Is it REALLY this easy?

Up front, I will affirm that there are times when I have longed to hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit and have gone many, many weary days and weeks without hearing Him. Today though, I need to give Him praise for when He speaks...clearly. Sometimes, so clearly that I even think "Is it really this easy?"

This morning has been one of those times.

Don't get me wrong...I have done nothing to deserve this. I haven't been diving into Scripture. I haven't worn callouses on my knees and I don't have any magic formula to offer you. I believe He's always calling (see John 12:32) to each of us. Speaking for myself, I am at times more receptive than others. 

Apparently, first thing this morning...I was listening.

I awoke with thoughts of one of my garden beds. It's up against the house and isn't going to get enough sun for the vegetables I've placed there. I've read about reflective light and even used some on my patio garden last year. While I'm contemplating this, I have a "sense" that I should arise and take a walk. 

I am not the most physically fit person you'll ever meet. But when we moved into a more urban setting, I took a cue from Mission Year's practices to start walking. It's difficult to meet your neighbors from your car. I'm calling my early-morning-intentional-prayer-and-devotional-walk, a "Jesus walk". So the sticky note on the kitchen wall is what I leave for the kids on my way out the door.

Today, I didn't head toward the cemetery (see photos on Instagram) for perspective, instead I felt a "nudge" to go a different direction toward Latonia's downtown. I'm walking along, enjoying the morning, conversing with Jesus, hearing the trash truck in the Monday morning background and I pass this...

or I should say "these"...because there were two of them...laying next to a trash can about 1/3 of a mile from our house.

To be honest, I saw...I looked...and I kept walking for a few paces and had that little brain nudge that I don't know how to explain to someone who hasn't had it. But what I heard myself say was "Is it really that easy?" Admittedly, I walked another block and a half trying to convince myself I actually was experiencing God's provision in this fantastic way!

If I've lost you, then back up to what was on my mind when I awoke this morning...reflective light use for my garden. Holy Spirit's promptings were discreet but apparent since I awoke and there...laying in a trash heap...was the answer.

For this to work though, two more things had to fall into place: I had to walk faster back to the house to beat the trash truck from getting them before I could come back with the van, which my husband couldn't have taken yet to go to work. As evidenced by the photo above, both worked out. Dale left a little later than usual, and I passed the garbage truck on my way back home after picking up the two mirrors!

Explaining to my husband what they're to be used for was entertaining for me and probably confusing for him...he's more of a I-need-to-see-it-to-understand-it kind of guy. All of this to say, I have my Pinterest-type project for the next few days.

As soon as I placed these mirrors on the front porch, I heard my thoughts expressing praise to the One who loves to give good gifts to His children, who longs to have us listen as He tells us ''this is the way, walk in it" (see Isaiah 30:21), and who even cares about the most seemingly insignificant details of our heart's desires that He somehow...unexplainably...puts so many pieces of this Giant-Jigsaw-Puzzle-of-Life together to bring a little reflective Light to our home.

I needed to share this with you this morning because I need to reflect His Light. He needs to shine out of me until the people around me see the glory of His Presence all over the place. The verse I've been trying to memorize each morning is appropriately timed for His teaching today, 

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, 

and the glory of the LORD rises upon you." (Isaiah 60:1)

Thanks for hanging out with me through this entire epistle. You see the last thing I heard as I headed down the stairs to start typing this lengthy tribute to my awesome God was "I have to share this or the rocks are going to cry out...and I don't want any rocks speaking for me!" (see Luke 19:40)

***********************************

Words of wisdom I'd love to leave with you on this amazing day, if you'll allow me the privilege of speaking into your life? 

Go.

Do your thing that you are passionate about and feel like you have to do.

Take Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, with you.

Listen.

And follow.

Amen.

This Internal Stuff is Tough!

And I am not exaggerating!

Last Thursday, it was my turn to lead our small group in discussion at the Believing God Bible study. Lo and behold, the topic for the week was the tongue. Ugh! We meet on Thursday mornings and by Tuesday afternoon, I only had one day of the homework completed. This is not like me. Normally, I try to stay on top of it all so I can get the full benefit without hurrying through it all. But going over day one of the workbook...where the topic was James 3 and taming the tongue...I had to process for a few days and try to come to grips with living this thing out before I stood up in front of 20 women and told them they needed to do the same.

The tongue "is a restless evil and full of deadly poison." (James 3:8) Not exactly tea-party conversation here. I completed the homework...sorted through a lot of yuck I needed to give God...and when Thursday morning rolled around...still felt completely inadequate to stand up and facilitate a conversation about how the tongue "is set among the members as that which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of someone's life and is set on fire by hell." (James 3:6)

Yikes!

Thursday as I was getting dressed and ready in my bathroom, I was literally doubled over with my hands on my knees, moaning and asking God "Why?" Why did it have to be me? The one that struggles with her tongue more than anyone I know. The one who unfortunately has all too often with my tongue "blessed our Lord and Father and with it cursed men who have been made in the likeness of God." (James 3:9) You'll find it as no surprise that when I memorized James at this same time last year, this is the passage that was most difficult to learn. I am a woman "of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5).

As I was praying and processing and meditating on His Word, it wasn't that I had any divine epiphanies. There was nothing new for me to learn on this subject...but bless His magnificent Name...He kept graciously reminding me of a few things over and over again.

• I need to be impeccably above the standards of this age...not only in my spoken word...but in my written word as well. Facebook should not be a platform to air my grievances...whether they are personal or against an entire people group. Neither will I condescend to fight through texting, messaging or wall posts. And this blog should always be used as a tool to bless (aka. speak well of) instead of curse (doom) my fellow man whether I can yet call them brother or sister in Christ or not.
• The post I wrote a year ago about Jeremiah 31:3 "The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." is just as true today as it was last October. In the way that a salve or poultice will "draw out" the yuck in a wound so that true healing can begin...God himself slathers His lovingkindness all over our "yuck"...drawing it out so that true healing and growth can begin.

And here's something of a new thing I did learn during the tortuous week of self-examination: The drawing never ends! In God's perfect timing and mercy, He begins drawing out from the surface and slowly, yet assuredly, He takes away layer and layer of "yuck" so that as the internal is purged and refined, the external radiates His gorgeous Light more clearly.

So when you come across that time in your life when you feel like you're struggling in an area that you've worked on before, maybe He's just "drawing" out at a deeper level, calling you to a deeper walk, so the Light of His Love will shine forth more brilliantly, piercing the deeper darkness in a way we never could have imagined.

It was "Too Small of a Thing"!

I am increasingly falling in love with the book of Isaiah. Today's golden nugget of Truth was found in chapter 49. I'll reiterate that I am not a biblical scholar, but this chapter reads to me like it is messianic prophecy.

"The LORD called Me from the womb;
From the body of My mother He named Me.
He has made My mouth like a sharp sword,
In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me;
And He has also made Me a select arrow,
He has hidden Me in His quiver." (Verses 1-2)

In the Bible, whenever there is a reference to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, it is capitalized. So I'm making the assumption that the original Hebrew indicates in the passage above that God...in some form of the Trinity is speaking. I made the further conclusion that since Jesus is the only One to have taken upon Himself human flesh and inhabited a womb, it must be Him.

In verse five, Jesus confirms that "from the womb", He was destined to be God's Servant. His servanthood would include bringing Jacob back to God. Here's what inspired me to be immensely thankful today:

"He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also make You a light to the nations
So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.'" (Isaiah 49:6)

I pray I'm not wrong or deter from the intent of the text, but what the verse meant to me is this:
Jesus (God in human flesh) in this mystery wrapped in an enigma that is the Trinity...was the Servant of God, the Father. In His service to the Father, He would "raise up...and...restore" the ones who had been set aside to become a nation of priests. We know them as the tribes of Jacob or Israel. But over 650 years before the Messiah ever arrived...God knew that the measures that Jesus would take to redeem Israel was too great a sacrifice to be just for them. He declares centuries before the crucifixion ever happens that his unfathomable sacrifice would absolutely be worth it. Why? "So that My salvation may reach the end of the earth."

You see, rescuing Israel alone was..."too small a thing". I don't know about you...but as a member of a non-Israel tribe...I am overwhelmingly thankful that from the first thought of salvation, He planned for it to extend all the way "to the end of the earth"!

Amen!

If Only...

Throughout the first 16 verses in chapter 48 of the book of Isaiah, God reminds Israel how He will consistently fulfill the prophecies He had promised so they can not give credit to idols or any other excuse. He didn't have to tell them what He was going to do ahead of time...but He did, so they would know it is Him.

This chapter falls hot on the heels of all of His prophecies against Israel and how they will be carried into captivity by Babylon. He also specifically has named Cyrus of the Medo-Persian Empire 100 years before he is born and that he will be the one to conquer Babylon. God doesn't want any dispute...He says He will do it...and we know from history, that He was true to His word.

Then in verses 17 through 19 are the verses that shake me up every time I read them:

17 "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
'I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention to My commandments!
Then your well-being would have been like a river,
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants would have been like the sand,
And your offspring like its grains;
Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence." (Isaiah 48:17-19, NASB)

This past week, I was asking Why Doesn't the Simple Thing Work Anymore? I do believe our lack of suffering has great influence on our perceived need for a Saviour. But what does God say to Israel in the passage above? "If only..."

Yes, those commandments were essential to vitality, nourishment and life. Their descendants could never be counted "If only..." Can we apply this to ourselves and learn some lessons? Absolutely!

Think about this: We were all called to 'Go and make disciples, baptize them and teach them God's commandments'. (see Matthew 28:19-20) We were, by design...created to replicate our faith in others...a sort of "birthing", if you will. Why doesn't that happen in our lives until our spiritual descendants are "like the sand"? Is it only the Billy Grahams, the Chuck Swindolls and the Max Lucados that are destined to father so many spiritual children?

I don't think so.

And Jesus taught that the greatest two commandments summed up everything else that God commanded. Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul and might and Love your neighbor as yourself. (see Luke 10:27) These were the two at the top of the list and they were uncompromisable.

Maybe I'm taking the Scripture above too liberally...and simply...but, then again...maybe not. How do we point people to the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, bring innumerable others into the knowledge of God's saving Love so that their name will never end (a.k.a. eternal life)?

"If only..."

Why Does HE Do It?

Have you ever wondered precisely why God forgives us of so much? I know I have. I've heard it explained so many times that I think I often take it for granted: He wants relationship with us.

I understand this...but again, why?

Why does the Creator of the universe...that could fellowship with anything and everything...choose to commune with the only created beings that intentionally rebel against Him? And why did He go to such stupendous lengths...the sacrifice of Himself in the human incarnation of Jesus the Messiah...to achieve this end goal?

I know...His Love for us, right?

When studying Isaiah 43 though, I found another reason that I'm still chewing on a few days later:

"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins." (verse 25, emphasis mine)

Why does He pardon our transgressions...our sin and rebellion against Him?

For His own sake!

I know He's talking to Israel here, through the prophet Isaiah. And I know that as a nation, what they did and how they behaved and the idols they worshiped reflected directly upon the God that had chosen them as His people. I know He's standing up for His Name and Who He is.  I know all of this and yet ever since I've read this verse, I can't help but have some mixed emotions as to how it could pertain to me.

He pardons me...'for His own sake.'

Just let that sink in a little while...



Amen!

When the Deluge Comes

Several years ago, when my dad was facing the most devastating situation of his life, I felt led to share this Scripture with him:

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you." (Isaiah 43:2)

Just as I shared this passage with my dad to try to give him encouragement, comfort and assurance of God's hand in the midst of his life's biggest storm, I have repeatedly heard this verse interpreted by numerous people in the same way. When the deluge comes (not if), God will keep our heads above the water, right? The rivers swift current will not overtake us. The conflagration all around us will not consume and melt us, nor even singe us. That is what He has promised. Am I correct?

Not once, have I ever claimed to be a Biblical scholar and I am lost when it comes to interpreting Scripture through things like genre, tense of the original verbs, original language, etc. If someone else can explain those to me, I can understand them, but I'm not the academic that has a firm grasp on any of these. So bear that in mind as I explain what struck me as I read this passage today in my study of Isaiah. It was perhaps the first time that I have read it within the context of the whole chapter. Meditating on the passage as I asked the Holy Spirit to lead my thoughts, I noticed this little nugget too:

"Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
The beasts of the field will glorify Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
because I have given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people." (Isaiah 43:19-20)

How do rivers and waters go from being a "bad" thing in verse 2, to something that will glorify (meaning, reveal His true character) just 17 verses later?

He starts by referring to Himself at least 52 times within the small space of those 17 verses. This segment is all about what He will do and whom He is...Holy One of Israel, Savior, God, Creator, King, and my favorite...LORD. LORD in the Old Testament always represents when the ancient Israelites would substitute YHWH. We call this Yahweh. I heard Beth Moore explain this as the "Ineffable One"...the One that we really can't give a name to because what He represents is just too big! It's used at least six times in this segment of the forty-third chapter of Isaiah.

So I have no doubt Who is speaking and I'm fairly certain that by His repetition when speaking about Himself, He is planning to do exactly what He says He will do. Read the full chapter to understand all He would do to redeem Israel. But the question that popped into my admittedly "different" brain was, I believe, put there by the Spirit.

Why...and how...do beasts, jackals and ostriches glorify God? [I said my brain was different, remember?]

The insight I came away with was nothing short of an amazing blessing to me that I couldn't wait to share. I pray with my limited use of words, you can understand it too.

The first thought was: What if I don't think of this as literal animals, but rather representations of personalities that we all know...or have ourselves?

Beasts? Yeah...we hear of those everyday don't we? The news is rife with evildoers and incomprehensible acts perpetrated by individuals and corporations that slaughter, maim and destroy innocent lives.

Jackals? It only takes a little research to discover that "jackal" has historically been used for any type of wolf, coyote, hyena or literal jackal. They are predators that prey on the weak and marginal. They are opportunistic and excellent scavengers. They mark and defend their territory ruthlessly. Again, only a little research is needed into African, European and even our own history to come across some ruthless Jackals. They are alive and well even today.

Ostriches? What do you think of when you hear that name? My first two thoughts are that when danger is near, they run like a bat out of "you know where" or bury their head in the sand. Sound like anyone you know?

So while we can pat ourselves on the back that we may not be a Beast or a Jackal, I fear there are far too many Christian Ostriches to count. We stick our heads in the sand, or at least plug our ears...and our hearts...to the plight of the starving, destitute, homeless, widowed, orphaned and downtrodden, when we should be storming the gates of hell on their behalf.

Have you noticed something yet though? It's these very same Beasts, Jackals and Ostriches that are glorifying God when the rivers and the waters come. Perhaps what we...in our safe little bubbles...consider as a devastating deluge...those who cannot pretend they are holy are, instead, thankful for the purifying plunge?

Brennan Manning used to say (and he may have been quoting someone else!) that because of God's grace, we would see alcoholics, prostitutes, tax collectors, murderers and the like walking through the gates of Heaven before us. You see, they can't pretend they don't need grace...and neither can the Beast or the Jackal.

I'm afraid though, that the Ostrich can.

Okay. What does any of this have to do with you or me? Maybe nothing...but if I heard clearly...and I listened well...I think what God's Spirit was saying to me today was, "The next time you're passing through the waters...and the rivers...and even the fire...don't run...don't hide...instead, delight in the opportunity for me to wash away...to purify and refine you...into one of My chosen people (verse 20). I will be with you (verse 2) because...just like the Beast and the Jackal and even the Ostrich, you are never too far into the wilderness to drink (verse 20) from the well of My Love ."

Amen!

He Said WHAT?

I've been marking more of the book of Isaiah, after taking a very lengthy hiatus because of the two previous Bible studies I've done at church. I'm growing to love Isaiah though, and am enjoying my time alone with God's Spirit while searching through it. I'm currently in the part of the book that references King Hezekiah a lot. Recently, I came across a passage that left me shaking my head in disbelief. Even though I've read it before, I am still amazed.

Last week, for one day's study, I read about how King Hezekiah was "mortally ill" (see Isaiah 38). It doesn't sound good, does it? But what does the king do? He doesn't resign himself to the inevitable. He has been told to "set your house in order, for you will surely die and not live." [Sarcasm moment...I would think most of us would "not live" if we had "surely" died. Just love God's humor sometimes!] To me this is about as much of a double negative regarding your continuing existence as you can have. But no...Hezekiah reminds God that he has always followed God with his whole heart and has done what is "good in Your sight." (verses 1-3)

So Hezekiah dies...right?

No! God changes His mind and says, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life." Wow! If you ever needed proof that prayer can move the heart of God...there it is!

But apparently, someone else changed in the process too...Hezekiah.

The very next chapter, King Hezekiah is healed and whole and receiving visitors from Babylon with well-wishes and congratulations on his recovery (see Chapter 39). In the course of the visit, Hezekiah shows off all of his wealth. I mean he shows them everything. And we're not specifically told this...but he must have been bragging or at least had an arrogant or prideful heart about it...or in some way taken credit for amassing this wealth that had been given to him and Judah by God's provision alone.

How do I know this? Because God sends Isaiah to set the record straight.

There's not a lot of chastising or condemning words, just a few questions and then a matter-of-fact prophetic consequence: There is coming a day when everything you have stored up will be carried off to Babylon...and some of your descendants too. They will even serve the King of Babylon.

Do you remember the Hezekiah that pleaded for his life? The one that reminded God of his whole-hearted service? You'd expect that guy to show up right about now...asking...begging for forgiveness, right?

Nope...that's not him. Instead the king that responds to Isaiah says, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good." (verse 7) He said WHAT? Why in the world would he, who wept for his own life, not weep and plead again?

Here's a little clue: "For (Hezekiah) thought, 'For there will be peace and truth in my days.'" (emphasis mine, verse 8) Apparently, Hezekiah wasn't concerned about the world he left behind, as long as he had peace in his days.

As I sat and shook my head in wonder and thoughts flew through my mind like, 'How could he?' 'What a jerk!' 'This guy amazes me.' 'Really? Who does he think he is to ruin life for those that won't even be to blame?' and 'That's just ridiculous!'...God's Spirit stopped me in my mental tracks and reminded me...am I any different when I shop, spend money, throw away items, horde stuff, etc, etc, etc...all without any thought for the person that had to work at slave wages to give me that luxury item (like coffee, sugar or chocolate)? When I buy clothing without any regard for the sweatshop in which it has been made or I buy food that has been factory-farmed and is killing the environment that subsequent generations will inherit...am I not just like King Hezekiah?

This blog has mention after mention of organizations that are making a difference for future generations...in the God's-Kingdom-is-coming-now-type way. Two I just posted about last week are Generosity Feeds and A Heart for Korah, but there are countless groups that feel compelled to stop the cycle of poverty, human trafficking, enslavement, starvation, and filthy drinking water, either on a local or global basis. In our world of instant information, there is no longer an excuse for remaining in the dark about where darkness is thriving and God is leading His people to push it back inch-by-inch for His Kingdom.

With that in mind, I ask you this question and I pray I'll keep asking it daily of myself: how do you want to be remembered? Like King Hezekiah, as long as you have peace in your day, will you be content? Or do you want to be known as the one that allowed the Holy Spirit to use him/her to break the bonds of evil...even if only for one person?

Amen!

No More Listening to the Rogue

"1 Behold, a king will reign righteously

And princes will rule justly.

2 Each will be like a refuge from the wind

And a shelter from the storm,

Like streams of water in a dry country,

Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land.

3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded,

And the ears of those who hear will listen.

4 The mind of the hasty will discern the truth,

And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.

5 No longer will the fool be called noble,

Or the rogue be spoken of as generous.

6 For a fool speaks nonsense,

And his heart inclines toward wickedness:

To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD,

To keep the hungry person unsatisfied

And to withhold drink from the thirsty.

7 As for a rogue, his weapons are evil;

He devises wicked schemes

To destroy the afflicted with slander,

Even though the needy one speaks what is right.

8 But the noble man devises noble plans;

And by noble plans he stands." (Isaiah 32:1-8)

Like me, are you tired of listening to the rogue and the fool? Are you exhausted...like the parched land of verse 2...from listening to all the rhetoric that is telling us what's wrong with the world?

From where I'm sitting, it seems like a lot of the people that are getting blamed happen to be unable to speak for themselves. We're told that sending aid to impoverished countries or supporting policies and programs that aid and assist the destitute are what are causing all of the economic ills of our society. 

Mostly what I hear the fools saying is "nonsense" and "wickedness" (verse 6). And if their remedy for the economic crisis has anything to do with hording our own wealth and spending it only on ourselves so it can "trickle down" then my prayer is that as the Body of Christ...we choose not to "practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD." These will only keep the "hungry person unsatisfied" and will "withhold drink from the thirsty." (verse 6)

How else can we explain ourselves when our nation throws away copious amounts of food and we buy bottled water by the boatload...yet just a short plane ride away (or maybe even in our own backyard), there are people who have no food and have to literally drink from a cesspool? Can we even come up with a reasonable excuse anymore?

