, but it appears she likes to stay as long as she can. If it's Squeak-Squish, it must be after 10 o'clock - the time the pool closes.

This woman's dedication to her evening swim is inspiring to me. I hear her faithfully going back and forth to the pool almost every night. It is clear that this activity is simply something she enjoys. She isn't going to the pool to get a tan and doesn't appear to be going for a swim in order to improve her appearance or fitness. I think she just likes to end her evening this way.

Not many people have the luxury of choosing to do something they want to do every day. Most of us struggle to get done only what is essential - and even much of that is often left undone.

Do you ever feel frustrated when your head hits the pillow at night?
The day was too short and your to-do list was too long?
Do so many tasks seem urgent that it becomes difficult to view the importance of each task with clarity?

Sometimes the way to get everything done is to do nothing. No, I don't mean that the way to handle your to-do list is to ignore it and go for a swim (although that sounds pretty nice on this warm evening.) The way to get everything done is found in Psalm 46. In verse 10 we are told, "Be still, and know that I am God."

In the frenzy of each day's activities, the last thing I usually feel like doing is being still. But, oh, how important it is to sit in God's presence and know that He is God. Slowing down our hearts and spending time to reflect on this truth can transform who we are, how we view our circumstances and what tasks remain on our to-do list.

Instead of being frustrated that I'm not accomplishing all I want, I'm going to let the squeaky-squishy sound of wet flip-flops remind me to meditate on who God is and the truth of His word. I hope you'll do it, too. It will be more refreshing for our souls than a cool swim on a warm summer evening.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being God and for revealing this truth to us through Your word, the Bible. Please remind us to still our hearts so we can spend time knowing who You are. Please continue to reveal to us Your holiness, justice and love, for Your glory and our good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Coincidence? I Think Not!

2008-06-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

My husband is a photographer by trade and has a special passion for landscape photography, so we've visited a number of National Parks lately. But of all the beautiful pictures he's taken recently, the picture above stands out as one of my favorites.

On a recent Saturday, my husband and I started the day in Jackson, Wyoming at a 5:30 am sunrise photo shoot of the Grand Tetons. This shoot was at the tail end of a wonderful trip to see our extended family in Montana. Because we love National Parks so much, we couldn't resist stopping at both Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons on our way home.

The sunrise that morning was truly beautiful, and the chilly 32 degrees didn't give us an opportunity to feel very tired. After catching every bit of good light we could get, we said goodbye to the Tetons and decided to head home - all the way home. It would mean over 1000 miles of straight driving. Our goal was to drive as far as we could for the rest of the day in hopes of making it home to sleep in our own bed. We knew it would be a long, uncomfortable day in the car, but we thought it was worth a try.

For the most part, our drive south went rather smoothly, except for a 30-minute unplanned detour near Salt Lake City and the anxiety of dodging furniture in the road outside of St. George, Utah. By the time we entered Las Vegas that evening, we felt it would be silly to stop and decided to try to make the additional four-hour drive home.

We knew we needed something to eat, especially since coming up was a long, lonely stretch of dark desert. Deciding an In-N-Out shake might make our last few hours a little more enjoyable, we pulled off the freeway. The crowded, but quickly moving, traffic on the freeway made us completely unprepared for the gridlock we encountered at the bottom of the off-ramp. Bumper-to-bumper cars warned us that In-N-Out wasn't going to be a quick stop. Not to be deterred from our ultimate goal, my husband deftly maneuvered our Subaru back onto the freeway. There wasn't any ice cream in the world that was worth this kind of delay.

We quickly realized that stopping in Las Vegas would put us too far behind to make it home before fatigue caught up with us. So, we decided we would make a stop for food in Primm, Nevada. We had eaten at a Carl's Jr. there on our way up north and figured the traffic would be lighter there.

We both felt like zombies as we pulled off the freeway in Primm. Not enough food and too much time in the car had wiped us out. So, you can imagine how startled I was when my husband shook me from my stupor by shouting, "Oh my GOODNESS!" My eyes were so blurry from being in the car so long that I couldn't quite comprehend what he was yelling about. All I could see were two people walking to their car. Two people who looked oddly familiar.

When I realized who I was seeing, I jumped out of the car before my husband fully stopped the vehicle just to verify what I saw - my Aunt Linda and Uncle Joe.

It took everyone a few minutes to stop hugging and get over our shock. We never, ever expected to see each other at a fast food restaurant so far from both our homes.

Even though we had all driven up north together, we all came home separately. Linda and Joe had planned to explore Zion National Park, as we zoomed south on I-15. We never even thought to check up on each other to see where the other was. We assumed they were in Zion, they assumed we were somewhere photographing landscapes and wildlife.

God is funny that way. I think He knew we were all exhausted from our long trip and that we would get a kick out of seeing each other.

By the way, Linda and Joe were this Carl's Jr.'s last customers that evening. We caught them just as they were walking to their car with their food. So, we all went to the still-open McDonald's next door. They ate their Carl's Jr. while we ate our McDonald's - laughing and so glad to see each other.

So, the picture above is pretty special to me. Of two people I love. Eating Carl's Jr. At a McDonald's. In Primm, Nevada.

Nahum 1:7 reminds us that God is good; He cares for those who trust in Him. Sometimes God's goodness is seen in a kind word, or a beautiful glimpse of nature. We can always see it in His Word, the Bible. And sometimes we see God's goodness and care in a McDonald's. In Primm, Nevada.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You SO much for Your goodness to us. Thanks for the fun surprises You sometimes allow our way. Thank You for this tangible reminder that You see and You care for those who trust in You. Open our eyes to see the good things that You are doing in our midst each day.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Memorial Day - Raising My Ebenezer

2008-05-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

“O Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Hymn, written by Robert Robinson in 1758.

I love this old hymn. However, for a long time I didn't understand what raising my Ebenezer meant in the second verse. In 1 Samuel 7:12, we see the common Old Testament practice of using a stone to memorialize God's provision. Samuel named this stone Ebenezer, literally "stone of help." This stone was to serve as a tangible reminder of God's help in the past - to help the Israelites trust God for His help in the future.

On this Memorial Day, what's your Ebenezer? What has God done for you that shouldn't be forgotten? On days when bills come due, I remember the time we received a check for exactly the amount we owed on a large bill. This helps me trust God to provide for our current needs.

I have a journal that I used to keep only my praises and thanks in - my Ebenezers. But, I haven't been good about keeping that journal current. On this Memorial Day, I want to be sure to memorialize God's goodness to me by committing to write in that journal more regularly.

I hope you'll consider starting an Ebenezer Journal, too. God is truly the fount of every blessing.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your goodness to us. Thank You for being a trustworthy God. Help us to remember the help You've given us in the past, so we can trust You in our present and future.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

The Bible - God's Word to Us

2008-05-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

I've just started a verse-by-verse study of the book of James in the New Testament. This book is full of practical encouragement and helps - even though it was written perhaps as early as A.D. 45.

You know, that's one of the things I love about the Bible. It was written over a period of 1500 years, on three continents, by over 40 writers, in three languages. But the Bible is cohesive and timeless. The Bible doesn't contradict itself - which is amazing because even I contradict myself. The Bible is very applicable to our lives today. This is not a coincidence.

The Bible is sometimes called "God's Word" and that's exactly what it is! God spoke through the authors and still speaks to us through the Bible today.

The Bible can be trusted. Just as God can be trusted. And what God says in His word is right and true. For instance, James 1:5 encourages Christians to ask for wisdom and to trust God to give it to them "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Do you need wisdom? Maybe you're like a young man I met earlier this week, wondering if the Bible was just written by a bunch of crazy guys. You want wisdom to know whether this is a book you should wholeheartedly follow or fully reject.

Talk to God about your thoughts and feelings. Ask Him to give you wisdom. Then watch for His answer. He still speaks to us today.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for promising to give Christians wisdom when we ask. We can sometimes believe in You but not believe Your word is fully true. Please reveal the truth of Your entire word to those who ask You. Thank You for loving us and for giving us the Bible.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Perfect Timing

2008-05-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

Last week my mentor asked me to read "The Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer, in addition to my regular homework. And am I glad she did! This may be the most important book I have ever read, other than the Bible.

I emailed her after reading the first six chapters (half of this little, but powerful, book) and shared, "I sobbed, journaled and am just catching a glimpse of what a real relationship with God is like."

Although Tozer wrote this book in the late 1940's, his writing is exceedingly relevant. One of the many pertinent topics that touched my heart was about God's eternalness.

God exists outside of time. He has always existed and will exist forever (Psalm 90:2, Revelation 1:8). He has no time limits (John 8:57-58).

Usually, after being reminded of this truth, I would shrug and say, "Yes, so?" But, not this time. After reading "The Pursuit of God," I have a better understanding and appreciation that God is eternal.

