Uncategorized – With Eyes on the Cross

Faster Pace and Longer Strides

I had never wanted a dog until just a couple of years ago. I don’t know what changed, but I wanted a dog, and I love her! Myka is a rescue. We have had her for about a year and a half and think that she is probably a couple of years old. She loves to go running with me.

When we first got her, and I would take her for a run, she would pull and tug so hard on the leash that I was afraid she would choke herself. So, we got her a harness. That helped tremendously.

A few days ago, we were out running, and I noticed something curious. There was a bright yellow tennis ball lying against the curb. I thought, “oh no, she is going to see that ball and go after it. I need to brace myself.” Sure enough her eyes wandered that way and honed in on that bright yellow ball. I braced myself as her pace picked up but, interestingly enough, not towards the ball. She continued moving forward in the direction that we were headed, just a little faster and with a longer stride. When we passed the ball and it was no longer in her line of sight, her pace slowed, and her stride shortened. It was very curious!

A little further on, I noticed a bird sitting on the edge of someone’s lawn, fairly close to the road. What does she love to chase besides brightly colored tennis balls? You got it! Birds! Once again, I thought, “oh no, she is going to see that bird and go after it. I need to brace myself.” Sure enough, her eyes wandered that way and honed in on that bird. Again, her pace picked up but not towards the bird. She continued moving forward in the direction that we were headed, just a little faster and with a bit of a longer stride. When we passed the bird, and it was no longer in her line of sight, her pace slowed and her stride shortened. It was very curious, indeed.

For our sweet dog, Myka, both the ball and the bird are temptations. She wants to chase them. She also knew that they were not in her yard, and that she can’t just bolt after something when we are out running together.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Like Myka, we are constantly facing temptations on our own paths. Satan is going to throw every temptation at us, trying to turn us from God. We also know that God will always provide a way out. Maybe one of those ways is to keep moving forward in the direction we are headed, at a little faster pace with a bit of a longer stride.

Download the July reflection here.

What Can the Righteous Do?

Our world is pretty broken right now. It seems like everywhere I turn there is doom and gloom. Nothing is going well in our society or with our economy. Our country is facing a bleak future (at least that is the message that we are being given). If we don’t agree with someone’s opinion, we can’t be friends. Instead of civil discourse, we have hatred and vitriol being spewed at one another on social media. It can be overwhelming and depressing. Many of my friends and family have to stay away from the news because it has such a negative impact on their emotional well-being. Being able to plug into what is going on around the world twenty-four hours a day definitely has some drawbacks; especially since most stations are sharing more opinion than fact. Am I the only one who misses the days of Walter Cronkite?

It is so easy to become discouraged and feel powerless.

Just like David faced Goliath, we are facing our own giant – living in a world that neither believes in God or accepts Him. It is time face this giant with God’s power and authority. We can’t do it on our own, but God has given us everything we need in His word. Regardless of the problem, scripture has the solution. We need to soak our hearts in God’s word every single day. We need time with our Father to guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7), to set our feet on a firm foundation (Psalm 40:2), and to renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31).

This isn’t the first time that things of the world have looked bleak. Regardless of the laws and policies that we create on this earth, God still reigns on the throne of Heaven. Regardless of how dark life on earth looks, the future is bright with the promise of Heaven.

While there are Christians who have a voice and can advocate for change, many of us feel as though we don’t have a voice that will be heard. God only calls us to do what we can do to serve Him, to honor Him, and to give Him glory.

We can not force people to believe in God. We can not force a nation to create laws that honor God and His authority. We can influence those around us with our actions way more than we can influence them with our words. While we may not be living in peace, we can live with peace knowing that God is in control. We don’t have to walk around with fear and anxiety wondering what is going to happen. God already knows. He is not surprised by anything that happens. We can surrender to God.

What Can the Righteous Do is a 30 day scripture writing plan that helps us focus on the things that we can do instead of what we can’t do. We can turn to God and seek Him. We can trust Him. We can feel peace in a world that seems to be imploding. Each day, you will find a new scripture from Psalms; a scripture that gives us direction so that we can live well during difficult times. I pray that you find peace and comfort in God’s word especially during this time of discord and discomfort.

