So this morning at work I was printing off a confidential document that was only about 75 pages long, but as I stood by the photocopier I quickly became rather bored. Bad news for sure! I began to play with the copier, playing with one of the trays on the finisher, not realizing that the tray I was playing with would actually open. With about 5 pages left in my document I hit the tray a little too hard and the machine just stopped.
One look at the screen told me that playing was a mistake, a big mistake. Window after window of instructions on which paper jam to clear next were the consequences of my poor judgment. One page even tore in the machine causing even further frustration for me, frustration I ultimately caused. Five minutes later my hands were covered in toner but my job was finishing. All I could do was laugh.
Timing, sometimes we just hate that God doesn't work on our time line but His own. God says that there is a time for everything.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
When we try to mess with God's timing, we end up bearing the consequences of our actions. It isn't just about what God wants to do in and through us, it is all about when he wants to accomplish those things. If we will just hold on, wait for his perfect timing, we won't end up with toner all over our hands and a mess in the copying machine.
God has an amazing plan for our lives, if only we will seek him out and seek to do it his way.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13
Trust his heart. He is trustworthy.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
A Tale of Two Magnolia Trees
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...", oh wait that's another story, but actually it fits for my purposes today. This past March brought with it some delightfully warm days, days so warm that the trees were fooled into thinking that spring was here and it was safe to blossom. Unfortunately along with those beautiful days came the typical March nights, cold and frosty. It was sad to see the end result of the frost, the death of the blossoms.
It is the end of May now and the cold frosty nights of March are long behind us. There is a beautiful magnolia tree in my front yard that is covered with lush green leaves. You would never know the damage the cold had brought just a few short months ago. But this morning, as I was out for my walk I noticed another magnolia tree; one that has been absolutely beautiful the last couple of years. The harsh cold nights of March were not kind to this magnolia tree, and for some reason, although the blossoms died, they failed to fall leaving this tree to continue to bear the evidence of the frost. The lush green leaves are trying to come, but they are overshadowed by the dark brown flowers still hanging on.
The difference between the two trees is one of protection. The tree in my front yard is next to the house with a western exposure. The tree on my walk is away from the house, near the sidewalk on the north side of the house.
The two magnolias remind me of us as human beings. Sometimes we go it alone through the cold dark times we face, and sometimes we surround ourselves with people who are there to support us, people who we know will have our back. If we surround ourselves with the right kind of friends, friends we know we can count on, friends who will be there, truly be there through it, then the after effects of the harshness of life will be lessened. If we choose to walk this road alone, we face the possibility of bearing the scars of the darkness for a very long time, long after spring has arrived.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
So who do you surround yourself with? Do you have people in your life who help you walk this road, who point you in the right direction? Or are you walking this road alone? Sometimes it is difficult to admit that we can't do it alone, but we were never meant to do it alone. Trusting others can be difficult, especially if we have been hurt in the past, but the result of trusting the right people can bring life back to our lives.
I know that I have been amazingly blessed by some very special people that God has planted in my life, key people who have been there at just the right time. I think you know who you are. Thank you for loving me for who I am.
Just one more thing, but the most important thing of all. God always wants to be there for you. He loves you and just wants a relationship with you. He is waiting. Are you ready?
It is the end of May now and the cold frosty nights of March are long behind us. There is a beautiful magnolia tree in my front yard that is covered with lush green leaves. You would never know the damage the cold had brought just a few short months ago. But this morning, as I was out for my walk I noticed another magnolia tree; one that has been absolutely beautiful the last couple of years. The harsh cold nights of March were not kind to this magnolia tree, and for some reason, although the blossoms died, they failed to fall leaving this tree to continue to bear the evidence of the frost. The lush green leaves are trying to come, but they are overshadowed by the dark brown flowers still hanging on.
The difference between the two trees is one of protection. The tree in my front yard is next to the house with a western exposure. The tree on my walk is away from the house, near the sidewalk on the north side of the house.
The two magnolias remind me of us as human beings. Sometimes we go it alone through the cold dark times we face, and sometimes we surround ourselves with people who are there to support us, people who we know will have our back. If we surround ourselves with the right kind of friends, friends we know we can count on, friends who will be there, truly be there through it, then the after effects of the harshness of life will be lessened. If we choose to walk this road alone, we face the possibility of bearing the scars of the darkness for a very long time, long after spring has arrived.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
So who do you surround yourself with? Do you have people in your life who help you walk this road, who point you in the right direction? Or are you walking this road alone? Sometimes it is difficult to admit that we can't do it alone, but we were never meant to do it alone. Trusting others can be difficult, especially if we have been hurt in the past, but the result of trusting the right people can bring life back to our lives.