For instance, one of my "issues" is being freaked out about time; it seems to be constantly tapping me on the shoulder. I'll be 40 this year so my youth is almost officially gone (although I contend that you are only as old as you feel. Some days I feel 18 and some days I feel older than my 91-year-old grandmother.) I have no idea what I'll be doing in six months or even what the work of my hands is supposed to ultimately be. I'm not a mom yet. My inability to meet the world's timetable sometimes makes me feel ashamed and wonder if God cares.

As Tozer wrote, God "is eternal, which means that He antedates time and is wholly independent of it. Time began in Him and will end in Him. To it He pays no tribute and from it He suffers no change."

Yes - God is eternal. This is the hope and answer to all the worries I've stated above.

God isn't bound by some arbitrary time frame. As I seek Him, He will let me know what the work of my hands will be -- in His own time. As I trust Him, share with Him and listen for His guidance, direction and wisdom, I find that everything happens in His perfect timing.

In fact, God's eternalness also affects my daily task list. It is a lie to believe that I do not have time to accomplish what God has given me to do. God will help me get everything done He wants me to get done. Sometimes, that will be less than I think. And sometimes I sit in amazement over how quickly I am able to accomplish a task that should have taken much longer.

This isn't the "everything happens for a reason" mindset. This is following hard after God. Thinking about Him, asking Him what He wants, seeking Him moment by moment. And, as we do, we find that His timing is perfect.

God,
I thank You for being Eternal and praise You for being outside of time. Because of who You are and what You have done for me, I can rest in knowing that Your timing isn't just good, it is perfect.
Please speak to each of us this week about Your timing - for our lives and for our day.
In Jesus' precious name,
Amen

People Who Need People

2008-05-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit that I don't understand social networking -- of any sort. I want to be connected with people, not for what they can give me but out of genuine friendship.

The longer I live, however, the more I realize how important it is to invest in relationships. As much as I might want to, I don't live in a vacuum. I need people.

Oh sure, I can happily spend a week alone at home without speaking to another human being. But, too much me can be just that -- too much. Pretty soon I'm like the Dead Sea, always taking in but never giving back.

My church is on a campaign to get as many members as possible signed up on Facebook. My first reaction was, who has the time for that? I signed up on Facebook a few months ago and saw it as a complete waste of time, although it has given me the fun of reconnecting with some old college friends.

As if he read my mind, my pastor wrote a very interesting note called Why Facebook. I have to admit that I can't refute his reasoning to join this social networking forum. Read his note for yourself and let me know what you think.

In the meantime, I'll be working on using my Facebook account a little more actively. Because even if I'm home alone, it's good to be around friends.

Heavenly Father,
The only thing that will last for eternity after this life is You and other people. Thank You for giving us the privilege of being in relationship with others. Thank You for the encouragement, molding and refining that happens when we're with other people.
Please help us to be the kind of friend You want us to be.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Joyful for a Cold?

2008-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been sick. And it has been really frustrating because it has kept me from getting anything done. I had to ring a bell and hold up a note in order to accomplish even something as simple as getting a Popsicle.

Although I didn't want to be sick and didn't feel I had the time, my only choice was to surrender to the cold and let it have it's way with me.

Do you have any circumstances in your life that are demanding their way in your life? Try as hard as we might, we sometimes can't change what is happening to us and have to just go with it.

The Bible has some wonderful encouragement for us when life doesn't go our way. Psalm 33:11 says, "But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." That means that nothing happens to me that God hasn't allowed as part of His plan - not even a cold.

And, as Christians, any suffering we endure is used for God's glory and our good. In fact, we are instructed in James 1:2 to actually count suffering as JOY because of the way we can benefit if we are suffering for the right reason and praise God for it.

You might not have a cold today but something is probably not going the way you planned. Ask God to help you "count it all joy" knowing that He has allowed this into your life as part of His loving plan.

Heavenly Father,
Even though the world in which we live isn't perfect, and is even sometimes bad, I praise You for working the circumstances in my life for good (Romans 8:28). Please help me to remember that You've allowed whatever is happening in my life. Enable me to praise You in the midst of my trials and help me see Your joy and blessing fill my heart.
Thank You, Lord, for what You are doing in my life.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2008-04-07T16:54:00.001-07:00

I saw this adorable video on Patsy Clairmont's blog and just had to share it.

I love that this child knows all the words - not a mumbled "watermelon" to be heard. (If you've never been in choir, "watermelon" is what you sing if you can't remember the words. Doesn't work with a solo, though.)

Every Gathered Chick should know these words, too. Many people claim they can't memorize Bible verses but almost everyone on the planet can sing the theme to "Gilligan's Island." If you have trouble memorizing scripture, try finding it in song form or make up a tune of your own. Psalm 100 reminds us to "make a joyful noise" so don't worry if you don't sing well, it just matters that you do it. Think about little Zoei - she didn't care how she sounded. She just sang with her whole heart. That's what we should do, too!!

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for little Zoei's reminder that we can memorize scripture and we don't have to have a good voice to sing to You. Thank You for giving us the Lord's Prayer. Please help us as we live for You. Thank You that, as Gathered Chicks, we can call you "our Father."
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Overcoming Fear - a vulnerable post

2008-03-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

Why is it that as we get older, life feels scarier? Maybe I'm just speaking for myself.

I was probably more cautious than your average child but I was willing to do things back then that I would never do today.

I spent many happy hours riding my bike as a teenager. I explored Victorian neighborhoods and enjoyed the wind in my face. All in the days before bike helmets.

I willingly got on an airplane with excited thoughts of where I would travel and what I would see.

I looked forward to riding roller coasters!

Today my bike hangs forlornly in my garage. The thought of getting into an airplane literally makes me want to cry. And the last thrill ride I rode will probably be just that - my last.

My fears easily overcome me because I don't want to overcome them.

I don't want to get over my fear of flying because it would mean doing the exact thing that scares me so much. I see no reason to become friends with my bike because I can view a cute neighborhood from my car just fine. And why would I ever need to ride a roller coaster?

I may get through life just fine without ever riding a bike or an airplane or a roller coaster again. But I do need to live according to Jesus' teaching in John 14:27. He said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (italics mine).

Whether I like it or not, I need to overcome my fears.

In her book, Having a Mary Spirit, Joanna Weaver gives some wonderfully practical suggestions to help overcome thoughts of fear or worry. One suggestion is to "add Dear Jesus to your fear and turn it into a prayer." Although this is an obvious piece of advice for a Christian, I have to admit that I haven't prayed much about these fears. Because, again, I don't want to overcome them.

My husband is flying tomorrow and I don't want him to go. But I know it would be out of God's will for him to avoid this trip. Would you pray that I give God my fears and not allow the fear to control me? Let me know your fears so I can encourage you to not let your heart be troubled, too.

Dear Jesus,
I'm afraid of bike riding, and airplanes and scary rides. Would You please help me overcome my fears so I can live according to Your command to not let my heart be troubled or afraid? I want to obey You. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to live inside me so I can live for You. And, thank You for Your peace.
In Your precious name,
Amen

I've Got Nothing

2008-03-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

I've been known to use the phrase I've got nothing on occasion. Sometimes it is in response to not having the answer to a question. Sometimes it is in response to the cards I feel life has dealt me. Sometimes it is in response to something greater.

Last week I shared that I've been thinking about the cross. Not about the resurrection, but about the cross - what it means, how I was involved, and how it changes me. As I reflected on what Jesus' sacrifice really means, I am brought to the realization that I've got nothing. I really don't have anything to offer God in terms of making myself right with Him. God's righteous standard is far above anything I could ever attain. Even the little good that I have to offer is fathoms below God's goodness.

I've seen a few "man on the street" videos lately where a passerby is asked if they know for sure they'll go to heaven and how to get there. A startling majority stated that the way to get to heaven is to do good things. "Be nice to people." "Don't hurt others." "Be a good person."

But if everyone is being good, how does one explain the way people drive? Driving is the one place where I'm not shy to say what I think about my fellow travelers. This knocks me out of the running for being "a good person." And, I'm pretty sure none of them are going out of their way to "be nice" to me. If someone wants to be nice to me on the freeway, then why isn't there more room between me and the car behind me?

As for "don't hurt others," I feel wounded sometimes by what others unintentionally don't do for me. "Why didn't she email me?" "Why didn't he appreciate me?" How can I meet the standard of not hurting others when one friend might perceive my actions to be kind while another might feel hurt by me for the same act?

It's a confusing world and there are few things on which I have clarity. But, one thing I know for sure: I've got nothing when it comes to being good enough to get to heaven on my own merits.

