Storage Secrets

In the town where I was raised, our family relocated like nomadic gypsies. While we lived in the same small berg for 14 years, we moved five times, an average of 2.8 years in each abode. We didn’t allow much time to let the grass grow before we set our sights on new digs. I’m not certain the reasons behind all these moves from one end of town to the other. I don’t think we were run out of neighborhoods for too many dandelions or breaking a noise ordinance. We certainly didn't display our appliances on the front porch. It’s not like my parents had 17 annoying children harassing the neighbors, either. Three is a pretty normal number, and we definitely were quite angelic. So, why we moved from house to house, I don’t really know unless my dad has gypsy roots. This hopping around like rabbits resulted in purging possessions as frequently as emptying our trash.

In any case, I’ve learned to simplify along the way since for many years, I too, carried this gypsy gene in my veins. Until this last house in which I’ve resided for the last 11 years, I had relocated 15 times in 15 years, a measly year in each place. Goodness, a year is only enough time to move in, unpack and begin looking for a new dwelling! I felt like a squirrel scrambling up one tree, unloading a few acorns, only to set his sights on the next tree, looking for that place to call home. I didn’t have time to become a packrat or a collector of Precious Moments or Lladro. An itinerant lifestyle doesn’t lend itself to piling up possessions like Adele collecting awards at the Grammy’s.  

So, now that I’ve managed to settle down in one domicile for almost an eternity, I’ve stockpiled, stuffed, and stored belongings that otherwise would have been eliminated in one of my 40,000 moves. Four overflowing bookshelves, an army of toys, and ancient relics from the past threatened a coup. Thus, I embarked on a journey to eradicate unnecessary items seeking to bully us from our dwelling. My first stop, the basement storage, which hosted not only Christmas décor, but also those important artifacts from yesteryear that neither hubby nor I could bear to part with. It goes without saying that I keep a few sentimental items from the kids’ baby years, not to mention those valuable high school year books with such meaningful comments as “stay sweet” and “wish’d I could’ve spent more time with you” from friends that I haven’t talked to in 30 years.

I’m not quite sure why the man of the house complains about my growing mountain of books while he clings to Accounting and Calculus textbooks from ancient times. Surely, combs with teeth missing don’t pack sentimental value. And, why does he continue to save ski maps of Aspen and Vale from 1982? What causes us to cling to these articles that sit uselessly in the dark?  It’s like those clothes I simply can’t discard because I might wear them—someday.  Lest I place all the blame on my poor partner, why on earth do I keep research papers from college or high school unless I need to spark a bonfire? Do I really want to show my daughter my piano evaluation that displays my hapless grade on practicing and dynamics (the very things she struggles with)?  I might not be a packrat in the truest sense of the word, but what objects do I keep hidden away…just.in.case—like the two indoor water fountains that we might display someday, or the million tote bags tucked away, or the tent we’ve never used (nor will we, if I have any say). The list is endless…

And so, I simplified the storage. I emptied boxes like my 20-year-old son eats cereal. Forty-old-combs and thirty-year-old maps disappeared, and the “we might use them someday” fountains recycled. The tent was miraculously saved for “one of those years”. The storage closet, now condensed and compact like a smart car, whereas before, navigating that room was like a soldier tiptoeing across a mine field. Boxes precariously positioned and items haphazardly strewn about endangered anyone entering the room. 

Cleaning out unnecessary items is cathartic. Especially for the soul. What menacing matters jeopardize my heart? What clutters my conscience? Am I hiding, harboring, or hanging onto something like a child refusing to unclench her favorite blanket or stuffed animal to be washed? Do I really think I can keep anything secret from the One who sees all?

“You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” Psalm 90:8

So often I convince myself that if no one else knows about my anger simmering like soup, God is oblivious to it as well. Then, I read words about God creating me in the secret place, and I remember nothing is hidden from my Creator.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.” Psalm 139:15-16

He, who created me, is intimately familiar with everything that makes me tick. As I ponder this verse, I comprehend how strangely comforting this truth is. The God of the Universe knows me—the terrible thoughts, the shady secrets, the awful attitudes—and loves me in spite of what lurks in my heart. While others might recoil, Jesus embraces me. He exposes my sin in the light of His presence and invites me to experience His forgiveness, like the woman caught in the act of adultery. Her sin uncovered and accusers gone, Jesus forgives and summons her to live differently—to expunge damaging deeds done in the dark.

And so, He calls all of us to walk in the light, to eradicate concealed cargo that we grip tightly to. As we let go, our hearts can be filled with His goodness and grace. Just as our storage compartments are expunged of unnecessary clutter, so our hearts are freed from those secret sins which weigh us down.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

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A Holy Life Leads to a Happy Life

My former Bible study leaders used to  describe JOY using this acronymn: J-esus, O-thers, Y-ou. In our world today it seems most people focus on themselves FIRST, others SECOND and Jesus LAST. That's totally backwards from what the Bible teaches. Maybe that's why some of us walk around carrying the world on our shoulders. That's not God's loving desire for us.

Recently I read an article listing the 15 things we need to give up in order to live a happier life. I liked what was listed, but I wanted to give it a more Biblical slant, so I commented and added Scripture to support each point.

1. Give up your need to always be right.

Pastor David Whitehead comments: This Scripture encapsulates the entire story of Joseph. After being sold into slavery by his brothers, taking false charges of rape and enduring years in a dungeon, Joseph has every right to want revenge on his brothers. instead, he sees that God used his circumstances to stage the greatest hunger relief program of the ancient world. 

There are many things we are suffering in now that, when we look back, we will see the sovereign hand of God guiding us.

Genesis 15:20 "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good."

2. Give up your need for control. God knows what's best for us. Let's not resist His work in our lives. Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." 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 direct your path."

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame. Galatians 6:5 "For each one should carry his OWN load." Take responsibility for your actions. You can't control others, you can only control yourself.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk.  "Act the way you want to be and soon you'll be the way you act." - Les Brown. 

Deuteronomy 7:6 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession."

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

Phil 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things."

5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

Mark 9:23 " 'If you can?' said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

Romans 8:37 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

6. Give up complaining.  Phil. 2:14: "Do everything without complaining or arguing" 

7. Give up your need to impress others.  Romans 12:2-3  "Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

8. Give up the luxury of criticism. Although difficult, we must try not to have a critical spirit. Remember, we're all just trying to do the best we can.  Matthew 7:1"Do not judge lest you be judged."


Romans 12:10: "Love one another with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other."

9. Give up your resistance to change. Life would be pretty boring without change: With winter, comes spring. With night, comes day. With death, comes life. 


Eph 4:22-24 tells us "that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 

1 Corintians 15:51 "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--"

1 Corinthians 15:52 "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

That's one change I'm definitely looking forward to!

10. Give up labels. We've heard it said: don't judge a book by its cover. Treat everyone the same. Galatians 3:28 says:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:3:  

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Philippians 2:3-4: "In humility consider others better than yourselves."

11. Give up on your fears. 1 Timothy 1:7 "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." 

Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.

“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses. Yes, we have freedom in Christ but that doesn't give us an excuse to sin, since we know we'll be forgiven. Instead, we must strive to be all Christ wants us to be because of the enormous sacrifice He made to shower His grace upon us. Romans 12:1-2 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers,by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."


Galatians 5:13:

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

13. Give up the past.  John 8:32: For you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment. 

John 15:19 

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.

This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations.  Romans 8:31-32 tells us "If God is for us, who can be against us?" When Job fell into various life trials, his wife encouraged him to curse God and die. Job was wise enough to realize he is not one to question God's ways. 

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

Are you a man pleaser, or God pleaser?

Which do you find most difficult to do? i find not complaining the most difficult.

CHALLENGE: let's try to do this for ONE WEEK and see how we feel afterward! Are you up for the challenge? I am! :-)

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The Lion, My Savior

Recently, I watched for the second time the newest Disney version of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Aslan, the Lion and allegorical representation of Jesus, captivated me. He displayed an uncommon kindness and gentleness yet every silent lion-step he took exhibited mighty power and ultimate supremacy--Aslan was a force not to be reckoned with.

For those of you who have seen the movie or read the book, you know the story. I must, however, share a magnificent moment for me from this allegory. Edmund, the boy who betrays everyone to satisfy his fleshly desires, is accused of being a traitor, an accusation that cannot be denied. The antagonist, the White Witch, declares that, by law, every traitor belongs to her and must be killed on the stone table. That exact predicament is precisely what each and every one of us faces in our lives. When we sin, we betray God and the consequence is death.

Aslan privately arranges with the White Witch a rescue plan for Edmund . Without a fight, Aslan chooses not to exercise his magnificent power that could defeat any opposition and willingly exchanges his own guiltless life to save one mere boy in dire need of salvation. Aslan could have defeated the dark forces in one fell swoop of his mighty paw, but instead, he submitted himself to a cruel, painful, drawn-out murder to save Edmund, consequently the entire race of man.