There are times that I absolutely abhor media and technology. Yet, it has made our world so much smaller that I can no longer neglect the outcry of the poor. 

When people in Manilla must make a city in the midst of a cemetery and lepers are forced to live in a garbage dump, how can we stand before our Messiah, who left us with the command of loving and serving "the least of these" in His Name, and explain away our apathy?

Are you ready for something more than being told that the rogue is "generous" (verse 5) while behind our backs he is enslaving generations of impoverished families? I pray that you are. But where do we start? How can one person make a difference?

First of all, remember that you are not one person. The Spirit of the Almighty, the Creator of the universe lives inside of you if you recognize Him as Lord of your life. And when that happens, there is no limit to what you can do. (Ephesians 3:20)

And when we allow Him to "reign righteously" (verse 1) in our hearts and let His 'just rule' (verse 1) be our plumb line by which we measure all things and through which we filter all the noise of this world... 

"Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, 

And the ears of those who hear will listen.

The mind of the hasty will discern the truth,

And the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly." (verses 3-4)

To me that sounds better than any "noble plan" that I could devise, but by HIS 'noble plans...I will stand!' (verse 8)

Flowering Grass

As I've been memorizing James, I've been moved to tears, have felt righteous anger and become much, much more aware at exactly how much further I have to go in becoming concerned with the plight of the poor, widowed, orphaned, destitute, downtrodden and forsaken ones. The ones my Abba says to serve and love with reckless abandon. But some unexpected and now highly anticipated things have grabbed my attention as well.

While God's word is becoming "implanted" in me (see James 1:21), I am seeing how it "saves your souls" (also James 1:21). It wells up in your memory and overflows into your heart...just when you need it...and I am forever grateful for this.

We journeyed to my mother-in-law's to spend Sunday and Christmas Eve with them. In her dining area I have walked by a painting many times...I'm certain I've even read it more than a few times as well. But now because God is implanting His Word into my soul, I looked at this painting and the proverbial "light bulb" moment occurred.

You see, every time I repeat James 1 to myself, I have said these words: "But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." (James 1:9-11)

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the confusion I felt over this passage. Was I the poor or the rich? (See Humble Glory) But Christmas Eve morning, when I walked by my mother-in-law's painting that reads,

"The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8)

I realized it no longer matters whether I'm poor or rich in the eyes of the world...but it deeply matters what I do with the word God has given me. Both titles of poor or rich will someday pass away. When I stand before my Abba, financial status will not prevail...only "the word of our God" will stand.

Therefore, shouldn't that be my only focus now?

I like to use the phrase, "in the grande scheme of things" and another favorite is "does it matter in the eternal?" And really, "when all is said and done" (yet, another favorite phrase!) is it going to matter if I was rich in this life or if I was poor? No, what will last was if I believed and put into practice this belief (see James 1:22-25) that God's word stands forever.

If I received it implanted and was not just a hearer, but a doer of the word...then absolutely, positively...my life will have looked very different from others around me. I'm okay with that. Because as much as I love to garden...do I want to leave behind some pretty grass and fragrant flowers (which will just be fought over by some left behind anyway)...or do I want my life to have shown that God's Word stands forever?

Seems like a pretty clear choice to me!

Sad to See it Happen

Friday afternoon, I called my mom regarding a simple question. She said, "I guess you've had the TV on, right?" I hadn't. She proceeded to tell me about the school shooting that took place in Newtown, Connecticut. I literally felt sick to my stomach. This is a more recent experience for me. As God breaks my heart for the things that break His, I have come to feel almost nauseous when faced with great evil.

Unfortunately, the nausea continued as I began scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed.

After last Friday's events in Connecticut, social media naturally lit up with comment after comment. Some expressed grief, many expressed thoughts and prayers for the victims and community but too many waded into the fray of comments that just should not have been made. I was at first angered...now, I'm mostly sad.

By Friday evening, I considered complete abstinence from Facebook for a week or so...but I have hesitantly continued to read through posts regarding the shooting deaths. Whether you want guns or want them destroyed...want prayer in schools or think no mention of God should ever cross the threshold of a public education facility...want to blame evil on the violence on TV and video games, lack of appropriate parenting, lack of mental health treatment, lack of support for the parents that have children with mental health issues...etc, etc, etc. Can I just be maybe the one person who says, "This is not what needs to be shared during this time!"?

Can we stop grinding our axes and just remember that "every inclination in the human heart is evil" (Genesis 8:21)? Stop blaming one faction or another. Stop tearing apart the side that doesn't agree with you. Stop walking right into the camp of the enemy and allowing him to build walls that are increasingly higher and higher between those that call themselves Christians and those that don't.

What should we say? What should we share?

Love...pure and simple.

Love will cause you to cry with the victims and grieve for the offender too. Love will make you wish to 'gather them up like a hen with her chicks' under her wings.' (Luke 13:34) Love will help you be quick to listen to those you don't agree with, slow to speak the wrong word and possibly even slower to express anger and things at people you don't understand. (James 1:19). Love will give you a "garment of praise instead of despair." (Isaiah 61:3) And because of your hope-filled Love, you will be asked to "give a reason" (I Peter 3:15) which will bless you with an opportunity to once again...you guessed it...share Love!

There were a whole lot of things I've been wanting to say or reply and I even shared a couple of the more frustrating comments I saw with my husband. But I knew the best thing I could do was to hold off and wait for God's response...not mine! And this morning...I heard it...this song. I've actually heard it in my head a lot this weekend, but was thankful that God's Spirit gave it to me one more time this morning...just to make the point to me again.

What do we (I) need to say when evil seems to prevail and so many are seeking answers? Really the only thing I can say is the one and only thing that will matter in the end. What will be there in the end? Will it be guns or no guns, home school or public education, happy TV shows or violent ones, good or bad or no mental healthcare? No...the only thing that will be there in the end is "Oceans and oceans of Love and Love again."

I've shared this before, but although the video itself is not that great, the songs and words are truth. Listen to it and bask in His Love...that's right where He wants us anyway!

Not a People of Discernment

Having completed the Beth Moore study in James, I've gone back to marking my text in Isaiah. I'm also working through a Moore devotional on the life of Paul. Interestingly enough, the two compliment each other well.

When I began in Isaiah again, I was ready for chapter 27. Honestly, the repeated phrases of "in that day", "in the days to come", and "at that time" confuse me. I can't always understand when God is speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem (the kingdom of Judah) or the end of the world. Hopefully, that will become more obvious when I go back through the book using other translations and Bible study aids. But for now, I can at least gather that "in that day" refers to a devastating sequence of events that will "pulverize" altar stones (verse 9) and make the fortified city "forlorn and forsaken like the desert". Not a pretty picture, I know.

