“If their lips are movin’, they’re lyin’.”  ~ Dr. Phil

Poor Caitlyn.

My oldest child had a rough day of her own making yesterday.  I caught her and a little friend doing something that landed well outside of our household rules, and when I confronted her, her six-year-old mind went instantly into survival mode.

“I didn’t mean to do it!”

“Caitlyn, don’t lie to mommy.  I caught you doing it.  This wasn’t an accident.”

“Yes it was!”  And then, “Gracie did it too!  Why aren’t you mad at her?”

“Caitlyn, Gracie doesn’t know our house rules.  You do.  And you chose to break them.”

“No I didn’t!  It was an accident!”

The charges against the sweet little kindergarteners involved playing in my room, wearing my jewelry, and messing up my (already disheveled) closet.  A minor infraction exacerbated by lies.

Gracie sat in Caitlyn’s room while my daughter and I discussed rules and trust.  We agreed that the appropriate punishment was a 10 minute time out, paired with a full confession upon the arrival of daddy.

Mike loves it when I do that (read with a fair measure of sarcasm).  I can see the bewildered wheels turning in his mind when he walks in to his tearful daughter admitting her wrong-doings.  It’s not that I can’t handle the situation.  I can.  But the anticipation of “telling daddy” is typically worse than any punishment we can doll out.

After dinner, Mike took the kids upstairs to start the bedtime routine while I finished the clean-up process.  My daughter’s cries broke through both the vacuum and my noise-reduction headphones (yes, I listen to my iPod while I vacuum).

“Mike, everything ok?”

“Yep.  Caitlyn lost her book privileges tonight because she told another lie.”

Mike read to Nick while I washed my face and brushed my teeth.  Deliberately taking my time, I finally made my way to my sobbing daughter’s room.

Proverbs 3:12 – For the LORD corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

I crawled in bed with Caitlyn, and attempted to pull her close.

“NO!” she cried.  “I wanted a story and daddy made me go to bed!”

I let her cry for a while, again trying to wrap her in my arms.  She turned toward me: “Mommy, will you tell me a story?”

“No, honey.  If I tell you a story, I’m rewarding you for lying, and I love you too much to do that.”

That statement was met with an angry shriek, more tears, and a push.

“You don’t love me!  No one loves me!”

She had now moved so far away that she was wedged in between the mattress and the guard-rail.

“Caitlyn, don’t pull away.  I want you to tell me what happened.”

“NO!!”

I started to get up, then thought twice.  How can I parent like You, God?  Scene after scene played through my mind.  Me, broken and beat down from the weight of my sin, yet still refusing to turn from it.  Jesus, in relentless pursuit, wooing me to repentance with His love.

As a parent, sometimes we must use tough love.  The rest of the time, we simply love.

Jeremiah 31:20 – “Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” asks the LORD.  “I had to punish him, but I still love him.  I long for him and surely will have mercy on him.”

Caitlyn continued to resist me, so I just lay there silently.  After a few minutes, I tried again to hug her, and this time she let me.

“Honey, there are some things in this house that your father and I will never bend on, and one of them is telling the truth.”  She answered with a sniff and a small nod, so I continued.  “Your dad and I love you too much to let you get away with lying.  It is so important that we can believe you.  You want us to be able to trust you, don’t you?”

Sniff.  “Yes.”

“Then you have to tell us the truth, all the time.”

Our God will never stop chasing after us.  We cannot, no matter how hard we try, out-sin His capacity to forgive. Our kids so desperately need to learn that.  Not through Sunday school, youth group, or Bible study, but through us.

I could’ve stormed out of her room with an icy, “Fine, then,” leaving her to cry herself to sleep.  But what does that teach her, other than her mommy’s love is conditional?  It’s been in the midst of my greatest disobedience that I’ve felt the weight of my Heavenly Father’s love the most, knowing that I am but a heart-cry away from forgiveness and restoration.

This morning, Mike went in and woke her up.  He told her how much he loves her, and she told him she was sorry.  He offered forgiveness, and reiterated the fact that nothing, not one thing, could ever, ever separate her from his love.  Not lying.  Not playing in mommy and daddy’s room.  Not wearing mommy’s jewelry.  Not hitting her brother or kicking her cousin or acting up in school.  Just like Jesus loves us.

Romans 8:38-39 – And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love.  Death can’t, and life can’t.  The angels can’t, and the demons the can’t.  Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.  Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being the perfect parent.  Help us to imitate You, just as You tell us to in Ephesians 5:1.  Help us to give Your grace, mercy, compassion, love, and kindness to everyone we cross paths with, not just our children.  Help us to see others as You see them.  Help us to love others like You love them.  Help us to faithfully give and serve to grow Your Kingdom here on earth.  We love You so much, and ask these things in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

By far, my favorite room in our modest suburban home is our gallery. 

Perhaps you didn’t realize I was quite so sophisticated.  Allow me to explain.

My appreciation for the arts was birthed later in life, around the time my children entered preschool.  I have very specific tastes, favoring primitivism, expressionism, and abstract styles.  You won’t find elaborate oil paintings or detailed sculptures, but you can peruse cabinet after cabinet decorated with brightly colored finger-paintings, water-colors, and wooden-crosses-made-out-of-popsicle-sticks-glued-to-construction-paper.

I’m rather particular in choosing an artist.  In fact, my gallery houses the work of only two: Caitlyn and Nicholas, my children.

