Blog Posts

Following the Guide

11/6/2015

There you are, stuck in a deep pit with no idea how to get out. Just like the jeep in this photo whose driver perhaps thought he was skilled enough to go it alone, doing it his own way, and then found himself in a quite a pickle; so too we can often find ourselves in challenging situations, stuck in a deep pit.

My husband and I have been jeeping with our oldest son, who is a avid jeep enthusiast. There are some pretty rough yet exhilarating trails found in Moab, Utah, which we have experienced several times. Most recently, we weren’t with a long, long line of jeeps going over trails which is what occurs during the annual Jeep Safari. This time there were just three vehicles; my son’s jeep, my son-in-law's Ram truck, and a little side by side ATV, that my husband and I were in. In the jeep with my son was a friend who is also a guide for the annual jeep safari. I didn’t understand how important the role of the guide was, until the first deep descent down the rocky trail. Did I mention deep descent? Because for me, it was an “are you kidding me-we’re going down that?!” type of descent. And yes, I was very much afraid.

Until Casey-a former student of mine and now a treasured friend- jumped out of my son’s jeep and with all the confidence in the world, started guiding us down the ravine. (OK- it wasn’t a ravine but it felt that way to me!) He guided all the vehicles in our little 3 vehicle safari safely through each obstacle -as the jeep world calls them. His eyes were on the tires, the rocks, the angle and direction of the wheels upon the rock; his eyes were scanning it all, as he guided us. At one point it wasn’t just Casey, but others who got out of their vehicles to offer encouragement, look for dangers and safer paths through the obstacle, indicating when to go slightly left or slightly right or to stop or to come ahead. Casey, the experienced trail guide, knew what lay before us. It was up to us to trust and follow his signals as we inched our way down. Had we tried it on our own, with no one to guide us, I imagine we would have found ourselves in quite a pickle!

I have found myself ‘in a pickle’ at times in my life. Times when I did things my way, stubbornly or pridefully thinking my way was the way. Pshaw…I didn’t need any help or counsel or guidance. I was perfectly able to navigate the particular situation in my life. Or perhaps it was my impatience, wanting to hurry something along. In something as simple as sewing I can’t tell you how many times I have had to rip the seams out and start all over. And it was all because I didn’t completely follow the guidelines per the pattern. Why? Because I trusted myself more than I trusted the guide.

God, the ultimate Guide, has been patient with me. He has allowed me to learn the hard way thereby really owning the lesson learned. I have learned:

to trust HIM always - as I work to enlarge my trust so it is one without borders

to read the instructions - knowing that the Holy Spirit will guide me in all things through the Word of God. In ALL things.

to seek counsel in Godly advisors - those people who aren’t afraid to tell me I have broccoli in my teeth, spiritually speaking

and with absolute surety I have learned to FOLLOW the GUIDE

Yesterday as I was reading in the book of Psalms, this verse stirred me;

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Psalms 32:8

This verse tells me that If you want to know the way you should go, while walking through challenging situations, or weighty life decisions; then pay attention to God, very close attention. He is the only Guide to follow as we go through life. His eye is upon us. Do you fully get that? His eye is upon us! He sees us, He cares deeply about each individual one of us. He knows what we are going through, and what lies ahead. He knows the path, the rocky crevices we are often called to go over, through or descend into. And only He can instruct and teach us in the way we should go, the path to safely navigating all the decisions and dilemmas we encounter in our journey.

Following your Guide will lead you to victory through whatever obstacle or challenge you face. It won’t be easy, it will often be scary, and you’ll be way outside your comfort zone as you enlarge your own personal borders of following and trusting God. But the reward? It’s exhilarating. Top of the world- actually top of His world!

My oldest son, on Top of the world trail in Moab, Utah. Way to go get the ketchup Codeman!

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Why I sing

10/2/2015

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Don’t you love it when two unrelated thoughts or events simultaneously connect to produce an epiphany? I like to think of it as conjunction of thought.

In terms of astronomy, a conjunction is when two or more celestial objects appear in the same plane of view to the observer, though in reality they are no where near each other. For instance, if from your perspective you see Mars and Saturn in the same general area of night sky, that is a conjunction, although they are actually over 746 million miles away from each other!

I had an interesting conjunction of thought recently. I have been convicted of returning to writing, after a year away, and was reworking my blog format, as well as revisiting work previously done on my book. As I began to reformat my blog, I ran into some issues so I had to contact the host for the blog. In doing so, I was asked a question, “Why the posting name, ‘Singing like a robin’? Are you a singer? Is singing a part of who you are?”