Then tucked away in verse 11 was a warning for myself and all the Christians I know and it doesn't really matter if the destruction earlier in the chapter happened thousands of years ago or is still yet to come.

"For they are not a people of discernment,
Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them.
And their Creator will not be gracious to them." (Isaiah 27:11b)

Goosebumps don't describe well enough what I thought and felt upon reading this. Why? Because at the same time I'm marking more of the text in Isaiah, I'm continuing to memorize more of the book of James and everyday as I'm speaking James chapter 2 out loud and back to my Abba, I am reminded that

"You believe God is one. You do well. The demons also believe and shudder." (verse 19)

This verse comes at the end of a big discourse on how we should not show partiality to the rich over the poor and how a person who says they have faith in God, yet there are no outward works in their life, might as well admit that their faith is useless...dead.

How can I make the leap from being a people of no discernment to being a people of dead faith? Because too many times I hear us (yes, me too!) saying things like, 'Well, I just wish God would show me,' 'If He's only tell me what to do, I'd do it,' 'I don't know what He's asking of me.' and on and on and on.

Why do we not "know" what He wants us to do? Because we are a people of no discernment, right? So we never act because we're waiting for the discernment that never comes. Or does it?

We actually have this pretty amazing tool, called the Bible that He's given us to understand more than just a little about who He is and what He wants from us. And just in case you want the short version, I clue you in...He wants it all! You...your stuff...your finances...your emotions...your family...your job...your education...your past...present...and future. And He's not really asking too much because He already gave all of that stuff for us when He died an excruciating death so that His Holy Spirit could come and actually take up residence IN us.

And there is the second tool for discernment...His Holy Spirit. How often are we wondering aloud to our friends about not knowing what God wants us to do and yet, haven't even gone to Him with that exact same question? Even better, how many times do we ask Him the question but then don't wait on the answer and go ahead with a plan...ours, a friend's, a pastor's...really, we think any plan will do as long as we can stop the waiting.

One unequivocal thing I've learned from James is that if we're really living out this thing we call faith...we will be doing something...giving to the poor, listening to a neighbor, or serving in love. Do any of those really need discernment? I guess what I've "discerned" from the Bible is that No...I don't need to wait for an answer because the time to act in love is right when He gives us the opportunity to do it.

But I have lived long enough and gone through more than enough to know there are times when He wants us to wait...jobs, moves, big life choices, critical crossroads...and sometimes, can we just allow ourselves to believe that the discerning thing is in fact to simply wait? Honestly, we don't know whether to wait or act because we're too busy trying to figure it out for ourselves instead of taking it to the One that not only knows the answer, but knew we'd be in this dilemma from the beginning.

So next time you come up to me and tell me you just wish you could know what He wants or you're telling me about the fifth directional change for your life in just as many months...please do not be offended if I simply ask, "What if He just wants you to wait because there are lessons to be learned in the waiting?" I do not mean to imply that I somehow know the answer that God is waiting to give you, but I also do not desire for us to be 'a people with no discernment'. I literally groaned when I read that verse and my prayer was instantly, "Lord, may I never be a person without discernment. I need your compassion...I need your graciousness. Please make me a discerning person!"

That is my prayer for you as well! May we become a people that is so full of the Holy Spirit that we become a people so full of His discernment that God's compassion and grace will overflow out of our lives into the lives of everyone around us.

Good stuff! God...thanks so much for Your faithfulness to teach me new things.

Amen!

Chosen Because

Imagine, or remember, if you will...that day on the playground when everyone was choosing teams for kickball, baseball, football, dodge ball or whatever sport it was that they were selecting sides. Remember that fear of being the last one chosen? Okay, are your palms as sweaty as mine at just the memory?

There's an idea I've been mulling over for a few days and I've delayed writing because I so very much want to say this right. I've asked Holy Spirit to give me His words because this is such a BIG idea that I know it didn't come from me. At the same time, I want to be very careful to be aware that we are fragile, finite, clueless humans...we live in a land of smoke and mirrors...and I want God's Love to ooze out of every word I write.

So I've wrestled with this thing for a few days...and while I'm still limited to expressing it in words, I know God's timing is perfect and I have to trust Him to use this how He wants...because I am not perfect. And that's precisely what this lesson is about...my imperfection...make that imperfections!

On the 24th, I read a nice reminder in Jesus Calling to take time out to rest and not feel guilty about it. This in and of itself is a discipline that our culture needs to reestablish in our break-neck-speed world. But what threw me for the proverbial "loop" was not even anything that I'd really associated with the need for rest. Here's what author Sarah Young wrote (keep in mind this is written as Jesus speaking the words to you, the reader):

"I have chosen you less for your strengths than for your weaknesses, which amplify your need for Me."

As a long-time Christian, I am more than familiar that God's strength is best displayed through my weaknesses. That when I am weak, then I am made strong by the power of the Holy Spirit (see 2 Corinthians 12:9, and Romans 8:26) But here's what I gleaned from Young's writing on this day:

I was chosen because of my weakness!

If that doesn't hit you like a ton of heavenly bricks...read it again.

I was chosen because I doubt...because I worry...because I fear...because I'm selfish...because I am harsh...because I'm gossipy, critical, negative, ego-centric, troubled, and the list goes on and on and on! I think I sort of already knew this, but on this day, I felt God's loving Spirit reminding me that I don't have to have all the answers and I don't have to "get it right" every time because He knows I'm weaker than even I  know I am...and He's okay with that! In fact...it's exactly why He chose me!!!

Hopefully, you sense my excitement about this. If not...imagine text size 72 instead of 12 and you get the idea. I cannot begin to relate the peace this gives such a failure as myself...and not because it somehow excuses any poor behavior or bad choices/sin on my part. But instead of beating myself up when I fall short of perfection...how about if I give Him those weaknesses ahead of time and ask Him to grow me stronger in them. That way, even if it's only between Him and I, when I do hold my tongue or have faith in the unfathomable or see positive in the negative then I know it's only because of Him and there is no pride in that. No...instead there is deep humility and gratefulness for a God that chose me precisely because He knew He could fill in that deficit.

As I've chewed on this the last few days, it occurred to me yesterday (not for the first time!) that this whole "Kingdom of Jesus" thing is absolutely upside down and backwards to what our human brains think life should look like. I even said to the ladies in my Bible study group, "It's like Alice falling into the rabbit hole." So while I am thankful that God made me intelligent, discerning, a natural leader and a gifted singer...those are not the gifts that I'm praising Him for this morning. No...today...I'm thanking Him that I'm short-tempered, quick to judge, harshly critical, prone to embellish, difficult to work with, selfish, worrisome, fearful, financially challenged, have had a dysfunctional family background and am absolutely not perfect in any way. Only when I take this deformed bundle of junk to Him and acknowledge its existence can He begin to sift through it and create beauty from the ashes of it all (see Isaiah 61:3).

So yeah...in this upside down, topsy-turvy Kingdom of Jesus...I finally get what Paul meant about boasting in his weakness (see 2 Corinthians 11:30 and 2 Corinthians 12:5) My prayer is that when I'm tempted to drown in my failings, I'll allow God's Spirit to remind me that those flaws are not to be a tool of my enemy to keep me afraid and defeated.

