PUTTING SHADOWS BEHIND US “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22-23. The sunrise this morning was spectacular.  Every morning the sun announces the new day.  With a yawn and stretch of brilliant color, it rises from its bed behind our back hill, to begin marching its way across the sky toward evening slumber. This morning, what caught my attention, within the comforting faithfulness of this routine, were the shadows.  The oak trees that stand guard between us and the rising sun were silhouetted against a fiery backdrop of sky.  The outline of every branch and twig were perfectly defined. Trailing out from the trees, like the train of a wedding dress, were elongated shadows that draped down the shoulders of the hill.  The shadows were much larger than the trees.  And while there was a similarity between the shadows and the trees which...

STOP THE MADNESS! Do you have someone in your life whose very presence can make you come unhinged?  For those of us who can’t think of anyone fitting that description, chances are we ARE one! Often these poor souls have no clue how they are received. I have one or two of these in my life, and I hate how this irritation to be with them makes me feel. To be with them, my responses can be short, curt and frankly, not very nice.  After an encounter I always feel like a relational failure. I don’t understand myself.  I want to do one thing, but end up doing precisely the opposite.  I do what I hate (Rom 7:15). I loathe the lack of self control and anger—almost as if a tiny bit of insanity, a fleeting madness, takes over. Recently, I was alternating between complaining about someone and lamenting my behavior to the Lord, and I said to the Lord, “Lord help me!  I don’t know how to do this!  Show me how to feel different about them!” Two words came to...

RECOGNIZING THE SEASONS “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 This morning I look out the window and consider the Lord’s handiwork.  I consider the changes that take place as evidence of the current season. Where we live, summertime is adorned with vibrant blooms, while the grass withers and turns brown.  In the winter, the trees are bare and appear dead, but the hills are covered in a rolling carpet of vibrant green.  In every season of life there are things that burst to life while other things fade away. Lately, I have been pondering stories in the Word about life, death and resurrection.  This morning the story about Lazarus comes to mind. “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days...

PRAYER ENVY “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14. CONFESSION:  I have prayer envy.  Have you ever been around someone whose spontaneous prayers are like the most lovely poetry you have ever read?  I am not one of those silver-tongued people. Once at church we broke off into small groups of five or six, and were taking turns praying for one another’s needs.  One gentleman began praying for my friend, and I was half tempted to open one eye to see if he was reading the prayer out of a book, because his prayer was so beautiful.  I remember thinking at the time that I wished I had a gift to pray eloquently like that. I will be honest. I tend to be nervous praying aloud in front of others.  While prayers may flow from my pen, they stumble like potatoes out of a sa...

ERADICATING CANCER CANCER.  It's a small word. It is only six letters long, but the very mention of the word brings terror to most people.  A small, malicious entity hiding in the recesses of a person's body, that when allowed to grow, can extinguish the life that sustains it. We all know someone who has died of cancer. There is one cancer they don't mention, however:  Bitterness. I know that I probably sound like a broken record, but if we drink the poison of unforgiveness, WE will be the ones who will pay the penalty of its poison.  It slowly penetrates the soul, sucking the very life out of us. Recently, I marked the six year anniversary of the passing of my precious, first husband, Jim, to lung cancer.  He fought a long battle, but the disease had spread and we were never able to stop its devastating course.  Jim didn't have a choice as to whether to get cancer or not.  It chose him. We, however, have a choice as to whether we will drin...

“SHHH...LISTEN!” “Don't talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don't talk too much. “ – Ecclesiastes 5:2 My daughter, Lauren, could sell sand in the Sahara Desert.  When she was little, my husband and I would tell her that she could be an attorney, because she was so tenacious at arguing her point. She would ask me for something. If my response was, “No,” the next half hour would be spent with her following me around the house, trying to sway me. She thought that somewhere in her endless stream of words, that there would be a magic phrase to change my mind. Matthew 6:7-8 reminds me of this, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” I seldom changed my mind, because a “No” was usually due to safety, wisdom, or appropriateness.  She...

