Saving Sabbath

Life can break her down sometimes.

The monotony can be maddening, the chaos debilitating. She gives and takes while fewer and fewer things add up.

Even though solitude seems so helpful, deep down she knows isolation is not the solution.

She needs to connect and recharge with her Heavenly Father, to commune with her Creator, and find kinship with the Author and Finisher of her faith.

So she grabs a spiral and a pen and she brings a thought to life, weaving words to warmly wear and share. Sure enough an insightful story fills a space that seemed empty an hour ago.

She gets a bowl and begins combining loosely related oddities, folding in flavors, rolling out possibilities, turning up the heat until savor takes shape. Soon enough she samples the nourishment that didn't exist an hour ago.

She straps on a gas-powered leaf blower, shoulders strong, arms steady, stepping out and aiming low. As if she has harnessed a hurricane, she pulls the trigger, waves her arm, and becomes the actual winds of change. Insecurities are silenced by the roar of progress, and truth is revealed. When all that has fallen away is thoroughly removed, there lies bright, soft beauty that was not even visible an hour ago.

She is gloriously tired but couldn't be more rested. She recognizes her reflection of His image. She realizes His powerful abilities and chooses to taste and see His goodness. She gratefully abides in this chapter of His story because in His presence she is refreshed.

And, once again, she knows that life is abundantly good.

A 3-Minute Prayer for Leadership Based on James 3:13-18

Dear Lord, thank You for the divine wisdom and understanding You have generously given those who have earnestly asked for it. Thank You for the people in our community who reflect Your goodness in their attitudes and actions.

Help us be humble doers of Your Word and not puffed-up hearers. Help us identify wisdom in humility – as You do. Forgive us for thinking of ourselves first, for letting our preferences guide our decisions, for acknowledging what might be personally gained and then allowing these sinful perspectives to motivate us.

When we feel tempted to assert our desires, please quiet our thoughts and give us pause. When we selfishly want what others have, please help us remember all that You are and all that You have done.

Help us not settle for human initiative and keen ideas that come from walking by sight. Give us a distaste and dissatisfaction for endeavors with even a hint of prideful motivation. Only You can purify our hearts and minds. Give us grace to wholly commit our wants and ways to You.

Father, give us a hunger for unity and an affection toward harmony. Make us attentive to the needs of others as you cultivate Your love in us and develop our ability to fully think a matter through.

Jesus, as we make Your Kingdom and Glory our highest aim, help us intentionally aim to make less and less of ourselves. Spirit, fill us with loving-kindness - evidence of Your consistent leadership. Holy God, give us open-minded objectivity and heartfelt compassion as we make our plans and chart our paths.

In the capacities where You’ve assigned us to follow . . .

We confess that without Your help, our choices only lead toward confusion and chaos. We commit to do the work to diligently dig deep and patiently plant seeds of truth in the lives of those around us. We depend on Your Word to light our way as we venture to encourage others with trust and hope. We pledge to do our best to keep in step with Your Spirit, believing You are the source for all protection and peace.

In the areas where You’ve entrusted us to lead . . .

We confess that without Your help, our choices only lead toward confusion and chaos. We commit to do the work to diligently dig deep and patiently plant seeds of truth in the lives of those around us. We depend on Your Word to light our way as we venture to encourage others with trust and hope. We pledge to do our best to keep in step with Your Spirit, believing You are the source for all protection and peace.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:13-18

A Call to Prayer

When I pray, I really do want God to hear me and move; but mostly, I would love to have answers. I want rescue and provision and healing … clear resolution that fits my timeframe. If we’re being completely honest, I would love to have a color-coded spreadsheet of approved/denied requests delivered to my email, but that hasn’t happened.

Our God is the Ancient of Days, who holds tomorrow, and yet He refers to Himself in the present tense. The Great I AM invites us to join Him in the “now”. Step by step, with every breath, in each moment, we can commune with the Holy One who holds us all together as the pieces of His redemptive plan fall into place. 

Let's compare two prayers from the Old Testament: the  prayer of David in Psalm 18 and the prayer of Habakkuk nearly 400 years later. Both men's prayers indicate an intimate reverence for the Lord, and an unshakable belief that God is faithful. Each man has prayed fervently to the Lord for relief. David is dramatically rescued and delivered, but Habakkuk remains in danger of ruin. Despite the earthly turn of events, each man prays to God sincerely and faithfully with thanksgiving. 

Listen to David’s triumphant praise: 

For who is God, but the LORD? 

And who is a rock, except our God?— 

He made my feet like the feet of a deer, 

And set me secure on the heights. 

