"Help Us Bless!"

My daughter works an early shift most days, which gives me an opportunity to spend the mornings with my grandsons. They are so sweet and full of the innocent wisdom children seem to be born with. As part of our morning routine, we eat breakfast and say a prayer for our food and the day. My three-year-old grandson has been listening to these prayers since he was born. His older brother, who is eight, usually leads the prayers. Recently, the three-year-old has decided he would like to lead prayers, and does a great job praying for the food. But the way he ends his prayer has captured my attention. Where the eight-year-old asks Jesus at the end to; "Bless our family," the three-year-old has transformed this phrase into; "Help our family bless!" I love this and it has become a discussion at our morning time together with the Lord.

It amazes me how children are born with an incredible understanding of things beyond their years. Yes, it is a wise thing to ask for the blessing of the Lord, but it is also a beautiful thing to ask Jesus for our family to be a blessing. I looked up the word "bless" and found this definition; "to request of God the bestowal of divine favor or to bestow good of any kind upon."

As I was teaching my grandsons about how to bless, a story came to mind. I have a friend I pray with once a week in a prayer group. We pray for all kinds of things the Lord brings to mind. This friend has made a habit of praying for the people who visit one of the Taco Bells in town and for the employees there. My friend has taken this as a responsibility and as a commission from the Lord. She goes there and prays whenever the Lord asks her to. In my opinion, this is how cities are transformed!

Well, my friend brought a prayer request before us about a week ago. She noticed, while in the Taco Bell, that the manager looked sad. So she sat her down and asked her how she could pray for her. The manager told her that her "ex" had taken her one-year-old daughter a year ago. She had not seen or heard about her daughter for one year! She wanted my friend to pray for her daughter to be returned. So, my friend prayed with her and then brought the request to the prayer group--we prayed together and continued praying individually.

This situation absolutely broke my heart, so I prayed often as I thought of the despair this situation would cause me. Sometimes, when in a public place, I have lost track of my child for a moment and begun to panic. I can't imagine the pain and terror of an entire year without my child!!

Two days after our prayer meeting, I woke up early and decided to read the paper. On the second page, I read a small article about a man being captured in Phoenix who had taken his child illegally from her mother. Then it said, to my shock, that the child had been returned to her mother in Flagstaff. The girl was two years old. At this point, I jumped out of my chair. I was sure it was the little girl and mother I had been praying for! This Wednesday, my friend confirmed it was true. In two days, God had answered these prayers.

This is an example of how we bless. We look around and see those who are hurting. And, we notice. We offer to pray for their needs with faith, knowing that Jesus is; "Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..." Ephesians 3:20. I can't think of a better way anyone could have blessed this mother.

Sometimes we are able to bless by providing something for someone in need. If it is not possible to do this, then, asking Jesus to meet the need, however great or small, is the greatest blessing we can give!! And in the process, they receive the blessing of blessings. Seeing Jesus come alive in the world around them!!

In 2 Corinthians 1:11 it says; "...you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." So let me pray for us today this sweet, little, powerful prayer from the heart of my grandson; "Lord, help us to bless!"

Hard To Say Good-Bye!

I heard this week one of my closest childhood friends passed away. Her name was Mardelle and she was one of the bridesmaids in my wedding. This news was devastating to my heart. I loved this friend deeply and she is woven into the fabric of my childhood. If I painted a picture of my childhood she would dwell there by my side as my partner in finding adventure. She was my sounding board, my comforter, and one of my favorite teammates. I cherish my memories with her!! When we were together, life seemed endless and we seemed invincible. Now her life is over. I wish she could have stayed here with me a little longer. It is hard to say good-bye!!

One thing that has bothered me about her death is the lack of time I have had with her in the past twenty-five years. Our lives just drifted apart as we moved in different directions. We talked on the phone in the beginning. Then we emailed and recently we were reconnected through facebook. But, I counted on her being out there, living her life. I counted on hearing from her. When we communicated, it was like no time had gone by. Our souls connected like they had so many years ago.

Life is filled with different seasons. We move through them as if they will never end and then one day we are in a different season. The days gone by are over. We can't bring them back again. We can peruse them in our memories but time does not allow us to dwell there again.

In my life today, I am much more aware that opportunities for relationships are limited by time. I make sure I am making the most of my time with the people I love. When God brings a close friend into my life, I take full advantage of their available time knowing this time might not be available forever. I leave gaps in my schedule to be available for my family and close friends so I do not miss opportunities. Ephesians 5:15 says; "Be careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..."

I wish back when I was a teenager, I would have been more wise in how I used my time. This is one thing in my life I regret! But I am grateful for my friend. I am grateful for the time the Lord gave us together!! I truly enjoyed her! She was an expression of God's love to my life during that season so many years ago. I thank God for the way He created her and for His divine wisdom in bringing our lives together. He knows her heart and all of the intricate parts of her story. I trust her into His hands.

Still in knowing all of this, it is hard to say good-bye!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4; "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,..."

"A Royal Flush"

A close friend of mine said something to me which has been resonating in my soul. What she said was brave and wise and like nothing anyone has ever said in my life. She said; "I am sorry about the things you have been through in your life. But, I am glad you have been through them. In going through those things, God has made you into the woman you are. And, I love who you are so I would not want the suffering in your life to be taken away."

In my life I have been acquainted with suffering. If God called out from heaven; "My children, would one of you be willing to please go through ______ ?," I am sure I would not have volunteered and I don't think you would have either. I am sure there are many things in your life you would not have chosen to suffer through. I believe I have come to terms with the things I have suffered. I know I have suffered more than some people and less than others. In pondering this and living life, one thing I do know is WE ALL suffer.

The Bible is clear about Jesus being a man of suffering. Isaiah says in Chapter 53, verse 3 as he is prophesying about Jesus; "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering." In His life on earth, Jesus was spit upon, beaten, striped, insulted, disrespected, disbelieved, and even crucified. I think the greatest suffering might have been God coming in the form of a man, Jesus! All the power to "spread the universe with His right arm" and He held back His power to give us all a choice to believe. And many He created with His own hands, did not believe. John 11:35 says; "Jesus wept."

James 1:2-4 says; "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Also, Romans 5:3-4 says; "...we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Although I have come to terms with my past sufferings, I still lack in rejoicing when trials come. So, how do I help myself rejoice in the time of suffering knowing that the outcome of my sufferings have brought great things into my life?

I think about a poker game. In poker you get 5 cards. I believe when I was born, I got one ace, let's say, the ace of hearts. The rest of my hand was a mess of cards that I did not want or need. So I lived with that hand for awhile until it was my turn to discard to the dealer. I threw 4 cards back in. Now this poker game was not a game of luck, because Jesus was the dealer. He knew that if He added another good card to my original hand, I would have only discarded three cards and it would have messed up the final outcome. So those 4 cards that I thought I did not need, well, I needed them for the final outcome. In the game of life, I have been dealt a "Royal Flush", ace of hearts high. This is the highest hand in the game of poker.

God has surrounded my life with the most beautiful people! I am convinced that my family and friends are the most loving and wonderful people on the earth!! Also, I am absolutely sure at each moment, even in my worst ones, that God loves me!! I feel Him watching me, enjoying me, and sharing life with me!! This love He gives is not related to my mistakes or my great accomplishments. He is just always there, loving me!! I am appreciated and loved by friends and family for who I am and everything I have gone through!! They love me even in my imperfect and unfinished state! Each day I wake up with purpose and meaning and I try to enjoy every moment. God fills my heart with so much love that I spend my days spilling it out wherever I go!

And I realize with great joy that this is all possible because of the original "bad" poker hand. Rich Mullen says in a line in His song called; "Hold me, Jesus;" "I would rather fight You for something I don't really want than take what You give that I need." I love this because reflecting back always leads to seeing the purpose in what I did not want or think I needed. The hand that I thought was "bad" when I was holding it turned out to be exactly what I needed. It is the suffering that brought me to this place of overwhelming love and joy!! It is the suffering that causes me to be so close to Jesus! He has been there with me; suffering with me!! He has taken me through it and I have given it back to Him with thanksgiving!! And in return, He has given me a "Royal Flush!"

Making Cream of Wheat

One of my husband's favorite things to eat for breakfast is Cream of Wheat. Cream of Wheat is a finely ground wheat cereal. I don't know if you have ever made it, but it is a real pain! It seems that my impatient nature can cause Cream of Wheat to become lumpy. So, I have perfected a tedious method to get it just right! Thirty seconds in the microwave over and over again with stirring in between each cooking time. For me, this seems like a prison sentence in front of the microwave! If I begin doing something else and forget to stir at the proper time, it will get lumpy! Ugh!!

