Take a Moment to Refresh . . .

Hi Friends,

Need a moment alone with God, a moment of refreshment and peace, silence and solitude?  If so, check out this poem -- my very first published work!  I found it buried in my files and it turned out to be a whisper of God's love and hope to me.

I hope you find it refreshing too!

The Trysting Place

See the beauty of this glade.  Wisdom dwells herein.

Butterflies flit above the grass, never knowing sin.

The brook splashes happily upon a glittering stone.

A tree stretches toward it, standing all alone.

Grass gleams with morning dew, dancing in the breeze,

Creating ripples across the water, rustling through the trees.

Across the shimmering surface, tiny insects play,

Drawing pictures always new of leaves that dance and sway.

A single tiny squirrel darts errantly up a tree,

Gazing from his lofty perch, quiet tranquility.

Beauty reigns in this place, touching azure sky,

Never letting evil in, nor allowing peace to die.

Here fear does not come, for it does not dare

To disturb the soft serenity of my heart's quiet prayer.

When confusion haunts me, this is where I go,

To find the solace of my God, to escape the world's woe.

Here Jesus waits for me, arms stretched wide in love,

Beckoning me to the trysting place, only He and I know of.

Where is this place of heavenly light where I sometimes roam?

'Tis found deep within my heart, where Christ has made His home.

**The Trysting Place appeared in the April 17, 1994 edition of the Standard , a Sunday School take-home paper for the Church of the Nazarene.

Encountering Christ TODAY

Hi Friends,

First, I pause to remember God's graciousness and comfort a dozen years ago when the United States was attacked by evil.  And I ponder Paul's words in light of such attacks . . .

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm . . .
--Ephesians 6

In all your struggles against evil, may you stand!

Meanwhile . . .
Whew, crazy busy week this week with the "we love your manuscript, here's stuff to change" letter coming in from my publisher/editor, a couple articles to write, and also a couple new ministry opportunities.  God is on the move!

So, in the face of sin, evil, sorrow ... and hope, busyness, and opportunity, I've been thinking about the healing of the paralytic in Mark 2:1-12.  He too had seen evil and now was faced with opportunity.  I wonder if he felt something like this:

COULD IT BE HE?

based on Mark 2:1-12, the healing of the paralytic

Never before have I seen

Never in all my life

A man with His mastery

Over sin, death, and strife.

"Your sins are forgiven you,"

He said with hand upraised,

Then healed the man before me.

"Praise God," I cried, amazed.

Who is this one, so like God,

and yet a man like me,

Who heals our broken bodies,

and makes the sinner free?

Who is He who sears my soul

by speaking but a word,

Causing Pharisees to moan

at all that I have heard?

Could it be the Chosen One,

The One for whom we wait?

This One who has shown such love,

Surrounded by our hate?

Could it be He, Messiah,

Who makes my heart to sing,

Come to set our spirits free,

Could it be He, the King?

Could it be the King ... in your life, and in mine.  The One calling us to encounter HIM and be healed and set free.  Free from fear, old patterns, despair, habits ... everything that cripples us inside and out.  

Today, of all days, I want to bring my crippled self, my "paralyzed" friends, my family, my neighbors, and the depths of my very soul to Him.  

Let freedom ring . . . in Jesus.

Lessons from the Frog-Headed Man

Hi Friends,

Today is picture day at school for the girls.  So today as we were frantically fixing hair and practicing smiles, I remembered what I learned the last time our family had pictures taken.  Then, God taught me where to look and how to smile ... in life.  

It happened like this:

I knew it was impossible.  It simply couldn’t be done.  Yet there we sat, all eight of us, trying to pose for a photo of the family.  Yes, it was crazy.

            The baby fussed.  The two-year-old jumped up and down and then tried to stand on his head.  The five-year-old twins looked everywhere but the camera.  The eight-year-old attempted to get the two-year-old to stand up, and the oldest kept making faces at the baby, hoping to get her to stop crying.  I waved my hand in front of the group and tried to get them to look forward.

            Click.

            I grimaced.  Just what I needed, a professional picture of my blurry hand to send to friends and relatives. 

            The photographer stood behind the camera and motioned with one hand.  “Let’s try that again.  Stand closer together please, and look at the camera.”

            Fat chance.

            We squeezed in.  The baby stopped crying.  Jayden stuck a finger up his nose.  Joelle pulled it out.  “Look at the cam--”

            Click.

            Not again.

            The photographer adjusted the camera.  “Everyone look here and smile.” 

            I did. 

            “Little boy, look at me.” 

            He didn’t. 

            Jayna pointed to the corner of the room.  “Hey, cobwebs.”

            Bethany twisted around.  “Jayna!”

            Everyone squirmed.  And wiggled.  And complained.

            “Joelle’s not looking at the camera.”

            “Well, neither are you.”