Habakkuk, grieving the utter destruction of Jerusalem, describes the devastation. With no figs, no fruit, no food, and no flocks, and no end in sight, he says: 

AND YET … I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 

GOD, the Lord, is my strength; 

He makes my feet like the deer’s; 

He makes me tread on my high places. 

David’s songs of earthly victory give language for Habakkuk’s praise as he struggles toward eternal victory. BOTH men recognize a mighty God, and rejoice that He is at work in their lives, calling them to, and equipping them for higher places. 

It is to the heights of communion that the Lord calls us. Whether we sense that God is settling us securely in the heights, or making us to tread our high places, He has promised never to leave, and His love cannot fail. Regardless of shifting circumstances, and no matter the earthly outcome, we keep praying for answers, knowing full well that praying really IS the answer. 

Praying is a lot like breathing. It provides the sustaining rhythms of dependency for life. We inhale with belief and hope that is based on faith, and then exhale with surrender that requires faith as well. Over and over again.  Inhale, exhale.  Inspire, expire. With every prayer breathed, we die a little more to ourselves and almost immediately receive fresh inspiration. 

As a little girl I suffered from severe asthma. During an attack, I could breathe in as deeply as I wanted, but I couldn’t fully exhale. With every gasp, my lungs would flood again, and I found less and less relief. The weight of that impurity and imbalance made me weary and weak.           

Last fall when I had Covid, at first it felt familiar like asthma. But later, it was different - my breathing became labored. I couldn’t fully inhale without triggering a sudden fit of coughing, so I settled for shallow breaths and deep exhales which made me weak and weary. 

  

I’ll admit that sometimes my prayer life becomes asthmatic … I billow in deep and hope-filled beliefs, but I simply lack the ability to fully surrender. In other seasons, my prayers fall frail … I take in thin amounts of truthful hope while draining out a swell of surrender that feels more like defeat. 

With the Lord’s help, our prayers can thrive - not too burdened, nor too shallow; but balanced by present peace. There is peace in the presence of a God who knows us and hears us and loves us. The joy of loving Him gives us nimble strength as He makes our feet like the deer.  And so, we “Rejoice always, [we] pray without ceasing, [and we] give thanks in all circumstances;” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) 

Lord, thank you for the unique perspective each one of us brings to Your table and to Your work. Thank you for the circumstances and challenges that you’ve allowed to inform our faith and shape us into more of Your likeness. As we seek You first, and call on You for guidance, protection and provision, teach us to pray in healthy, continuous rhythms of Your goodness and Your grace.  Amen.

Life Lessons from 2020

With galvinized gratitude, I'll carry these five truths into 2021 come what may.

1. Nothing is certain. Nothing at all is ever certain. We get our hopes up, and we get let down. Repetitively. We change everything about our habits for an unseen danger, and it doesn't seem to make much difference at all.

2. I am an idolater. I depend on boundaries and agendas. I long for predictability that I call peace. I love and live for plans of my own design. How do I know these are potential idols? Because when they toppled to the ground this year, my world went spinning. Had my hope and trust truly rested in the sovereign faithfulness of Jesus, I could have avoided a good bit of the chaos. Fortunately, I have been able to wade through the rubble to find Him reigning unscathed, holding my hand all along, offering me His lordship once again.

3. I do NOT wish to live as a cave-dwelling hermit. The joke has been: "If you were trapped on a deserted island alone ..." and I pounce in to say, "Stop right there! That sounds amazing!" Thanks to covid, I endured 18 days of solitude, nowhere to go, no responsibilities, and varying levels of health. It was awful. Solitude has lost its lure, and I now whole-heartedly crave communion and fellowship. Please don't mistake this as a longing for crowds ... I hated them before 2020 and I'll maintain my aversion henceforth.

4. I'm not alone. Yes, Immanuel, God is here, and all the Merry Christmas cards. But I'm also not the only one. I'm not alone as I have faced ridiculous challenges this year. You have too. So have they. All around me I see people who are grieving and adjusting and wrestling with reality. People are down-trodden with the cumbersome task of holding out hope. There are many times I have had just enough faith to pipe some courage into a stream of texts, just enough memory to recite promises over the phone, just enough grace to show patience and partnership. And there were a hundred more times when friends and family have offered the truth and love I need in that precise moment. God is on the move and He's still working in and through His loved ones.

5. Teachability is critical. Look alive. Live and learn. It is all gonna be good.

Come As You Are

When my dad was pastor of our church in Washington, there was a season in which he chose to emphasize being a cheerful giver in a clever way. At each gathering, when it came time for the offering, he would pause and give special instructions.

He would explain to the congregation that our fellowship believed that giving back to God was important and meaningful, and that we wanted every single person to be included. For that reason, before the collection plates were passed, there was a giving and receiving that took place among the crowd.