You’re welcome any time.  Admission is free, and coffee is available upon request.  You see, my gallery also functions as a working kitchen.

I never thought I would take so much pride in crooked, cut-out hearts, or puppets made from paper sacks.  I can’t bear to throw a single piece away, so the gallery has spread to the master bedroom, cheerfully over-flowing into the bathroom.  In our guest room closet you’ll find several boxes bursting at the seams with irreplaceable treasures, crafted by the pudgy hands of my children.

Just this morning, my daughter ran up to me, eyes full of excitement as she hollered, “Look, mommy!  Look what I made for you!”

Oh, how they remind me of me.

Matthew 6:2 – When you give a gift to someone in need, don’t shout about it as the hypocrites do – blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity!  I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get.

We do love recognition, don’t we?  When I spend hours vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing, I want my husband to notice!  I want him to recognize the fact that I poured myself into the upkeep of our household.  I want to be thanked – multiple times.  If I spend countless hours volunteering my time, I will not deflect an accolade or two.

I wonder what that looks like to Jesus.

Matthew 6:3-4 – But when you give to someone, don’t tell your left hand what your right hand is doing.  Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

If we were to be perfectly, brutally honest, we might be willing to admit that good deeds can be, at times, tiresome.  Especially when “thank you’s” are rare.

Last night, as I was cleaning the gallery/kitchen, I smiled as I looked at my children’s work.  Each one is precious to me.  No price could ever be attached to it.  To the world it may be trash.  But to me, it’s treasure.

I thought about the expression on my son’s face when he held up our most recent addition, a piece he had worked particularly hard on.  As I did, the Holy Spirit placed a picture of His own in my mind.

John 14:2 –  There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you.  If this were not so, I would tell you plainly.”

What if, lining the walls and halls of the Father’s house, were our anonymous good deeds?  What if each selfless act were captured in a glistening frame of gold?  The twenty-dollar bill you gave to the homeless man on the street; the time you watched a friend’s children when you had fifty other things to do; the day you went out of your way to make a visitor feel welcome at church; countless meals brought to countless acquaintances in need – each one prominently displayed by your beaming Father.  Each one a treasure in His gallery.

Galatians 6:9 – So don’t get tired of doing what is good.  Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will all reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.

Sweet friend, your Heavenly Father sees each good work, and all of heaven applauds, even if no one else does.

Dear God, please help us to be more like Jesus.  Please get us to a place where we are so Kingdom-minded that we shy away from earthly recognition.  Please remove the need to be noticed.  Give us eyes that look through the lens of eternity.  Remind us that it is okay for us to strive toward that “harvest of blessing!”  Just as we reward our children, You are faithful to reward us, even if we don’t see it until the next life.  Let that be enough for us, God.  We love You so much.  Please strengthen us to do the work that You have set before us.  Please help us to love others like You love us. Please help us to be quick to serve.  We pray these things in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Whoever said Christianity was comfortable has not met Jesus.  Whoever said it makes life easy and fixes everything has not read the Bible.  If you want to follow Jesus, you’d better kick off your stilettos (or Italian loafers, men) and strap on your hiking boots.

I woke up on W-day (witness day, if you missed part 1) with no idea that an adventure lie before me.  Had I known, I wouldn’t have chosen flip-flops.  I might’ve even stayed in bed.

It was a Thursday, and a dear friend had picked up my daughter for a play-date.  To soothe my disappointed son, I promised him a day of exciting errands – the bank (which he loves, because Bank of America hands out suckers) and Lifeway Christian bookstore (which he also loves, for the toy section).

We made our way into Lifeway, his sucker-coated, sticky hand in mine.

As Nick watched Veggie Tales and flipped through a book, I perused the shelves.  As far as shopping goes, I struck gold.  Bibles were on sale for 5 bucks each.  So was a book called “Evidence for the Resurrection,” by author, theologian, and apologist Josh McDowell.  I picked up eight books altogether; four Bibles, four copies of EFTR.  As I carried them to the register, Andrew’s face came to mind.

Take him the books.  It started as a whisper, slowly growing louder and louder.  I thought of all the very-important-certainly-can’t-wait things I had to do at home, like polish my toe-nails, shower, straighten the house.  Next time I go to Wal-Mart, God, I’ll take him the books.

And then the directive: Go to Wal-Mart for seeds.  Take him the books.

I’ve wrestled with the Holy Spirit enough to know that it’s easier in the long run to simply obey.

“Come on, Nick,” I called out to my son.  “We’re going to Wal-Mart to get some seeds.”

Isaiah 30:21 – Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Nick and I walked into the mega-store, books tucked neatly into my purse.  I looked up and down the aisles with an ever-increasing sense of relief.  No Andrew.  Sorry God, I thought.  I’ll try again next time.  I immediately heard the still, small voice again, whispering to my soul.  Seeds.  Books.

With a sigh, I walked up to an employee.  “Excuse me,” I said, smiling brightly.  “There is an employee here named Andrew.  Do you know if he works today?”

“Andrew?” The man said in surprise, “Yea, he works today.  But not until two o’clock.”  I looked at my cell phone – 1:22pm.  “Thank you,” I said, and walked off.

Nick and I killed time looking at toys and bikes and tools.  Finally we headed to the nursery.  “Ok Nicky,” I said.  “What kind of seeds do you think we should buy?”  The Holy Spirit had gone silent on the matter, so we decided on blue-bonnets, basil, and oregano.  Seeds in hand, we walked out to the main
store.