I know that I have been amazingly blessed by some very special people that God has planted in my life, key people who have been there at just the right time. I think you know who you are. Thank you for loving me for who I am.
Just one more thing, but the most important thing of all. God always wants to be there for you. He loves you and just wants a relationship with you. He is waiting. Are you ready?
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The Little Things
The other night was a full moon. I absolutely love full moons. Who am I kidding? I absolutely love the beauty of God's creation. Everyone was making a big deal about this full moon because it was going to be closer to the earth than it had been in quite a while, making it 14% larger than normal. I couldn't wait to see it.
As I left church that night, the clouds were covering the sky and the moon was hidden. Not wanting to miss the moon, I quickly asked God for a favor. "Can you please move the clouds so that I can see the moon? I would absolutely love it!" I waited and within about 10 minutes the clouds began to part a little bit; just enough to reveal the moon for me. A few wispy clouds danced in front of it, but they were thin enough not to block any of the beautiful orb in the sky. Over the next hour, on the drive home, there were a few wonderful moments of opportunity when I could bask in the light of the sun as it reflected off the beautiful full moon. "Thank You, Daddy!"
My request may have seemed frivolous to some, but to me it was just a request that God could answer whichever way he chose. I am thankful he decided to bless me.
Far too often people do not want to bother God with the little things. They think He is too busy saving children in Africa, or listening to prayers on the other side of the world to bother with their little issue. They can take care of things for themselves, so why even ask Him for help.
“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:11
Does this mean that God becomes like a vending machine of sorts? No, because God sees the big picture and he knows what is best for us. He will not give us something that, in the long run, will lead to our destruction. At other times, he will make us wait for just the right moment to bring that blessing into our lives. God does know how to give good gifts to his kids, but he wants us to ask him.
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
Why does God want us to keep asking him? When we ask him, we are in his presence, spending time with him. God created us to be in relationship with him. He longs for us to come to him and just spend some time in his presence. He longs to be our Father. He longs for us to know what a relationship with him can mean to us. He just wants us.
He loves you, you know, more than anything. He loves you more than life itself; Jesus died to prove it to you.
I am thankful that I prayed the other night. The view of the moon was spectacular and I most definitely enjoyed it.
Thank You, Daddy. I love You!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
A Hot Shower
This morning I had the amazing privilege of enjoying a hot shower. Why so amazing? Well, I haven't had the luxury of a hot shower since Saturday and since today is Thursday, that is a long time. The hot water heater needed a part replaced so for 4 days I endured cold showers each morning.
Those showers brought back memories of showers in Managua while on a missions trip to Nicaragua this past February. Our room was about 70 degrees F or 21 degrees C in the morning when I hopped into the shower, so the cold water didn't feel very good. I got in and out as quickly as possible. There was some kind of gadget that was supposed to heat the water, but I couldn't get it to work and since I had heard stories of people getting shocked while using it, I wasn't too keen on trying it out while standing in water. While we were in Somotillo, the water was stored in a large black drum in the courtyard. The blazing hot Nicaraguan sun headed it to a lovely tepid temperature, making it much more livable for a shower, but still no where near a hot shower.
This morning's shower was such a luxury compared to the showers I had in Nicaragua. Most people I know would consider hot showers a necessity, not a luxury, but after experiencing life in Nicaragua for a week this past winter, I got a glimpse of how great we have it in North America. We, as North Americans, take a lot of things for granted.
It is ironic that the hot water heater broke down now, since I am working on memorizing the book of James. I am only in the first chapter, but the first real thought James wrote down was about trials; situations that test us.
James 1:2-4 in The Message Bible says, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." I don't think James was thinking of cold showers when he wrote those words, but I know that the attitude I had while enduring those cold showers determined the type of day I had.
Did I consider the cold showers a gift? Nope, but my attitude could have been worse, so I guess I am growing bit by bit, trial by trial. I am on my way to becoming the woman God created me to be, and that puts a smile on my face.
I hope that the next time a cold shower is my reality, I will take a quick one with a grateful heart knowing many around the world don't even have the luxury of running water, much less hot running water.
Those showers brought back memories of showers in Managua while on a missions trip to Nicaragua this past February. Our room was about 70 degrees F or 21 degrees C in the morning when I hopped into the shower, so the cold water didn't feel very good. I got in and out as quickly as possible. There was some kind of gadget that was supposed to heat the water, but I couldn't get it to work and since I had heard stories of people getting shocked while using it, I wasn't too keen on trying it out while standing in water. While we were in Somotillo, the water was stored in a large black drum in the courtyard. The blazing hot Nicaraguan sun headed it to a lovely tepid temperature, making it much more livable for a shower, but still no where near a hot shower.