Jesus, thank You for the cross. Thank You for providing the way for us to be reconciled to our holy and righteous Creator. Thank You for pouring out Your life so I didn't have to try to meet my own standards (as if I could). Because I've got nothing, I live for you. Thank You, Lord.
In Your holy name,
Amen

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The Cross

2008-03-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God,
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down,
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o'er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - Isaac Watts (1707)

During most Easter weeks, I focus on the resurrection of Christ. Because that's the happy ending that I like. I get to dress up, decorate, eat brightly colored candy and enjoy gorgeous spring arrangements.

But this year, I'm going to focus on the cross. Because I need to. Because without the cross we don't get the resurrection. None of the happy ending happens without the drama of the cross.

John Stott says it so well in his classic "The Cross of Christ:
"...whether we like it or not, we are involved. Our sins put him there. So, far from offering us flattery, the cross undermines our self-righteousness. We can stand before it only with a bowed head and a broken spirit. And there we remain until the Lord Jesus speaks to our hearts his word of pardon and acceptance, and we, gripped by his love and full of thankgiving, go out into the world to live our lives in his service."

I'm going to focus on the cross this week because, as Stott put it, I am involved. I pray that we would each see how our sins put Christ on the cross and that we would all, gripped by His love, hear His word of pardon and acceptance.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the cross. Please give me the ability to truly, humbly see my sin for what it is. Give me a bowed head and broken spirit so that I can better understand the meaning of the cross. Grip me by Your love and fill me with thanksgiving so I can live my life in Your service.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Starting a Fire From Lemon Seeds

2008-03-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of fire - shall we say - mishaps.

The first happened because I had a confidential document for my former boss that I couldn't just throw away. Not owning a shredder, I'd had to tear up this ever-changing document into tiny pieces when I needed to dispose of it. One day, it occurred to me that it would be faster just to burn the document in the kitchen sink. It sounded safe to me - and easy. (I wonder how many houses have burned to the ground after such a thought.)

I lit the corner of the paper, amazed at how quickly the flame grew. I realized that it wouldn't take much to catch the window valance over my kitchen sink on fire. After a moment of sheer terror, I realized I could put the growing fire out by just turning on the water.

As I recovered from being scared half to death, I realized that our home smelled like a camp fire. And it continued to smell this way for days. Although it was very chilly outside, we kept the windows open, hoping that the smell would dissipate. Which eventually it did.

My next fire scare came a few weeks later after I had burned popcorn in our microwave. That smell lingered longer than the burned document smell. After a few days of saying "eeeeewwww!" every time we used the microwave, I decided to look on the Internet for a cure. I read a number of recommendations that microwaving lemon juice or vinegar until it evaporates will take care of the smell. My husband detests the smell of vinegar so I opted for the alternative.

I squeezed out all the juice from half a lemon into a Pyrex measuring cup. When the seeds dropped into the cup, I decided to leave them in there, actually - consciously - thinking that perhaps the seeds would help the smell in the same way lemon rind can give off a nice aroma.

I started the microwave and set the timer for five minutes after which it appeared that none of the juice had evaporated. So I set the timer for another fifteen minutes and left the room to answer some emails. I had all but forgotten about the microwave when I heard a strange buzzing sound. At first, I thought it was coming from a car outside but I quickly realized that the sound was coming from the kitchen. As I entered the kitchen doorway, I saw flames shooting up from the Pyrex cup. Thoughts of "my husband's not home" and "wow, that is a huge flame" and "Jesus, Save Me!" all ran through my head. I didn't know what to do but had to do something so I opened the door of the microwave and thankfully the flame died down. It was (somewhat) safe enough to pull the cup from the microwave so I grabbed a potholder and directed the cup under the faucet where I ran the water to put out the remaining fire. After seeing that the inside of the microwave had melted from the flame, I pulled the plug to the microwave. This new smell was actually worse than before. And, I had successfully killed the microwave. And the Pyrex cup.

Let me tell you, when you see a flame that isn't under control, you think about your life.

Both of my fire mishaps were caused by stupidity on my part, but my life isn't ultimately under my control. I could be on earth for another 40 - 50 years or I could light something else on fire this afternoon.

Because I belong to God, I'm okay either way. Knowing that it was God who kept me safe from the microwave fire, made me fall to my knees and weep at His goodness to me. I could have easily been in the bathroom when the fire started and would never have known what happened - but I was alerted to the noise in the kitchen. The flame in the microwave might have become greater by opening the microwave door thereby catching the above cabinets on fire - but the oxygen from the room didn't make the fire increase at all.

God has determined the time set for me and the exact places where I will live (Acts 17:26). And He has done the same for you. Your life isn't random. The very next verse in Acts tells us why: God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

God is near. Even when you start a fire with lemon seeds.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for caring about my life. Thank you for determining the length of my life and the exact places where I will live. I'm so glad that our lives have a purpose. Please make my life a blessing to You and to others for Your glory.
In Jesus' Precious Name,
Amen

Peace - Worth A Fight

2008-03-03T23:16:00.000-08:00

ANNE: I can't eat. I can never eat when I'm in the depths of despair.

MARILLA: The depths of despair?

ANNE: Can you eat when you're that way?

MARILLA: I've never been that way.

ANNE: Can't you even imagine you're in the depths of despair?

MARILLA: No, I can not. To despair is to turn your back on God.

From the movie "Anne of Green Gables"

Poor Anne Shirley. She is in the "depths of despair" because she has learned that Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert wanted a boy, which Anne is most certainly not.

Every time I watch "Anne of Green Gables" Marilla's reply to Anne moves me. Perhaps it is because when I've been tempted to despair, I haven't considered that my doing so truly involves turning my back on God. Interestingly, when I make a cannonball dive for despair it is because I think God has turned His back on me.

When convincing myself to despair, my self-talk goes something like this: If God loves me, then He would (fill in the blank of what He would do or fix here).

Sometimes my self-talk sounds like Anne, herself: "Mrs. Hammond told me that God made my hair red on purpose, and I've never cared for him since."

Emotions about what I want God to do can be dangerous. When I focus on the God of the universe in this way, I have relegated Him to having the unfavorable position of simply being my cosmic vending machine. Instead of a relationship, I receive things that I want. Instead of a Savior, I run the show by telling God how situations are going to turn out.

Since no amount of wishing will ever put me in charge, when those emotions of despair come, watch out! Unlike Anne, I can eat when I'm in the depths of despair.

Since despair and an incorrect perception of God isn't in my best interest, what's the antidote? In short, it comes from being anxious about nothing, praying about everything and fighting against the enemy of despair by carefully monitoring what I think (Philippians 4:6-9).

Anything that pulls my heart in two different directions is a reminder that I should talk to God about it. And, in my case, that means I do a lot of talking to God. After I share the situation and my feelings with Him, I ask Him to take care of the situation and tell Him that I trust Him for the outcome. Peace inexplicably floods my heart when I pray about my emotions and focus on aligning my thoughts with what is true and lovely.

Simple yet profound. That's the Christian experience in a nutshell.

If you'd like more information on these concepts, please click here to view Jon Benzinger's teaching at Compass Bible Church last weekend called Unimaginable Peace. Jon did a fantastic job of reminding us that we must war against despair as if it is a lion coming to kill us. After all, isn't peace worth a fight?

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for giving us, through Your divine power, all we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of You who called us by Your own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3). We love You, Lord, and are willing to fight for peace by ruling our emotions rather than letting them rule us. Thank You for never turning Your back on Your children.
Because of Jesus and In His name,
Amen

There's My Noise

2008-02-25T15:48:00.000-08:00

It is strange the way my memory works. I can remember with complete clarity what happened at certain times in my childhood, but I often can't remember what my husband just said to me. Maybe it's because I was paying better attention when I was two. Maybe it's because I wasn't on information overload when I was two.

I distinctly remember waking up one morning when I was really little. I recall thinking that Mommy would be pleased if I dressed myself. So I pulled on a little pair of pants and (I think) a little turtleneck. Maybe it wasn't a turtleneck but I do remember the little pants; I think they might have been red corduroy.

I marched out of my room and past the stereo cabinet in the living room. I remember walking beside the stereo and thinking how tall it was. My parent's stereo is a large piece of furniture; it's probably three feet high and five feet long. Since I'm five feet, six inches now, this was a long time ago.

When I got to the kitchen, I saw my mom hanging laundry outside the french doors of the apartment we rented until I was about three years old. I climbed up into my high chair and I think I was given a bowl of cereal for breakfast. At some point during the morning, Mommy and I went outside again so she could hang up more laundry. I remember hearing a plane go by and thinking that I would remember that moment for the rest of my life.

And, so far, it seems that I have.

I used to hear the noise of a plane overhead and instantly remember the details of that morning. Now, I also think of something a little more significant. Every time I hear that noise, I feel like God is saying "I love you!" This is my special reminder to thank Him for His love for me. It always makes me feel happy to hear it.