Ok- imagine a deep belly type of laugh- the kind where you literally fall off your chair. Me- a singer? Umm no! I sometimes used singing as a way to reprimand students who were habitually late to my science classes. And they were usually never late again. So that should tell you something.

So why do I post as singing like a robin, as well as have that as my Instagram account name?

I came up with the name while out on a routine morning run/walk. About halfway through the run, I often stop and stretch. As I did, and was looking up, I observed the majestic site of an eagle soaring above. For a long while, I was completely still, silently observing this wonderful soaring bird. In the silence, I was drawn to the sounds around me. How many times am I in such a hurry that I don't still my soul and listen to these beautiful sounds? It was the songbirds, singing their joyful, melodious songs.

I was named after a songbird, the robin. Sadly though, I never really embraced that name. Chalk it up to living in England as a young child and being questioned as to why I had a boys name. Or being a young adolescent where robin red breast took on something to be laughed about. I have always been comfortable with who I am, yet not quite content with my name, until that moment- that conjunction of the soaring and singing. Something stirred within, and I began to feel very grateful that I shared a name with these birds who had just lifted my spirit- simply by their singing.

So yes, Mr. blog host, I do sing! But not in the normal use of the term sing. Oh I make a joyful noise to the Lord- and I like to think He takes pleasure in it. The people beside me may not be so enamored with my singing, but that is not the point. The singing I'm referring to, is the singing of the soul. It's not something we do, it's more a way of being, an attitude of heart that soaks through to the subconscious level. I have learned that this singing - the spirit within that sings praises to God - is the very thing that has helped me break chains and unload burdens. It has enabled me to live joyfully while walking through the minefields of life.

This brings me to the real conjunction of this post; the two random thoughts that came together and gave me fresh perspective. I must give a shout out of thanks to a wonderful young wife and mother at our church, for she organized a Facebook study of the book of Acts that I am participating in. (Yo Stacy!) Though I have read Acts 16 many times before, this time my thoughts started to swirl. Paul and Silas had just been rejected, dragged away, beaten and imprisoned after presenting the gospel. And then this:

“But about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.” Acts 16: 25-26

Do you see it?

Doors are opened and chains break when we sing praise to our God.

And that is why I sing.

For family, for friends, for self, for church, for this country, for the broken and lost of this world; I sing praise. Break chains O Lord, set the prisoners free.

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The discipline of listening

9/22/2014

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"You haven't heard a word I have said."

This was a line in a movie in which a woman comes to the realization that her family isn't 'hearing' her. She had just told her family about a life changing experience, and her husband and two teenage daughters respond with,
"Oh that's nice. Can we go home now? Yeah, I 'm hungry. And I have a date."

They were too busy being centered on themselves, to truly listen to what she was trying to tell them.

And sometimes I wonder if that isn't how it is with us and God. Do we truly listen to what He is telling us? Are our conversations with Him all one sided? Do we hear what He is saying to us, through the Word, and the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit?

"He that has ears to hear, let him hear."

Jesus says this 6 times in His teachings. Six times! His audience all had ears, but He knew not everyone who was hearing His words was actually listening to those words.

So what is the difference between hearing and listening? And how does one go from merely hearing to listening. Let me share a story that helped me understand.

Recently my husband went to have his hearing tested to see if newer more technologically advanced hearing aids would help him. I watched him as he sat in the sound room, and was subjected to a series of sounds and words. I watched as he continued to shake his head, "No, I can't hear anything", or "No I can't distinguish that word." The look on his face was heartbreaking to me. The audiologist informed me that he had 75% hearing loss in one hear and about 60% in the other. Tears began to well in my eyes, as I was anticipating there was nothing that could be done. His hearing loss, in spite of having some hearing aids, was really a barrier to our communication and understanding within our marriage, our family and with others. So I was bracing for the worst, and thinking about strategies that we could use to overcome this communication barrier.

Then the audiologist reached into a cabinet, took out two tiny little hearing aids, and with a wink said to me, "Watch this."

You know those "Ah-ha" moments that we all experience, and have seen others experience, the moment when the metaphorical light bulb finally turns on? Can you picture the accompanying excitement that comes with those moments of understanding. That is what I saw in my husband's face. He could hear those sounds! And words! And me! Even when I stood behind him and spoke in a normal tone. He could hear the rustle of leaves, and the buzzing of an insect. Several times he commented, " Man, that is so loud." I'ld never heard him say that before!

So now he was hearing, but then the audiologist talked to him about developing his ability to listen and distinguish sound.