"If you have come here today with plenty to share," Dad would say, "please make sure that those around you have something to put in the plate. If you are here, and for whatever reason, find yourself with nothing to offer, I assure you there is a neighbor who is ready to share. In community, we'll be fully prepared for our time of worship through giving."

I remember sitting there as a college student home on break, holding only my Bible (because my purse had clashed with my skirt or something) assuming I could skip out on the ol' offering plate. But no. Silly Pastor Guy was super into group work, generosity, and gratitude so off the script we stepped.

I had arrived late and had taken a seat on the back edge of the crowd, so I wasn't sitting near anyone with whom I felt close enough to beg. I just sat there, empty hands resting on the leather Bible in my lap. After staring at my crossed leg for several seconds, watching the toe of my shoe gently kick the air in subtle rhythmic nervousness, I knew I had to engage.

In the purposeful pause filled with a hushed and happy hub-bub, I glanced up to find several people waiting to catch my eye, ready to share what they had with me. With a forced grin, I took two quarters from the kind-looking woman reaching across the aisle. I steadied my posture square in my seat again, relieved to have my problem solved, annoyed that THIS was my dad's way of building culture, and slightly resentful that I had gotten all tangled up in it.

But once the blinding throbs of social anxiety dissipated, I realized there was a peaceful sense of joy spreading through the room and filling my heart as well.

The next Sunday, not only did I have my tithes prepared, but I also had a couple loose dollar bills ready to share with anyone who needed them.

*Silly Preacher Dude was not a stupid man.

This Christmas maybe you're like me, and you feel like you're showing up a little empty-handed for this whole thing. Tardy and tired, you feel you have nothing to give. I hope you'll keep your seat! Help is on the way. You'll have to look up past your own two feet and brave an unexpected connection to humbly receive. Come as you are. Community is happening. Joy and peace await!

Perhaps this Christmas, you're like me, and you feel a great deal of compassion and sympathy for those who are along the edges, waiting quietly in need. I hope you'll look around! You'll need to lock eyes with a stranger or friend, and brave an unexpected connection to humbly offer grace. Come as you are. Community is happening. Joy and peace await!

Faithful and True

One year ago my sister-in-law, Samantha, gave us the sweetest gift by inviting us to share in her new beginning. She and Chris were baptized and married right on our back patio! ❤

Recently, she sent several of us the following message. I asked her for permission to share because it feels criminal to keep all this beauty and grace under wraps. This "Happy Anniversary" is filled with bright hope and beautiful glimpses of ordinary-made-holy. Our redeemer is faithful and true.

. . .

This past year has been a struggle for most of the world, but for me, it's been the best year of my life. God saw me and delivered me. During 2020 I've lived "my best life" with God's grace, mercy, love and blessings.

Literally overnight, God changed my life. I was an empty shell; homeless, hopeless, an I.V. drug addict who was resigned to my fate one day. But the next day, Chris found me, loved me despite our past, and Jesus showed me my future. I have never looked back. I have not even wanted to look back. 

I am married to the kind of man my Daddy was - not perfect, a little rough around the edges but at the end of the day, a good man whom I can trust to do right by me, no matter the cost to him. Chris loves me the way I need to be loved, without him even knowing that's the way he loves me. I became a mother, grandmother, sister and daughter again as well.

I've been clean one year. That alone, for this addict of 20 years, is a miracle. That was just the beginning of what Jesus had in store for me. I am redeemed through Jesus Christ. I am blessed within every aspect of my life. I am humbled more, every day by His love for me.
 -Samantha

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost. 

Advent 2020: PEACE

The perfect gift? These shortened days that stack up with food and friends and family ... these holy-days set apart for "celebration" so often stir up pain and unrest.

Why is THIS the season for misunderstandings,  loneliness, frustrations, heart-breaking memories, happy memories drearied by missing loved ones, or the angst of coordinating plans with people in our past who require perpetual forgiveness?

It is not all twinkle bells and jingle swells ... sometimes it is cry yourself to sleep on a cold December eve. No amount of intentionality or prayerful perspective can fully shield us, because life is hard and unpredictable. 

The solution is not the false peace of isolation, and it's not the pacification offered in the numbing noise of multi-media. 

The answer is Jesus. He came to reveal the Truth and show us the Way that is far better.

Like being brave and humble and kind as we offer honesty. 

Like being selfless and encouraging as we offer help. 

And being patient as we receive each person [who is potentially privately hurting] right where they are today. Chances are: they are doing the best they can.

His life given for ours makes it possible for us to change the world. "Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Follow Jesus as your love and presence offer the perfect gift - a steady step toward peace on earth.