            “Bethany’s not looking either.”

            “I am too.”

            “No, you’re not.”

            “Bria stop closing your eyes.”

            “Dad’s not smiling.”

            “Jayden, stop it.”

            Click!

            Jayna jumped down from the short box she was standing on.  “Are we done?” 

            The photographer shook his head.  “Not yet.”  He pulled a big stuffed frog from a basket on his left.  It was a floppy thing with wide feet and a red mouth.  He slapped it on his head.  The legs drooped down over his forehead. Then he made funny noises.  Jayden giggled.  Jayna rubbed her nose. 

            The frog waggled.

            The kids wiggled.

            “Everyone just look at the frog-headed man!” I shouted. 

            They all looked up, even the baby. 

            The photographer peeked from around the camera.  “Mom, you too, please.”

            “What?  Oh yeah.”  I stared and the frog and pasted on a smile.

            Click.

            The photographer breathed out a sigh.  “I think we got it.”

            “Really?  Everyone’s looking?  Their eyes are all open?” 

            “Yep, this is a good one.”

            And it was... all eight of us looking at the camera and most even smiling. 

            That day, I discovered that the only way to get a good picture was by all fixing our eyes on the frog-headed man. When one of us stopped looking ahead, and instead gazed off in our own direction or when we started looking at each other and telling each other to "look at the camera, smile, don't close your eyes," we couldn't get a decent picture. It was only when each person decided to focus and smile, and let the photographer correct the others, that we got a good picture at last.

            I was reminded of Hebrews 12:2 (NIV), where we're encouraged to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."  Life in Christ works a lot like a family photo. The only way to get a good shot is if I fix my eyes on Jesus rather than looking around to see if everyone else is doing it right. When I fix my eyes on Jesus, and keep them there, he will perfect my faith. When I fix my eyes on how others are falling short, my own faith falters.

            I’ve found that life works a lot better when I allow God to correct others, to help them look forward and smile.  When I try to play God for them, then I stop looking where I need to look. I also stop smiling.  So from now on, I’m going to allow Jesus to be the true photographer in my life, and in the lives of those around me.  And I hope he won’t need to wear a frog on his head to keep my attention.

Vegas Tips for Living in God's Wonder

Hi Friends,

Bryan and I got back from a surprise trip to Vegas not too long ago (fun together time!) for his work, and today as I was going through some of the pictures, I was reminded of some life lessons I learned there.

So, here are 4 tips for living in the wonder of God everyday from crazy Las Vegas:

1) When you feel like your stuck (like in 3 hours of traffic) and life is stormy and murky (like in a dust and thunderstorm) ... look for God's promises that the storm won't last forever (look for the rainbow!).  There is beauty and wonder even the stuck and stormy places of life.  Lift your head and look for it.  And keep on.

2) If you want to get the best out of a meal (or out of life), follow the recommendations of the One who has created the menu.  Just as you get the best stuff at a new restaurant when you ask the waiter (or chef) what's best and trust him to bring you just the right thing (we had some of the BEST food of our lives using this method in Vegas this time!!), so we should trust God to know what's best for us, and choose our "plates" for us in life as well.  Trust Him - even when the stuff on your plate looks a little scary (that's sushi pizza in the pic -- best thing EVER)!!

3) Feeling a little tired or worn-out? Take a moment for a good meal ... of God's Word!!














4) Enjoy the gift of laughter.  If you don't have enough of it in your life, watch Duck Dynasty. ;-)

Is God Calling You to New Adventures?

Hi Friends!

School started for my girls this week, and I was reminded of this story from Jayden's first day of preschool last year.

So, if God may be calling you into something new, or maybe something a little scary, read on . . .

Jayden gripped my hand with small fingers.  He took a deep breath, and I felt him tremble.  He looked up at me.  

I gave him my best smile.  “Are you ready?”  

Together, we turned toward the long hallway to his preschool classroom.  And then, I was the one taking a deep, uncertain breath.  How would he handle this first day of real school? Would he cry?  Would he fuss? Would he fight? Would he wet his pants?

 
Three-year-old voices splashed out into hall.  “Give me.” “Stop it!” “Mommmmyyyyy!”  “Waaaa...”

Jayden’s fingers tightened.  His shoulders straightened.  “I’m ready.”

I straightened my shoulders too, and we moved toward the triangle of light that fell from the door’s opening.  I’d made this walk many times with his older sisters.  But for him, it was the first time.  The first time he’d squish his hand into the homemade playdough.  The first time he’d sit on the carpet for circle time and hear the story of the big bear. The first time he’d teeter-totter with a classmate, and sip his juice, and hang his sweatshirt on the rack, and obey the teacher when she said to stand on the yellow line.

Was he really ready?

We stepped inside the classroom.  He didn’t cry.  He didn’t fuss.