Do you have any special reminders of God's love? God has put reminders all around us. The sound of birds singing, the scent of flowers in the breeze, and the sound of a laughing child can help us remember that God is and that He is loving.

Ask God to give you a reminder of His love today. He's full of creative ways to show His love.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for loving me personally and for showing me tangible evidence of Your love for me. Please help me to pay attention to the ways You declare Your love. I want to know You more and love You better.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

The Nightingale's Song

2008-02-18T22:56:00.000-08:00

It's almost 10:30 pm and I'm tired. But I can't sleep.

Each night for the last couple of weeks, we've had a neighborhood bird sing at the top of his lungs. For hours on end.

Once I'm asleep I don't hear him. But getting to sleep can sometimes be a little difficult. This nightingale sings with such exuberance and volume that he can't help but be heard.

I could sit here and be irritated by the noise. But, I'm not. I'm actually strangely convicted by it. This bird reminds me of the passage we studied in church last weekend - Psalm 100.

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

My neighborhood nightingale knows something he wants everyone to know. Whatever it is, he can't help but sing about it at the top of his lungs. And he can't stop singing about it.

His singing convicts me because I've got an awesome God that everyone should know so I, too, should be shouting for joy. I should come before God with a joyful song and a glad heart.

Now I realize, this nightingale may just be fending off potential prey. But, a song of praise can also fend off the potential prey in my life, too. Prey like despair and discouragement.

When I stop for even a moment to give God praise and thanks, I'm taking my mind off my earthly situation and setting my mind on heavenly things. Things like, God made me, I am His, He is good, His love endures forever. And the more I set my mind on these things, the more I want to sing and make a racket that others can hear.

When is the last time that you stopped to think that "the Lord, He is God?" Take a moment to think about Him now. I'll bet you won't be able to stop singing either.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being the Creator. I'm so glad that I can learn more about You by just watching Your creation. Thank You for this nightingale. Please remind me to be exuberant in my praise and to keep a song in my heart because of Your goodness to me.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Make a Decision

2008-02-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

I recently took a personality-type test that showed I tend to take a long time to make a decision. For anyone who knows me, a test wasn't necessary because this characteristic (character flaw?) can be easily recognized.

For instance, I wasn't sure about marrying my husband until I actually said the words, "I do." Anyone who was at our wedding remembers that I actually took a while to say the words during the ceremony. (Turns out, he was the best decision I ever made.) I took forever to decide to lose weight because I felt convinced it was not a financially smart thing to do (new clothes would be necessary, after all). I have spent the last six weeks trying to decide whether or not to purchase a certain piece of furniture. I spent years deciding if I should pursue writing as more than a little hobby. In case you've wondered, I've decided to pursue it but haven't decided to spend the necessary time needed to actually write.

I can be paralyzed by decisions. I am cautious by nature. My motto has always been that 'a fool and her money are soon parted.' I'm realizing that my new motto should be 'a fool and her time are soon parted.'

I've officially been out of the full-time working world for six weeks. And I have very little to show for it. Oh, I have excuses like working 30 hours to 15 hours a week to help my previous boss transition to her new business. I've another excuse - we've had a death in our family. But nothing has taken up enough time to account for all the tasks I've still not accomplished.

Indecision keeps me from getting things done. What holds you back?

If you are a child of God (gathered chick), then you've been given jobs to do. Some of my jobs aren't being done as well as they should/could be because of the time I spend on research.

Let's ask God to help us make the most of our time and not allow perfectionism, or fear, or indecisiveness to keep us from accomplishing our jobs for Him.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for helping us in our weakness (Romans 8:26). Please help us to let go of whatever keeps us from accomplishing the jobs You've given us. Remind us to pray about everything (I Thessalonians 5:17) and to make the best decision we can in the time we have, knowing that You give wisdom generously (James 1:5) when we ask for it. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12), for Your glory and our good.
In Jesus' name,
Amen

Redecorating

2008-01-28T16:48:00.000-08:00

The interior decorator just left.

The fact that I even had an interior decorator come to my home is monumental. I am not a gal who easily parts with her money.

In fact, I really dislike shopping. The only store where you'll ever find me making an impulse buy is a book store. I can justify buying a book but I have a hard time justifying almost any other purchase.

So, what did the interior decorator say? She said I was going to have to do some shopping, be willing to part with some money and become open to making some changes. I don't want to do any of these things. But I cannot allow our home to stay the way it is.

We could live with things the way they were before. Our home didn't look like a model, but then again, I don't either. I used to be able to blame the look of our home on being a newlywed but I've been married now for fifteen years.

The turning point came when the dresser drawer where we kept our CDs and DVDs kept bottoming out and we realized we couldn't leave the media in the dresser. One conversation started another until we recognized that the neglect of our home decor was forcing us to make some changes in order to have our home be something other than an embarrassment.

Sadly, my home isn't the only area of life where this scenario has played out. It has played out with my weight (and the beat goes on...), with my career and even with my mind.

God has been been tapping my shoulder lately and asking me to redecorate my real interior. To become the woman with a quiet and gentle spirit in I Peter 3:4, I need to start thinking some new thoughts. I've had to evaluate my current thought patterns, invest time and effort into creating new thought patterns and go through the uncomfortable experience of dealing with constant change. After all, my old thought patterns were comfortable, that's why I kept them. But, my old thought patterns were full of worry, fear and selfishness - not the traits of a quiet and gentle spirit.

So, I'm working to wallpaper my mind with the thoughts of Philippians 4:8. As often as I catch myself with the Holy Spirit's help, I ask - is this thought true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy? If it's not, out it goes. Then, I try to fill the empty space with a thought that reflects a quiet and gentle spirit.

In theory, this is easier than working with an interior decorator. But, in reality it is hard work. I can't afford to have an unfiltered thought. I have to evaluate each thought that comes into my head - just like I need to evaluate some of the pieces in my home. I hold each one up to the standard and if it doesn't fit, out it goes.

What is your experience with redecorating - either home or mind? Share your tips and let us know what has worked and what hasn't. We all need an expert to help us out - whether it is a professional decorator or someone who has just experienced what we're going through.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for being the expert. Thanks for giving us Your word and for Your Spirit's help to follow what it says. Please keep nudging me where I need to change and enable me to make the changes that need to be made. In Jesus' Name, Amen

Unexpected - 2008 so far...

2008-01-20T17:53:00.000-08:00

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:14-15

How is 2008 going so far for you? Did you make any New Year resolutions -- and have you been able to keep them? Is this year going as you anticipated?

We are almost a full three weeks into the new year and I can tell you that 2008 hasn't been what I expected.

My husband's beloved grandmother passed away yesterday morning (01/20/07). I just saw her on Thanksgiving day and never expected to lose her so quickly.

I haven't had time to accomplish some tasks I specifically wanted to do this month. I expected to have plenty of free time to get these projects finished. Instead, I am barely able to keep up with the urgent priorities of my life.

I anticipated that I would continue my practice of blogging every Monday. As you can see, this is my first post of 2008 - twenty-one days into the month.

I have a feeling that you could list just as many surprises for 2008 as I can.

But, none of these unmet expectations, in my life or yours, are surprising to God.

He knew before the creation of the world that Merlene's life in heaven would begin yesterday. He knew that I still wouldn't have cleaned out my files or sorted through my books. He knows how many times I will get a chance to blog this year.

After recovering from the shock of being reminded, once again, that I am not in charge of my life, I remember that God is. When I get my expectations out of the way, He is free to work His will in my life in ways that will astound me and glorify Him.

How has 2008 surprised you? How has God reminded of you that He is ultimately in charge of your life? Feel free to leave a comment to tell me how you've encountered the unexpected this year and leave a prayer request so I and other readers can pray for you.

Heavenly Father,
I'm glad that You are really in charge of my life because You do a much better job than I ever could. Your word says that You have good plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11) and I ask that You would remind me that even suffering is sometimes part of the good plan You have for me. Thank you for all You are doing in my life.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

2008

2007-12-31T11:12:00.001-08:00

If you, my friend, are reading this blog, I want you to know how much I appreciate you. God always surprises me with a new weekly topic to share. There is no end to His goodness and I can't wait to see what subjects He brings to write about here on the Gathered Chick blog in 2008.