My son wanted to jump over every crack in the floor, so I had plenty of time to search the check-out lanes, looking for my target.  Finally, at the very last one, we saw Andrew.

I watched him from a distance for a moment.  The first time I saw him he was chipper and upbeat.  This time he met no-one’s eyes.  His shoulders were
slumped.  He scanned and bagged groceries without looking around or speaking a word.

I walked toward the line and patiently waited, seeds in hand.  Nick, normally occupied with the candy and toys kept conveniently at four-year-old eye level, stood quietly by my side.  Finally it was my turn.

Luke 12:11b-12 – “Don’t worry about what to say in your defense, for the Holy Spirit will teach you what needs to be said while you are standing there.”

I cleared my throat.  “Got any random facts for me today?”  Andrew looked up, eyes wide.  He paused before speaking, then said, “Have I told you the one about the very first computer programmer?”  Even though he had, I let him tell me again.  We bantered back and forth a bit, and then, feeling strength and courage rising within me, I looked him square in the eyes.

“Actually Andrew,” I started, “I came here specifically to see you today.”  The sweet, shocked look on his face nearly broke my heart.

“You did?” He asked, with more than a hint of incredulity.

“Yes I did,” I said firmly.  “I have to tell you that God has not let me stop thinking about you since I met you a few weeks ago.”  He set the seeds down and looked right at me.  “God sent me here specifically today to tell you that He loves you.”

Andrew just stared.

“In fact,” I continued, “He loves you so much that He has had me praying for you every single day.  Every single day.  And not only that,” I said, picking up steam, “He wants you to know that you delight Him.  Everything about you delights Him.  He wants you to know that He is so pleased with you, and you are exactly the way you are supposed to be.”

Andrew was neither blinking or breathing, so I kept going.

“I know that you’re not sure what you believe, and I know this sounds crazy, but God is bossy, so I have to say this.  He loves you so much.  He wants you to know that He’s real, and He told me to buy you these books.”

I handed him a plastic bag with the books.  Without taking his eyes off me, he took the bag.  “Andrew,” I said, leaning in, “He’s real.  He’s real, and He has a son, and His name is Jesus, and He so desperately wants you to know Him.”

“Um, ok,” said the young man, picking up my bag and handing it to me.  “Well, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  Have a great day.”  And without looking back, I grabbed my son and started out the store.

Once I had Nick buckled in, I opened the bag.  As I looked at the seeds, realization swept over me.  I hadn’t gone to Wal-Mart to buy seeds.  I’d gone there to sow them.

I bowed my head, thanking God for allowing me to yoke myself to Him.  Thanking Him for allowing me to play a small part in His master plan.  I prayed for Andrew, asking God to put mature Christians around him to tend the soil of his heart, and to water the seeds I’d planted.

Mark 9:2-3 – Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain.  No one else was there.  As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance changed, and His clothing became dazzling white, far whiter than an earthly process could ever make it.

Just six days after telling the disciples to take up their crosses and follow Him, Jesus took the three closest to Him up the mountain.  Matthew’s Gospel
describes it as a high mountain.  What if they had refused to go?  What if they had claimed to be too tired, or too busy?  What if they had stayed back to
polish their toes or straighten their tents?

They would’ve missed the greatest adventure of their lives.

Matthew 17:2-6 – As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance changed so that His face shone like the sun, and His clothing became  dazzling white.  Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.  Peter blurted out, “Lord, this is wonderful!  If  you want me to, I’ll make three shrines, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But even as he said it, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with Him.  Listen to Him.”  The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

So many of us say we want to follow Jesus.  We want the mountain-top experience.  But are we willing to climb?

From the bottom of my heart I urge you to strap on your hiking boots.  Make yourself available to Christ.  Keep your ear tuned to the Holy Spirit.  Pray when
He tells you to pray and speak when He tells you to speak.  Go where He tells you to go, no matter how crazy it seems.  Whatever you do, don’t miss the adventure of knowing Christ.  Don’t miss the experience of telling someone about the greatest love they’ll ever know.  Don’t miss the hope that flickers in their eyes upon hearing of their immeasurable worth.

Please, don’t miss the mountain-top.

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.”

Heavenly Father, we pray that You would help us to shoulder our cross.  Please trade our timidity for boldness, our nervousness for courage, and our fear for faith.  Please help us to feel the weight of Your love for us.  Please help us to feel the weight of Your love for others.  Please help us to recognize the Andrews of the world.  Please help us to give significance to those who see themselves as insignificant by introducing them to the Most Significant.  Please touch our eyes, that we might see as You see.  Please touch our hearts, that we might love as You love.  Please touch our lips, giving us the right
words to say.  Use us, Father.  For the glory of Your Son, use us.  It is in the beautiful name of Jesus that we pray.  Amen.

Heart pounding and palms sweating, I stood at the end of the check-out lane, nervously waiting my turn.  A tall, wiry young man with glasses methodically scanned the gentleman’s items, carefully placing them into plastic bags.

“Here you go, sir,” the young man said, handing the customer his receipt without looking up.

My turn.  I took a deep breath, stepped forward, and smiled.

The last time I’d felt this way was in 1992, standing at the starting line of the 3200 meter race in the regional high school track meet in Denver, Colorado.  Now, twenty years later, I felt the same adrenaline rush.  The familiar sensation of heightening senses.  Every nerve in my body stood on edge, waiting to fire.

I was about to witness to someone half my age.  And I was terrified.