Now, my husband knows this is not my favorite thing to cook, so he graciously does not ask for it if I offer to make breakfast. So, it takes a suggestion from me to start this tedious process. You might be asking yourself, why would she offer if she hates to make this? I believe with this gesture, I communicate love and sacrifice to my husband. It is an expression of love overriding my own preference. I believe this kind of action strengthens my marriage. If he was asking for it, then it would not be a gift from me. So we have an unsaid agreement. If I offer, I am giving him a gift and he really appreciates it.

This may seem small and insignificant, but these things add up to make a great marriage. It is also these small disciplines of dying to my own perferences which help me to become less selfish and more selfless. Ephesians 5:1-2 says; "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Now what Jesus did on the cross for me can hardly be compared to making Cream of Wheat. But I believe by going through this routine about once a week, I am creating a habit of sacrificing for my husband. Then when the harder stuff comes, I have been through a bit of training. In order to live a life of love, I will have to make sacrifices, because love is an action word.

Making Cream of Wheat is good for me. If you know me much, you know I have had a lifelong struggle with my strong will. It is good for my flesh to do what it does not want to do! I have many systems in place in my life to deliberately take me out of my comfort zone and into uncomfortable circumstances. Most of these places are much rougher than making Cream of Wheat, but this spot in front of the microwave with spoon in hand is a great training ground. God calls us to "put the interest of others before ourselves." It is a good practice for me to step out of my own wants and desires and serve my husband and the other people God has put around me. So tomorrow morning when I would much rather flip pancakes which I find fun and satisfying, I will get up and offer my husband the breakfast of his dreams! Once again, I will make Cream of Wheat!

Too Much Ice Cream???

In my life on this earth, I would say I have had more than my share of ice cream! The possibilities seem endless and the satisfaction is soothing to my senses. Chocolate dipped in chocolate at Dairy Queen, Mint Chocolate Chip at Baskin Robbins, gelato on every corner in Italy, a Dark Chocolate Dove Bar everyday one summer, milkshakes after dinner every night, and even 12 ice cream sandwiches for dessert on a dare from my brother-in-law. These thoughts are beautiful in my mind and comforting in my memories. There is just something about ice cream! Truly, I love it!! What's not to love!!

Well, this love affair with ice cream went on from when I can remember until about ten days after my thirty sixth birthday! And then something terrible happened! I noticed my pants becoming tighter! And, with awe and shock, I saw a direct correlation between the tightness of my pants and the amounts of ice cream I was consuming! This was a shock and when I complained about these changes to the ones I love the most, they answered with a resounding; "Maybe you should not eat so much ice cream!" I promise you this was not the answer I wanted. I would have preferred to hear; "Maybe you could cut out the other food, but don't stop eating ice cream!"

This has been a ten-year struggle for me. Maybe some of you can relate. Sometimes the struggle gets under control, but other times it becomes ridiculous. I find it interesting how I can justify to myself in the strangest ways to eat some ice cream if I want it. Lately, I have been buying Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches. This is hilarious! Have you ever seen a skinny cow? I haven't. Because these are made to be lower in calories, I have a hard time only eating one at a time. I justify eating two or more because they are lower in fat and calories! I even ate two the other day at lunch time, telling myself they were "sandwiches" so it was ok. In Jeremiah 17:9, it says; "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" This really explained it all for me in the moments after I came out of the; "I want ice cream" fog and into reality! I actually laughed out loud at myself.

There is another scripture which came to mind from Romans 7:15 which says; "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do." Why do I hate this action I take? Because it causes me to feel uncomfortable with myself. I hate doing it, because I grow into a size I was not created to be. My heart deceives me into getting what I want in the moment, but I end up regretting it later. I end up saying to myself; "It was not worth it!!" I want to be wise and moderate and healthy! I want to feel good and be the best I can be!!

So today, I thank God for all of the years He gave me to eat as much ice cream as I wanted and see no effects! But today, I have to come to terms with the reality of my metabolism and practice the 9th fruit of the Spirit which is self-control. (Galatians 5:22) I don't know what it is for you, but I know as long as I am on earth I will struggle with my flesh. What I want is not always what is best for me! In all of these areas of struggle, I know Jesus is there for me to cry out to for comfort and self-control.

And He has gone ahead of me to prepare a place for me! (John 14:2) I bet in heaven, there are many more flavors of ice cream than I have ever tasted! Probably a endless variety of shops on every corner of the streets of gold. Until then I will cling tightly to Jesus and ask Him to help me to not eat too much ice cream!

A Good Investment!