Although this is a weekly blog, I've started another blog that will be updated more frequently to share the new adventure I'll be embarking on in 2008. Called My Writing Adventure, it will chronicle my attempt to write a book and keep my sanity while my husband and I work from home together for the next few weeks or months. Please visit often as I would love to share this adventure with you.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your goodness to us. I ask that Your face would shine upon each reader of this blog and give them peace. Bless them and keep them and their loved ones safe during this New Year season. You are so good and I ask that You would satisfy us fully with Your unfailing love. Help us to love You more and more in the coming new year. Give us eyes to see tangible evidences of Your unfailing love for us.
In Jesus' precious name,
Amen

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Trust In the Lord

2007-12-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

This Scripture passage has meant a great deal to me in the last few weeks. I've been facing what has appeared to be an impossible situation and have spent quite a bit of time talking to God about it. In answer to my prayers I frequently find the words of this verse flitting through my soul.

I wonder if Mary, the mother of Jesus, had the same experience. After all, her situation surely seemed impossible - pregnant... never having been with a man... seeing an angel... believing in the promise of God. Did these verses from the book of Proverbs come to comfort her soul as well?

I'm sure she was afraid but Scripture tells us she chose to trust. We find evidence of this trust in her beautiful song of praise known as The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).

Even when our own understanding causes us to believe circumstances are bleak, we can choose to trust in the Lord with all our hearts knowing that He has promised to make our paths straight. Just as He did with Mary.

Heavenly Father,
My Spirit rejoices in God my Savior - just as Mary's did so long ago. Thank You for Your promises of hope, love and truth. No matter what my understanding of a situation may be, please remind me to choose to trust and sing a song of praise during this busy Christmas season.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

What Can I Give Him?

2007-12-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

I actually caught myself saying it yesterday.

To my credit, I am experiencing a lot of shifting sand these days. Few of my plans seem firm, let alone permanent. I am more than ready to get on with things and move forward towards whatever is next.

But, to actually say that I am ready for Christmas to be over!?!?!

It was a mouth-covering, Linus-wondering-if-the-Great-Pumpkin-heard-him moment.

Because, Christmas is the best time of year from every perspective. From shifting sand or firm rock, Emmanuel, God With Us, is come. And, I honestly cannot think of anything better.

When you give the birth of Christ the "It's a Wonderful Life" treatment, things look pretty grim for a Gentile gal like me. What would my life be like in 2007 if Jesus had never come?

I don't like the sight of blood, so bringing a sweet little animal to pay for my sins would be a very tough sacrifice. And, because I'm not of Jewish heritage - not even close - would I even have known to convert to Judaism? Would they have even let me in?

What would my life be like without knowing that if God is for me, who can be against me (Romans 8:31)? How could I handle a crisis without praying to my Heavenly Father? Where could I turn for guidance if the Holy Spirit wasn't living in me (John 14:16)?

Christmas might cost me some money and cause me to be busier than usual, but isn't it a good thing to show your friends and loved ones what they mean to you with a gift -- or your presence?

Obviously, my line of thinking hasn't been going down the right path. Because if it was, I would be thinking about one thing: What can I give Him who has done so much for me?

I read recently that if you ask God this question, He will answer you.

So, Lord, what can I give You this Christmas season? I want to serve You and love You more and more. Thank you for sending Jesus, Your perfect Son to this earth to experience cold and heat, light and darkness, and even love and hate, in the same way I experience these things. I love You, Lord. Show me Yourself in a new and wonderful way this Christmas season. And, please show me what I can give to You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"What can I give Him,Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give Him a lamb.
If I were a wise man,I would do my part.
But what can I give Him --I give Him my heart. "
Christina G. Rosetti

A Verse for Gathered Chicks to Live By...

2007-12-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 4:26
Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your loving care for us. Thank You for caring about the paths we take. For those of us who are determining the way we should go, thank You for giving us wisdom through Your word and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We love You, Lord.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Season of Peace

2007-11-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

Temperatures are finally dropping here in Southern California, reminding me that it isn't summer any more. The Weather Channel's website tells me it is probably in the mid-60s right now and that we can expect our heater to kick on sometime during the night.

The lights that have been on people's houses since just after Halloween (what!?!?) also tell me that we are entering a new season. Now that we've had a day to give our thanks, we enter a season of giving and getting.

For many this is a season of another kind. It's a season that brings disappointment. There is no way Christmas can live up to everything the media tells us it should be. The tree won't stay green long enough, the food doesn't satisfy as much as we thought it would and the toys don't turn out to be what we really wanted after all.

Christmas isn't the only time when this can happen. The world and the media tell us about a lot of standards that we need to adhere to, and the fight to attain it all can often leave us feeling empty.

What happens when we try to live up to a standard that has been set for us only to realize that we've been set up? Is there any way to avoid the disappointment?

I think the prophet Isaiah has the prescription we need:
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast,because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

The way to peace isn't easy but it is simple. By keeping our minds steadfast and trusting in God, we then find peace. Author and speaker Beth Moore teaches that peace always comes with Christ's authority. Whenever something sticks out from under the "umbrella" of the authority of Christ, that is when we get "wigged out" (For more information, see "Living Beyond Yourself" by Beth Moore.).

Every year my husband's grandmother would give the same answer when asked what she wanted for Christmas. She would say, "Peace. Just give me peace." I'm sure the way she conveyed it was very cute but I think that would be the deep heart cry of many of us. I could use some peace, how about you?

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for promising to give us Your perfect peace when we keep our minds steadfast and trust in You. There is no one else I'd rather trust. Help me to keep my mind steadfast and to truly live that out moment by moment, especially during this next season of my life.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Thank You

2007-11-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

"No, ma'am."
"Yes, sir."
"I'm sorry."
"Please."
"Thank you."

These are some of the first words we learn from our parents. These are the phrases of common courtesy.

We are told that the special word is "please." We are asked to say we're "sorry" when we have hurt someone. We are instructed to treat others with respect and kindness. We are taught to say "thank you" when someone has done something nice for us.

It is interesting to me that we start our holiday season each year with a day of thankfulness at least a month before the day when we are all showered with gifts.

And, we'd better find something to be thankful for or we'll have all the holiday spirit snatched from us before December 5th. The rushing, the pressure, the food, the expense. There is no way to do it all and make everyone happy.

Maybe that's what makes Thanksgiving the true holiday gift. A day to enjoy friends and family and good food. A day that begins a season of glorious music, beautiful lights and special moments. Thanksgiving doesn't require weeks of shopping and gift wrapping. It doesn't demand that we spend hours decorating. And it doesn't usually break the budget.

Thanksgiving was set aside as a day to be thankful for what we've received. Let's make the time to sit and think or even write out how God has been good to us. Let us move into the season of celebrating Christ's birth with the peace we find in the presence of the One who gives us so much for which to be thankful.

And, let me start by saying to you, my fellow Gathered Chick, that I am thankful for you. Thank you for allowing me to encourage you even a little bit by reading this blog. I am praying that this Thanksgiving will be the most special one for you yet, not because of the menu or the company, but because you and I will truly be grateful to our Lord for all He has done for us.

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your goodness to us. Even if this has been a year filled with loss or disappointment, we know that Your compassion for us will never fail (Lamentations 3:22). Thank You for Your Word. Thank You that we can come to You at any time in prayer and You hear us (1 John 5:14). Please remind us of ways You've blessed us that we may have even forgotten. And encourage us to write down Your goodness to us so we'll never forget.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Mentors

2007-11-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to work through a pretty big decision in my own life and I came across a quote from Lisa Whelchel that has really made me think. She said, "One thing that has helped me in the past when I've had to make a difficult decision is to remove both money and fear from the equation. For me, those two things often deceptively attract or falsely repel from God's will for my life."

Wow! My whole decision making process usually hinges on those two things - fear and money. I find this to be a profound thought and one that I'll be talking to God about a lot over the next days and weeks.

The reason I found Lisa's quote is because I consider her to be a mentor to me. She's a cyber-mentor but a mentor nonetheless. If you Google Lisa Whelchel you'll recognize her as Blair from the Facts of Life. I wasn't a big fan of Blair but I have been a big fan of Lisa and how she lives out her faith. During a really difficult time in my life, I visited her website first thing in the morning to read her daily posts about her "Family Dream Trip." It encouraged me and gave me hope and insight as she shared her life.

Do you have any mentors, cyber or otherwise? Let me encourage you to start building those relationships - even with godly women who you might never meet this side of heaven. You never know how God might touch your life through their wisdom.

Here are some of my favorite cyber-mentors:
Lisa Whelchel - www.lisawhelchel.com
Beth Moore - www.lproof.org
Liz Curtis Higgs - www.lizcurtishiggs.com
Mary Whelchel - www.christianworkingwoman.org
Stormie Omartian - www.stormieomartian.com

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Father God,
Thank You for sisters in Christ. Thank You for providing counsel and wisdom from people with whom we may never have in-person contact. Thank You for the many ways You work in our lives, for Your guidance, and for making us a part of the family of God. You are full of goodness and wisdom and we love you.
In Jesus' name,
Amen

Peaks and Valleys

2007-10-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

I had an epiphany yesterday.