The first time I’d laid eyes on Andrew (not his real name) was two weeks prior to W-day (witnessing day).  My husband took the kids home from church so
I could grocery shop in peace.  I took my time combing the isles of the local Wal-Mart, carefully comparing prices and weighing options.

I deliberately chose a check-out lane with several people in front of me so I could flip through the various magazines I refuse to buy.  As the woman
in front of me finished up, I began to place my items on the conveyer belt.  Without any celebrity gossip (I know, I know – that’s why I don’t buy it) to occupy my thoughts, I turned my ears to conversation in front of me.

“Ready for your random fact of the day?” chirped the cheery check-out guy.

“Uh, sure,” replied the not-so-cheery customer.

Andrew went on to rattle off a fact that escapes me now but impressed me then.  The woman, never making eye-contact, simply grabbed her receipt and
left.

Undaunted, the young man asked me the same question as I approached the register.  “Ready for your random fact of the day?”

“You bet!” I responded.  Andrew went on to tell me about the world’s first computer programmer.

“And,” he went on, excitement building, “she was a woman!”

“Wow,” I answered, fairly impressed.  “What else you got?”

This seemed to take him off guard.  “Well,” he said, thinking carefully, “did you know that certain types of amphibians can change sex when in a same-sex environment?”

We bantered back and forth for a few minutes.  Finally, at what I can only assume was the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I asked him this: “So tell me, are you
an evolutionist or a creationist?”

Without missing a beat he firmly replied, “Evolutionist.”  And then, sheepishly added, “Sorry.”

I asked him why on earth he’d be sorry.  He went on to explain that his point of view wasn’t very popular in Texas, but he was too much of a scientist to entertain any other option.

As I was leaving, I asked him if he’d ever heard of an astrophysicist by the name of Hugh Ross.

“Hugh Ross?  Nope.”

“I think you’d like him,” I said.  “Pick up his book, ‘More Than a Theory.’” Then, attempting to speak his lingo and earn some cred, I added, “Pay particular attention to the chapters on mitochondrial DNA, and the markers left behind when a body, be it virus or animal, evolves or mutates.  I think you’ll find it fascinating.”

“Ok,” he responded, eying me with new respect.

“It might make you rethink your position.”  Smiling, I walked off.

Mark 8:38 – “If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels.”

I found myself thinking of that young man often over the next few weeks.  I made praying for him a daily priority, asking the Holy Spirit to work on his heart and surround him with Christians.  I asked my husband, along with several others close to me, to pray for him as well.  Somehow, I knew God was doing something with him, and that my assignment was not over.

Not by a long shot.

To be continued….

It takes about seven seconds for me to get sucked into a reality show.  Pick a show – any show.  No matter how bad it is, if I watch it for seven seconds, I’m hooked.

Fortunately, my schedule doesn’t allow me to sit around and watch very often, but every now and then I find myself standing in front of the TV, remote control in hand, eyes wide and head shaking at what people are willing to reveal about themselves on television.

My most recent mouth-gaping-head-shaking experience?  Hoarders.

If you haven’t watched in horror along with me, Hoarders is a show that spotlights people with a legitimate mental-disorder.  The first episode I viewed involved an elderly woman hoarding food.  Her freezers, bursting at the seams, were duct-taped shut.  She had two refrigerators (not uncommon) stuffed to the gills with rotting yogurt, cottage cheese, and any and every kind of perishable item you could imagine (highly uncommon).  When her fridges could hold no more, she would stack fruit and vegetables anywhere she could find a square inch.

When the team arrived to assist in the clean-out, she refused to allow them to take yogurt that was seven months past its expiration date, claiming if it wasn’t “stinky or swollen” it was still edible.  They removed liquefied bags of carrots, maggot-ridden cuts of meat, and cartons of eggs, cracked and rotting.

The most eye-opening moment came when the crew (wearing hazmat masks) tried to remove (by shovel) a partially liquefied squash, and she wouldn’t allow it until she had picked out the seeds.

Her environment was toxic.

How many of us, in a spiritual sense, live the same way?

1 Peter 5:7 – Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you.

The human heart has a tendency to hoard.  We hoard bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, and jealousy.  Some of us hoard grief.  Some of us,
perfection.  Some hoard past accolades and achievements, while others, failures. Clinging to past mistakes, unable to step out in faith for fear of repeating them.

Some of us hoard schedules; clenching our calendars in one fist and our car keys in another, never enjoying where we are, always scurrying to the next thing, leaving no room for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Kids become a casualty along for the stress-filled ride.

Hebrews 13:5 – Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have.  For God has said, “I will never fail you.  I will never forsake you.”

What are you clinging to?  Where do store up your treasure?

Each episode of Hoarders focuses on two cases.  The second was more disturbing than the first.  A family of four, living in about a hundred square feet of a 1400 square foot house.  Stacks everywhere you looked.  If the parents didn’t clean up, they would be evicted and could lose their children.  And still the father couldn’t let go of eight broken fish tanks that had sat in a corner, gathering dust, for years.

I think of all the years I spent hoarding approval.  Saying things I shouldn’t say so people would listen to me.  Not saying things I should say so that people wouldn’t get mad at me.  Filling my calendar with a never-ending stream of activities because I couldn’t say no.  Clinging to everything but Christ for security.