My heart is full of gratitude to Christ Jesus, my Savior! I am unworthy, yet willingly, without a fight, He died for me.

Thank you, Jesus!

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Being Holy

A few weeks ago, a group of women were examining the topic of “holiness” in our study, The Fitting Room, by Kelly Minter. This word drums up all sorts of images in our minds. Some picture monks or nuns in their holy habits, the Amish who have separated themselves from the rest of society, some super spiritual saint, or perhaps a legalistic upbringing. This word doesn’t fill us with the warm fuzzies like “love”, “joy”, or “peace”. In fact in our discussion, one woman commented, “I struggle with a word that means “set apart”. It’s like I think I’m better than everyone else.”  And yet, God tells us to be holy as he is holy (1 Peter 1:16). What exactly does God mean by that, and how can we possibly achieve it?

Unpacking this word is like unloading a moving van filled with trinkets and treasures collected for years. I’m not sure if any person can comprehensively grasp the concept of holiness. However, within the framework of the verses our class is dissecting in this particular study, I’m posing a few thoughts.

Colossians 3:12 states, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

The first words Paul writes before he tells us what clothes to wear are that we are chosen, holy and dearly loved. God calls us holy before we have done anything good. How is that possible? I know what I am capable of—crabby attitudes, corrupted actions and careless words. How does God call me holy when I’ve done nothing to deserve that designation?  It’s only because of Jesus’ sacrifice for my sins on the cross that I am viewed holy. Trusting my own goodness to please God is like a student relying on his charismatic personality to pass a test. It’s not good enough and never will be. According to Isaiah 64:6, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

Kelly Minter says, “Without this imputed righteousness (God thinking of Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us), we are back to the concept of trying to clothe ourselves with clothes we don’t actually own. Righteousness isn’t something you can borrow either, just for the thrifty dressers out there.” How freeing to realize that God calls me holy not because I deserve it but because His Son paid the price for me. The world teaches us the opposite—if we prove ourselves through hard work, we can be someone special. God says you are already special because of My Son, therefore clothe yourselves with what you already possess. Unfortunately, we oftentimes attempt to achieve holiness by mustering up enough willpower to exhibit these virtues rather than realizing that we are incapable of justifying ourselves. We must rest upon Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

Holiness concerns our heart not behavior modification. Parents desire their children to listen and obey because they desire to obey, not because they are forced. I recall as a young girl my mom making me apologize to my sister or brother. “Say you’re sorry, Annette,” she’d say.

“Sorry,” I’d mumble.

“Sorry for what?”

“Sorry for hitting you,” I’d eke out to the offended.

Truly heartfelt, right?! How many of us apologized in our youth to our sister or brother because our moms threatened to ground us for a month, take away phone privileges or friend play time? And, how many of us as parents do the very same thing? Say you’re sorry, give the toy back, hug your sister, kiss and make up… God longs for us to exhibit His attributes because our hearts are transformed.  Behavior change doesn’t last unless there is heart change. Kelly Minter emphatically says, “…how I yearn to live altogether differently, not simply because I’ve learned how to manage my behavior but because God has changed me from the inside. And because I desperately desire to draw others to Jesus by a life that is distinctly bright and whole, because He has made it so.”

Our holiness, then, should draw others to Jesus not cause us to be uppity or snobbish. True holiness is not setting ourselves against or above others as my friend was concerned about. D.L. Moody stated, “A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.” We should be winsome women, attracting others to us like bees to pollen. Instead of judging, condemning and criticizing unbelievers who, incidentally, cannot be held accountable to live godly lives, we should live and love in such a way that they are drawn to the Savior.

As we are holy and wear clothes that reflect who we are in Christ, may those around us find love and grace.  May we be the kind of women who walk alongside those who are desperate, depressed and downtrodden. And, may we never portray ourselves as snooty or snobby or stuck up, but rather saved by His grace, made holy only because of Jesus.

Go light your world!

Kathy Troccoli-Go Light Your World

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Fire in my Bones

But if I say, "I will not mention Him [God] or speak any more in His [God's] name," His [God's] word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9

Google images

To say the least, Jeremiah had a hard job. God commanded Jeremiah to tell His people the Truth. Jeremiah spoke to God's people about their rebellious, disloyal ways and God's impending judgment and consequences they would experience as a result of their sin. (Not a very popular message, eh? I mean, really, how often do we hear this kind of sermon from the pulpit? "You're in trouble, Church! God is going to punish you for forsaking Him!" No, that's not a 'churchy' thing to preach.)