He told him that by wearing those hearing aids all the time, (something he had not done with his older ones), he would be re-establishing neural pathways, much like exercising an unused muscle. The audiologist explained that hearing is just bringing sound in, the real connection comes when the brain receives, interprets and applies the meaning of the sound. Through practice, by wearing those hearing aids all the time, he would actually improve his capacity to listen and distinguish sound.

So what is the difference between hearing and listening? Hearing is just sound waves connecting with our cochlea, sending the impulses to our brain. Listening is receiving, interpreting, and applying the sound to our life.

So when Jesus tells all us of who have ears to hear, I don't think He is saying to simply bring the Word of God to our brain. He is telling us to listen. Listening is a choice; it is a conscious choice to receive the Word in our heart, interpret it's meaning, and apply that Word to our life.

I don't know about you, but I don't just want to hear. I don't just want the knowledge of God's word in my brain, and the ability to quote umpteen dozen scriptures. I see people who know God's word forward and backward, yet seem to be lacking the peace and joy in their life that Jesus want's His disciples to have. So, hearing or having the knowledge is not enough. I want to listen to God's word, asking the Holy Spirit to convict me of those things that I really need to apply within, so that the Word can do it's work to transform me.

One other thing the audiologist told us was the importance of wearing those hearing aids in very quiet moments, like when sitting all alone reading. He said it was the ability to listen to quiet sounds that would vastly improve those neural pathways of hearing in the brain.

Likewise, if we are going to really hear God today, to listen to what He is telling us through the Word, we have got to be still and quiet, reflective and meditative. If we don't do this, we will find that the loudness of this world will numb our ability to hear. It happens physically when one listens or is subject to really loud noises. Sensitive nerve endings in the ears get damaged, and soon our sense of hearing is dull. I believe this also happens spiritually, when we become so saturated with the noise of this world. What we are saturated with, what we hear the most, is what influences us, it becomes the guiding force of our life.

It takes discipline to stop the noise, and be in stillness. Psalms 46:10 reminds us of that, Be STILL and know that I am God.

Choose to be still and LISTEN to Him. Turn off the radio, CD, Pandora, or your play list as your drive. Take those ear buds out of your ears when you run or walk. Turn off the TV or whatever background noise you have around you, and just listen.

You just might be amazed at what you hear. There is so much He wants to tell us, if we would but listen.

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A faith to run with horses

8/28/2014

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If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you run with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? Jeremiah 12:5

This verse is God's reply to the prophet Jeremiah's plea for the situation he is in to change. Jeremiah is weary, he is frustrated and confused. He is experiencing a crisis of faith, of trusting God, because He just doesn't understand God's seeming inaction in his life.

Sound familar? Don't we all experience times like this? None of us are immune to trials in this life. Our human spirit will get weary, confused and at times have trouble trusting God.

This verse came alive for me at a very challenging time in my life. I felt the trial before me was beyond what I thought I was capable. I was petitioning God to 'let this cup pass', so that I would not be faced with what I knew would test me sorely. I, like Jeremiah, was weary, frustrated and confused. I wasn't trusting God, and instead was trusting in my own abilities.

And then, He showed me this verse. And oh how it spoke to me. You see, I had been running with footmen, meaning I had a pretty normal, very blessed life. Cushy is the word. I really had not been presented with very serious issues or trials. And yet I experienced times of being worn out spiritually from normal everyday life. I had fallen down in a land of peace, and now I was being asked to run with the horses...to step up my faith and trust in God in the midst of what I perceived as an insurmountable trial.

What would it take to run with the horses? I had to lose all faith in myself and my own abilities. And unfortunately I had lots of that. I had spent too many years trusting myself, my independent 'I can do it', self. Now I knew I could not possibly do 'it'. I was in a trust fall. Falling backwards into unknown, not seeing the outcome, scared.

This is what it feels like, when you abandon trust in self, and replace it with trust in God. Scary. Falling into the unknown. It is a process, a gradual process, a slow cutting away of a security blanket, that you so want to hang on to.

Flash forward 6 years later. I am again facing a daunting challenge, it is looming in the not so distant future. But this time it is different. A friend has been asking me lately, "So, how are you doing, really'? My answer each time is

" It is well with my soul."

I may be a bit mentally and physically tired, but my soul is not tired. And it is because now I fully trust God, not myself. I have run with the horses, and it was intense, overwhelming, frightening yet so exhilarating. I grew, I learned, I cried, I fell, I got back up. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, and I would do it again in a heartbeat, because it allowed me to shed my old skin of self trust, and replace it with an imperishable armor of faith, a stronghold of trust in God.