Psalm 55:22 – Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you.  He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

I couldn’t experience true contentment until I allowed the Holy Spirit to come in and clean out my heart.  His work was quite cut out for Him.  With His Holy hazmat mask He cleared out resentment from past relationships.  Disappointment from dreams not fulfilled.   Fear of failure and the future.  Alcoholism.  Eating Disorders.   He showed me that His is the only approval worth having, and then let me in on an astonishing truth:  When we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, He adds all these things unto us (Matthew 6:33).

If we must hoard, let’s hoard compassion, generosity, and loyalty.  Let’s store up a treasury of wisdom in our minds and love in our hearts.  It’s time to get out of our heads and into the game – to live by the power of the Holy Spirit, to walk by faith and not by sight!

Jeremiah 32:40-41 – “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, promising not to stop doing good for them.  I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.  I will rejoice in doing good to them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.”

Heavenly Father, We love You so much.  Please give us this desire to worship You!  Please show us areas in our lives where we are hoarding, and help us to allow You in to clean us out.  Please help us to empty ourselves of all anxieties, concerns, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, and unforgiveness.  Please help us to let go of past hurts and mistakes, so we can freely follow You.  Give us generous hearts and hands ready to serve. Please guide us by Your Holy Spirit and allow us to feel Your Presence.  Help us to hear Your voice.  Convict us to cling to You instead of things.  Give us wisdom and understanding when we read Your Word.  Thank You for saving us.  Thank You for Your unfailing love.  Thank You for Your Son.  It is in the beautiful name of Jesus that we pray.  Amen.

Confession: I haven’t pulled for the Denver Broncos since I lived in Highlands Ranch, Colorado from 1990 to 1994.  And even then, those who know me well might say I didn’t care one way or another about football or any other sport, for that matter.

They wouldn’t be entirely wrong.

But on Saturday, January 14^th, I sat on our couch with my husband, fervently hoping for the miracle.

The miracle didn’t come.  Tom Brady and the New England Patriots soundly beat the Broncos 45-10 without ever breaking a sweat, and the Broncos supernatural Super Bowl hopes faded like smoke rising from a blown out flame.

“NO MIRACLE!” screamed the Huffington Post.  “Pats Slam Broncos,” read the front page of Sports Illustrated dot com.  “Total Domination” glared out across The Boston Herald.  And even in the heart of Tebow Town, the Denver Post admitted that “the Broncos still have a long, long, long way to go.”

For many, Tim Tebow signified something greater than a Super Bowl ring.  He signified hope in something greater than ourselves.

I wonder how many evangelical Christians joined me in a chorus of prayer:

Please, God, I know that this is so trivial.  I know that in the grand scheme of things this game is sub-nothing.  But please give the Broncos this miracle.  Tim will give you the glory, and this will cause so many non-Christians to question their atheism and agnosticism. 

Even while I silently petitioned God for the victory, I knew that I was not praying alongside His will.  But hey, I figured, according to James 4:2, we have not because we ask not; right?

While my heart hoped for the win, my head knew the likely outcome.  My prayer for Mr. Tebow this week has been that He would glorify God anyway.  Even the most lukewarm Christians will thank God after a win.  Are not the most influential individuals the ones who praise Him through the storms (and I am not suggesting that a lost football game is a storm)?  My mind turns to the words of Pastor Matt Chandler a few years ago, upon learning that he had an aggressive form of brain cancer:  “He can heal me.  I believe He will heal me.  But even if He doesn’t, He’s still God, and He’s still good.”

Tebow’s words after the game give us a glimpse into his character and his faith:

 “It still wasn’t a bad day.  It still was a good day, because I got to spend some time before the game with Zack McLeod [a 20-year- old Cambridge native who suffered a traumatic brain injury playing football] and made him smile, and overall when you get to do that, it’s still a positive day.  Sometimes that’s hard to see, but it depends what lens you’re looking through.  I choose to look through those lenses, and I got to make a kid’s day, that’s more important than winning the game.  So, I am proud of that.”

What lens are you looking through?

Hebrews 11:24-26 – It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him.

It is very easy to get caught up in the cares and concerns of the moment.  But when we trust in Christ for our salvation, He gives us a new set of
lenses.  He enables us to, through His Spirit, view life through the lens of eternity.

What lens are you looking through?

A temporal lens views a lost football game as a crushing defeat.  An eternal lens sees it for what it is: a momentary disappointment that means little in the grand scheme of things.  A temporal lens sees the position of quarterback in the NFL as an opportunity for fame and fortune.  An eternal lens calls it an opportunity to shine for Christ and bring hope to the less fortunate.

The successful see life through a temporal lens.  They live, they succeed, and they die.  But the Great view life through an eternal lens.  They live, they love, and when they leave, they leave a legacy.

Tim Tebow is not the most successful quarterback in the NFL.  But to 20 year old Zack McLeod and many, many others, he is certainly the greatest.

John 12:46 –“ I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness.”

Dear Heavenly Father, You have stationed Your people in every occupation.  Thank you for their witness, and their willingness to shine Your light
in the face of scorn.  Thank you for those around the world willing to suffer even the worst persecution for the sake of Your Great Name.  We pray for their strength, and that they would feel You near.  Let them be an example to us, Lord.  Inspire us to be bold for You!  Let us never forget the magnitude of the cross, and what it means to be a Christ-follower.  We love You so much Lord, and we pray these things in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Aside from his God and his family, my husband lives for one thing and one thing alone.  Football season.

From February to August, Mike tracks scouting and recruiting.  He eagerly anticipates training camp, and he counts down the days to the first preseason game.  While everyone else watches dismissively, Mike is eyeing and evaluating the new players and the play calling.  The first home game of the season is treated with the same reverence as Christmas and Easter.

