The Stage of Life

Background:


The stage has been a part of my life for a long time. At four, I spoke my first line on stage as a  little firefly in a children's Christmas program. At six, I played a cute lamb in another children's musical. That was just the beginning of my performance record. From drama groups to high school musicals I always found room for theater in my life. I literally loved the life of performance.


Not only is performing on a stage one of my strong interests, but performing, itself, is a dominating aspect of my personality. A large portion of my mental struggles center around performance-based questions like "How am I performing for the people around me?", "How do others perceive me?", or "Am I appealing to the people around me?".  I tend to make every scene in my life a part of a series in this climatic, theatrical performance which is merely life, not the stage.


It goes to show that I tend to view the world as a stage. William Shakespeare said it best in the monologue from his play, As You Like It, "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players". That, my friend, is the way my brain inclines to think.


As a young teen, however, I began growing in my desire to follow Jesus and to do His will while simultaneously continuing to pursue my love for drama. The problem that I faced is that the stage usually is about the actors and actresses, fame and the limelight. How can you act on stage for Jesus? It seemed to be a rather selfish profession not a very humble, holy one.


During my junior high years, I believed I found the answer to: "How do you act on stage for Jesus?" Three words: Audience of One. God is your audience, not men. Do everything for Jesus. Well, that sounded like a biblical way to justify the life of theater. I mean, Colosians 3:23 even says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men", so it must be okay to perform as long as you do it for God and not for selfish reasons.


In more recent years, the life of the theater has become somewhat a distant pasttime--my glory days. Rather than peforming on stage, I perform everywhere else: at home, at work, at church.  Whenever I find myself analyzing other people's perception of me and worrying about how I am 'performing', I go back to what I learned as a seventeen-year old and recite the three-word phrase: "Audience of One. I have an audience of One! Audience of One", that way I can realign my motives with a godly attitude to stop being so concerned about pleasing people but instead, refocus on pleasing God, and God ONLY.
 The Light:
Very, very few times have I known that God spoke to me, but a few weeks ago "I saw the light" and I am sure it was God speaking directly to me.


I had been worrying about disappointing someone, I felt like I let someone down, and the world was disapproving my actions (ever felt that way?) and so I told myself (like I have for the past fifteen years), "Rebecca, you have an audience of One. It doesn't matter what other people think about you. You are not performing for people, you are performing for God...." A jolt stopped me in mid-thought. God interrupted my rote lines I had articulated perfectly for years and He clearly said, "I am not the audience, YOU ARE THE AUDIENCE, Rebecca."


BAM! My belief system that I had constructed about my relationship with God, suddenly began to unravel before my eyes.

View from Center Stage

Immediately, I flashed back to just a few short months ago when I was alone on a retreat away from home at an outdoor ampi-theater. I stood center on the empty stage before empty seats and my heart painfully longed to be right there, in the limelight of life doing something spectacular. Overcome with the grief-stricken truth of my reality, I dragged my heels and hung my head sadly knowing I had become the girl backstage. I never wanted to be backstage; I wanted to be the star of the show, not behind the scene doing the unmentionable, overlooked work of the offstage crew. Sucking it up and rising above my immature, pity party, I attempted to accept my lot in life, but could not ignore the discontentment that swelled within. Backstage was my future.

View from Backstage

Two months after that experience, God used those images from my retreat to clarify the message He wanted me to hear. I was not backstage, center stage, or even stage right, I was in the audience!

View from the audience

My mind, suddenly flooded with light, was set free -  the burden I had carried for so long had been vanquished. No longer am I held captive by the pressure of performing for ANYONE, not even for God! I am in the audience and all I have to do is respond to HIM and to His work that He is doing.

Philippians 1:6 says,

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Take heart, friends! God does the work. Therefore, it is really hard (impossible actually) to fail when He is the One doing the work. Life is not a stage, but rather an audience watching God at work. What a relief! All we have to do is take a seat, watch God, and respond to Him. Thank You, Lord.


          Revelation 1:12-13,17-18a: 

"Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the MIDDLE [center stage] of the lampstands I saw one like a Son of man... When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me saying, 'Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last and the living One... "

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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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God's Recipes

Mama’s Double Crust Lemon Pie

Ingredients:

1 ¼ c. sugar

2 T. flour

1/8 t. salt

¼ c. soft butter

3 eggs (well beaten)

juice from 1 ½ lemons

2 unbaked pie crusts

A sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar

Instructions:

Combine sugar, flour, and salt.

