God Said, "I Choose Joy"

Do you ever have that moment when God hits you right between the eyes?  Where you are thinking you really need something particular and He has something else in store? Well, I just had a moment like that!

I was hoping to chat with a friend about life, struggles, failures, fears, hopes, dreams, and God's will. Some days we think we have it all figured out and talking through things with a friend can some how make things a little clearer. Well, I was really hoping to get to chat with her, but since she is on the other side of the world, it makes things a little complicated at times...today being one of those times...it was midnight for her and she had an early morning, so no chatting.

Then up pops another name on the old skype list, "Joy". It was almost as if I could hear God saying, "today I choose Joy!" Wow!! I'm so thankful He did!!  Because He chose "Joy", now I choose "joy"!

Joy is a Filipino friend of mine, whom I've had the blessing of getting to know this year. She was born and raised in Bacolod City on the Island of Negros in the Philippines. Bacolod is known as "The City of Smiles" and once you meet Joy, you'll understand why.  Joy was a Compassion International child from the time she was six years old until she was thirteen; so if you have any doubts if your giving can make a difference, here's the proof!

God took a small Filipino child, raised her up to love and honor Him, and chose her today to bless a middle-aged, worn out mom and pastor's wife!  Isn't that just like Him?? Joy is one who listens with the ears of God, she speaks with a tongue guarded by God, and she loves with the heart of God. You can't meet her or just watch her and listen to her without being pointed to Christ and leave with a new appreciation of just what He's done for us. Here are a few words she shared with me just today:

* I just can trust HIS hand that's in full control of everything
*you're not "old"... age is just a number here, we have a saying... only buffalos grow old! (I like that!)
*all moms in the world are awesome!
*your role in the lives of us in the field is sooooo important. (nice reminder)
*God placed you in the situation where you're at right now... Jason's wife, Turner's and Landri's momma, a friend to us as well as to many others...because YOU ARE THE BEST PERSON FOR THE JOB! that is how unique we all are
*it's just difficult when we let Satan make us think of ourselves any less than God's precious child.
*tough times dont last, only US tough people do because God's grace is always sufficient.
*HE has countless ways that HE could use our lives if only we are willing
*people always have crazy expectations...unreasonable...but what matters is gaining God's approval
* bowing in obedience...peace comes
*God bless you! remember that you look more fabulous when you smile. So today, smile pretty! God loves you!

Now, I mean, really folks??  Couldn't we all use a little "Joy" in our lives?  Today, I'm very grateful that God chose Joy for my life and now, I choose joy to live this day in His strength!  I'm putting that smile on because God loves me and has given me more grace than I could ever imagine and blessed me with a night owl friend on a little island in the middle of Asia-Pacific and brought me joy today through her. He is good! All glory to Him! Now lets go be a "JOY" to someone today!

Psalm 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

*side note: we are in the process of trying to clone Joy into a pocket size version of herself! NOW, wouldn't that be cool?!!

"The Classics Series"

My favorite pastor in the world began a new series yesterday and I thought it might be fun to blog each Monday about what exactly God may be trying to pound into my head. So here goes:

He is taking those simple Bible stories that, if we have grown up in church, have heard since the little wooden toddler chairs and flannel graph board days. Even if we were not raised in church, odds are you have heard these stories anyway. Many people have tried to do away with them. Schools (in the US) prohibit them. Our government tries to outlaw them. Wars have been fought over them. Men have died to protect them. Still, the truths of the Bible are still as new and as exciting today as the time of which they were written. God. He cannot be stopped. Oh for this simple truth I am forever grateful!

This week's "classic" was "David & Goliath" and just simple ways we can apply truths from the life of David to our lives today. If you want a background of the story, read 1 Samuel 17, its all there. Here are some truths that God shared with me:

*We need to be very careful to not put trust in ourselves, but ONLY in the Lord.  Goliath put confidence in self, his stature, his muscles, his armor...much like we put trust in things today...its easy to find status in our wealth, what kind of car we drive, what kind of clothes we wear, our homes, our activities, our busyness...we need to be on constant guard that these things do not become our purpose or passion.
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
   but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." (Psalm 20:7)


*Like Eliab (David's brother) and the Israelite Army we cannot allow our faith to be defined by the pressures of the moment! (insert BAM! to my head here)  When the heat is on, where is my security?  Am I a cultural Christian? Am I different on Sunday than I am Monday-Saturday? How I react to every day things tell a lot about my faith and my character (double BAM!).

*Just as David had a giant to face, we have our own giants of today. They may come through a diagnosis, a betrayal, a failure, a natural disaster, the stock market, a death, a change....at these times, we have to see the "giant" in comparison to God.  And absolutely nothing compares to Him!