To avoid a widow-like state during these months, I have allowed my husband to educate me on the finer points of  football, and even found myself becoming a bona fide fan.

One thing that delights me beyond measure is the theology that I’ve discovered along the way.  Football provides some marvelous Biblical analogies.  Allow me to present one now.

Consider the challenge flag.

If the coach disagrees with a referee’s ruling on the field, he can throw the challenge flag.  The referees will review the footage from every possible angle, and if they agree with the coach, they reverse their call.  If they disagree, the challenging team is penalized with a time-out.

Job 1:6-7 – One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan the Accuser came with them.
“Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan.  And Satan answered the LORD, “I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

Throughout the Bible, Satan has many names.  One that rings particularly true for me is “The Accuser.”  The Accuser and I have a history.

“Why did you eat that?  You have no self-control!”

“You’re an idiot.  You’re ugly.  No one will ever love you.”

“You don’t have the education to teach or speak.  Who do you think you are?  You’ll never be anything for God.”

“How could you do that?  How could you say something like that?”

We will always struggle with self-doubt. We will always struggle with sin.  We will make the wrong choice and say the wrong thing.  Be comforted by the words of David:  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD (Psalm 139:4).

God knew the mistakes I would make before I made them.  God knows where and when we will fall short.  He knows our sins of omission and commission.  And because Jesus paid the penalty, every moment is another chance to wipe our slate clean.

Romans 3:22-24 – We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins.  And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.  For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty.  He has freed us by taking away our sins.

We will always struggle with sin.  We will always struggle with pride.  We will put things before God.  We will make mistakes, and we will choose to go our own way.  For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  But when we turn back to God, confess and repent of our sin, God declares us not guilty.

When Satan throws the challenge flag, remember that you have a choice.  You don’t have to watch the instant replay.

You don’t have to relive your sins and mistakes.  The enemy would have you replay the incident over and over in your mind; analyzing it from every angle, filling your head with self-defeating commentary.  Here is a truth the Accuser does not want you to know: you have the power to choose your thoughts.

2 Corinthians 10:5 – We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

And how do we do this?  With the same divine power that God used to raise Christ from the grave.

2 Corinthians 10:4 – We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

The next time the Accuser throws the challenge flag on your past, hear the words of the Great Referee: “The Ruling on the field stands.  The challenging team with be charged with one time-out.”

Isaiah 43:13 – “From eternity to eternity I am God.  No one can oppose what I do.  No one can reverse my actions.”

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Your Word.  Thank You so much for the saving grace of the cross. Please God, help us to shut off the instant replay in our minds.  Give us holy earplugs that block out the accusations of the enemy, and help us to better hear Your voice.  When the accusing thoughts hit us from every angle, help us to take them captive for Christ.  Convict us to confess what we need to confess and repent of that which needs repenting so that we can silence his accusations.  Help us to cling to Your Son and tap into the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.  We love You so much, God.  It is in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ that we pray.  Amen.

I am so selfish.

Really, I am.  And don’t try to convince me I’m not.  I know my heart, and it’s selfish.

Allow me to explain.

My Sunday school class has adopted a family from Sunlight Missionary Baptist Church in south Dallas.  Sunlight is a small but Spirit filled building, complete with bars on the windows and doors.  Visit on a summer day and you’ll notice the absence of an air conditioner.  But every Sunday morning the congregation faithfully gathers to hear the hope and encouragement of Christ given by Pastor Ed.

As a Christmas mission, my class gathered funds and donations to bring the faithful patrons bags full of gifts and necessities.  Last Saturday, several of them (not me) caravanned south to deliver presents and packages to families in need.  Unfortunately, one little boy was left out.

Moved with compassion, my dear friend Starla led the charge to put together a goody-bag for the devastated child.

Yesterday, I, along with my children and two members of the class (we’ll call them Mike and Kathy), delivered the gifts.

I almost didn’t go.

Hosea 6:3 – “Oh, that we might know the LORD!  Let us press on to know Him!  Then He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”

An e-mail went out a few days ago calling all-hands-on-deck to help pass out gifts.  I’m working this week at 90.9 KCBI, filling in for morning show co-host Terri Barrett.  But In spite of my schedule, I was available to go.  I knew I should go.  I knew it would be good to take my kids.  I just didn’t want to go.

I waited a few hours, ignoring the nagging sensation in my spirit.  Then I sent the following response: “What time are you leaving?”  Mike responded quickly, letting me know that others had signed on, and while I was more than welcome to help, there was no longer a sense of urgency.

The next morning I opened my inbox to the following email from another member of the class:  “Rebecca, if you can go, it would be an incredible blessing for you and your kids.”  The note was signed “Rob,” but I knew better.  That was a direct word from God.

That evening I still hadn’t responded, and the nudge from the Holy Spirit was growing in strength and intensity.  The next morning, the day of delivery, I sent another e-mail after getting off the air.  “Hi Mike, do you have it covered?”  It’s probably too late by now, I thought to myself.  A minute later, my phone chirped cheerfully, indicating a new message in my in-box.

“Not too late and we could certainly use the help,” Mike wrote.  At this point I started to connive.  After all, I really wanted to go to the gym, and this would be my last chance before the holiday feasting ensued.

As I began to plot and plan, formulating excuses in my mind, the Holy Spirit interrupted me with two simple but convicting words:  “Choose ME.”