Then I had a breakdown today.

Yesterday, I felt God's strength well up in me so mightily that I could truly say, "If God be for me, who can be against me?" I believed wholeheartedly that my God is a good God and whatever He wanted in my life was fine by me. My uncertain future was His to direct and I was excited about what He might have in store.

But, today I started to better understand all that could go wrong and how things will probably not turn out as I'd like. Instead of being strong and courageous, I was fearful and discouraged. I fretted, I cried (don't worry - I'm a crier), I came unglued.

As I slowly recover from my emotional collapse, I realize that everything I knew to be true yesterday is still true today. My God is still a good God. My future really is His to direct. And frankly, He can see a lot further ahead than I can.

Maybe you're not as full of faith as I was yesterday, but maybe you also haven't hit the bottom of the believing-God-barrel. Wherever you are on the spectrum of faith, let these verses from Romans 8 encourage you:

If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—
how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
It is God who justifies.
Who is he that condemns?
Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life
—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or
famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers,
neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Father God,
Thank you for giving us Your Word, the Bible. Thank you for reminding us that You are a gracious giver - One who didn't even spare His own Son to give us what we need.
Whether I acknowledge it or not, my future isn't mine to direct. Manipulating my circumstances to give me what I think might make me happy will be fruitless if I'm not in the center of Your will for my life.
I want a fresh start so I surrender myself and my future to You.
Help me to remember that even if I've surrendered myself already today, or even this hour, I can do it again, as often as I need.
Thank You that nothing can separate me from Your love.
In Jesus' name,
Amen

No Ordinary People

2007-10-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

It may be possible for each of us to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbour. The load, or weight, or burden, of my neighbour's glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you may talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet if at all only in a nightmare.All day long we are in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in light of these overwhelming possibilities it is with awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of the kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously--no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinners--no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat, the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden."C.S. Lewis - The Weight of Glory

As I grow older, I notice that my friendships are deepening. More and more of my conversations with friends both old and new quickly bypass superficiality for more meaningful fare. We seem to be asking each other how we are really doing rather than how our day is going.

I'm shaken to think about how many of these rich friendships are so unexpected. A smoother-skinned, shallower me might have bypassed some of these relationships by labeling someone "too rich" or "too skinny" or "too..." whatever. I am ashamed to realize how many wonderful friendships I initially missed out on because I judged another person too quickly by whatever my lame standards were at the time.

Sometimes my judgmentalism was disguised as "protecting myself" but it was judgment all the same. I am working towards becoming discerning rather than judgmental. My goal is to choose a friend by their character rather than their wardrobe.

In the middle of this kinder, gentler journey of mine, I am reminded that this is one goal that truly matters. Because, as C.S. Lewis wrote, none of us are mere mortals. Some day when we leave this planet earth, we will still exist. Forever. The question is in what capacity will we exist - will we be an "immortal horror or an everlasting splendour."

Whenever I allow my life to touch another's, I have the potential to steer someone towards their eternal destination. And, as I consider eternity in my friendships, I live my own life differently. Seeing people in this everlasting light awakens me to the potential in others, as well as in myself.

My mind can barely grasp this quote but it is imperative that I not only understand but remember: "It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you may talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet if at all only in a nightmare."

There are no ordinary people.
Heavenly Father,
Please help me invest my life and my time in what truly matters. Make me more and more aware that people, not things, are eternal.
Thank you for loving us so much that You made us to last forever. Thank you for inviting us to live the rest of forever with You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen

The Power of Praise

2007-10-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I wasted significant time worrying about some things that might happen, some things that could happen, and some things I'm afraid won't happen. After ignoring my anxious thoughts as long as I could, I remembered 2 Corinthians 10:5. It says "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

What does it mean to take captive every thought? How can I make every thought obedient to Christ?

I don't have a complete handle on this yet. But, one thing I do know: praising God is always the right thing to do and it certainly helps my thoughts get back on the right track.

I've had the privilege of learning a lot about praise over the last ten years. One of the earliest "lessons" I had came right after our pastor and worship leader at church did a teaching series on the subject. But this lesson was a private tutoring session - just between me and God.

A number of people in my company traveled to Nashville for business and I had hoped to stay in town an extra day to see a concert. The person who coordinated the travel logistics told me that I could just change my airfare at the airport and would probably only have to pay a $30 fee. I was a complete travel novice and it never occurred to me that perhaps I should call the airline to verify this information.

On the morning when most of the staff was to depart for home, I was asked to take one of our rental cars and drive a few people to the airport. This was perfect since I needed to change my flight anyway (you frequent fliers have already noticed that this was my first mistake). Other co-workers were leaving later so I could just bring the rental car back to the hotel. I and our staff had been up very late the night before so I literally rolled out of bed and pulled on some sweats. I don't think I even ran a brush through my hair and I'm sure I didn't put on any make-up.

As the travelers unloaded their items at the curb, I made my way inside the airport to the Southwest Airlines ticket counter. I showed the agent my ticket and politely told her that I would like to change my return for one day later. She pleasantly said, "No problem. That will be $300."

All the blood in my body instantly raced for my toes. I told her that there was no way I could pay the fee. My husband was a full-time student and our only credit card was connected to our checking account. I knew without a doubt that there wasn't $300 in the account, let alone an extra $300.

My feet started running toward the door and I turned back and told the agent that I was going to make the flight for which I was originally booked. She waved and said, "Okay!"

My co-workers were just lifting their last bag out of the trunk when I ran to the drivers side, shouted "I'm going with youuuuuuuuu!," and took off with a flash.

Until I got onto the highway. Apparently, Nashville, like other major metropolitan cities, has problems with morning traffic.

I was in a complete panic. My entire body was shaking and I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest. The stress of the morning combined with the stop and go traffic felt like more than I could take. "Woman's Body Explodes on Nashville Freeway - Film at 11."

Suddenly, I realized that this might be the perfect time to put some of the worship lessons I learned into practice. I didn't know what else to do. So, with a very shaky voice, I started to sing a praise song that I had learned at church. After that song was over, I sang a hymn, then another song, and another, until I realized that I had pulled to the front of my hotel. I left the car in the no-parking zone (something I would never, ever normally do - fight or flight makes you do crazy things) and ran upstairs to throw my belongings in my suitcase. In less than five minutes, I had my suitcase and a co-worker to drive me back to the airport.

I made the flight and even had time to quickly call my husband to say I would be home a day early. I entered the cabin of the plane and a Southwest worker shut and locked the cabin door right behind me.

Granted, this was pre-911 so the chances of this happening today are probably pretty slim. But, I fully believe that God honored my captive thoughts that were set on thinking of Him in what appeared to be hopeless situation.

Are you experiencing any hopeless situations today? How about worries - have you got any? Take time to sing or speak praise to the Lord. He can get you where you need to go.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I love that you care about every thing that happens in my life. I praise You right now that You are in control and that You don't want me to worry (Matthew 6:34). I praise You for being loving and good and always available to help me. Please help me to remember that praise is always an option.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Bridge to Paradise

2007-10-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Isn't the above picture beautiful? I'm related to the man who took the photo and I'm quite proud. Feel free to check out his website.

There are so many things to love in this photo but I think I like the title best. Bridge to Paradise evokes the hope of better things to come - no matter how beautiful things may already be.

There may not be an actual bridge to paradise on earth, but there is one spiritually. Simply put, Jesus Christ is God's bridge to man. And that bridge, if we accept it, is man's bridge to paradise. We can choose not to accept Jesus as our bridge, but we won't find any other alternative.

Life isn't easy and accepting Jesus as the payment for your sins before God doesn't grant you paradise on earth, no matter what anyone says. But, when you accept Jesus as your savior, you are assured of experiencing paradise after death (Luke 23:43). And here on earth you will experience a glimpse of heaven as you experience a peace that makes no worldly sense (Philippians 4:7), a love that never, ever fails (Psalm 36:7) and a joy that is possible in every circumstance (I Thessalonians 5:16), among the many other blessings that are listed in the Bible.

Has anyone asked you to make a decision about Jesus and who He is in your life? In the book of Revelation, God speaks of people who haven't made a decision yet. They aren't cold or hot, they are lukewarm. And He doesn't like it: " I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Revelation 3:15-17

In our society, it has become taboo to speak so boldly about this bridge to paradise. But, I believe some bold speech is exactly what you and I need. So let me ask you, do you know if you are hot, cold, or worse yet, lukewarm? Are you unsure of your future but certain of your shortcomings in the past? Do you long for something better, no matter how good your life here may be? Please don't wait. Take the time right now to make a decision about who Jesus Christ is in your life. A little paradise might be closer than you think.