Obviously, Jeremiah faced rejection everywhere he turned. The people were not fond of him nor his message and Jeremiah grew tired of telling people the brutal Truth. BUT! He couldn't help it. Jeremiah's passion for GOD could not be restrained. God's life-changing, powerful reality was etched upon his heart and there was no use resisting. Jeremiah had to obey God no matter the cost.


I started thinking about this 'fire shut up in my bones' and I asked myself, "What am I so passionate about that I cannot contain it?" Jeremiah's fire was God and His word. I tend to be passionate about myself. Pretty pathetic compared to God! I suppose my passion fizzles out so quickly because the fire in me is not lasting. Jesus is the ONLY lasting fire that cannot be put out.

For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24

God, consume our hearts. Set our hearts on fire, for Your fire cannot be extinguished.

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What's the Word?

The mantra chanted repeatedly in circles around this time of year is familiar to most of us. “Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions?” spills out of mouths like the greeting, “Merry Christmas.” People’s responses range from scorn because of past failures to excitement for what might be achieved.  I’ve failed miserably when making goals. One year I planned to eliminate sweets from my diet. In the midst of eating a piece of cake, I realized I forgot about my goal. The rest was history including that resolution. Since then, I’ve learned tips about making goals more specific and measurable. Perhaps I would’ve succeeded if my resolve were to cut sweets to three times a week instead of never eating them again. I grasped the real lesson:

never again make a resolution involving chocolate.

I enjoy creating goals for the New Year, focusing my energy with God’s help in various areas, such as family, spiritual, physical, ministry and leadership. In recent years, however, I’ve also prayed about a “word” that will characterize my year. Around November, I ponder what word God might speak to me. Many times, this word will crop up as I’m reading my Bible or another book. I may sense that He’s teaching me a trait through a family issue. I always hope it’s not patience because I really don’t want to take those field trip experiences.

A journal writer sporadically since a teen, I love looking back at what I’ve written. In my diary days, I wrote inspiring notes about boys I liked and ugly words about my sister: “She thinks she’s pretty, but she’s not.” It’s good for a chuckle but not much else. As an adult, I’ve vented and vomited words on the page. I’ve prayed and praised the God to whom I owe everything. And, I’ve remembered and recounted the events of each year. So, as I roll back the time to 2010 when my word was “flourish,” I read that it was filled with tough times, and I wrote, “I’m not sure that (flourish) really occurred in my estimation.” It felt much more like failure to me.

Last year, my word was “God’s Goodness.” Okay, that’s two words, but who’s counting?  The year began with “my brain is encased in a thick fog this morning after a migraine that felt like it was going to blow its innards like Mt. St. Helens. My left ear throbs as if someone were poking me with sharp needles.” Off to a great start so far. I began to wonder about my chosen “words” when I spent the first two week s of January 2011 in bed several days with various sicknesses…migraines, dizziness, ear pain and vomiting.  Intersperse about a million snow days when the kids were hanging around, and that’s a little too much goodness for me!

Yet, what God taught me with those two words over the course of the year was that His goodness had nothing to do with my circumstances.  In one journal entry, I wrote, “The year can only go up from here, right?! Right?! My words, “God’s goodness,” for 2011 sound almost humorous. Still I know that just because my circumstances have been bleak doesn’t mean He isn’t good. It’s all in the perspective, right?” Like a roller coaster, the year was up then down, yet I experienced His goodness in all of it. Our circumstances may not be outwardly good, but God can use them for our eternal good. What I found is that God’s goodness permeated each event in my life last year. It’s a lesson I will not forget.

So, what does this year hold? What word am I hanging on to? Drum roll, please….This year, I believe it’s “grace.” Grace for me when I blow it, and grace for me to offer others. Beyond that, I’m waiting to see how the year unfolds and what God will show me!  Now, it’s your turn.

What “word” will God give you?

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Learning through Life

Wow.