Blend in butter and mix thoroughly.

Add well-beaten eggs and blend until smooth.

Add lemon juice and blend well.

Pour into uncooked bottom crust.

Cover with uncooked top crust.

Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and sugar

Timing:

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake additional 40 to 45 minutes.

God’s Recipes

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Eph. 2:10 NASB

            The truth that the Most High God preordained specific assignments for each of His believers is quite daunting, especially when those assignments are consistently beyond our own talents and abilities.

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” 1 Thess. 5:24 NASB

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13 NASB

            On the other hand, it is quite empowering to know that in every work God calls us to do, He always enables us to do it.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Prov. 3:5-6 NASB

            What assignment has God given you recently? Do NOT fret, worry, or be dismayed! Pastor Steve Blair recently said, “God’s got it! All you have to do is follow His recipe!” Beloved, obey His instructions, find His ingredients, wait on His timing and you will create a work of excellence; a “Master’s piece”!

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout…so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isa. 55:10-11 NASB

God’s Recipe for Me

            In 1955, my grandmother wrote a letter telling the story of her adventures as a young schoolteacher in 1916 in the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains. A note scribbled in the margin suggested rewriting the letter as a short story and submitting it for publication.

His instruction:

Early one morning last September His gentle voice said, “Jill, it’s time to write her story.”

His ingredients:

1 really old story

1 very green author

1 gracious publisher

3 patient editors

1 extremely talented illustrator

1 high tech printer

His timing:

Carefully combine all the ingredients and wait.

When well done, add a ga-zillion readers (hopefully) J

Coming soon:

The Schoolhouse, a beautiful true tale of faith, determination, danger, servitude, and love in storybook form: the Master's piece.

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Hear No Evil, See No Evil



image by google

 The popular ethical adage "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" is all well and good; I am convinced the wise saying has upright intentions that reinforce the principle "garbage in, garbage out".  In other words, if we listen to bad things and look at bad things, then bad things will come out of our mouth, but if we do not listen or look at bad things, then...you get the point.


However, as Christians, are we deceiving ourselves when we proclaim, "hear no evil, see no evil"; yet we allow darkness disguised as entertainment or social "norms" to seep into our lives?


I remember reading Ron Luce's book Recreate when he described how absurd it would be for a father or a mother to passively let a criminal who is known for sexually offending children be in a room alone with their daughter or son.  Seems pretty obvious that most parents would not allow, much less promote, such risky, unwise activity in their homes which would put their child in physical danger. Yet, like Ron Luce points out, we, as parents, allow our children's hearts to be vunerable to the world's spiritual molestation when we allow, and many times promote, a variety of media that directly attacks our children's souls.


I have not seen the movie Courageous, but I have heard the song.  Some of the lyrics go like this:

We were warriors on the front lines



Standing, unafraid


But now we're watchers on the sidelines


While our families slip away...


May the watchers become warriors

Have you ever ignored evil? You see something on TV, but you overlook it (see no evil) and keep watching the show? You hear people disrespecting the God you follow yet you let it slide (hear no evil)? Well, I have. Consider this. What would it look like if we started seeing evil? What would change if we actually started acknowledging what we heard was evil?


Maybe we would be less of a sideline watcher and more like a front line warrior.


We can be so hung up on keeping our kids safe or avoiding getting hurt, but the reality of the matter is that our physical bodies are on the bottom of the totem poll in comparison to our, or even our kids', spiritual souls.


Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."


 
Let us be women who are not spiritually blind or deaf in this world, but let us be women who boldly stand up for what is right in our homes, in our community, and in our lives!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Ephesians 6:10-11; 19-20 (amplified)

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A Recipe for Heaven on Earth

image by google

To prepare this coffee, carefully open this outer wrap.  Place the pre-measured filter pouch in the brewing basket.  Then follow the directions on your coffee maker.  Savor this moment.

I read these exact instructions for making coffee and it was as though God said to me:

In order to be useful tool for Me (To prepare this coffee), get rid of any trash (sin) in your life (carefully open this outer wrap). Take everything that I have given you (your life, your personality, your family, your friends, your desires, your dreams, your talents) and put them all on the alter as an offering to Me (Place the pre-measured filter pouch in the brewing basket). Finally, follow your Maker's directions--obey (Then follow the directions on your coffee maker).

Just as steaming hot water poured through dark, roasted grounds produces a rich, flavorful brew of coffee, living water poured down from heaven flowing through us will give the world a taste of God's riches above.