This morning's shower was such a luxury compared to the showers I had in Nicaragua. Most people I know would consider hot showers a necessity, not a luxury, but after experiencing life in Nicaragua for a week this past winter, I got a glimpse of how great we have it in North America. We, as North Americans, take a lot of things for granted.
It is ironic that the hot water heater broke down now, since I am working on memorizing the book of James. I am only in the first chapter, but the first real thought James wrote down was about trials; situations that test us.
James 1:2-4 in The Message Bible says, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." I don't think James was thinking of cold showers when he wrote those words, but I know that the attitude I had while enduring those cold showers determined the type of day I had.
Did I consider the cold showers a gift? Nope, but my attitude could have been worse, so I guess I am growing bit by bit, trial by trial. I am on my way to becoming the woman God created me to be, and that puts a smile on my face.
I hope that the next time a cold shower is my reality, I will take a quick one with a grateful heart knowing many around the world don't even have the luxury of running water, much less hot running water.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Love Letter
She read it over and over again. She couldn't believe how much he loved her; his words spoke straight to her heart. She had read it over and over so many times that she could practically say it word for word from memory. How could anyone love her the way he did?
When someone speaks to our hearts; when someone is important enough to us, we will take the time to get to know that person. Their words, spoken clearly to our hearts, becomes a gift, something we treasure deep within. I have a someone like that in my life and his name is Jesus. The words he has given to me in the Bible are something I treasure, but perhaps not as much as I should. The words in his book are his love letter to me; I want to know them more and more.
This past December I set a goal to memorize more this year, specifically to memorize the entire book of James. Thankfully it is only 5 chapters long. A couple of months ago, someone asked me what my spiritual goal was for the year, so I shared this goal. He decided he would take on the challenge as well. In the couple of months since that exchange, he hasn't forgotten. This past Saturday he asked how I was doing with the book of James. Honestly, I have been working on it. I started a few weeks ago by beginning to write it out.
I am thankful for this person who has decided to take up this challenge with me because he is someone who can hold me accountable for reaching my goal and can encourage me along the way. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed." Because there is someone who is taking up this challenge with me, I feel a responsibility to succeed. I don't want to know what it would feel like to have him accomplish the goal and not be able to say I did it as well.
Far too often when we are alone in a project it is easy to let it slide, to let it fall by the wayside. I don't think this is going to be one of those goals for me. This one is going to be accomplished. I absolutely love the message in the book of James, so for me it is part of the love letter that Jesus has given me, a part that I can't wait to learn.
Tonight as I sat at dinner, I finished writing out the last couple of chapters so that I could begin to work on the actual memorization part. Before I left the table, I had pretty much memorized the first 8 verses of James 1.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings....
Okay, so it wasn't perfect the first time around, I checked, but it's a start. Oh how I love this Love Letter!
When someone speaks to our hearts; when someone is important enough to us, we will take the time to get to know that person. Their words, spoken clearly to our hearts, becomes a gift, something we treasure deep within. I have a someone like that in my life and his name is Jesus. The words he has given to me in the Bible are something I treasure, but perhaps not as much as I should. The words in his book are his love letter to me; I want to know them more and more.
This past December I set a goal to memorize more this year, specifically to memorize the entire book of James. Thankfully it is only 5 chapters long. A couple of months ago, someone asked me what my spiritual goal was for the year, so I shared this goal. He decided he would take on the challenge as well. In the couple of months since that exchange, he hasn't forgotten. This past Saturday he asked how I was doing with the book of James. Honestly, I have been working on it. I started a few weeks ago by beginning to write it out.
I am thankful for this person who has decided to take up this challenge with me because he is someone who can hold me accountable for reaching my goal and can encourage me along the way. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed." Because there is someone who is taking up this challenge with me, I feel a responsibility to succeed. I don't want to know what it would feel like to have him accomplish the goal and not be able to say I did it as well.
Far too often when we are alone in a project it is easy to let it slide, to let it fall by the wayside. I don't think this is going to be one of those goals for me. This one is going to be accomplished. I absolutely love the message in the book of James, so for me it is part of the love letter that Jesus has given me, a part that I can't wait to learn.
Tonight as I sat at dinner, I finished writing out the last couple of chapters so that I could begin to work on the actual memorization part. Before I left the table, I had pretty much memorized the first 8 verses of James 1.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings....