Who cares if I'm not the fastest runner, the hardest kicker or even the sharpest maneuverer on the playground? In God's Kingdom...I'm still chosen! And not just chosen...but chosen because I can't run the bases without getting winded!

Amen!

Don't Ever Forget

As I've continued my study through the book of Isaiah, I've learned much and I'm not really sure that I like all of what I've learned. The judgments are pretty tough to read and this evening though was a bit of a "mixed bag" of emotions over something I read in Isaiah 17. According to my New American Standard Bible which is an Inductive Study Bible version, Chapters 13 through 23 of Isaiah are primarily "oracles against various nations". This, I was prepared for.

But what I found tucked in verses 4-17 left me more than a little sad. Verse four starts with these words:

     "Now in that day the glory of Jacob will fade"

Why, you may ask?

     "For you have forgotten the God of your salvation" (verse 10)

As I continued to read, I could "feel" the sadness come over me. After a few repetitions subconsciously, I realized I was repeating silently, "LORD, may I never forget. LORD, may I never forget." I continued to repeat this a few more times and understood that this was the Holy Spirit...not me...in this moment...grieving for those who have forgotten their God of salvation...grieving for the times when I also forget...and praying for me, because sometimes I don't know how to pray, imploring Him to always help me remember (see Romans 8:26)...to keep the God of my salvation at the forefront of my memory and thus, all that I do and say.

This, in and of itself, was a blessing to experience...but my God is amazing and sometimes He gives me a "two-fer". What's a "two-fer"? That's a two fer one lesson of the day. Okay, so maybe it's not two separate lessons, but rather two different ways to say the same thing. Here's what I mean.

Immediately following this, and upon opening up a new Beth Moore devotional I've started on the life of Paul, I needed only start with the first words to see where this was going:

"Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

Verse four is what in Judaism is known as The Shema. "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One." This is uttered repeatedly throughout prayer services. It's spoken aloud every morning and this passage in Deuteronomy has the key for never forgetting...'bind them to your hand and your forehead'. This is the ancient practice of wearing phylacteries...those little black "boxes" you see Jewish men wearing when they pray. As an extremely devout Jew, Paul would have undoubtedly bound one containing passages from the Torah (as they all did) within the cube and wound the leather straps precisely seven times around his left arm. The other cube was bound in the center of his forehead. 

If you read the Deuteronomy passage above, you may recognize the oft-quoted verse seven that reminded the people of Israel to speak the law, the promise, essentially the Torah to their children as they sat, walked, lie down and rose up. In other words, all the time.

The Beth Moore quote that jumped up and smacked me is this: "You see, a thirteen-year-old Hebrew boy could not even get out of bed in the morning without remembering to whom he belonged. As he wound the straps of the phylacteries around his head and arm, he was reminded of his binding relationship to his Creator." As I read this, God's Spirit reminded me that as I pray for and with my children daily, one of my heart's greatest desires is that they would know they are a child of the King and that they are loved beyond measure. But my inconsistency to teach them His Word, is not encouraging their hearts to know these truths and run with them. 

I admit it, sometime in this past year, for the sake of saving time, we dropped our Bible reading from our school day ritual and I assigned each of the kids to read their own devotional books. I believe God can use those times of being alone with Him to speak to their hearts. Honestly though, I haven't even been consistent lately about reminding them to read their devotions, nor have I followed up to see if they've completed it. Yes...shame on me. Today, as I sat processing through the grief of those who've forgotten in Whom they find salvation and being myself reminded how to never forget, this is what I sensed being spoken to my heart: 

"There is nothing more important in any day that you can teach your children than My Love...My Word...for them."

I speak to the kids often of God's ways. I try, and have noticed it's becoming more frequent and easier, to tie in everything we do to spiritual lessons on faith, love, patience and so much more. I'm reminded today that these are mostly my words. The best words I can share with them are not mine...but His.

So that's my challenge for the days, weeks, months and yes, years ahead. No, I will not make my children start wearing phylacteries...but I will begin again to daily read a portion of Scripture with them. In fact, the timing is perfect as Abbey and I begin Beth Moore's study of James in a few weeks...the book of the Bible that opened my eyes to the plight of the poor and God's command to serve them. What wonderful lessons await our family as the kids and I read through this book in the New Testament together verse by verse? I can't wait to find out. One thing I know...as we read His Story together...we won't forget in Whom we are saved!

Amen!

Just Hanging On!

Anyone that knows me, knows that I'm verbose. Yet, if you're a frequent reader, you may notice that I've been unusually silent. To be honest...I'm struggling. Nothing new...I know. But, if nothing else, I do try to be honest about my struggles. Yet, I've hesitated to post too much because I really just feel like I'm being whiny. A dear friend assured me about a week ago that I am not...but I just can't help feeling like a big 'ol whiny baby.

I mean, I have so much to be thankful for and 90% of those aren't financial. I'm reading through Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, and while I'm being challenged because we live in one of the wealthiest, most consumer-driven nations on Earth, it's also been causing me a lot of angst I think. Analyzing the reason for this, I can see that there are some deep-rooted issues and misconceptions about Him that God is trying to weed out and unfortunately, I've been hanging on to these issues more tightly than I've been hanging on to Him.

You see, I keep reading this book and telling myself (or allowing my enemy to tell me), "But, I'm not a rich Christian," "I have nothing left to give", "Giving time, a listening ear and prayer, just don't seem like enough". In the meantime, I'm finding myself a little resentful. Ouch! Ripping the bandaid off the self-pity wound here...hang on a minute. This is going to show just how ugly and twisted my thought processes are... I keep thinking..."I'm not the one that needs to read this book, yet, I can't go hand it to a rich Christian and say, 'You need to read this.'" And when I truly grasp our financial circumstances, we make less than many of the people we want to serve when you calculate government assistance and wages together. So far, government assistance has not been God's path of provision for us...it may be some day...but not for now. I fully support those that use government assistance while they are working or going to school and have no other means to survive...it's just not been His plan for our family for some reason that only He knows. [Hope that is understood and doesn't piss off anyone! Just a truth for our family alone.]