"The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs." -Charles H Spurgeon

But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven. Deuteronomy 11:11
 Jesus will flow through us when we are properly prepared.
 If a {woman} cleanses {herself}...{she} will be a vessel for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.  2 Timothy 2:21

And, of course, we must not forget to savor this moment!

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Separation Anxiety

You would think after having three kids (all of whom struggled emotionally when separated from their mommy) that I would give in to the notion that my kids have experienced some form of separation anxiety albeit mild or extreme. In oblivious denial, I recently faced the stark reality that my two-year old exhibited obvious signs of  separation anxiety when, every time I left the room, he let out a blood curdling scream. Over and over as soon as I removed myself from his sight, the echos of a distraught little fellow resonated off our hallway walls.  Before long, I marched my dignified, motherly-self right back to the place where the little rascal howled and I carefully spoke these words to my son, "Even when you can't see me, I'm still here, buddy."  The frizzle-frazzled two-year old tantrum faded into the back of my mind and the gentle whisper of my loving Heavenly Father flooded into the forefront of my mind, "Even when you can't see me, I'm still here, child."  At that moment, God made Himself clearly apparent; not just His existence but also His character.  I suppose that the Psalmist was cognizant of this same truth about God when he penned the lyrics "...an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalms 46:1).  EVER-PRESENT HELP.  Yep, that just about says it.


Often in times we do not 'see' God, we throw a two year-old fit and howl out a faithless prayer like "Why aren't you here, God?" Instead of ignoring or reprimanding us, God remains true, faithful, present, EVER ready, and available to help us just like a mother would her child. We tend to experience separation anxiety when we think God's nearness is untouchable, but the truth of the matter is that He is ever-present and real and ready to help us in our time of need.  Our only job is to trust Him and what He says is true. 


Do you really believe what God says is true?  If so, you can trust that He is real and present in your life.  That truth alone relieves a little bit of anxiety, eh?

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A London Encounter

Crowded with people scurrying to catch a train, tube or trek into the city, London’s Victoria Station is a hub bub of activity. Suits speeding to their offices, confused travelers with eyes glued to maps (that’s us), shoppers browsing the stores, they are like ants on a mission. When we arrived via London Heathrow Airport, disoriented Americans dragging heavy pieces of luggage through the mob, we couldn’t conceive the God encounter that would transform us the final night of our journey.

Irish sheep-Ring of Kerry

To celebrate my parent’s 50^th wedding anniversary, the four of us spent a week in Ireland with its 40 shades of green, rolling hills dotted with sheep and cows and lovely people with harmonious accents I could listen to for the rest of my days. We traded the calm and serene for crowds and chaos when we transported to London, circling four days in a whirlwind across the city. Hitting the must see sights, we toured St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. A bit consumed with British history and obsessed with kings, queens and castles, I’m slightly disappointed I wasn’t born a royal. Still, the defining moment of this trip brought home to me what is truly valuable. It’s not palaces and princesses, crown jewels or coronations, royalty or robes. 

Wall to wall people in London

The night before we were scheduled to fly back home again to Indiana, my dad and mom, Tony and I dined at a restaurant on the third floor of Victoria Station. In honor of our last night in London, Mom ordered the traditional English fish and chips with mashed peas. Mashed peas paired with fish and chips makes as much sense to me as tennis shoes with a black cocktail dress. For me, peas of any sort belong with the tea thrown overboard in Boston Harbor. The rest of us chose to eat more appetizing fare—pizza!  As we were finishing our meal, a British man interrupted our conversation through the booth’s window cutout open to the mall. His clothes were worn and all he carried was a small bag containing a few items. “Excuse me. I don’t mean to interrupt you, but could you spare any change?” he said.

Mom, an extrovert on steroids, responded, “What do you need money for?”

“Ma’am, I’d like to get something sweet.”

Mom asked, “Are you hungry?”

Stunned by a question the stranger has likely never been asked, he paused and then answered. “Why, yes, I am.”

Blasting the bewildered man with questions about what he’d like to order, mom took charge of the situation while the rest of us remained silent watching this interchange.  He settled on the pizza and a coke. Smart to skip the mashed peas, like us. Mom then asked the man if he’d rather eat his food in the restaurant or take it to go.

 “I’ll take it with me, ma’am.”

“Well, why don’t you come in and sit in one of the booths, and we’ll talk to the waitress about your food.”

The homeless man plodded into the restaurant and plopped down into one of the booths. He wore weariness. No sigh escaped his lips, but I could sense it. Tired, hungry and all he asked for was a few pence for something sweet, as if that would satisfy the hunger pains. His head hung low as if some invisible weight were holding it down. Awkward silence reigned at our table. It seemed sacrilegious to continue casual conversation. A man hungered while we feasted—while I spurned mashed peas.  My eyes blurred as I blinked back tears threatening as I watched this worn out creature. And yet, here we sat, part of a divine interaction, our resources covering this man’s need.

After the waitress brought his to-go food, the man slowly rose and plodded back to the window cutout. “I don’t mean to bother you again, but thank you.”

Mom said, “God bless you.” The man replied the same and disappeared into the mall to fill his stomach.

I confess that had my parents been absent, my response would’ve been different. This homeless man would’ve been an inconvenience on my vacation. Perhaps I might’ve thrown a few pence his way in hopes of hurrying him along.  I doubt I would’ve have offered him food or drink.  And yet, Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…” (Matthew 25:35)  

Too often, I am quick to judge, criticize, and wonder whether my gift to someone in need will be misused. I ignore the prompting to offer what I have because I am too busy sizing up the situation. Is this person worth it? How many opportunities to be God’s hands and feet have I missed because of the huge log in my eye?  I’m like the Pharisees, focusing on the outside of the cup instead of the inside of my heart.  When I am compelled to give, I should act quickly without censure, condemnation or calculation of a person’s need or value. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) What happens to my gift offered with love and grace is not my concern. Ignoring the call to give, however, is not only disobedience but also a missed opportunity to be part of someone’s transformation.

I don’t know the far-reaching effects of this London encounter. Perhaps the meal offered this homeless London man gave him renewed hope that someone cared. Maybe this event witnessed by the waitress sparked an attitude of love and giving. If each told their friends, how might they be changed because of one meal given in Jesus’ name? I only know that I don’t want to remain complacent, stay blinded or become calloused to those in need around me. I ask not only for God to open my eyes but also to instill in me a willingness to give without strings. A meal, a $20 bill, a shirt, a cup of coffee has the power to change a life. After all, a meal in London changed mine!

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The Easy Kind of Hard



me at an orphange in India

 A number of years ago, I met a sick woman.


As I walked into the large, crowded room, the hot dawning sunlight warmed the rows and rows of small gray cots tightly packed together. On every scanty bed lay a woman. A human tragedy. A social disgust. An untouchable, good-riddance. Forgotten and sentenced to a horrid fate. Each solemn face bore the marks of shame and despair. Many ladies looked away, looked down, or bade to hide their curious glances upon my entrance into the putrid room. Just barely able to offer a warm smile, I made my way through the scores of women each residing in her personal chamber of death. To each woman I encountered, I spoke a simple, cheerful greeting and then proceeded to maneuver through the close living quarters.

I am not sure if it has been the passage of time or the shocking experience that has erased the names and faces I met on this particular summer day in India at Mother Theresa’s Death and Dying Institute, but I can only remember one woman - Alice.

She was sick. She was hurting. She clasped my hands ever so tightly. She smiled. Her eyes reached deep into her soul and shined the brightest I ever remembering seeing a person’s eyes shining. To my surprise, she spoke a little bit of English and she knew His name—Jesus. I loved her without reserve. I loved her despite of the way malnutrition had conquered her body; her upper thighs were nothing but skin and bone—measuring about the radius of my lower arm. The harshness of life had etched deep, telling lines into the skin that stretched across her gaunt face. To top it off, my new friend was unable to walk, move, or even clean herself. She was condemned to merely lay motionless.

As it so happened, our small missionary group arrived on the Institute’s bathing day. We worked for hours that morning washing all of the 140 suffering women. For me, it was physically painful, sickening, and traumatic (and that is mildly put!). When it was my new friend’s turn to bathe, I insisted that I care for her. The icy cold water the caregivers sprayed on the women must have hurt because my friend tightly closed her eyes and tried to suppress groans of pain. The caregivers vigorously scrubbed her with a brushed that I would have used on a rugged animal at a zoo. As I watched the unfamiliar way of caring for outcasts of society, I could hardly breathe. At least someone takes care of them. Their families left them on the street to die, a voice of reason and justice echoed in my mind.

I lifted my friend and placed her on a hard wooden bench to dry her like a baby. She shut her eyes as though she could close out the pain and she lay so still that I thought she would die.

I will never forget her. I will never forget how much I cared for her. It was hard but I loved her.