Each Means You

From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16

Read that again.

Did you see it?

Did you see the word “each”?

EACH person in the body of Christ has a job to do and when one person doesn’t do his or her job, the church doesn’t function as it is intended to function, it doesn’t grow and build itself up. EACH person has a purpose for the kingdom. When one person sits on the sidelines, the whole body suffers.

Christianity is not a spectator sport. We are not called to sit on the sidelines and watch others carry the ball. We are called to be in the midst of all the work. We are EACH a part of the team and EACH have a purpose to fulfill.

Imagine that you get on a bicycle. The wheels must have air, the pedals have to be able to go around, the brakes have to be able to stop the wheels from turning. If any one part of the bicycle is not functioning, you can’t ride it. It will not work properly. The problem can be diagnosed pretty quickly, the bicycle repaired, and the rider back on the road.

It’s harder to see what isn’t functioning well when we talk about work that involves humans. We don’t really know what we are missing because we have never seen it work at full capacity. I can’t help but wonder what would happen if EACH of us were to do our part. How different might the church look.

Are you doing your part? If not, do you wonder what a difference you could make? According to scripture, your part is important and will make a huge difference. You are not responsible for the whole. Just your part. You are a vital piece of the whole body.

Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. We can only do what God puts in front of us. No more. No less. My part may feel small and insignificant. Trust me. It’s not! There is no insignificant part in the work of the Kingdom. Has anyone ever done something for you, and you felt it was too small, too insignificant. Of course not! Nothing you do is insignificant either.

There are people who have a bigger stage. They seem to make a bigger difference. They may have the voice, the money, or the talents to influence change. Others make a difference in quieter ways. They take food to families who are hurting, send text messages of encouragement, soothe crying babies, or sit quietly with those who are alone. Make no mistake, God uses EACH of us to serve others in different ways. No matter how you are serving, you are making a difference in the lives of the people that you touch.

You may feel that what you are doing is not important or not enough. That is a lie from satan. He wants you to feel insignificant. God knows that when you step out in obedience to Him, regardless of how society views the task, any task that you do for Him is not only significant, it is priceless.

The body of Christ needs you, your talents, and your obedience. I hope you are already praying and asking God to show you how you can be an EACH for His Kingdom!

Download June reflection here.

Pray for Uvalde

The promise of Heaven is on my heart today as I mourn the loss of 21 precious lives in Uvalde, Texas. Twenty-one families who are crushed, broken, shattered. Twenty-one families who woke up yesterday morning, ate breakfast, and went to school just like any other week day. Children who were anticipating summer break. Parents who were anticipating summer vacations. Teachers who were anticipating some time to rest and recharge before school begins again in just a few short weeks.

Those families will wake up this morning praying that it was just a terrible nightmare. When they realize it is all real, they will relive it, over and over. Their lives on earth will never be the same. This will not be a summer of breaks, vacations, or resting. It will be a summer of grieving, and that is hard work.

Today is just the beginning for them. As we continue our lives, they will wonder how the sun could continue to rise and people could continue to go to work when their lives have been shattered.

This earthly life is full of trials, tragedies, and disappointments. Life is hard. Today it is crushing. I’m so grateful that this is not the end. This earthly life is not all there is. Heaven is waiting. It is a place without sorrow, without tears, without tragedy. Because God reigns on the throne of Heaven darkness cannot exist there. It is where we will be reunited with those we love for all eternity. The future is so much more promising than the present.

What can we do for the families of Uvalde? Grief is an isolating journey. We can’t do the work for them. We can lift them up in prayer. We can plead for comfort, for healing, for beauty from ashes. I don’t believe that we truly understand this power that we have in prayer. It feels like we aren’t really doing anything. But, oh we are! There is nothing more powerful than carrying someone to the throne and laying them at the feet of our Father. He loves them so much more than we do. He is grieving with them today. Even as those sweet children are being welcomed into Heaven, our Creator hurts for the ones left behind. He knows the pain and the heartache. He alone can provide the comfort and the healing that these families will need for the rest of their lives.