In this time of economic uncertainty, I would not say any financial investment is a sure thing. Last week, I believe my husband found an investment I know will get a good return. We were out walking downtown on Friday night at the monthly Flagstaff Art Walk. This is an event where local businesses provide snacks and drinks in their establishments after regular hours and introduce local artists by displaying their artwork. We went into a store to see what they were showing this month, and we were immediately drawn to the oil paintings displayed on the walls. They were beautiful, intriguing, and of many different types. My favorite was an oil of a somewhat worn-out pair of red Converse high top sneakers.

We saw many friends that night. Gary and I split up talking and catching up with the crowd of locals and people visiting our mountain town. The atmosphere was friendly and filled with a great sense of joy. I talked to several people who I had not seen in years. It was fun and meaningful and a great way to spend a Friday night.

When it was time to go, Gary took me by the hand and strolled me over to meet the artist. To my shock, the artist of these great and many paintings was an 18-year old young man named Kory. I knew his name because I am a local soccer fan and have seen him play in games. He is a great soccer player, but the quality of his paintings was phenomenal. The insight and wisdom projected on the canvas was well beyond his years. I was impressed! He was friendly, outgoing, and filled with the hope of his future. It was a blessing to meet him.

When we left the store, Gary said, "I bought one of his paintings." I immediately said, "That is a GREAT investment." Why is this a great investment? We bought the first painting he has ever sold. By buying this painting, we communicated to him that we see the talent God has placed in him and we are willing to invest in his future. It was a confirmation to the artist to keep on painting. It is a joy for us to have this painting of red Converse sneakers in our home to remind us of God's incredible image and how He expresses it through the gifts and talents He puts in His people.

Hebrews 10:24 says; "And let us consider how to stimulate (motivate, spur, provoke, encourage, stir up) one another to love and good deeds." In this time of complete unrest and uncertainty in the world, people need to be motivated to do great things in whatever way God has created them. We can make a big difference by seeking the gifts and talents of people and encouraging them. The greatest investment of this generation (and all the others before and after us) is the investment in the lives of people. God can use the people He created to solve even the most terrifying issues we face in society today. He can use artists, teachers, pastors, mechanics, professional athletes, food servers, realtors, and all others to bring forth the message of His grace and mercy to this generation. His Name is Creator and He can give us creative ideas to inspire us to much needed changes in our city, our culture, and in the world! We can make a good investment in the lives of the people God puts us in contact with!! It's not to late to INVEST!

"Original Masterpiece"

Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Michangelo Buonarroti. Although they share similiar names, it is clear they are "Originals!" They found the gift of God created in them and developed these gifts to the point of spectacular! Whether you are a fan of "Thriller" or supernatural flying dunks or life-like marble sculptures, it is undeniable the extraordinary talent of these men.

I was reading a book called SoulPrint by Mark Batterson. He gave this analogy which led me to some research and thoughts I wanted to share. Michelangelo said about the David (a larger than life-sized marble sculture of King David); "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." He could see the image in the rock and his role was to set it free! Now, I would say this is a unique gift and a very different perspective. If you have been to Florence, Italy, hopefully you had the chance to take in the David. I say "take in" because as I was viewing it, I believe it touched my soul. The David is the indescribable outcome of one man searching himself to find this great gift God created so then he could search into the marble to find the image of David.

In a hallway in the "Galleria dell Accademia" where the David dwells, are several pieces of Michelangelo's work called "Captives." These are partial scultures. Incomplete. Some really look like they are struggling to set themselves free from the rocks. The images in these rocks of the trapped men and women are very applicable to our spiritual walk here on earth.

In Isaiah 49:9 the Lord says; "I say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'" Each day, I present my body, mind, soul, and spirit before the Lord so He can chisel away. I have a great fear of being trapped in darkness and not becoming all the Lord has created me to be. Maybe this comes from being born an identical twin. From this perspective, I can see the integral details even in the similiar. I spend much of my time helping others see their original qualities so they can live free!

I believe the greatest way to express the love of God and to reflect His image and glory is to be free. Free just to be me! It is a dangerous thing to put ourselves under the chisel of the wrong artist such as ourself, someone else, the pressures of culture, or public opinion, etc. This can lead to hypocrisy and lack of fulfillment. God forbid, we could end up being a cheap duplicate! God is the only artist capable of creating a human "Masterpiece." He has what it takes to free us from whatever rock is wrapped around us and holding us back. God has created us to be a "Masterpiece" unlike any other He has created. His imagination as an artist is as incomprehensible and vast as His image. Surrender into the hand of the First and Master artist! He will reveal in you His "Original Masterpiece!"

Romans 12:1; "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in the view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."