So this ugliness of bitterness, resentment, judgment, criticism, fear, doubt, worry, etc., etc., etc., has kept me from embracing and become the woman that God created me to be...one who loves Him above all else and defends and supports the poor and downtrodden, particularly single moms and their families. Instead, I've been wallowing and worrying...two W's that do not exist peacefully with the W I should be doing...Worship! God's brought me face to face with this ugliness and He's challenging me to analyze why it's there, own up to my part of it and let Him root it out. So here goes:

• For some reason...I think partly due to always having lived in suburban, white, America...I have bought into this lie that I somehow deserve financial blessings. After all, many a sermon has said, 'If you just do A, B, and C, God will provide for all of your needs.'
• But in the U.S., we convince ourselves that our "needs" are plenty. We don't live in a place where we only need food, clothing and drink which is really all that Jesus promised to provide if we sought first His Kingdom and His righteousness. (see Matthew 6:31-33) No, we convince ourselves we "need" smart phones, and iPads, and a new car every 3 years, and a home big enough so at minimum each person in the family has at least 500 square feet, and closets overflowing with clothes, and pantries overflowing with food, and lessons or sports for all of our children's "gifts", and 2+ hours spent on the latest movie, and meat at every meal. I admit it...I swallowed the sales pitch hook, line and sinker. I struggle now to backpedal and teach my children differently and embrace the counter-cultural change myself.
• I somehow believed all of the teaching that prevails in America that God will only allow you to be tested for a "season". But what if this is as good as it ever gets? I mean, do you just walk away from a marriage because you made the wrong choice...WAIT!...don't answer that one. God's plan was for you to say "No" to that question. Likewise, what if God's best for our family from this point forward is for us not to just defend the poor and downtrodden...but to be the poor and downtrodden. I mean who better to speak up for the deeply impoverished than someone that has come from "the other side", survived the downward mobility of it all and lived to tell about it? And has the education, wisdom, knowledge and discernment to boldly say, "Oh but Beloved, He never would want you to go through this miserable life of poverty somehow believing that you deserved it!"
• I also was suckered into the undercurrent of American Christianity that teaches "You reap what you sow." That sounds an awful lot like karma to me...and as Jesus followers aren't we supposed to be thriving in and loving the fact that we are not getting what we deserve? Isn't that grace? I mean if we're going to get what we deserve, then we're all going to Hell, right? Yes...there is a passage in Galatians 6:7-8 that alludes to this idea that what we sow, we will reap. I mean, I eat too much food, so I am overweight...but wait...there are people two times smaller than me that eat five times more than I do. So somehow I "deserved" to be born into a food-focused, sedentary family that passed down a slow metabolism that was developed over several generations? Hmmm? I don't know about you, but I can't honestly look at a woman in India that was sold into prostitution as a child and tell her she "deserved" it. That's what hinduism has already taught her. I also can't peer into the eyes of an African mother and tell her she "deserves" to watch her children starve because she was born 20 years ago into sub-Saharan Africa.

With all of this brewing and overflowing in my mind and heart, is it any wonder that I've been "Just Hanging On?" But here's some promises He's led me to in the last few weeks that I'm now hanging on to.

• God is unchangeable and even swore by Himself (because there's no one else God can swear by) that those who take refuge in Him can have encouragement to hope in Him. This should be the anchor of my soul instead of the American way of life. (see Hebrews 6:17-19)
• He reminded me of Beth Moore's teaching and how she emphasizes over and over again, that with His Sovereign hand upon my life, anything that He allows to come my way can be used for my good and His glory...anything. But I have to allow Him to show me. And even when I can't see any good in it. I can trust that...see bullet point above! A song we sang in church Sunday used the exact phrase, "for my good and His glory." Talk about reinforcement of an idea!
• He is with me always even until the end. (see Matthew 28:20)
• Nothing...not one blessed thing, can keep God's Love away from me. (Romans 8:38-39)
• He will not fail me or forsake me. (see Joshua 1:5)
• He won't even forget about me. (see Isaiah 49:15-16)
• And in what has already been a recurring prayer of mine and a more fervent one recently, I know that all of my emotional roller coaster begins in my brain...and I read my friend Christi's blog post about just that very thing today. (see Take Every Thought Captive) This is also a recurring Beth Moore theme.

What conclusions can I draw during this barren time of waiting? One...that I do think God is still molding and shaping us into a different direction. I hesitate to use the word, "squeezing" us into a different place, but that's sort of what it feels like. Two...that He's teaching me to appreciate the "little" (sometimes very little) blessings that come along the way: fresh, homegrown peaches from Dale's co-worker; our own tomato and cucumber plants finally producing a little each day; selling a few unused items and getting a little bit of money for them; time together as a family because we only have a few years until the nest begins to empty; and even a few more that will help cover the bills just exactly how we needed...no extra...but covered nonetheless. And the third and maybe most challenging...I think it's time to tell our story. I know...I have...ad nauseum...on this blog and in person with many others. But I don't seem to see too many books on the Christian bookstore shelves entitled Poverty Sucks! or I Hate Being Poor. This is just an idea that God is tossing around in my brain, but I do think there needs to be an honest voice somewhere in our Christian world that says, "not all Christians are rich and yet they live in an age of hunger...now what do we do with that?" I just know that this isn't a common message in many of the rich suburban churches I've attended.

So who knows? Only God does in fact. And I'm hanging on to Him and not letting go because He's my hope, my refuge, my anchor, my rock and my salvation and nobody is going to separate me from Him...nobody!

Mentioned in this post:

Pleading for the Widow

Here it is as promised in the previous post (see Isaiah 1) my conviction to "plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:17). This is the list God was already laying on my heart before I even read this verse. And the image above is one I found online. It's an artist's interpretation of Jesus pleading...somehow I think it's appropriate since I know He lives to intercede for us before the Father and I know His Holy Spirit prays for us with words and groans that we cannot even express when we don't know how to pray. (see Romans 8:25-27) Please don't just read over this list...please plead to your Abba on behalf of these ladies who most often would never plead to us on their own behalf. Ask Him to lead you in how you should pray for each.

• Mom of one has court date 7/31 where she will most likely discover she will be receiving less child support. 
• Mom of one has begun looking for new apartment in the Florence, Burlington or Hebron areas. She needs rent to be $600 a month or less. Current lease is up in October.
• Mom of four has final court date for her divorce on 8/10. She and her children are moving to Florida 8/12. She needs peace from the stress and strain too.
• Our neighbor, a mom of two who has been unable to find a teaching position because she holds her master's degree and her boyfriend will probably lose his job with a small airline this fall.
• Mom of one has been feeling empty and bears heavy load of caring for her mother who has dementia also.
• Mom of one lost her usual summer part time job and has been experiencing financial difficulties as a result.
• Mom of three is getting married and moving to Wisconsin from the Northern Kentucky area.
• Mom of two moved to Arizona recently. Pray for them during this transitional time of adjustment.
• Mom of three experiencing financial strain has started a home-based business and looks for opportunities to earn money from home.
• Mom of one may be going back to school. Pray for wisdom about financial aid and college choices.
• Mom of three has experienced difficulty with son and his emotional strain. Pray for them as they head into the next school year.
• Mom of five, four still at home, has had several rocky years as she has attempted to leave an abusive and controlling husband, find her own employment (which she now has) and begin life without being dependent on her ex.
• Mom of four has had a difficult year and a half. She is self-employed and has previous asked for prayer regarding the finalization of her divorce and her ex-husband's plea bargaining process.
• Mom of one is expecting and has a rocky relationship with her boyfriend.
• Mom of a newborn, just born last week, needs physical recovery and rest. She will need much assistance in the days to come.
• Mom of four is expecting a child this fall. She has expressed a need for some baby furniture.
• Mom of two in Indiana is having severe financial difficulties and she cannot find a job in her chosen profession.
• Mom that is new to homeschooling will need peace as she juggles home, work and schooling responsibilities.
• Mom of three in Indiana has expressed concern over health issues recently.
• Mom in Indiana has son receiving college interest for playing basketball as he heads into his senior year. Pray for wisdom and God's leading.
• Mom of two lost her son through a violent act last year and as expected still grieves his loss.
• Nine other moms that we have loose affiliations with that are at varying places in their journey. Some still have children at home, but are also grandmothers or have children at the age where they're getting married. 
• All of the moms we know at one time or another have had custody or support disputes and regular issues with security...either financial, emotional or even physical.

Thank you for pleading for the widows of our society...the single moms and their families. Ask God to reveal to you the women in your life and circle of influence that also need someone to plead for them.

Amen!

Isaiah 1

Having just completed an in depth, but by no means exhaustive studies of Habakkuk and Zephaniah, I've turned my attention to the book of Isaiah. There are many verses in this large Old Testament book that have spoken to my heart just when I needed it. It almost felt daunting to begin a study with this book because for some reason I've allowed myself to believe that somehow I don't have the skills to dig into the major prophets of old. Ezekiel, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Isaiah and even the prophecies of Daniel have always seemed like heights of understanding my puny brain could never comprehend.

Well, I was wrong.

After all, anything is possible with the help of Jesus and His Spirit, right? (see Matthew 17:20) So I promised my ADD brain that can become so easily overwhelmed, that I would break this book down into manageable "chunks" and I would take it slow. Already, God's Spirit has been faithful to glean for me some truths of which I need to be reminded...and the first one began in the introduction of all places!

It seems Isaiah is broken down into 66 chapters, just as the Bible is broken down into 66 books. Even better, chapter 1-39 fall under the theme of God's Character and Judgment...much like the 39 books of the Old Testament. Knowing this, would you now be surprised to learn that chapters 40-66 pursue the theme of God's Comfort and Redemption? Probably not if you're familiar with books 40-66 of the Bible...which perhaps, not coincidentally...are the books of the New Testament. Are you sensing a pattern here? And I can't take credit for this revelation. It was explained very well by the author of the introduction in my Bible.

Moving along to Isaiah 1, I could easily become disheartened with the reproving statements God had Isaiah deliver to Jerusalem and all of Judah. He was using Isaiah to lay out the plan for God's judgment on His idolatrous children. But tucked away, almost in the middle of chapter one was this amazing call to purity that His Spirit wanted to embed in my heart two days ago when I read it. As He often does, the message He wanted to share was already being brought to my mind and to my heart by the God that just won't let me go. [Is there a Hebrew word for that phrase? Not trying to be sacrilegious, but I like "El-Holdemtightah"] He's amazing like that, isn't He? Sometimes we just have to have the lesson come to us from a few different places before we believe it's Him. Why is that? I think that's another post entirely.

What His gentle Spirit had been sharing with my heart for about a week was a reflection over the last year in the lives of the single women we know. Many of these women I have no more contact with them than to see an occasional post on Facebook about the struggles in which they wade through hoping just for a few moments to get their head above water. God had been making a mental list of all their trials and victories for me to celebrate and lament. I've admittedly been floundering for a few months trying to figure out just where this ministry's headed and what He expects from us as a family when it comes to serving single moms and their families.

I've felt from the beginning of this ministry a year ago that God's Spirit wanted to take the credit for all provision for us, Boundless Ministries, and the single moms through Him we are able to bless. The year before, when we "just wanted to help", we did ask for donations and gift cards for moms when a need arose. We sent e-mails, posted on the blog or even on Facebook, when we knew of a need and we knew someone could probably provide it if we just asked. Sometimes people stepped up and sometimes they didn't.

But last summer, when we felt God calling us to more...to a place where He wanted us to leap and watch Him catch us...I felt very strongly that He was asking for complete trust and that meant a call to pray...first and foremost and almost exclusively, for needs as they arose for single moms, us or this ministry. So that's what we've done. Initially, we stepped back and watched as God proved time and time again that He was more than capable of not only providing for single moms but us as well. We've always been very upfront that 25% of donations are used to support us as we minister to single moms. I still feel confident that His plan as He laid out in the beginning is what He wants. I have to be honest though that as He's called us to a deeper walk with Him, the "obvious" blessings have become very scarce. What I've struggled to get my American-cultured brain around is that His blessings are not always going to be monetary. We may not always be able to give a single mom money or gift cards, it may be some extra groceries or time that we have instead. I've been very open on this blog that I've struggled with this idea that I may not have the freedom to anonymously send a mom a huge monetary blessing...it might just be a few boxes of pasta, sauce or some beans and rice. Why can't I rejoice in that just as much as handing over a few hundred dollars worth of gift cards? Hmmm...seems to be a flaw in me...not the One who's providing.

And I've found myself whining about this a lot. Worse yet, I've begun to doubt God's original leading about seeking only His wisdom and will on fund raising and provision. My enemy has caused many fears that I'd "missed something" or "heard Him wrong".

Truth is, I haven't. I think God's overall lesson on trusting His provision completely is spot on. I'm not supposed to run to my e-mail or my Facebook page first to solicit support for those in need. No, I need to run to my Abba. And possibly most of the time, that will be where my part ends...but on occasion He may ask me to speak up and speak out for the ladies we know. That may involve requesting prayer (as we attempt to do with our Prayer Partners and bi-monthly prayer request updates), it may be a special post on our personal or ministry Facebook page, calling all brothers and sisters in Jesus to intercede on behalf of a need and still more rarely, it may mean asking those we know to step up and give...even sacrificially...for a mom that just can't "do-it-herself" this time. Sometimes, God will want those donations to go through Boundless Ministries, and sometimes He won't. And I need to be okay with that. After all, it's not my blessing to give...it's His.

After this lengthy epistle you're probably asking yourself: "What does all of this have to do with Isaiah 1?" Well, remember I said God had been formulating a list of remembrance regarding all of the trials and victories we've witnessed over the last year? I already was planning a blog post that would essentially be a list of the needs I know that single moms have. Instead of the last two prayer updates, I wanted a special "call to prayer" on behalf of these ladies. Having this already on my heart to do soon, imagine my joy when I read this two days ago in Isaiah 1:16-17

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.
Cease to do evil, 
Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow."

Isaiah was commanded to tell Judah how God wanted them to wash their hands that were "covered in blood". The two verses above are the prescription for how to accomplish this. I'm reading a book that is greatly challenging me about social justice and care for the poor. It appears God's Bible isn't a place where I can escape from that challenge.

When I put it all together, it seems I'm on the right path...defending the orphan and pleading for the widow. Sometimes that will entail pleading with God and sometimes whether you like it or not, that will mean pleading with you. I've washed myself clean with the blood of the Messiah that shed it so I can be clean. Now as I plead for the widow and the orphan I've got to let God work on removing the evil from His sight that is within my hearing. My prayer is that I quit listening to the evil one that has me perpetually second guessing the call to serve single moms. It couldn't be more plain. Unfortunately, I keep getting tripped up on the how...but that was never my problem to figure out in the first place.

Amen!