Living in the Waiting

A few weeks ago, my husband was gone on a business trip. As soon as I started getting ready for school, Myka became so sad. She walked around the house with her head down. She laid down on the rug in the bathroom and just looked at me with the saddest eyes. She knew. She knew that I also had to leave, and that was all she could focus on.

What she didn’t know was that she was going to hang out with her friends at doggy daycare that day. And, I couldn’t tell her! Because as soon as I said the words, “Do you want to go bye-bye?” she would be so excited that I wouldn’t be able to finish getting ready. I had to wait until it was time to go before I could tell her.

So, she moped because it appeared that we would both be gone, and she would be home by herself. She didn’t know that something good was coming.

The dictionary defines the verb to mope as to give oneself up to brooding, to become listless or dejected. I see it as an entire body reaction to circumstances. My eyes are sad, my whole body feels tired, and I move slowly because I just don’t have any energy or enthusiasm about anything.

I wonder if God ever looks at us and wishes that we would quit moping because something good is on the horizon if we would just trust Him in the waiting. He just can’t tell us yet.

How amazing would it be if we could still be happy and productive in the waiting. If we could still find joy and ways to serve God even while hoping for a prayer to be answered.

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

When we ‘take heart’ we are expecting a good outcome. We can be hopeful and encouraged. We can go through our day with confidence that God is handling things leaving us to be able to serve Him in the waiting.

God knows the desires of our hearts. He knows exactly what we need and provides it at exactly the right moment. All we have to do is trust and keep living in the waiting.

Psalm 100

Such a beautiful Psalm, one that should be read often. It is filled with solid truths that we can cling to in all circumstances.

The Lord is God. He is the Creator of the universe. He made each one of us. We are His, and we are loved by Him. He knows more about me than I know about myself, and He still loves me. He loves my children more than I can possibly imagine. He is God.

The Lord is good. Always. When was the last time you did something wonderful for someone who was not kind to you? God is always blessing us, even when we do not give Him the praise or glory for it. Even when we do not appreciate it.

His love endures forever. I disappoint Him every single day, and yet He still has prepared a place in Heaven for me. I do not know exactly what will happen the day I die. I do know that God will not meet me at the Pearly Gates and give me a lecture about all of the things that I could have done better or about all of the mistakes that I made. He will not make me feel guilty for not being perfect. He has prepared a beautiful place that He will welcome me into for all of eternity, despite my mistakes and imperfections.

His faithfulness continues through all generations. Through every difficulty and every hardship, He has been there. He has never left me or forsake me. He has hurt with me. He has always been faithful to provide just what I needed at just the right time. Sometimes it was something physical, and sometimes it was the exact amount of strength I needed to endure a little longer.

For all of these reasons, I will shout for joy to the Lord. I will worship Him with gladness. I will come before Him with joyful songs. I will enter His gates with thanksgiving. I will give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Re(Committed)

I’m so excited that spring is here! Between the snow and ice that we have had this winter and the time that I have been blessed to spend with our daughter since she gave birth to her first baby, it has been a busy semester. It’s times like this when our goals can fall by the wayside. Life gets hectic, and it’s easy to get off schedule.

Which brings me to the topic for today! How is your word of the year going?

Have you encountered opportunities that allowed you to apply your word? Have you found yourself growing yet? Have you been able to stay committed?

Has life been crazy hectic and you haven’t been able to think about that word you chose way back at the beginning of the year? Do you need to recommit to your plan?

It doesn’t matter where you are at this moment! Whether you have stayed on track or gotten so far off the tracks you aren’t sure you can find them again, today is a new day! It is a new opportunity.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.” Psalm 37:5

We aren’t the only ones to ever lose focus. Remember Peter? He started out so brave! He saw Jesus walking on the water towards their boat, and asked to join Him. How do you think he felt as he stood up, and placed one leg over the side of the boat? What about when his foot first touched that water and didn’t break the surface? Those first few steps toward Jesus? My heart would have been jumping out of my chest. Peter was walking on water! And then, he took his eyes off of Jesus. He saw the waves created by the wind and became afraid. Just for a second, he lost sight and that was all it took for fear to grip his heart and he began to sink.

