Gifts and Wonders
What if we woke up and approached the day with a sense of wonder instead of worry?
If we picked up our heads to look at the gifts around us instead of looking down at our phones?
What if we paused to be fully present with others right where God has placed us?
Watch for His works today.
Don’t miss His gifts and wonders.
Give Him thanks for all He has done.
“Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to Him by name! Tell everyone you meet what He has done! Sing Him songs, belt out hymns, translate His wonders into music! Honor His holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seek God. Live a happy life! Keep your eyes open for God, watch for His works; be alert for signs of His presence. Remember the world of wonders He has made, His miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered— O seed of Abraham, his servant, O child of Jacob, his chosen.”
Psalms 105:1 -6 (MSG)
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Standing Strong When You Are Falling Apart
“ I am always aware of the Lord’s presence;
He is near, and nothing can shake me
And so I am thankful and glad,
and I feel completely secure.” Psalm 16:8-9 (GNT)The feeling was hard to put into words.
What once stood strong was falling apart.
As I watched the news, there was a sense of grief as I saw how much the church I grew up in had deteriorated.
Bricks were coming loose.
The church was literally falling apart.
If I close my eyes, I can picture myself walking through the wooden doors.
On the right, the nursery where I learned that famous rhyme:
“Here is the church,
And here is the steeple.
Open the doors,
And see all the people.”Straight ahead, the lower sanctuary where my Grandma would attend services once a month because she could not climb the winding staircase for worship each week.
Classrooms for all ages behind the accordion doors that separated the teens from the elders.
The window to the kitchen that went up when classes ended to reveal red punch, black coffee and sugar wafers for all to enjoy.
The narrow back stairwell that was used by the pastor and the acolyte.
So many memories.
This is where my faith was born.
Not the Steeple, But the People
As easily as I can walk through the church in my mind, I know it was not the building that shaped my faith.
It was the people in it.
Aunt Betty in the nursery.
Mrs. Heffelfinger in the primary class.
Mrs Peiffer the choir director.
Chuck, Regina and Kevin, my youth leaders.
And my pastor, Reverend Snyder, who took me through confirmation and shared the gospel so articulately without words by the humble life he led.
This was the great cloud of witnesses who shared their faith with me.
It is the foundation laid by His people that has kept me standing strong when I have felt like falling apart over the years.
Because they pointed me to Him, I know that I am never alone.
Even when things around me are crumbling, like that old church building, I know that I am secure because He has me.
As a wife and a mother, this foundation has grounded me in my moments of doubt and insecurity.
Through a cancer diagnosis, the death of my parents, and the countless other changes since I walked through the doors of that church.
He is the one thing that He remained the same.
I can look back and am aware that His presence has always been with me.
Laying a Foundation for the Next Generation
My deepest prayer is that my children know this security as well.
The one only He can provide.
That they are always aware of His presence.
I have prayed for them to have an Aunt Betty and Reverend Snyder in their lives.
The ones who could help shape their faith and build a firm foundation, so that they will be able to stand strong, even when they feel like falling apart.
And one day, if the church that they grew up in is no longer standing, I pray they will be able to thank God for the people He put into their path that pointed them to Him.
I may never be able to sit in that old beautiful church building again.
But wherever I am, I know that I can always sit in His presence.
Friends, you can, too.
He is always near.
Who are the people of faith that have helped build your foundation, either as a child or an adult?
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The Middle
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Living Water
Yesterday it poured.
The skies opened up and the rain fell hard.
So it was not surprising today as I looked out the window that the small stream below was flowing.
But to be honest, there are some days I don’t see the flow of water beneath the window at all.
On the dry days, the small trickle of water is harder to see.
That is true in life as well.
When blessings are flowing, it is easy to recognize the presence of the Living Water in my life.
During the hard seasons, it may be harder to see that presence.
But whether I see it or not, His presence always there.
Friends, if you are in a dry season or struggling, take heart.
You can always come to the one who offers Himself to you in every season.
You may not be able to recognize it, but His love is always flowing.
He invites you to come and drink!
My prayer is that whatever season you are in, that you recognize the flow of His love never runs dry.
“On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from His heart.’”
John 7:37-38 NLTShare this:
Virtually Active
Today I am walking along the NaPali Coast in Kauai.
Virtually.
The treadmill at the gym gives me the options of walking all over the world.
From Kauai to France.
All different types of terrain.
People on their journey going at different paces.
I tend to revisit the same path because it’s what I’m comfortable with as I am walking.
But I need to get out of my comfort zone.
Using Virtual Active is a great reminder that I need to be virtually active in my faith walk.
It’s easy to get so comfortable on my own path, I forget others do not always have the same view.
They might be moving at a different pace.
It’s easy to judge others who are not on the same path as us.
We all come from different circumstances and have different life experiences.
Empathy is being able to put yourself in another’s shoes to understand the path that they are walking.
Without judgement.
Christ came from heaven to earth not to condemn or criticize, but to walk with His people.
He slowed His pace to walk in ours,, leaving the comfort of heaven.
And even though we may all walk different paths, our destination is the same.
We are all walking home.
“Jesus said, “Forsake the habit of criticizing and judging others, and you will not be criticized and judged in return. Don’t condemn others and you will not be condemned. Forgive over and over, and you will be forgiven over and over.”