What are you being called to trust God about? Are you being asked to run with the horses, or are you in a land of peace? Whatever it is, if it matters to you, it matters to God. Trust Him. Completely.

All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all that is not seen

Photo credit to Brit-Brit!

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Letting go and launching arrows

8/25/2014

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Behold, children are a gift of the Lord. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
Psalms 127: 3-4

Yesterday my heartstrings got tugged a bit, well actually a whole lot. It was the day my youngest son was sworn into the United States Air Force, and left for basic training. My heart alternated between being full of joy for the man he has become, and full of sadness for missing him, and knowing that this isn't just any job that he is leaving for, this is the military, where he could possibly be put in harms way.

Yes, this letting go tugs at our hearts. It is something all mothers (and fathers) must go through. The second they are placed in our arms as babies, we fall madly in love with them. We toil and labor and play and pray with them. We worry...way too much. We worry, are we doing a good job? Are we doing everything we should to nuture this child, to raise him or her to know and love God? We worry about every ache, illness, and choice that affects our child. And then we start the process of letting go...inch by inch...as they grow and begin to make decisions for themselves, giving them a bit more freedom and responsibility as they mature. And then those 'wonderful' teenage years hit, where their need for freedom, and our need to guide them clash quite regularly! But we make it through, unscathed, but most definitely having earned the gray hairs that begin to show up. And then, the moment arrives. The moment when they leave home for the first time. We launch those arrows, that we have poured our life blood into, out into the world. The scary world, away from the safety of home and us. And that is when we learn what trusting God is all about. That is when we learn to really pray, the 'on our knees' types of prayer.

I have a confession. It wasn't until my oldest son left home for college, 2400 miles away, that I really learned to pray as if my life depended on it. Suddenly, I knew, no one would be there for him, out in this scary world, like his Dad and I had been. Would he be ok? And then God gave me a scripture of comfort, in Psalms 91:4

He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark.

I read that verse through a mothers eyes. I read it as;

He will cover (your child), with His pinions, and under His wings, (your child) may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark (to your child)

With that verse, God was telling me, "Let go", it's my turn. We did our job as best we could for 18 years, but now He took over. Those arrows that we launced out into the world, were now under His care, His direction, not ours. The path they take was His and theirs to determine, not ours anymore. One by one, each of our three children left our nest, left our sheltering wings, to go directly to His sheltering wings. Oh, what joy to know that God loves them immensely more than we think we do!
And what comfort to know, that the very best thing I could do for them was pray, to get on my knees for them.

So this is my prayer for my youngest son,

May you always look to God for guidance in every test, every trial you will face.
May you have a heart full of praise to Him, in all things.
May you honor your God in your life as you serve Him, and now our country.

And dear God, please keep him safe.

Airman Clifton, as your precious wife said, the Air Force acquired an amazing asset yesterday.

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Running in the dark

7/10/2014

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Why would anyone in their right mind run in the darkness of night? Exactly the question I was asking myself as I ran at 4 am, as runner 7, on my second leg of the Ragnar Wasatch Back. It is all part and parcel of the wonderful craziness of Ragnar. Having done Ragnar one time before, I was actually looking forward to my nighttime run, but this time there was not a full moon and I wasn't in the company of other runners to help light the path. In fact there were only 3 other runners on my 4 mile path through the mountain, 3 runners who quickly 'killed' me (in Ragnar terms this means they passed me). So for the majority of my night time uphill run I was alone. Alone and in the total darkness of night, except for my headlamp. Alone and hearing the rustling of the tall grasses, imagining all kinds of creatures that love to wander and hunt at night. It didn't help that there was a sign posted at the last runner exchange that said beware of mountain lions in the area. Needless to say, I became very distracted as I was running. Fear began to grip me, perhaps helping adrenaline to kick in and help me run a bit faster than my normal super slow pace.

I became a runner (and I use the term lightly) as a means to exercise, but found out that it was the perfect way to clear my ever busy mind, meditate and pray. It has become something I enjoy, the clearing my mind and praying part, not so much the sweating, gasping for breath part. But during that night run, I really questioned myself, "now why I am doing this?" I began to doubt and to focus on the darkness and the distractions. My mind was anything but clear, and I struggled to focus in prayer. About 45 minutes into the darkness of the night run, I saw a bright light in the distance. It was signaling my finish line where I would pass off to the next runner who just happened to be my daughter. I was equally happy to see the finish line as I was her cheering me forward. But in my distracted mind and in the darkness, I stumbled and fell, 50 feet from the finish, not even sure of what I had stumbled on. I fell hard. I caught myself with the full force of my fall on my hands, and reopened a bad gash I had in my left hand from an accident the previous night. I jumped right back up, with blood streaming from that hand, crossed the finish and passed the slap band off to my daughter. Not exactly the night time run I had envisioned.