We face the same risk when we take our eyes off of Jesus. When we look around and see the waves crashing all around us.

Just like Peter, we have a lifeline. He cried out and Jesus immediately reached out His hand to take hold of Peter. He didn’t give Him a lecture. He didn’t let Him flounder for a bit. He immediately took his hand and lifted him out of the water. He will do the same for you!

So, whether you are still in the boat and committed or feel like you are drowning and need to recommit, let’s keep our eyes focused on the One who is always ready to grab our hands and pull us out of the water.

Download the April reflection worksheet here!

Questioning God

Questions – we all have them – starting at the age of two with everyone’s favorite question, “why?” But asking questions isn’t a skill unique to toddlers. It almost seems inherent in us as humans. The same questions get asked so often that we have an acronym for it – FAQ. We question our children’s behavior, our husband’s decisions, and our employer’s policies. We question the ability of the drivers in the vehicles around us. If we are honest with ourselves, don’t we also question God? We beg Him for answers about why some people seem to have such easy lives while we struggle with finances, jobs or relationships. We want to know why He has allowed tragedies in our lives or the lives of those we love. I don’t think God is surprised by our questions. After all, not only did He create our inmost being (Psalm 139:13), He also knows the secrets of our hearts (Psalm 44:21).

Although it doesn’t come as a surprise to God when we question Him, I can’t help but wonder how it makes Him feel, The sadness that comes from those you love so deeply not trusting you.

Have you ever noticed that satan asked the first question in the Bible? He was speaking to Eve when he asked, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) It was not an innocent question. He was intentionally questioning God’s word in order to cast doubt about the authority of God in the mind of Eve. It worked, Eve was deceived and a chain of events was set in motion that separated us from our Creator.

We are blessed to serve a God who is patient with those He created and who has offered us a way back to Him. He says in Psalm 81:13-14, “If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.” The Psalms are full of beautiful verses about who God is and all of the magnificent things He has done for those He created; and it is full of questions. It is comforting to me that many of the writers inspired by God to pen His word were also inquisitive. There are more than 100 questions posed directly to God throughout Psalms and not once do we ever read of God ridiculing any of them. What I find most impressive about Psalms is that the writers didn’t just ask the questions, they also sought out the answers while continuing to put their trust in God.

Psalm 13 is just one example. David begins by calling out to God, asking if God has forgotten him? His pain is deep. He ends with a proclamation of trust and praise to God.

Are we doing the same? Are we doing more than just asking the questions? Are we continuing to praise and trust God as we seek answers?

Scripture tells us that if seek Him, we will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29) My prayer is that just “as the deer pants for streams of water” (Psalm 42:1), we will also pant for God’s truths and fill our hearts with them giving us insight not only into who God is, but also the reasons we should trust Him, serve Him, and live for Him. Perhaps, like David, the next time we question God, we will also trust in Him, in the One who created us and loves us so much that He longs to spend all of eternity with us.

As Iron Sharpens Iron

This has been a tough semester for so many reasons. The one that has weighed on my heart the most is the lack of respect that I have observed in the hallways, in the classrooms, and on social media. I love teenagers. I love being at school. I love saying something corny or acting weird and crazy to get them to smile. I love asking them questions and learning from them. It has been tough to be on the receiving end of disrespectful body language, tone, and words. I often find myself just wanting to give up, to quit trying because it seems like no amount of effort makes a difference.

Yesterday, I found renewed resolve. I had a negative interaction with a student. It pricks my heart every time. If he just knew how much I already like him, even though I don’t know him. If he just knew how much I want to keep him safe, how much I want him to succeed. I just wish he knew. Maybe then, he would have seen me with different eyes. Maybe then he would have responded differently.

But he doesn’t know me, and he didn’t respond with respect, and so then we had a situation that had to be handled. I’m so grateful there was someone nearby who did know him, someone that he could have a conversation with, someone he trusted, someone he felt comfortable speaking to openly.