It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything here. I’m sure some of you thought I just ceased to write or care. That is not the case at all. Rather, God was doing a work in me in 2011 – a work that was hard and painful sometimes; joyful and easy others. It was a work that required me to spend more time with Him than I spent on other things.

image by google

And, it was a work that asked me to be still and silent before Him; to lean on Him instead of my friends and family; to trust that He really did know best, even when my heart was hurting and my head was swimming.  2011 was a year unlike any other I have experienced. And while I won’t “bore you” with all the details, I wanted to come back to Mainstream by sharing with you the lessons I learned while I was mostly silent in the valleys of last year.

Trusting God Is NOT Always Easy

It’s a simple lesson, and a simple message. It’s one you’ve probably heard a million times, but the reality of it became apparent in my life in 2011. I had to choose in a dark moment whether to trust Him or trust the world. I chose to trust Him. I had to choose to love Him instead of hanging on to what I wanted to understand. I had to love Him when I didn’t know how to love right. I had to give my tears to Him. I realized that I wanted so much to believe that God wanted what was best for me; but it was so hard to see that in the valleys. Learning to trust His plan for my life when I felt like everything was spiraling out of control was and still is not an easy lesson.

God Doesn’t Need Me 

God doesn’t need me to accomplish anything He has planned, but He does want me to be there, walking with Him and learning from Him. It is naïve and childish to think that God won’t do something just because I throw a (thirty)-two year old temper tantrum about it. But, life is better when you walk with God instead of against Him. He is GOD. He doesn’t need me to do diddly, but He wants me to do so much more than I could ever imagine.

There is Peace in Unlikely Places

When it seems like the battles are too hard to fight, it’s funny where peace can be found. For me, I found peace in my job – a job that is crazy, hectic, exhausting and frustrating at any given moment. I found peace in a place where God was everywhere, but I still had a task to accomplish. I found peace in my to-do lists. That may seem silly, but having a purpose gave the cloudy skies a little sunshine. Wherever you can find your peace, go there. And, don’t be surprised when that peaceful place changes on a regular basis.

Not Talking about it is Okay

One of the reasons I stopped blogging and became somewhat quiet in the world was because I was learning this lesson. I want to share everything when I am hurting – but maybe that is not the most helpful approach in the world. Instead of sharing everything with everyone, I shared a little with a few people. And a little with a few more people. And a lot with a handful of people that had walked these roads before. Not talking was a hard lesson, but it gave me an honest perspective on my world and my place in God’s bigger plan.

Joy is a Choice 

This was a big one for me. I learned in 2011 that having a joyful heart and a joyful outlook on life was a choice I had to make myself. It is not an inherent part of my DNA – I could give Eeyore a run for his money on any given day – but choosing to find happiness and joy in life made me realize that everything – big or little, good or bad – was being done for a purpose, and there should be joy in the journey. That doesn’t mean every day has to be happy, but there can still be a deeper sense of joy in the God who wouldn’t give us floods if He hadn’t also promised rainbows.

I could go on and on, but that’s just a little of why I was quiet and why 2011 was different for me in so many ways. I am excited to face 2012, and am hoping that these lessons aren’t ones I have to relearn!

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God's Gift of Peace

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,

Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Phil. 4:7

            After a routine exam, I got the dreaded “call back” and found myself standing at a cross-roads between two routes. To my left lay Fretful Freeway and on my right was Trusting Trail.

 In similar past situations, I stepped left and trudged down Fretful Freeway. (Not fun! The stomach knots as “what if” imaginations haunt your thoughts, hinder your sleep, and paralyze your usefulness.)

            “Lord Jesus, this trip, I would like to follow You down Trusting Trail. Will You help Me, please?”

            Off we went, the Shepherd and I, strolling down Trusting Trail enjoying pleasant conversation, rich green pastures, and quiet waters along the path that led all the way to Re-Test Day.

The first round of images…

            Orders for more images…

                        Orders for additional testing…

                                    Waiting, waiting, waiting.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage: I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Alone in the dimly lit hospital room, I marveled, “Father, Your inner peace truly does OVERPOWER outward circumstances! Thank You, for Your Gift of Peace!”

image by google

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

and the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father,

Prince of Peace.”

Isa. 9:6

            Two thousand years ago, Sar Shalom, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came to earth, lived, died for man, and rose again.

I pray this Christmas and in the years to come that you, beloved Mainstream followers, will walk with Him through the troubles of this world and live in His peace.

            The technician stepped back into the room. “Benign cyst. See you next year.”

What a waste of time and energy a trip down Fretful Freeway would have been! O Lord, “Please help me stay close to You on Your path of peace - with good reports and bad ones!”

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth

 PEACE

Among men with whom He is pleased.”

Luke 2:14

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