I think the one thing that hit me the most out of yesterday's sermon was that David went on the offense. He didn't sit back and wait for Goliath to come toward him. David knew, without a doubt, Who was on his side. I find myself, lagging in this area of faith often times. I live life on the defense, I may be ready to tackle a giant, but only if I have to. I do believe its time to go on the offense. Lets face it, some giants need to be charged at and slain! My desire is to live with the proper focus: the battle belongs to the Lord and our ultimate goal in life is just to bring glory to His name!  "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)


Now, let's go in faith, knowing God is holding us, and slay some giants!


If you would like to listen to the sermon in its entirety here's the link:
http://antiochconway.com/site/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=69

Do You Know A Pollyanna?

I suppose for you to realize whether you know one you might want the definition. Here is what I found while looking for the "Word Origin and History":

Pollyanna 

"one who finds cause for gladness in the most difficultsituations," 1921, in allusion to Pollyanna Whittier, child heroine of U.S. novelist Eleanor Hodgman Porter's "Pollyanna" (1913) and"Pollyanna Grows Up" (1915), noted for keeping her chin up during disasters.

So do you know one? Are you one perhaps? Or does life seem to rob us of that innocence of believing and looking for the good in every person and every circumstance?

I remember growing up in a very happy home and being Pollyanna came quite easy. Even when I would put my socks in my drawer, I recall folding them up in a way that when I opened my drawer all of my socks would be "smiling" at me. Yeah, for real, over.board. :)  But I do remember it making me happy. Even into high school, I remember my principal nicknamed me "Squirrel" because he said I was always smiling.

Then life happens. Hurts come. Disappointments become the norm. You realize that the world is not made up of the kind of people you've been surrounded by your whole life. And even some of the very kind of people, church people, you have been surrounded by can cause the greatest pain. It can turn one bitter. Apathetic. Hardened. And to lose all Pollyanna type innocence and ability to look for good. 

I'll admit, I had become that person. I could still talk the talk, but to walk the walk was a whole other story. Its hard to always be positive; to be filled, ready to pour out mercy and grace to people. Its a daily struggle. A struggle that daily has to go to the Father. When I begin to pour out of my own cup, its quickly emptied and I have no patience for anyone, especially my family. When I allow Him to fill me, some days it takes more than one filling, its much easier to splash His mercy and grace on those who try my patience and drive me insane. 

As a child of the King, the one thing I still struggle with is that inner independence that I can tackle life on my own. I realize in doing this, its like putting my 11 year old dressed in his football gear out in front of an NFL line. It will be doomed for disaster. I will not succeed. Why do I try?  Life is a team effort and we have to surround ourselves with team players that can help defend us, go on the offense (to their knees) for us, and be willing to do the same for them. 

As a former Pollyanna, its hard for me to ask for help, because I feel as if I'm letting others down. Its hard to admit I'm struggling with life and need prayers. That oppression can bog one down or that others are draining me. I'd much rather go back to my old ways, put on the mask of Pollyanna, and go through the day all smiles and full of encouragement. I mean, that's what others expect. 

Now don't get me wrong, I realize I am blessed beyond anything I ever could have dreamed of and God has my hand and for that I am so very grateful!  Being human is not always easy, but then again, God knew that it wouldn't be. He sent us, His children, His Spirit, to comfort us, guide us, and allow us to feel wrapped in His arms. How can I not be Pollyannaish on the days I allow Him to do that for me?!!

 

Now do you remember what was on Pollyanna's locket?  "When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will." - Abraham Lincoln.  So today, why don't we try looking for the good in those we meet. I read a quote the other day that said something like "don't assume you know someone by one snapshot of their life, it takes a whole photo album".  Take time today to look through someone's photo album and be a Pollyanna for them. 

Hebrews 10:24-25
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” 

Float til You're Sunk!

For the past couple of weeks I've been working on a school float. There is a fair every year in our town and to kick it off there is always a fair parade. Well all the gazillion elementary schools in our town are in competition for the grandest float. So we assembled our team and went to work. Here are a few lessons I learned:
1. our principal will do absolutely ANYTHING for us!
2. while beginning work as strangers, by parade time we had new friends
3. you really have to have at least one handyman on the team!
4. a limo can't pull a trailer
5. don't wait until the day of to detail the car pulling the trailer
6. trailers are not always easy to come by
7. southern engineering is essential
8. set a deadline at least 2 weeks before you really need something
9. duct tape can begin to pull skin off of fingers
10. don't plan anything the night of the parade and be ready to crawl in bed at 9:30
11. the very top of a ladder CAN be stood on
12. always get there early to get the shady spot for your float
13. when we push to make ours better, we push others to excel as well
14. I work with the BEST group of PTO Board and parents on the planet!
15. even when you get that text that your float didn't win, and you're kind of bummed, you have to just thank the Lord for the blessing of the hot bubble bath you just took, the cozy bed you're now snuggled up in, the laptop on your lap, the kids sleeping soundly on the other side of the house, and the blessing of being a part of such an amazing school!