Advent 2020: HOPE

When it is too hard to get your hopes up, find rest and let HOPE come down.

Matthew 1:20 "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." 

"But while he thought on these things..." Sometimes you just have to mull stuff over. When life doesn't go the way you assumed it might. When facts are confusing and gut-feelings can't be calmed. When you are in a period of "thinking on things", "BEHOLD"! Look out! Take Heart! God can show up. 

And this is the message He speaks...

I know you.

I know your name. 

I know where you come from.

Don't be afraid.

I know what's on your mind.

Do not be afraid.

I am working in this situation.

I'm in it and through it and over it:)

Then you step out in fresh hope to faithfully watch the Truth unfold.

Not Home Yet

My freshman year of college, I was two thousand miles from home and could only manage one mid-year flight home at Christmas. So for Thanksgiving I was on my own. I had a stellar group of friends who all pledged their hospitality, but the invitation that caught my attention was from a fellow voice major who said his family had plans to visit his grandmother. He had mentioned before that his grandmother lived in the tiny town where my dad was a pastor the year I started kindergarten. Something about being in a familiar place appealed to my fragile feelings and solitary status.  

My mom was so relieved to hear of my plans to spend Thanksgiving Day with new friends and a kind family. I explained what I knew of the connection to our town and shared the name of my friend’s grandmother. She recalled, “Oh, yes. I remember her. She lived in a big house just outside of town. She was wonderful and sweet.” 

Thanksgiving Day we exited the interstate and traveled the bumpy miles down the turnpike, and then onto the county road into the heart of the sleepy downtown. We passed the church with the golden beehive brickwork and memories flooded my thoughts. Lingering at the stop sign, my friend patiently smiled as I verbally waded through the stream of excited observations. “That’s the door to my dad’s office! Oh, my gosh, my brother and I would sit under that awning and wait on him. I think that’s the fellowship hall over there … oh man, that courtyard. I remember!” 

What a gift to step into a snapshot from my childhood. We turned left and then left again a block later. Everything seemed familiar but barely recognizable. “I’m pretty sure we lived on one of these streets … like just a block or two from the church,” I said.  We pulled up to park along the curb of a yellow brick house with a carport and small concrete porch. “Are we here? I thought your Grandmother lived west of town,” I said confused.  “Oh, yeah. She used to. But after Grandpa died, she traded deeds with the church, so that the big house outside of town is the parsonage, and she lives here now where she is close to everything.” 

Was I walking up “my” front sidewalk to join cheerful strangers for casseroles and pie? 

I noticed the built-in storage above the carport. Nostalgic hopes and nagging uncertainties compelled me to get a closer look. “You wanna look inside? It’s cool.” My friend unlatched the door to the stairs. 

We crawled onto the squeaky loft, and pulled the chain to the single lightbulb hanging from the rafters. There, on one of the beams, were faded markings with names and dates. 

About four feet up the wall, a notch was labeled: “Cari – 1976". 

This was my house. 

Can you believe how sweet our Heavenly Father is? On my first holiday away from home, He worked it out for me to return to a bit of home. 

I love Him for a thousand reasons, but today I love Him for loving me that way – because it was an unexpected gift of faithfulness then, and it has served as a gift of expectant faith every day since then. 

He will never leave us alone, and His love cannot fail.

Grace Out of Bounds

I was that girl being horrifyingly stupid and unwise. I lived against my calling. I chose self. I turned my face toward the temptations … searching for affection, affirmation and fun. I trampled the boundaries, and grace found me.

It was a supernaturally protective favor that somehow spared me a good deal of chaos along with the natural consequences of my choices. It was a quiet exchange, and only a few folks were aware of the huge amount of forgiveness and healing my decisions required. Sadly, the whole, holy transaction was secretly and stubbornly held in denial for years.

For decades, my quest for good veered foolishly toward neat and tidy. And in this merciless existence, everyone in my life suffered for it.

There is a way to live more fully.

Our quest for good turns out to be a cumbersome,  grievous-at-times grace discovery - a daily journey in which we acknowledge the mercies falling fresh, and allow grace to fill us - to gently overflow as we speak truth and shine light for the lost. Because God is writing the same story in their lives too, they may one day confess, “I trampled the boundaries, and grace found me.”

It can be a supernaturally provisional favor that somehow restores order and compensates for the natural consequences of our choices. It can be a bold ruckus where many people are aware of the huge amount of forgiveness and healing our decisions require. And if we are brave enough to battle against our yearning for neat and tidy, the whole, holy transaction will be beautifully undeniable for years.

God has established righteous boundaries. Fear him and obey.

God extends his boundless grace moment by moment. Look for it. Live in it. Obey him and do not be afraid.