Over the years since my short mission trip to India, I have easily adjusted to the ease and comforts of America, but there is one thing paradoxically easier in India than in America. For me, in India it was easier to love when it was hard to love and in America it is harder to love when it is easy to love. Confusing? Take for instance, in my American life as a regular homemaker I encounter needy people who are clean, mobile, fed, healthy, wealthy, and optimistic nevertheless they are needy. Shouldn’t it be easy to love them? Instead, I dig in my heels and demand my rights, my time, my desires, my dreams, my needs, my comforts, my health—all the things I sacrificed to love an objectionable outcast. What’s wrong with this picture?

Steven Curtis Chapman has an awesome new song called “Do Everything”; the lyrics say:

Well let me remind you, it all matters just as long


As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,


Cause he made you,


To do


Every little thing that you do


To bring a smile to His face


Tell the story of grace


With every move that you make


And every little thing you do

So whether I am in India or in Indiana, I am to do EVERYTHING, easy or hard, in love.

Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

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Prayerful Humility vs. Prayerless Pride

If it's not one thing it's another thing.  Have you ever felt that way?  If it's not the laundry, it's the toilets.  If it's not the vacuuming, it's the dusting.  If it's not the phone, it's the email.  If it's not the dog, it's the kids.  If it's not the kids, it's the husband.  If it's not yard, it's the grocery store.  And on and on and on.


For me, in my spiritual life, I've struggled with if it's not prayer, it's pride.  My prayer life recently has looked a lot like this:

At work, a distraught patient calls in tears.  I do not know how to help her.  So I pray: "God, I need Your help."  And guess what, God helps me help her.

At home, I feel pulled in twenty different directions and I don't know where to start.  So I pray, "God, I need Your help."  Lo and behold, God helps me do what is set before me.

At night, when I am tired and ready to call it a day I get a call from someone who is going through a storm in her life.  I have nothing to offer her.  So I pray, "God I need Your help."  You guessed right, God helps me help her.

The more I talk to God about more areas of my life, the more I see God work in more areas of my life.

At first, I was struggling through prayerlessness, then I faced the temptation of pride.  I started getting so comfortable with God answering prayer and life feeling good that I began to feel good about myself and I became lax about acknowledging to God that I need Him. If it's not one thing it's another thing.  Then I stopped praying as often and little by little I began to feel weak and needy, which is a good thing because I was again reminded to turn to the Lord for much needed help.

We need You, Lord Jesus!  Help us!

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A Horrible Habit

Recently, my husband and I were enjoying lunch at Chili’s with our daughter Maddie. I was wearing my “Gripes Be Gone” bracelet which I created in my “Married to Me” study. These highly sophisticated pieces of elastic string containing three beads symbolize my husband and me with God in the center. Each time I complained, whined or griped, I snapped the bracelet against my wrist, a stinging reminder of my lack of self-control. Our waitress’ chatter was a little over the top. After making a cutting remark to Tony about it, I looked down at my bracelet and snapped it.

Tony asked, “What’s that?” Reluctantly, I explained my lovely new jewelry piece. He laughed knowing the impossibility of this device to take captive my complaints. He asked to borrow my bracelet. Wrapping it around 3 fingers, he stated, “This booth has a really bad odor,” and snapped it. I laughed. Whether Tony was attempting to identify with my dilemma or poke fun, the reality is that a bracelet isn’t capable of delivering me from caustic complaining.

Many of us have developed bad habits that have been deemed acceptable among Christian women. We gripe about our husbands, our children, our jobs and our busyness. We complain about slow service, critique sermons and criticize a person’s clothes or imperfect parenting. Philippians 2:14-15 states, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure…” 

That little word, “everything,” is tripping me up, how about you?! God wants me to use my words to bless, to encourage, to lift up others. James 3:10-11 says, “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My (sisters), this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” If we are to be a blessing to others in our homes and our community, we must use our words wisely. We have a choice: we can shut our mouths when we don’t have anything good to say or snap bracelets leaving marks on our wrists and in other’s hearts. Ladies, let’s be different than the culture in which we live!

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Mommas and Lambs

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.  Isaiah 40:11

Really, I have nothing more to say.  I keep reading this verse and what keeps coming to my mind is that I must share this with all the mamas!  Take comfort, sweet moms!  Jesus, our Shepherd, loves our little lambs.  He actively cares for them and He even 'gently leads' us mothers, too!  May this lovely truth bring peace of mind and increased trust in our Good God!

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