Now, goodnight....I'm SUNK!

A Day That Changed Everything!

On this day in 2000 my world was changed. I went from sleeping soundly every night to waking at the sound of a bare foot walking across carpet. I went from having no bedtime routine, to it being a must. I went from always wanting my clothes to be without stains or holes, to being grateful if I just made it out the door with clothes semi-covering my body. I went from always having a clean house, to tripping over every kind of imaginable object. I went from having peace and quiet while I took a bubble bath, to a door that would barely contain the knocks. I went from knowing the basic food groups, to wearing the basic food groups. I went from caring about myself to self being the last thing cared for. Yes, my life changed 11 years ago today, and it was all for the good!

You see, for now before I go to bed, I get to hear the prayers of a son praying with his daddy and hear "Good-night, mom, I love you". I go to ballgames not caring if I may be wearing food rubbed on a sleeve, as long as the number of a certain player is on my back. I still go through the house tripping over crazy objects and stepping barefoot on Legos. And for those quiet bubble baths, well I just wait a little later in the evening after all is quiet.  I'm quite certain "self" is not a word in the vocabulary of a mother, because before anything you may require, you first make sure the child has all that he/she requires. I believe moms are the reason they have to make those announcements on airplanes, you know the one, "if the oxygen masks drop, please put yours on before assisting young children traveling with you", they just know Moms would do the children's first!

Almost exactly one year after my world was changed, the whole world changed. We went from a world of not knowing words such as jihad, or knowing anyone named Bin-Laden, or knowing towns and cities in the Middle East, or even comprehend a "war on terrorism", to now days, its all part of every day vocabulary. 

Evil did take control of passenger planes. Planes did fly into tall, strong towers. Many of our fellow countrymen did die. And we stood helpless for a moment. We sat in shock. We cried in disbelief. But then, we bowed. Then we prayed. Then we united. The color of one's skin didn't matter in the shadow of falling buildings. Republicans proudly stood hand in hand with Democrats. Jews and Christians prayed together. One was kind when passing in the grocery aisle. We wore our patriotic clothing and flew our flags outside our homes and stuck them on our automobiles. We saluted and applauded servicemen, policemen, firemen, first responders. Our church houses were full on Sunday mornings. Our respect for one another was high. Our love of God and country were seen everywhere we went. 

What's happened? Does it take a 9/11 to wake us up? Does it take evil getting all up in our face to bring us to our knees? Or is it just apathy and caring more for ourselves than others?

Today I overheard some children talking and one said something about 9/11 and another asked "What's 9/11?"  At first I just looked over and thought "what is 9/11? Did she really just ask that?" But then, I begin to notice the world today: rudeness to complete strangers, back-biting, lack of respect for those in authority, lies about anything and everything, too busy with our own lives to care about the lives of others...even those closest to us. 

Yes, that's the world we live in, and often times the church we attend and the members there blend in so well with the world that we cannot tell a difference. 

My pastor (also my husband) preached yesterday on the "Spiritual Lessons Learned from 9/11" and I suppose this had me thinking more about it. A few things he mentioned was:

1. The threat of evil is very real, no one is above attack. Satan is searching for someone to devour, he starts with a scratch of character, and before you know it he has a foothold. That doesn't mean for us to walk in paranoia, but to walk in wisdom. Psalm 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." 

2. We have to remember how fragile life is. We have no guarantee of tomorrow. "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14

3. We were designed to be a beam of light in this dark world, to shine on and for the Father. There should be something so unique about us, that the world would look at us and want to imitate us. How are we doing with that? Do we treat our family, friends, strangers in such a way that if we weren't a Christian, we would want what we have? Do we talk differently? Do we react differently? Or do we just "blend in"? The greatest agents to impact this world will be God's children, lets not fail Him. ""You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14  SHINE!! 

He closed yesterday morning's sermon with the fact that 9/11 did indeed change our world, but the day that truly changed everything was the day that Jesus hung on the cross!

For without that day, could I make a difference in the life of a little boy that God entrusted to me and blessed me with the privilege of being his mommy? Without that day, could we go through the tragedies and sorrows of this life like we experienced on 9/11/01? Without that day, is there any hope? Without the faithfulness of the Father, the love of His Son, and the comfort of His Spirit, how could we do it? Why do we try to do it without Him?