God,
I am decidedly not perfect. I have done things I shouldn't have done. My sin separates You and me. I believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to pay the price for my sins. Because of Him, I am made pure in your sight and have a bridge to paradise. Thank You for loving me so much and for wanting to be part of every part of my life. Please help me become more spiritually mature as I involve You in every part of my life.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Squeak, Squish, Squeak, Squish

2007-10-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

This summer we slept most nights with the windows open. Each night as I got ready for bed, I enjoyed hearing the quieter sounds of night through the open window - chirping crickets, the occasional passing car, the leaves rustling in the breeze. And every night I knew it was 10:00 pm because of one sound in particular.

Our community swimming pool closes at that time and one neighbor owns a pair of decidedly vocal flip-flops. Every night, without fail, we would hear her walk all the way from the pool to her front door. The sound was faint at first but by the time she passed by, we knew it was her. Squeak, squish, squeak, squish.

For the first few weeks, I wondered if she was embarrassed by the sound of her shoes. I certainly would have been; the sound was so loud it reverberated off the sides of the buildings she passed.

After a couple of months of this nightly serenade, I started marveling at her very faithful attendance at the pool. She never missed a night, that I recall. I would bet that there are plenty of nights that she would have preferred to just stay inside and not complicate things by going to the pool. Did she really want to change out of her clothes into her suit just to squeak, squish in front of the entire neighborhood? Maybe not, but she seemed to understand that the sacrifice in time and effort would reward her with some enjoyment and relaxation.

As summer wound down over the last couple of weeks, I started thinking about this woman and some lessons I felt the Lord might be wanting to teach me through her example.

Is there anything in my life that I don't have to do (i.e. other than go to my job) that someone could catch me doing faithfully at the same time every single day?
Is there anything I don't want to do but faithfully engage in because I know I'll feel better, or at least be better, for accomplishing?
Is there anything I do, or don't do, because it might diminish someone's admiration of me (can you say pride)?
Am I careful to make time to do the things I love?

I haven't heard the squeak-squish sounds in my neighborhood lately. Maybe the pool is too cold or I can't hear her through the closed windows. But, I think I might need to do some squeak-squishing in my heart.

The last few weeks I've lived at a frantic pace and some of what I need to faithfully do, like spend quality time daily with the Lord, hasn't gotten the priority it once had. I haven't had time to do the things I love to do, only the things I need to do. And there are plenty of activities I've talked myself out of doing because others will think it is silly or because it is just too much effort.

Proverbs 17:22 says that a cheerful heart is good medicine. I don't think that means we must force ourselves to be happy -- and does that really work, anyway -- but it means we are given permission and are encouraged to seek out activities that help make our heart cheerful.

For squeak-squish lady, she finds the pool to be good medicine. For a friend of mine, she might find a long dreamed about art class to be good medicine. For my good medicine, I know that I must more jealously guard my time for prayer and Bible study. And, who knows, I might dig out my suit and flip flops and see how much noise I can make on the way to the pool.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for caring about every part of me - my body, spirit, soul and emotions. I'm glad that You've given me permission to take time out for the things I love; the things that refresh me and make me better.
Please help me to talk to You about everything in my life so what I do is pleasing to You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen

What Hunts You

2007-09-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

Aragorn: Are you frightened?

Frodo: Yes.

Aragorn: Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Like almost everyone on the planet, I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy - books and movies. It is a rich tale of steadfast friendship, unfailing love, selfless sacrifice and one of the best examples of good versus evil ever written.

In case you missed viewing the first movie (accidentally, of course!), Frodo and his three Hobbit friends set out from their beloved, idyllic home in the Shire to do what no one else is able to do - dispose of the evil, powerful Ring. Early in their journey, the Hobbits arrive in the town of Bree, where they meet the mysterious Aragorn who asks Frodo if he is afraid. Frodo confirms that he is indeed frightened. But Aragorn responds that more fear is warranted; Frodo isn't nearly frightened enough.

And like Frodo, sometimes I’m not frightened enough. Something also hunts us, something that wants to destroy us and steal from us.

Jesus warned us about our enemy in John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

The life Jesus came to bring isn’t necessarily one of comfort and fun. It is often a roller-coaster ride of white-knuckle trust under the most difficult of circumstances. With Jesus, we get to experience the full spectrum of adventure. But, because of His great love, we needn’t be afraid. We do, however, need to be aware.

Most people seem to have difficulty believing in the existence and threat of Satan. It is easier to think of Satan as a joke and blame God when circumstances don’t go our way. Yet, throughout scripture, we see that God is the responsible party when things go right. In fact, James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Just like The Lord of the Rings’ ending has already been written, so has ours. The Bible says that our enemy is defeated and our loving God will take over; making all that we can now think of as "perfect" pale in comparison. He has a spectacular ending planned and we are invited to be part of the adventure.

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for telling me about my enemy. I’m so glad that you love me enough to tell me the truth. Sometimes the adventure of life feels scary but I’d rather have it to the full with You than pretend that my enemy doesn’t exist.

Help me to always remember every good and perfect gift is from You.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

The Bug

2007-09-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

I've got the bug again. I get it every so often but about once I year I get a pretty bad case. I'm not technically ill but others might disagree. Especially the other with whom I live.

Most of the time I go through life on a kind of auto-pilot. I get up, get dressed, put on one of the ten outfits I rotate over and over and rush out the door for work. I come home, take off said outfit, put on my wear-around-the-house clothes and complete my evening tasks (dinner, TV, etc.). I don't look around wondering if there is anything else that needs to be done. I concentrate on what has to be accomplished and am asleep before my head hits the pillow.

Then, one day a dawning will unexpectedly come over me. I suddenly see clothes in my closet that I haven't worn for years. Things in the hall closet clamor to be given away. I am desperate to go through the garage and part with items that I've just had to keep for years.

I am hit with a clarity about my possessions that I rarely have. And, I know this clarity won't last long. If I scheduled a day to clean out the garage next month, I would probably struggle through each box and end up keeping everything. But, on a day when I have the bug, I know I have to strike while the iron is hot. Without anyone knowing. Because if someone knows, then they might try to stop me.

My husband is going on a business trip this week and, as much as I've tried to hide it, he can see that glint in my eye. He even came right out this morning and told me that he does not want to come home to find that I have cleaned out the garage while he is away.

So, I have spent my last four waking hours trying to figure out how quickly I can get to the first box after his flight departs.

And, it just struck me. Is this desire from the Lord? Or is this from my flesh? My automatic assumption is that this desire is from my flesh because I'm trying to hide it from others while spending more than a little thought on how I will accomplish my scheme.

But, I felt God whisper, "What if this is a gift from Me?"

How often do I assume that my plans are right or wrong without checking with God first? If I believe that His plans for me are good and not for harm, wouldn't it make sense to at least talk to Him about my thoughts?

My favorite Bible passage is 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18 (NIV). It says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Holding these verses up against my cleaning-scheme makes the situation a lot clearer. For instance, I know it is hard to be joyful when I'm worried about my stuff. I've certainly not been praying continually or God and I would have already discussed this matter. And, I haven't taken even a moment yet to thank God for providing me with so much that I've got to give it away!

This is a fresh reminder that God wants me to talk with Him about everything, especially the things for which I am thankful. And, talking with Him brings me joy.

I don't know how much longer I'll have the bug this time. But I now know that I shouldn't hide it. If this bug is from God then He'll help me accomplish everything that He wants done without alienating those around me. If this bug is from me, then I can trust God to take it away and thank Him for loving me too much to continue with my cleaning-scheming ways.

Lord God,
Thank you for loving me so much. Thank you that you want me to talk with You about everything that is happening in my life -- even the things I don't want anyone else to know. I'm glad that You want me to do things Your way because Your ways are best.
I love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

You're No Good? The Truth About Cookies

2007-09-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite songs is "You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt. I remember the first time I heard it. I was probably ten years old and one of my aunts had let me borrow her "Heart Like a Wheel" album. The song has a great bass line and Linda, as always, sings it with a lot of umph.

Although the lyrics are directed to some crummy guy out there, I sometimes find I'm singing this song to myself.

I spent a lot of years feeling good about me if I could keep my hand out of the cookie jar. If I had a "good" eating day, then I was good. But, if I didn't feel proud of the way I'd eaten, I was "no good."

I could have gone on for years this way. The only problem was that most days I couldn't keep my hand out of the cookie jar. I was sure that this indicated some deep failure within. I couldn't keep myself from doing this bad thing so therefore I must be a bad person.

Have you ever felt this way?

A year ago I joined Weight Watchers and as I got my eating under control, I realized that sometimes I was lured to the cookie jar because I was just plain h u n g r y!! I hadn't paid attention to my tummy's voice in so long that I had forgotten that feeling full meant I should stop eating. I realized that having a few fruits and vegetables each day wouldn't kill me and might actually make me feel better than my beloved cookies.

Sometimes I've thought that God subscribes to my cookie standard. If I feel good about what I've done that day, then I figure God must be pleased. But, if I don't feel good about my actions, then I decide that God is probably sick of me.

The word of God is clear in Romans 8: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. If you have told God that you repent of your sins and have accepted His free gift of salvation through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, then nothing you do -- N O T H I N G -- can make Him love you any less OR any more.

Think on that for a moment.

Outside of accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can't do a thing to earn more of God's love or lose any of His love.

This is incredibly good news. I can keep the lines of communication open between me and God because I know we can talk about whatever I've done -- good or bad. I can follow where He leads me knowing that nothing I've done can keep me from being used for His glory and my good.

I'll still keep Linda's song on my iPod. But, I won't be singing it to myself any more. The Holy Spirit is working to sanctify me through and through. And I am committed to memorizing key verses in my Bible and asking God to help me act as He wants.

Maybe next time I should sing these words instead, "He's so good, He's so good, He's so good. Jesus, You're so gooooood!"

Ah, Lord God,
Thank you for loving me. Thank you that nothing I do can separate me from Your love. Please help me apply Your word to my life. I want You to change any of my thinking that doesn't line up with Your truth.
You ARE so good and I love you.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

$22 Red-Hots

2007-09-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

I spent the Labor Day holiday pulling everything out of my kitchen cabinets and wiping them down with Lysol. You see, my husband woke up last Thursday morning with a temperature of 103 so I did what any normal gal does on a long holiday weekend -- I worked day and night to keep myself from getting whatever he had!

As I was cleaning the last cabinet late Saturday night, I nearly knocked over a jar of red-hot candies. Since my 15th wedding anniversary is next week, I would guess these red-hots are at least 13 years old - way past the end of their shelf-life. Instead of throwing the jar into the overflowing trash, I gently wiped it off and carefully set it back in place.

This jar probably contains the most valuable red-hots in the world -- if you go by dollars paid for them.

My sweet husband purchased them one November for me. He was a full-time student and we were barely making ends meet. With the cost of tuition and books and with my low salary, we were financially stressed to the max. I spent most of my time worrying about everything from the money we were spending to how much money we didn't have.

One evening I begged him for those red-hots. You see, when I was growing up my mom would make turkey-shaped gingerbread cookies every year around Thanksgiving time. And each gobbler got a peppermint red-hot for his eye. I wanted to make those cookies for us, too.

I was told by my husband that he doubted we had the money in our checking account to cover the candies. Even the cash we had between us probably wouldn't be enough. But he dutifully left our apartment and came back 20 minutes later with a single bag of red-hots.

About a week later, we received a letter from the bank stating that our checking account was overdrawn by $2 - the expense of the red-hots. We were charged a $20 overdraft fee making the total cost of these red-hots come to $22.

I realize now I deeply longed for the security and safety of my childhood home; the turkey-shaped cookies and their red-hot eyes represented a simpler time for me. I loved my husband (still do, in fact) but being a grown-up posed a lot of problems for which I was unprepared, to say the least. On that November evening, I was sure I simply needed these red-hots to carry on a family tradition. But, the truth was I had hoped to find a little security in those candies, too.

Possessions, financial success, friends, family -- these can add to my enjoyment of life but they can't add to my peace. I've learned that my security can only come from one place -- the reign of Jesus Christ in my life. In fact, He is called the Prince of Peace.

Is there anything in your life that is causing you to worry? Talk to God about it and ask Him to be your Prince of Peace in this situation. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

Jesus,
Thank You for caring about every detail of my life. I'm glad that You want to be my Prince of Peace. I'm feeling anxious right now about _____________. Would You please take control of this situation? I give it to You and ask You to handle it for me. Please show me if there is anything You want me to do in response to this problem. I thank you now for Your peace and for how You'll be handling this problem to Your glory and my good.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Hope

2007-08-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Owen Wilson, successful actor, producer and writer, reportedly cut his wrist and overdosed on drugs yesterday. How could someone who has experienced so much success be inclined (allegedly) to harm themselves - potentially to the point of death?

We all long to be filled with peace and purpose. I live a blessed life but sometimes I become saddened almost to the point of sickness over circumstances in my life. I have personally experienced the words of Proverbs 13:12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick."

What is your hope in today? If the object of your hope is in this world, at some level you'll realize that it just won't satisfy. More food, more money, more things, more success, more relationships -- all of these are nice and we should enjoy them but we can't make them our reason for living, our hope.

Throughout the Psalms we are encouraged to put our hope in God. Unlike the things of this world, God never changes. Hebrews 13:6 tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. He is the only secure place for us to put our hope.

Maybe Owen needed to experience a little hope in his life. Maybe you need to feel a little hope in your own life today.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for loving me and for asking me to put my hope in You instead of in things that don't last. Thank You for never changing and for always loving me. Please help me experience Your peace and joy as I trust You to be my hope. Let me see tangible examples of Your trustworthiness today.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

What's a Gathered Chick?

2007-08-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

I love the thought of home - a safe place where I can rest, relax and rejuvenate. But if you're living in the real world, your home - like mine - is probably a place where a million things are calling to get done; incomplete projects piling in the corner, closets and garages that need to be cleaned out and the daily tasks of food prep and clean up. Oh, and lest I forget, the constant call to exercise - from which I'm very good at excusing myself. Yes, I love the idea of home but in reality I wouldn't necessarily call it a place to rejuvenate.

I also love the idea of farms where I imagine quietness floats along the soft breeze while an occassional 'moo' breaks the stillness. Having come from a family of farmers, though, I know that farms are smelly, dirty, sometimes noisy and always a lot of work.

So, if home isn't the place to become rejuvenated and running away to a farm isn't the answer, where can I go to rest and truly relax?

Sometimes it takes more than a nap or time away from work projects. Sometimes I need to be refreshed and find a refuge. I have learned from experience that being refreshed is a gift from God; Acts 3:19 says that times of refreshing come from the Lord. But this verse also says we have to repent and turn to God before we can experience His gift of refreshing.

Repent isn't a word we use very often in our daily life. It is a verb that means "to be disposed to change one's life for the better" (dictionary.com). When I'm honest with myself, I recognize that I've done and thought things I shouldn't have. Sometimes I feel sorry for what I've done - especially when those things expose the ugliness in me - and sometimes I stubbornly don't. But, I am anxious to repent because I know that I won't experience true peace and joy until I do.

Turning to God means that I will turn towards God's love and obey Him, I will love others and I will love wisdom and righteousness. Even though I've believed in God's love for most of my life, I've gone through seasons where turning to God was the hardest thing I've ever done. Often I had turned away from God because I was angry at Him for not doing something I wanted Him to do, so I had stopped communicating with Him. My turn towards God would come begrudingly after I'd wallowed in hopelessness and despair for weeks. I would come to a point where I truly had no other option but to turn to Him -- I was at rock bottom emotionally.

Even though I've experienced disappointment in my life, I've come to recognize that God really does love us. But sometimes we have a hard time recognizing that love -- especially when we aren't spending much time each day talking to Him in prayer and listening to Him by reading the Bible.

If I had continued to communicate with God about my feelings, I would have been reminded of His unfailing love for me. Did you know that Jesus loves us in the same way that a mother hen loves her chicks and gathers them under her wings (Matthew 23:37)? He longs to care for us, shelter us and help us grow. The Bible says "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge" (Psalm 91:4).

Jesus loves us so much that He died on the cross to pay for the sins that you and I have committed. This is a free gift from God but we must accept this gift from Him; He won't force us to take it. Romans 10:9 - 11 puts it simply, "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'"

Are you looking for refreshment? Do you want to find a refuge? I can say wholeheartedly that Jesus is the answer. If you haven't found Him to be the answer for your life yet, would you consider praying with me?

Dear Jesus, I believe that You are the only answer to my need for refreshment and a refuge. I repent of living my own way. I turn to You and Your love now. I believe in my heart that you died to pay the penalty for my sins and that God raised You from the dead. I confess that You are Lord. I commit to obeying You and allowing myself to be Your gathered chick. Thank you for loving me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Friend, if you've prayed that prayer with me, either for the first time or if you've prayed a similar prayer before but realize that you need to turn back to God, then you are a new creation! The Bible says that the old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This is truly good news so be sure to tell someone about it!

Your next step is to get a Bible and start reading it every day; the gospel of John is a great place to start. But reading the Bible isn't enough; be praying, too. Talk to God and ask Him to help you with everything in your life -- including learning how to pray. He loves you and wants to help you!

Lastly, find some other Gathered Chicks (Christians) and start hanging out with them by going to church and joining a Bible study. Ask God where He wants you to go to church and He will show you.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13