And yet...it gave me much to think about.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Hebrews 12: 1-2, in which the Christian journey is compared to running a race. In these verses we are admonished to:
'lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus...'

Yet I believe there are many Christians who metaphorically speaking run this spiritual race in the dark, not fixing our eyes on our light, our Savior Jesus Christ.

If we are really honest with ourselves, we all wrestle from time to time with running the spiritual race. We pick up too many encumbrances of daily life which weigh us down and we fall prey to sin (in particular the sins of self) which so easily ensnare us. But it seems to me, there is an epidemic of Christians who live defeated lives 24/7. Sadly, the world and it's ruler, Satan are winning the race.

I have talked with several women who epitomize this. They live in defeat and doubt and unhappiness. They are distracted by the busyness and loudness of this world. And yet when asked, they admit they do not read the word of God, they are not active, contributing members to a local body of Christ, and they struggle in prayer. They are trying to run the race IN THE DARK, without the light that the word of God gives us and the edification that comes from being in fellowship with other believers. Why would any Christian in their right mind try to run the Christian race in the DARK?? We CAN'T run the race effectively or victoriously in the absence of light.

Not long after my night run, the sun began to peak over the mountain and my daughter snapped this picture. The road that had been in the dark was now illuminated so the path was clear, as well as any pitfalls along the path. As I looked at it later, it reminded me of Psalms 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

And just this morning I read a verse that took on new meaning to me, Proverbs 5: 18-19

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the lost is like darkness. They do not know over what they stumble.

I was running in the dark. I did not know over what I stumbled, until I went back and looked. It was the base of one of those orange cones, that had somehow come apart from it's top part. It wasn't possible for me to see it in the dark, but I could have seen it in the light of day.

If we are going to live a victorious Christian life and run the race with endurance it will only be because He is lighting our way. This only happens through reading, treasuring and meditating on the word of God. To not do this, means you are running in the dark, and you will stumble, you will fall and you will only be hurting yourself.

I pray that if you aren't already, you will make regular reading, studying, and meditating upon God's word a part of your life, so that you can be victorious in running the race with endurance!

Here's to running the race, in the light of day and in the LIGHT of His word!

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Fear or faith?

6/10/2014

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Have you ever felt like the little guy in this picture; a bit intimidated by the giant in the room? Intimidation first manifests itself within us as a moment of timidity, a moment which if left unanswered quickly grows into fear. Fear immobilizes us; it stops us dead in our tracks and becomes a prison. It keeps us from moving forward. It keeps us from achieving and conquering. Fear and faith are opposites sides of the same coin, a coin called belief. Both faith and fear require one to believe something; either you believe the worst, or you believe the best. It really does come down to a choice in how your view your giant. Are we going to see things from a basis of fear or a basis of faith?

We all have our giants; our own unique fears, and they come disguised in many forms.
Our giant might be:

fear of failure
fear of other's opinions
fear of not being loved or accepted
fear of being hurt
fear of conflict
fear of rejection

Living with these fears will cause us to be imprisoned as we begin to live our lives in self doubt, constantly seeking the approval of others, and being so 'safe' that we never take risks, for fear of the pain we might feel. Or our fear might manifest itself as pride, as an inability to admit any fears or mistakes we have made. Either way, a life based in fear is crippling, because it holds us captive.

This has happened to me recently. I had allowed words to stop me. Fear overcame me; fear of failure and fear of what others might think. I allowed the voice of Satan to become louder than the voice of God, and so I chose to stop; to simply quit moving forward with something I felt God was calling me to. By confessing this to another, I received a timely challenge. It was just what I needed to snap me out of an incorrect way of thinking. The one that challenged me said they saw me as someone confident, as one not easily intimidated. And yet, I confessed that fear had taken up residence in my heart. Fear of failing and fear of opinions had a chokehold on me. And then, the most unlikely of Bible stories spoke to me.

It was a passage in Acts about the Apostle Paul that woke me up. In my mind's eye, I have always seen Paul as a bit intimidating, one so confident, so tenacious in his sharing and spreading of the gospel. I saw him as having no fear. And because that was my view, he didn't seem real or approachable to me, certainly not at approachable as the Apostle Peter, whom I have tended to identify with. Impetuous, "I will never deny you, Lord", Peter; oh how I loved him, for he gave me hope! He was the hero of faith that I wanted to meet in heaven, until I read Acts 18: 9.

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision,
"Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."