I sighed, shaking my head.  God was putting this family on my heart.  He showed me that He would not only bless and minister to this family, but He would bless me and my children if we obeyed.  Okay, Lord, I silently prayed.  And please forgive my selfishness.

Deuteronomy 30:20 – Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey Him and commit yourself to Him, for He is your life.  Then you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

We pulled into the apartment complex, loaded down with packages.  My children and I were among the first to enter, and what I saw tore at my very soul.

The apartment couldn’t have been more than seven or eight hundred square feet, and it housed four children and five adults.  There were no beds.  No furniture, save two small couches that scarcely fit in the living room.  Lying on one couch was a small woman who’d had both legs amputated.

We filled that room with presents, supplies, and a Christmas tree.  When we were finished, I walked over to the bed-ridden woman and knelt by her side.  We chatted for a few minutes, and then we prayed.  I held her hands and kissed her cheek.  When I asked her how I could continue to pray for her, she started to cry.  Barely able to get the words out, she whispered that she needed a wheelchair so she could go to church more often.  The one she had didn’t work, and she wanted to go to the Christmas service.

Isaiah 40:1 – “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.

All week long at 90.9 we’ve been asking listeners to call and share their Christmas miracles.  And save one or two stories, all of the miracles have been through acts of human kindness and generosity.  You be the miracle, whispered the Spirit.  You be My hands and feet.

The next morning I shared the experience with Jim Wilson, host of the morning show.  The support that followed from the listening audience nearly brought me to tears.  A generous dentist in the area called in wanting to help.  A woman offered a hundred dollars.  Call after call, until a man named Bruce offered up a wheelchair that belonged to a friend that had recently passed.

“I’ve tried to sell it on Craig’s List and E-bay,” he said.  “Now I know why it didn’t sell.”

Deuteronomy 31:19 – “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.  I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.  Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!”

I almost chose the gym.  I went to Sunlight begrudgingly, even sullenly; more out of guilt than love.  Looking around at what God has blessed my family with and comparing it to that precious family’s conditions, I want to hang my head in shame.  God has forgiven me, but I can’t forget how close I came to missing a chain reaction of blessings.

Had I ignored the nudge of the Holy Spirit I would’ve missed the look on the faces of the children as they opened their gifts, not to mention the look on the faces of my 4 and 5 year olds as they watched.  I would’ve missed the 45 minute long conversation we had driving home on the true meaning of Christmas.  I would’ve lost the opportunity to meet Pastor Ed.  I would’ve missed the tremendous honor of praying with and over the sweet lady on the couch, and I would not have learned of her need.

Had I chosen the gym, I would’ve robbed many listeners of the chance to bless another family in need, and I would’ve denied Bruce the awesome display of God’s hand at work even in the attempted sale of the wheelchair.

There is nothing special or remarkable about me.  God doesn’t speak to me any more frequently than He speaks to you.  But in order to hear His voice we must remain tuned in to the Holy Spirit.  1 Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.”  We stifle the Spirit when we ignore the nudges and whispers.  And we can only ignore them for so long, until they grow more and more faint.

Is the Holy Spirit nudging you through my confession?  Pay attention.  Jesus has no physical body on this earth.  Therefore, we must lend Him ours.  This Christmas, you be the miracle.

Dear Heavenly Father, today we pray for the congregation and pastor of Sunlight Missionary Baptist Church.  Please wrap Your Spirit around them.  Bring comfort where they need comfort, healing where they need healing, and conviction where they need change.  Let them experience an outpouring of Your love like never before.  The common expression in the eyes I gazed into was hopelessness.  Move your people to bring them hope.  Help us to follow Your nudge.  Do not allow us to stifle the Spirit.  Cut through our noisy lives into our hearts, and help us to be Your servants.  We love You, God.  We thank You for Your Son and we eagerly await His return.  It is in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ that we pray.  Amen.

My big, crazy family takes a vacation together every summer, and it’s something that I look forward to all year. Mike and I, along with Caitlyn and Nick, my parents, my two sisters, their two husbands and their collective five children rent a house that sits on picturesque Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees in Jay, Oklahoma. My sweet grandmother has joined us twice, putting the total number of bodies in the house at one time at seventeen.

The house is a stone’s throw from the marina, so at our disposal are jet skis, paddle boats, pontoons, tubes, and a speed boat. This morning, as I was trying to patiently wait on the Lord, I was reminded of the speed boat.

I first learned to waterski in college. I’ve only done it a handful of times since then, but it’s like riding a bike. Once you get the feel for it, you have it.

As I was trying to teach some family members the sport last summer, I realized how counter-intuitive waterskiing really is. Everything in you wants to pull yourself up, but in order to skip along the surface of the lake you have to let the boat pull you. You are an active participant in the activity, but it’s not your strength that you are skiing in, it’s the boat’s.

About a week ago I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I was thinking about all the deadlines I have coming up, not to mention the Christmas shopping that I’ve barely started. I have commitments at church, commitments to family, commitments to my part time job at 90.9 KCBI. “I should just commit myself,” I grumbled under my breath. I looked around at my messy bathroom and the counters that needed cleaning, and looked up toward the ceiling. “Are you going to show up?” I asked the Lord. “I can’t do this on my own!”
I felt the warmth of the Holy Spirit surround me. That’s right, He whispered, you can’t. So stop trying so hard.