 
I wanted to scoop him up and kiss him, but I wouldn’t.  He was a big boy now.  And he was ready.  He truly was.

I let go of his hand and touched his blond hair.  My gaze traveled over his cowboy boots, red t-shirt, and jeans covering his big-boy underwear.  It seemed like just yesterday when he was running around in diapers and onesies.  How had this happened?  How had he grown from a toddler in Pampers to this young man making his way over to the Lego table all by himself?

I thought about it and smiled.  He’d grown day by day, hour by hour, with a lot of instruction, a lot of discipline, and a lot of meals.  And some of it he hadn’t liked one bit.  He wanted to hit his sisters when they took his toys.  We taught him he couldn’t hit.  He wanted to go to church in just a diaper.  We told him he had to keep his pants on.  He didn’t want to eat healthy food.  We gave it to him anyway.  He “no like” going to bed.  We tucked him in and turned out the light all the same.  And he especially didn’t like to use the potty chair.  Going in the diaper was just so much easier.  But we kept at it until he was able to keep his big-boy pants dry all day and all night.

We did it because we knew he couldn’t stay a baby forever.  We knew this day would come, when he’d be going to school where you couldn’t hit, you couldn’t grab, you had to keep your pants on and your underwear dry.  Now, after a lot of work, he was ready.

And he was happy.

As I stood there and watched him play, I wondered if God was using the things I didn’t like in my life to discipline me too, to train me for a new adventure that I didn’t yet know about.  Were the things that didn’t taste so sweet making me strong?  Were the lessons that seemed so hard preparing me for my “first day of preschool” where diapers weren’t allowed?  As Jayden moved to the playdough table, the words of Hebrews 12:5b-6 (NIV) came to mind:  “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves...”

So, even though I prefer the easy life, even though I would rather swallow only things that I enjoy and get my own way, God knows that I have to grow up.  So he trains me, disciplines me, shows me how to grow, so that when I stand in the long, scary hallway leading to a new adventure with him, I can straighten my shoulders, grip his hand in mine, and say with a voice that may tremble just a little, “Yes, I’m ready.”

As I left Jayden’s classroom that morning, I knew that I, too, wanted to be like him.  I wanted to be a “big girl” who could bravely go into new situations and do what’s right.  I wanted to be the type of kid who holds God’s hand, even when I’m shaking, and walks forward.  I want to be ready for every new adventure with God.

Finding God in the Dark

Hi Friends,

Last night (during our church's Coffee, Conversations, & Chocolate women's event) I so enjoyed talking about finding God in our everyday lives -- in the messy places, the barren places, the scary places -- and being renewed in our spirits through connecting with Him not only in the things with think of as "spiritual" but also in the ins-and-outs, ups-and-downs of our real, regular lives.

The talk went over-time, and I didn't have a chance to share this poem, so I thought I'd share it here -- a reminder that God is with you even in your darkest times . . .

HE IS THERE

When dreams are as dying things

Withering in your grasp,

When hope becomes a stranger

In a parched, desolate land,

When vision has all vanished

As mist before the fire,

He is there.

When prayers crumble at your feet

In wisps of shattered words,

When night gathers dark and deep

Shrouding trails of light,

When all seems lost forever

As if day will never dawn,

He is there.

When you look deep inside

And see the barren soil,

When despair has gained mastery

And tears have all run dry,

When there's no one left, nothing left

But the bitter taste of death,

He is there.

As He was in Gethsemane

The night before the trial,

As He was at Calvary

When nails were driven deep,

As He lay within the tomb

Before the dawn of life.

He is there.

Life Lessons from Jr High Camp

Hi Friends,

I just got back from a week at Jr High Camp (Hume Lake) with Bethany and Joelle ... and have survived to tell!  Truly though, it was a wonder-filled week filled with all kinds of NOISE and also lessons from God that spoke to my heart.

So, I thought it would be fun to share a few of lessons ... and none of the noise.  Here ya go:

1)  There’s something amazing about getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new, and wild, and full of Jesus!  Jesus takes my breath away with his wonder.

2)  Life is like the high ropes course.  When you go Tarzan-swinging from one tree to another, and miss, your connection to the cable above (i.e., God) keeps you from crashing to the ground.  And he also gives you another chance to make the leap, even when you mess up. [This one learned the hard way ... I have the scabs and bruises to prove it.]

3)  In the chaos, noise, screaming, shouting, running, cheering, hollering, crying, shrieking ... God is at work.  If you listen for Him, he can still be heard in the hoopla of life.

4)  No matter where you are in life, God is calling you to face your fears (be it the “blob,” or the zip line, or the “leap of faith” from the tallest platform, or a sinking canoe, or a swing out into a murky pond, or just getting know someone new . . .) and live in His freedom.

5)  God gives rest to those He loves ... take it when you can get it!