How had I missed this? I knew that Paul suffered stoning and beatings and was threatened time and time again. And yet, I saw him as shrugging that off, boldly continuing to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of much adversity. But Acts 18:9 clearly shows he had fear because Jesus told him to not be afraid any longer. I don't know why it is a comfort to know that Paul had fear, but it is, even though Paul's fear seems much more justified that my fears. If he overcame his fear of physical threats to body and his very life, then surely you and I can overcome any fears we may have!

Later in the book of 2 Timothy, Paul writes,
" For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

Paul was divinely inspired by the Holy Spirt in his writings, but I believe he also spoke from personal experience when he penned this particular scripture.

Indeed, God has NOT given us a spirt of timidity! Timidity is a choice that is fear based, not faith based. I do not want to live a life that is fear based. I choose faith, knowing that at times I will 'feel' uncomfortable and uneasy. But I pray by choosing faith, by choosing to trust God where ever He takes me, that I will meet what intimidates me head on, knowing that the power of God is ever present with me.

So this girl, this "Singing like a robin" girl is going to be taking some risks, and living in faith not fear! And I pray you will too.

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Happiness is being adopted

5/7/2014

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Meet Jonathan, the epitome of happy. Be prepared for your heartstrings to be tugged as I tell you his story.

There was a family who found out they were going to have twins, two little boys. They already had children and were concerned about two more mouths to feed, two more children to add to the family. Then they found out that one of the twins had Trisomy 21. Instead of the normal 2 sets of chromosome # 21, there was an extra one, resulting in what is commonly known as Down's syndrome. The family was distraught. They wondered if they would have the time, energy and finances to raise a special needs child. So the family made a decision to keep the 'good' twin and give up for adoption the 'less than perfect' one.

Meanwhile, in a city far far away, a young couple who had been trying to have a child found out about this 'less than perfect' child. Their hearts were stirred within, and they knew this would be the perfect child for them. At great expense and sacrifice, the young couple came from the far away city to meet the newborn child. The couple already loved the thought of the child, but when he was placed in their arms for the first time, their hearts burst with happiness. Something wonderful happened. They saw him as absolutely perfect, and they knew beyond any doubt that they had been blessed with the 'good' one.

This is a true story of a *Sacred Selections adoption- the adoption of Jonathan-the happiest little guy you will ever meet. It is a unique story, and yet it is your story and my story also. You see, all Christians have their own sacred selection story
for we have all been selected by our Heavenly Father for adoption into His family.

But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son, into our hearts, crying , "Abba! Father!"
Galations 4: 5-7

Abba is a term of endearment. It is an Aramaic word that can be most closely translated as “Daddy.” It signifies the close, intimate relationship of a father to his child, as well as the childlike trust that a young child puts in his “daddy.” It is a term of love. Sometimes I wonder if we really 'get it'. Do you understand how much you are loved? Do any of us really understand the depths of God's love for us? He chose us to be in His family. He WANTS to have a close loving relationship with you and with me. He knows we are imperfect, yet when our Heavenly Father looks upon us, He sees us as perfect for Him. He sees all the potential we have deep within to learn from Him, and to grow in grace, becoming all that He knows we can be, the very best version of ourself.

Our adoption into His family was not cheap, nor did it occur because we were 'good'. God chose to send His Son to pay the adoption costs, at great sacrifice to Him, and this sacrifice was not made for us because we were 'good' and 'perfect'.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5: 8

While we were broken, imperfect, sinners, God wanted us! God loved us in that condition! Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, paid the ultimate adoption cost, giving His life so that we might have life. And even though in this life, we still continue to stumble and fall, His love is always there, His compassion and mercy and forgiveness new every day. Praise our Abba Father ~ we have been adopted by the Creator of the Universe!

And that is reason to celebrate. That is reason to spread out our arms just like Jonathan and smile an irrepressible smile of happiness, because happiness IS being adopted!

Authors note:

~ I have an uncle with Down's syndrome and consider myself blessed to have had Uncle Bobby in my life.
I believe the extra chromosome #21 is actually an extra for good things like selflessness, and love, and happiness. The rest of us 'normal' ones seem to struggle with those things...

~ The terms 'the good one', and 'less than perfect' were words actually used by the birth family.

~*Sacred Selections is a non profit agency that raises money to fund adoptions for Christian families. For more information check out their website www.sacredselections.org or contact me through my home page. Sacred Selections is currently hoping to reach out to pregnancy crisis centers across the country to encourage adoption not abortion. If you feel led to help in this effort, please contact me, as I am now committed to working with them in this capacity.