Okay, so it wasn't perfect the first time around, I checked, but it's a start. Oh how I love this Love Letter!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
A Pretty Shade of Brown
This spring has been odd. It followed a very mild winter, and turned hot , early summer hot, in mid-march. The flowers were confused so they came out early. The beautiful magnolia tree outside my front window was blooming beautifully until the frost overnight covered it a week after it began to bloom. That frost turned the delicate flowers a lovely shade of brown, from the beautiful pale pink they were intended to be.
A lot of the magnolia trees lost all of their beautiful blossoms, but thankfully not the one in my front yard. Not all the blossoms had broken through their furry winter coat, so they were not effected by the frost. As I look out the front window I see the leaves starting to break out of their buds and there are still some pale pink flowers. How beautiful!
The magnolia tree in my front yard got a second chance to be beautiful and I am very thankful for that. What I also love is that my God is a God of second chances. He can turn the cold darkness in our lives into great things for His honor and His glory.
Just before Jesus was arrested, and Simon Peter would deny him, Jesus warned him of what was to come. "“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”" I love it. Jesus wanted Simon Peter to use his story, his failings to help others He wanted Simon Peter to use his story to encourage others in their faith. Jesus was giving him a second chance.
Jesus wants to use our story to encourage those around us in their faith as well. We can use the struggles we have gone through to encourage those going through similar situations. We can bring hope to their lives that it is possible to gain victory over the situation.
Second Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
God can use it all, if only we will allow Him. The enemy would love us to focus on the negative, the dead flowers, but God wants us to focus on the new growth, the plan He has in store for us.
How about you? What will you choose to focus on?
A lot of the magnolia trees lost all of their beautiful blossoms, but thankfully not the one in my front yard. Not all the blossoms had broken through their furry winter coat, so they were not effected by the frost. As I look out the front window I see the leaves starting to break out of their buds and there are still some pale pink flowers. How beautiful!
The magnolia tree in my front yard got a second chance to be beautiful and I am very thankful for that. What I also love is that my God is a God of second chances. He can turn the cold darkness in our lives into great things for His honor and His glory.
Just before Jesus was arrested, and Simon Peter would deny him, Jesus warned him of what was to come. "“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”" I love it. Jesus wanted Simon Peter to use his story, his failings to help others He wanted Simon Peter to use his story to encourage others in their faith. Jesus was giving him a second chance.
Jesus wants to use our story to encourage those around us in their faith as well. We can use the struggles we have gone through to encourage those going through similar situations. We can bring hope to their lives that it is possible to gain victory over the situation.
Second Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
God can use it all, if only we will allow Him. The enemy would love us to focus on the negative, the dead flowers, but God wants us to focus on the new growth, the plan He has in store for us.
How about you? What will you choose to focus on?
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Starfish
I love the inspirational story of the starfish. In case you are unfamiliar with it, there is a wise man walking the beach and he sees someone in the distance who appears to be dancing. As he gets closer he realizes the young man is throwing something in the ocean, starfish, one at a time. When asked why he is throwing them, the young man says that the tide is going out and if he doesn't throw them in they will die. With miles upon miles of beach the wise man reminds him that there are far too many starfish, it won't make a difference. Again the young man reaches down, picks up a starfish, throws it in and says, "I made a difference to that one."
I love the story, it reminds me of the importance of making the time and making the effort to invest in those who God has planted in my day.
I am a person who loves things that mean something. I love tangible reminders of life lessons. My brother and his wife were going to the islands this past winter and I asked if they could bring me back a starfish. I wanted a tangible reminder that I could see each day, to remind me to live a positive life for those around me. When they returned I came home one day to a starfish on the table, a big beautiful starfish. I was extremely happy. The next time I saw my brother he told me that when they were out on a boat one day he saw the starfish, went to dive in to get it but his wife had beat him to it and was already in the water. Suddenly it hit me. My request for a starfish was a very selfish one. What I had wanted as a reminder to bring positive influence into other people's lives ended up costing a life. I have a shell that was once the home of a life, a life that was taken so that I could remember. When my daughter saw it she reminded me that the beautiful starfish died so that I could have a decoration.
I love my starfish and will cherish it deeply, not only for the positive story it represents, the story of a life invested in others, but I now also have a negative reminder of what our actions can cost others. I want my life to be an example that will be a positive influence to those God places in my path, but I also need to be cautious not to be a negative influence.
The starfish that sits in the family room never had a choice as to whether or not to give up his life. However, there is someone dear to me that did have a choice. Jesus Christ chose to come to this world, he chose to die a painful death on the cross so that I could live. I am forever thankful for what he did. I choose to live my life as an example to others so that they too may see him.
As Easter approaches, I am reminded once again of the story of Jesus and his journey to the cross. Thank you Jesus for dying for me so that I could live. Thank you for your example. Help me to model it each and every day of my life.
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