This is where I found the renewed resolve – he came to me and apologized. He seemed to be as downtrodden about what happened as I did. I can’t imagine that he is happy living in a world with so much disrespect either. I can’t imagine that he enjoys the negativity either.

I know that his disrespect was not about me. He was hurting, and I was requiring him to follow rules that just seemed unimportant to him. And he reacted with the behaviors that have been modeled for him for years. Unfortunately, we are living in a society bombarded with displays of disrespect – our politicians, our comedians, our news anchors, our TV shows, our Tik Tok challenges, even our music is filled with hate-fueled words and actions.

There is so much truth to the Proverb. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Every time we see disrespectful behavior or hate-filled words, we become a little more sharpened, ready to lash out at the next person who wants us to do something we don’t want to do.

So, what can we do? We can turn the tide. We can change the example that is being modeled. I can’t fix social media or the adults in the world who are choosing not to set a good example. But, I can work in my circle of influence. Instead of sharpening those around me in a negative way, I can sharpen them in a positive way. Because I believe that proverb works both ways – I am sharpened by whatever is around me, whether positive or negative.

Here’s the difficult part – we don’t change things overnight. Just as it took a lot of small influences over time to shape our society in such a negative way, it will take a lot of influences over time for it to become different. So, why the new resolve. Because the next generation deserves better. The young man I had the negative interaction with yesterday deserves to see people who are kinder and more compassionate.

So, I will keep trying. Because when I saw the saddened, discouraged eyes of that young man yesterday, it gave me the drive to keep going, to not give up. I want the next generation to have a better place to live. A community they are proud of, a community that supports and encourages one another.

I will not quit modeling respect, encouragement, and support to everyone around me.I am praying that I run into this young man again and again the rest of the school year. I am praying that one day, those discouraged eyes become bright with joy and excitement! And, oh how I hope that I get to see it!

Update: This situation happened last semester, and I wrote this the morning after this interaction. After finishing it, I felt this nudge to share it with him. I wanted him to know my heart. So, I found him that morning and gave him a copy. A few minutes later, he came to my office and asked if he could hug me. I’m so grateful that I get to see him frequently, and we have great conversations about his goals and the changes he is making in his life. His eyes are brighter, his smile comes more frequently, and he is always respectful to me. Teenagers are amazing! I am sharing this today with his permission. If you know a teenager who is struggling, share your heart with them. It may be just the thing to start turning the tide.

Grace for the Holidays

There are so many posts being shared right now about how to survive the holidays. They are all full of great tips, strategies, and ideas. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a one size fits all when it comes to walking through those tough days. So regardless of which idea you choose, allow yourself and those around you some grace.

The first few years after Joshua died, our daughter was still home. For us, it was simple. Each year, we asked her where she wanted to wake up and how she wanted to celebrate. It helped us face the holidays a little easier knowing that she was where she was most comfortable.

When she moved out and got married, we had to figure out some new strategies. It is tough. The holidays are so much more challenging when someone is missing from the table. We typically had at least a plan A, B, and C. And more often than not, when we woke up the morning of, we went with a totally different plan. We could only do what we felt like we could handle. One of the best things that we did for one another is bring buckets and buckets of grace into the holiday season. Not just for each other, but also for ourselves.

The year that none of us felt like decorating, we didn’t. Grace. When we didn’t want to face the shopping crowds, we didn’t give as many gifts and most were ordered online. Grace. When we didn’t have the strength to take a family photo of just the three of us for Christmas cards, we didn’t. Grace. We accepted fewer invitations to holiday events. Grace. And, when one of us got peopled out, we made a quiet exit. Grace.

It became the gift that we gave each other. A much appreciated gift that was both given and received freely.

It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. It is natural to want to continue the same traditions. It is also absolutely okay to change things if it makes getting through the holidays easier. After eight Christmases without Joshua, there are some traditions that we have returned to. There are others that will probably only remain in our memories. And, that’s okay too. Why, because grace.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” Revelation 22:21

The very last verse in God’s Holy Word. We have been extended a tremendous amount of grace. May we always offer that same grace to those around us, and maybe even a little more when what is supposed to be a joyful season is tinged with sadness and loss.