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Ancient scrolls and broken jars

4/17/2014

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Recently, I went to an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls and came away with two very valuable lessons.

1. A lesson about wandering
I have always been intrigued by the ancient Jews and their constant wanderings away from God and toward foreign idols of worship. Seeing the scrolls, and some of the foreign household idols that had been excavated, gave me new insight and compassion for the Jews of the Old Testament. As I wandered through the exhibit, I felt as if I was entering their world. I was immersed in a world of scrolls, and artifacts and descriptions of life in ancient times. As I studied the scrolls and observed many of the excavated items found in the caves of Qumran, near the Dead Sea, a clear picture was forming in my mind. I have been too critical of the ancient Jews, judging them too harshly for their constant turning from God, to pagan idols of worship. I knew that they didn't have the word to read for themselves, as we do today, and that their source of knowing and understanding God came only from oral tradition, spoken from prophets or priests or patriarchs. I knew that they often lived in fear of foreign rulers. And yet, I judged them harshly, I shook my head at them...how could they repeatedly turn from God?

Looking at the scrolls, and seeing the displays of how they lived, I began to understand. The picture that was unveiling in my mind was of myself. I saw myself as one of them. If I had to depend on someone else to tell me what God said, or who He really was, would I be faithful? If I had the fear of and the need for the favor of the foreign rulers, would I still worship my God? And isn't that so many of us today? We still depend on someone else to tell us what God says, the preacher, the teacher, the self-help spiritual book, (or blog!). We don't spend enough time with God, by ourselves, in His word, and in earnest heartfelt prayer. So we end up wandering away from Him, into the world, and we become complacent ~ a bit ambivalent about God in our everyday life. Eventually, that leads us to being fearful ~ a state opposite of trust. We become fearful of any number of things, in particular what others think, and we find ourselves living for the favor or approval of others. And so our hearts wander and seek other 'idols' to give of our time, energy, and yes - even- worship too.

So, we are really no different from the Jews, who wandered and turned from God, time after time after time. And yet He did not give up on them, ever! He was hurt, disappointed, sometimes angry, but He never gave up on them. And He never gives up on us today! Through the times we wander and don't spent time with HIM ( not talking about going to church) , I am talking about ONE on ONE, time with our God. He doesn't give up on us when we turn to other things to 'worship', giving far too much time, attention and energy to that 'thing' that is at the center of our life. And He doesn't give up on us when we judge one another too harshly, looking with distain upon others, seeing ourselves as the 'chosen' people today, which brings me to the 2nd lesson.

2. A lesson about being broken and chosen

I saw hundreds of broken jars at the exhibit. All different sizes and shapes. Each created for a different purpose. Some to hold anointing oil, some for water, some to hold grain. Some with lids, some with tiny little openings, some with wide openings. Some to pour, some to store. All were crafted by the potter for a distinct and unique purpose. But all had one thing in common, from the smallest, plainest, to the largest and most elaborate; they were all broken and had been pieced slowly and carefully back together. These broken jars were now repurposed to tell a story. And they were speaking directly to me. Perhaps that is how we should see ourselves and each other, as broken and chosen. Broken by our sin or pride; whatever our sin or temptation is. And yet chosen; chosen and pursued by the Potter to be put back together, for His purpose, one painstaking piece at a time. A vessel broken yet worthy of honor for the purpose the vessel was designed for. These clay pots, these worthy vessels, while put back together, bore the scars of their brokenness. Perhaps we should too. Something that is broken is vulnerable, their flaws are there for anyone to see. Perhaps we should confess or show our vulnerabilities to each other. It might give confidence to another broken vessel, and it also might be those very flaws that will keep the vessel from being too proud, too puffed up, and also keep one from too harshly judging other broken vessels.

So let's make this personal.

I am this broken jar. My sin is what broke me. I was broken and pieced back together by the Master Potter. I have a purpose, and I have a story to tell. I am broken, yet I have been chosen. That makes me worthy. I am pieced together by the Savior and by the transforming power of His word. I am a vessel worthy of a unique use, a unique purpose, that only this vessel can fill.

And you, perhaps you are this broken jar. Your sin makes you broken. The Savior slowly, patiently works to piece you back together. YOU have a purpose. YOU have a story to tell. YOU have been chosen, and that makes you worthy. You are a vessel worthy of use for the Master, a purpose only YOU can fill, in spite of flaws and imperfections.

The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit opened my eyes to much more than a history lesson. We, like the Jews, can be wanderers, turning from Him. We, like the jars of clay, can become quite broken. Yet, in spite of our wandering, in spite of our brokenness, our sin, God never gives up on us. He slowly lovingly pursues us, and as we allow ourselves to be molded, shaped, pieced back together by the Master Potter, we become whole, a vessel purposed for a unique use in His kingdom.

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Embracing imperfection

3/27/2014

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Perfection is highly over rated. And it's not just over rated, it perpetuates a lie. The lie that it is what we do, and how we do it, that determines our worth. This ungodly quest for perfection is the source of most of our stress and anxiety. I am sorry if I offend, but the way I see it, perfectionists live in an "all about me' self centric universe. A universe based on comparisons to others. Those caught in the 'Perfectionist Vortex' seem to need approval from others to validate their worth.

If we are driven by a need for perfection, then our sense of worth becomes "IF " based. I feel good about myself and therefore worthy IF ... if the house is clean and everything is organized and in it's place, or if the food is always delish (and of course whole food -organic healthy). Or if the kids are smart, happy, and obedient little darlings. Or If I get this job or promotion. Or if I am a certain weight or size. Or if I can be in a certain relationship. And on and on and on we can go, like a non stop merry go round, wherever it stops, it is always about trying to be 'good enough' to be perfect in someone's eyes.

It's high time to get off the merry go round and stop trying to be good enough. Because sadly, you never will be. Your worth was never meant to be about what you do and how you do it. Your worth is determined by one thing and one thing alone; Jesus Christ.

You are of infinite value to Jesus Christ. He died for you. He left the glory of heaven, the amazing splendor of sinless, no pain, no tears heaven and came down to live among His creation for 33 years, experiencing first hand what we experience, feeling what we feel. He cried, He was in agony, He rejoiced, He was tempted, and He was in unfathomable pain. For YOU. For ME. For EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US . And guess what...you didn't earn it. You weren't good enough or perfect enough to earn this gift.

Romans 5: 8 tells us "that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us". While we were imperfect, broken, full of self and sin, He saw us and loved us anyway. He sacrificed Himself because He saw our worth. 2 Corinthians 5: 21, says that He (God) made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He made us righteous not because we were deserving of it, but because we were broken, in need, helpless, and unable to make ourselves worthy in any way. And He loved us. It is that love, and that love alone that makes us worthy, infinitely worthy!

And though we will continue to stumble, and fall into sin and temptation, 1 John 1: 9 tells us He is faithful to forgive us when we confess our sins. We are still imperfect people, but now we are forgiven people, who base their sense of worth not in what other people tell us about ourselves, but in the one true authority on our self worth, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Perfection? It is a joy robber, a liar, and ultimately a destroyer of our self worth, which is only meant to come from Jesus Christ. So toss it out the door and embrace imperfection.
And while you are at it, do something really crazy, go mess up a room and invite someone over to see your mess. Invite someone into your imperfection, they just might thank you for it. The courage you had to show your imperfection can become the impetus for others to get off the perfection merry go round, embrace their own unique, quirky imperfections, and look to the Savior for their sense of worth.

Authors note:
Our ultimate worth does come from His Son's death for us, but I believe we are to try to live a life worthy of that sacrifice, seeking to be pleasing to Him and be obedient to Him. I believe it is not about being perfect in our eyes or anyone elses. It is simply about trying our best to serve God; not our neighbors best, or what others see as best, but OUR best. Our best will never save us, or make things perfect. Our best will consist of humbly trying to live a life in service, adoration and thankfulness to Him within the parameters of His word and the gifts and talents we have been given.

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Welcome! I pray the words I write will encourage reflection within and deeper study of the Word of God, which is able to build us up, equipping us to be victorious as we journey through this earthly life.
May we all earnestly seek the things above, not the things of this world.

Following the Guide

Why I sing

The discipline of listening

A faith to run with horses

All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all that is not seen

Letting go and launching arrows

Running in the dark

Fear or faith?

Happiness is being adopted

Ancient scrolls and broken jars

Embracing imperfection

Posted by
Singing like a robin
daughter of the King
forgiven
joyful
soul strengthener

Categories

Welcome! I pray the words I write will encourage reflection within and deeper study of the Word of God, which is able to build us up, equipping us to be victorious as we journey through this earthly life. May we all earnestly seek the things above, not the things of this world.

All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all that is not seen

Posted bySinging like a robindaughter of the Kingforgivenjoyfulsoul strengthener

Categories

Welcome! I pray the words I write will encourage reflection within and deeper study of the Word of God, which is able to build us up, equipping us to be victorious as we journey through this earthly life.
May we all earnestly seek the things above, not the things of this world.

Posted by
Singing like a robin
daughter of the King
forgiven
joyful
soul strengthener