Today I started off with Him and looking back on my day, I'm so glad I did! Why don't I take the time to spend with Him every morning? Why does "busyness" have to be a competition in the world today? Sometimes so much so, that we often feel guilty in saying that we had a quiet time, but I will gladly stand and say that yes, today, I took the time to be quiet before Him. All the clothes may not be washed, dirty dishes may be in the sink, and the family might have had to eat Taco bell for dinner, but because I allowed Him to fill me this morning, I was able to pour all day. Yes, today could have gone south for so many different reasons, but I chose instead of focusing on the negatives that Satan threw at me through people, to focus on the Father! 

Don't get me wrong, Super-Christian I am not! Many days I find myself blending in with the world, the rolling eyes, the sharp tongue, the "self first" mentality, the gossiping, the back-biting...whoa. Those are the days I have to look back and see for myself, I didn't take time for Him. Its at that moment, that I have to bow humbly before Him, taken back to my knees, so that I might stand and shine my light on Him.

So yes, Jason, dear, I do agree, the day Jesus hung on the cross is the day that changed everything and thankfully, in the shadow of the cross and in the glow of the empty tomb He is changing things still today! 

Blessed Goodbyes

August 2011 seemed to be the month of goodbyes for me...I thought just how many ways can you say "goodbye", so what does one do in this age of technology to answer questions...I did what my six year old tells me to do quite often...I googled it!  My favorite one was Icelandic, "goodbye" in that language is "blessed". I love that! I'm gonna go with that!


There were four very special ladies I said goodbye to in August and "blessed" is what I pray for each of them daily. That God will bless them with smiles from Him every day!  I wasn't far into August, literally just a few hours until I had to say my first "blessed" for the month. I was leaving a hotel in Manila to head home after a sweet visit with a friend. God gave us a fantastic week together and I, for one, had dreaded the "goodbye" because the last one we had was ug.ly! I mean, the ugly cry! You know the one!  Well, funny thing, we had gone to see Captain America while I was there and in that movie there is a scene where two guys are telling each goodbye and they just did simple, quick hugs with a "goodbye, jerk!", "see ya, punk!" So yep! That is the route we took. It was easier than the last and I think God knew we both needed that kind of "blessed". 

The next "bye" came the very next week with another friend that had been in the states visiting for a while. We met at the local, favorite sandwich shop and had a sweet visit. She's one I've known for nearly 18 years, but strangely, just in the past few years have we grown closer...and I say strangely because of the fact she's a missionary to the Philippines!  Thank the Lord for technology where even friendships can grow!  Now we have sons the same age that consider each other best buddies, and trust me, though they only see each other every other year or so, once together, they can be fighting like brothers in no time!! A precious friend that I really got use to just having around town for a while...now I was saying "blessed".

This led me up to the third week of August and I was staring down the barrel of yet another goodbye to be said.  This one to a young lady whom I've known pretty much her entire life. I remember her toddler days when the only people that could understand what she said was her mother and I. We had lots of giggles together over the years. We'd hug each other real tight and whisper "Love hurts". She was the cutest little thing and I always wanted a little girl just like her and now that I've watched her grow, and even had the blessing of discipling her in her senior year of high school, well I'd love for my daughter to grow up just like her!  As we met late one night for dessert and coffee, just two nights before she left to go to the other side of the world for a year of college, we hugged beneath the flickering, bug-filled lights in the parking lot and whispered "love hurts"....boy does it! Though let me add, we didn't cry, we decided we both just had something fly into our eyes. Dang wind! "Blessed!"


And finally we made it to the last week of August and I had to tell a lady that I adore "blessed" because her husband (though I'm still not quite certain what he's thinking!) is moving her two hours away. We know its not the other side of the world, yet for one that I'm use to seeing and hugging every week, enjoy watching her play the piano every week at our church, and is my friend and mentor....well, two hours is still two hours!  She's taught me many things about life, church, missions, being a pastor's wife and being real. One memory I'll never forget of her, is being in a van in Manila and pulling away from a hotel while her daughter stood outside of the hotel (her daughter is a missionary to the Philippines). We didn't say anything really, I just held her hand and we both just cried. Yes, she's taught me many things, but she has definitely taught me how to say "goodbye"....with His strength and the hope we have in Him that if we never see each other again on this earth, we will be together for all of eternity!


Truly this life is just a vapor, and yes, I do believe the Icelandic way of saying "goodbye" is the best way to sum it up, "Blessed!"  Yes, I've been blessed by these four ladies and I pray God's richest blessings on them and their amazing lives. His grace has been sufficient for us. His faithfulness has sustained us. His comfort has held us. His mercies have filled us. And His love allows us to leave each other BLESSED in our goodbyes!

"You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name"