 “You do what you can do, and God will do what you can’t.” ~ Joyce Meyers

One of the biggest mistakes made when learning to waterski is trying too hard. You do your part, and let the boat do the rest. You put on the life vest and the waterskies. You jump out of the water and cling to the rope. You put your feet in the proper position, and then you wait. The driver is carefully watching you, making sure you are ready and the conditions are right. Then, at the perfect time, he guns the engine. And all you have to do hold on tight and follow the boat.

God has called you for a specific purpose. He has gifted you both spiritually and physically for it. He doesn’t need your expertise. He isn’t impressed by your resume. There isn’t an award, a diploma or an accolade that qualifies you to do the work He has prepared for you. God does His mightiest work through willing vessels and obedient hearts. Do your part. Put on the vest and the waterskies – be prepared. Get your feet in the proper position – be alert. Listen carefully for the voice of the driver. Cling to that rope – Jesus, the only way to the Father. And your Heavenly Father, who watches you carefully every moment, will act at the perfect time. And then, just hang on.

Philippians 4:13 – For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Dear Heavenly Father, it is so difficult to wait on You. Please show us how to properly wait. Please convict us to start every day quietly with You. When we read our Bibles, give us wisdom and understanding so that we might know Your will for our lives. Please help us to seek You in all of our decisions. Please help us to hear You clearly. Please remind us to follow Your peace. Please remind us that You often use anxiety as a way to keep us from paths You don’t want us to go down. God, help us to cling to the rope of Christ. When waterskiing, if we pull on the rope, we fall. In life, when we try to do things in our own strength, we burn out or fail. Help us to lean on Your strength, and not run out ahead of You. We love You, God. We thank You for Your Son, our Savior. We thank You for Your Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Counselor. It is in the beautiful name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.

I had a powerful experience this morning.  After two nights of going to bed at 8pm, my eyes popped wide open at 4:27.  After debating for a moment as to whether or not to leave the comfort of my bed, I carefully extracted myself and went downstairs.

Candles lit, Bible in hand, journal open and pen at the ready, I was eager to spend some quality time with the Lord when He stopped me in my tracks.

Indulge me to back up a bit, if I may.

To my delight, I’ve had several projects fall in my lap at the same time.  I’m leading a women’s retreat next month, and for the first time, teaching a Bible study authored by yours truly at a church other than my own.  After that, several speaking engagements, along with a semi-local conference tour and two more retreats.

I’ve been researching material around the clock and writing anytime I can squeeze a moment in between wife and mom priorities.  As a result, strangely, I’ve found myself drifting from God.

It’s interesting the way you can study God.  I believe we see evidence of Him everywhere – in nature and in others. You can read about Him, ponder Him, analyze Him, write about Him, and talk about Him.  But unless I am coming to Him on a daily, sometimes hourly basis for guidance, comfort, and companionship, I am not filled by Him.

Here in the Bible belt, it’s a popular prayer to be “filled by the Holy Spirit.”  “Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, O God.”  I hear it every Sunday in church, and I pray it every time I bend the knee to my Father. This morning, God showed me that I am going about it the wrong way.

Luke 6:46 – Afterward He went up into the hills by Himself to pray.

Imagine you are on a road trip, and the needle on your gas gauge is resting in the red.  You know you have but a mile or two before running out of fuel.  Meanwhile, every exit has a gas station.  “Fill me, O Lord,” you cry out, zipping along at 70 miles per hour.  I’m reminded of the words spoken by Jesus to Martha.  “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,” He says, while she bustles around, nearly bumping into her sister Mary as she sits at Jesus’ feet.  The New Living Translation phrases it this way: “My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details!”

We have a great tendency to get consumed by the details of daily life. It is so easy for me to lose myself in schedules, sports, errands, and other things.  But Jesus advises us not to miss the forest for the trees.  “There is only one thing worth being concerned about.  Mary has discovered it – and I won’t take it away from her (NLT Luke 10:41-42).”

This morning as I sat down to journal, I started as I normally do: Praising God for who He is; thanking Him for all His gifts; asking forgiveness for my sins and direction for my day.  And then I had the strongest urge to stop.  It was though God was saying, “I know what you need before you do.  Now put your pen down and rest in My Presence.”

I closed my eyes and did my best to empty my mind and listen.  After a few moments, a feeling of warmth crept over me. As I sat there, breathing slowly and evenly, I felt an overwhelming sensation of love, acceptance, and approval. At that moment, I felt completely and totally filled.

Are you spiritually running on empty?

We cannot expect the Spirit to fill us when we refuse to stop down and be filled.  We cannot hope for His guidance if we are unwilling to sit at His feet and listen. Jesus tells us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness,”and all of these other things will be added unto us (Matthew 6:33).  He’s waiting for a chance to prove it to you.

Luke 10:41-42 – “There is only one thing worth being concerned about.  Mary has discovered it – and I won’t take it away from her.”

Heavenly Father, we love You so much.  Please forgive us for cramming our schedules with many things and neglecting the most important thing – daily quiet time with You.  Please help us to hear You when You beckon to us.  Please help us to prioritize and manage our time in a way that brings honor and glory to You.  We thank You for Your grace and mercy.  We thank You for Jesus and the mighty work on the cross.  Father, we do ask that You would fill us as often as we come to You.  Help us to empty ourselves of “self” so that we could be used by You for Your good purposes.  Give us wisdom, compassion, mercy, kindness, and grace.  Help us to be more like Your Son.  It is in the blessed name of Jesus that we pray, amen.