I’LL LEAVE THE LIGHT ON FOR YOU. LOVE, DAD “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”  – Zephaniah 3:17. Several years ago, a friend’s adult daughter abruptly left her family and friends, cutting ties with everyone she knew. She has always held a tender spot in my heart.  Most of the time I am able to release her to the Lord’s care, but sometimes she weighs on my heart and I have to pray. I search the Internet looking for any clues.  Yesterday was a searching day. There was no judgement in my heart toward her, just a deep longing to see her found and brought home. She would be welcomed “with open arms and hearts.” It is like the Prodigal Son who went his own way and lived a life of unwise choices.  The father allowed the son to go, but always kept a hopeful, watching eye.  He longed for the day he would catch a glimpse of his son re...

FIGHT OR FLIGHT & FEEDING BABY BIRDS (Caution: Some may find the following discussion unappetising) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” – Matthew 5:6. There were probably four dozen canaries in the gazebo in my childhood backyard.  My father raised them as a hobby, but it was my responsibility to feed them.  Twice each day I would feed the nesting mommas a mixture of ground hard-boiled egg, meal worms and wheat germ. What I provided for momma bird to eat was then regurgitated and fed to her babies. Their loud and insistent cheeping was like the cheering of a crowd at a foot race, urging runners to go ever faster. Animals of many species will also bring up their last meal when frightened or upset.  Part of the protective fight or flight mechanism can cause a creature that feels as if in danger, to get rid of every bit of excess weight, to be able to be as light in weight as possible, in case they need to fight...

PREDICTING A COIN TOSS “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” - Psalm 121 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” - Psalm 46:1. It was a bit before sunrise.  Ten minutes earlier, my husband had left for work on his motorcycle when the phone rang. Rarely does anything good happen at that hour of the night. My husband was calling to tell me that he had hit a deer and his motorcycle might be totaled.  At times like this, when we realize that someone preci...

THE SECRET PLACE "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7 Throughout my life, when faced with heartache or confusion, my wise momma would remind me that God gives us an imagination.  And we can use it for good or evil. She would encourage me to use my imagination to prepare a room in my heart — a secret place for just the Lord and me, where I could share my heart and then listen to Him share His. This morning I extend my time in bed, close my eyes, invite the Lord’s presence and enter the room in my heart where I meet with the Lord. It’s lovely.  The walls are covered in floor to ceiling bookcases full of beautifully bound books.  The walls are rich and the carpet is thick and soft. Before me there is a crackling fire and soft lighting.  In the middle of the room, facing the fireplace there are two overstuffed chairs.  One is for me and the other is for Him. I go to my chair ...

PETER, PATIENCE & THE PEDICURE “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12. The world is going a bit crazy these days.  Just five minutes of the evening news and I want to either cry or throw something at the TV.  So many people that we love are going through terribly difficult and painful things.  They may look happy and healthy on the outside, but the stories of what is going on in their lives are heartbreaking. It is tempting to look at social media and assume that the lives of our friends are going well.  It looks like they have their lives all together.  By comparison, we feels like failures and our lives like disasters, making us feel alone and isolated. We feel we are the only one going through something really hard.  In reality, not being able to see someone’s problem does not mean one does not exist. A few days ago I got a...

THE FATHER KNOWS BEST NOTE TO SELF:   When you feel like Job, remember Job's response.    Choose to trust God.   Choose to worship God in the face of pain, fear, grief, being misjudged and heart wrenching loss.   Honor the Lord with your last breath.    Worship whether you feel like it or not, because He alone is worthy.   Do not indulge in self-pity, whining or complaining.   Don't think you know better than God.    He is the one who flung the stars into space.    He knows the number of sands in the oceans, the hairs on your head and the number of your days.    The Father knows best.   Strive to be on the same page as He is as opposed to asking for it to be the other way around.   Remember that rain falls on the just and the unjust.    Allow the pressure to encourage you to grow and push your roots down deep into the Word of ...

SHIFTING SAND “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” – Philippians 2:5 I have a tiny migraine this morning.  There is no pain, but my vision is skewed.  When I look, there are things missing from my field of vision that I know are in reality there, while there are other things that I see that absolutely don’t exist.  Just a tiny shift, and my vision has become unreliable.  While I am thankful that my migraines pass quickly, I am also grateful for the reminder they bring me that I can’t rely on what I see or feel.  Feelings lie. Emotions, fear and anxiety cause me to see dangers and trouble that are either non-existent or, at minimum, greatly exaggerated.  At the same time, I can neither see how God is working things out, nor can I perceive His help, even though He is surely there. The truth is that no matter what we feel, He remains eternally good. We can rest in His love and faithfulness, knowing that they never waver.  And...