Luke 6:37 TPTShare this:
Tribe
This week I had the honor of being part of a special celebration.
Three generations of women gathered together.
Sharing meals and stories.
Laughter and tears.
I loved bearing witness to how these women had joy and gratitude being in each other’s presence.
They have done life together.
Good days and hard days.
When we came upon a cute little shop to browse around, the clerk gave everyone a bracelet with the store’s name.
Girl Tribe.
It was perfect.
Jesus had a tribe as well.
In addition to the twelve, scripture tells us that Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
He called them friends.
It might be hard to imagine that the Savior of the world needed anyone.
But Jesus did life with those around Him.
Sharing meals and stories.
Laughter and tears.
Good days and hard days.
Fully human and fully divine.
As I was leaving to head back home, my heart was so full thinking of all of the people in my tribe.
And I gave thanks for them.
God never intended for us to walk this journey alone.
If you see someone who doesn’t have a tribe, invite them in.
Remember to thank God for those He has placed in yours.
And thank Him that He walks with you, too.
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
After saying these things, He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.””
John 11:5-6, 11 ESVShare this:
Look at What He Has Done!
Listen to what he has done!
Sharing the story of how a friend had been hurt stirs up different feelings in us.
Anger.
Betrayal.
Sadness.
It seems hard to fathom how some hurts can ever be forgiven, especially the ones that come from those who we love or call friend.
And yet that is exactly what Jesus modeled for us and instructed us to do.
He understood better than anyone what that hurt could feel like.
In His humanness, He felt the range of emotions we have all felt.
But in His divine nature, He showed us that forgiveness is possible.
So, listen to what He has done!
It is hard to fathom that He has forgiven the many sins of His children, the ones He loves and has called friend.
That is why we must remember to forgive as we have been forgiven.
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Matthew 18:21-22 ESV“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32 ESVShare this:
Always Available
Summer seems to go by so quickly.
Everyone is traveling different places for family vacations, weddings, and work.
It’s hard to keep track of where my friends are sometimes.
I even attempted to start a Google Calendar for our group, as it has become more and difficult to find a day that works for everyone to get together.
Gratefully, today is a day that works!
And as I am sipping on my coffee, looking out at the ocean waiting to catch up on the latest happenings, my thought is this:
How wonderful it is the God knows where we are at all times.
He doesn’t require a calendar, electronic or paper planner, to know His children’s schedules.
Our Creator is always available to sit with us and listen to what is happening in our lives.
How comforting it is that there is One who understands us so well.
Friend, wherever you are going today, rest in the knowledge that God is with you.
His calendar is always open for His children.
“You are so intimately aware of me, Lord. You read my heart like an open book and you know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence! You know every step I will take before my journey even begins. You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. You have laid your hand on me! This is just too wonderful, deep, and incomprehensible! Your understanding of me brings me wonder and strength. Where could I go from your Spirit? Where could I run and hide from your face?”
Psalms 139:3-7 TPTShare this:
The One Sent
If you search online for the most popular Bible verses, John 3:16 will in many places be number one.
It is God’s love for us defined in a few short lines.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 (ESV)Jesus was the one sent for us.
A few years ago, after receiving one myself, I decided to use the pennies pictured as a visual reminder of His love to share with others.
I loved the idea of the “one cent.”
But what if the story ended at John 3:16?
What if the disciples decided to keep the story of Jesus and His resurrection to themselves?
Now when I look at these pennies, I am reminded of two messages.
First, of God’s great love for us.
Second, that we are called to continue to share His story with others.
Look at what Jesus tells His disciples in John 20:21.
“Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
John 20:21 (ESV)When Jesus left this earth, He instructed His disciples to continue His work.
He sent them.
Friends, we are the ones who are sent now, to be His hands and feet in a broken world.
Share His story.
Share His love.
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The Choice to be Present
To do lists never seem to end.
Dishes.
Laundry.
Yard work.
Insert your household chore of choice here.
Being good stewards of what we have is not a bad thing.
In fact, we are called to be good stewards.
To offer hospitality to others.
But sometimes in doing so, we forget that being still is not laziness, but the act of being present.
Mary understood this.
Instead of choosing to help her sister, she sat at the feet of Jesus, drinking in His every word.
I really want to be more like Mary, but sometimes my Martha heart stops me from being fully present with Him and the ones He has graciously put in my path.
The dishes will not go anywhere.
The laundry can wait.
The grass will get cut.
Friends, I am talking to myself here, but in case you are like me and need to hear it, too:
Go outside and swim with your friends.
Play that game with your kids.
Have coffee with someone who needs a listening ear.
Sit quietly and read His Word.
And even if you struggle putting down that to do list, remember this.
Jesus still called Martha beloved, even when she got caught up in the distractions around her.
He calls you beloved, too.
“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey, they came to a village where a woman welcomed Jesus into her home. Her name was Martha and she had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down attentively before the Master, absorbing every revelation he shared. But Martha became exasperated with finishing the numerous household chores in preparation for her guests, so she interrupted Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you think it’s unfair that my sister left me to do all the work by myself? You should tell her to get up and help me.” The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.””
Luke 10:38-42 TPTShare this:
