Radical Has to be The New Normal

There are people all around us who are struggling, hurting physically, emotionally, and spiritually starving for answers, and we don't need to look farther than across the street, in the grocery line, a school hallway, or cubicle at work to find them.

AnnVoskamp, author of the life-changing book, One Thousand Gifts, reminds us of all we've been given as one being born in America in her blog, A Holy Experience. For those of us who've seen such disparity in other parts of our world it's often difficult to understand why a good and holy God allows it.

Having been to Africa and seen the poorest of the poor humbles a person, and seeing such suffering in unspeakable conditions wrenches the heart, yet I was consistently astounded by the visible hope and joy in Jesus these beautiful children and women exhibited each day. Hope and joy in nothing but Jesus, and in that, having everything.

Author and activist, Shane Claiborne, said it well when he wrote:

Over and over, when I ask God how all these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I feel His Spirit whisper to me, 'You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet.

God entrusted us, His church, to do His work here on earth - to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world filled with empty, and He commands us in Matthew 28:16-20 to go out and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in His name.

Reading Ann Voskamp's words written while sharing Jesus in Africa's slums reminded me of what we're to be about during our very short time on this earth:

You've got to use the life you've been given to give others life.  If your life isn't about giving relief - you don't get real life.

("What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?"  Mark 8:36 (NIV))

You have got to use your position inside the gate for those outside the gate - or you're in the position of loosing everything.  There are a thousand ways to be the living dead.  If you have food in your fridge, any clothes in your closet, any small roof , rented or owned, over your head, you are richer than 75% of the rest of the world.
We are the Esthers living inside the palace. If you have anything saved in the bank, any bills in your wallet, any spare change in a jar, you are one of the top 8% wealthiest people in the world. We are the Esthers living inside the gate.  If you can read these words right now, you have a gift 3 billion people right now don't, if your stomach isn't twisted in hunger pangs, you have a gift that 1 billion people right now don't, if you know Christ, you have a gift that untold millions right now don't. WE ARE THE ONES LIVING INSIDE THE GATE.  It's like you can hear the cry of the red soil of Africa's pulsing right here with the heart of God: YOU HAVE GOT TO USE YOUR POSITION INSIDE THE GATE
FOR THOSE OUTSIDE THE GATE - OR YOU"RE IN THE POSITION OF LOOSING EVERYTHING -OF LOOSING YOUR SOUL.
You are where you are for such a time as this - not to gain anything - but to risk everything.  You are where you are for such a time as this- not to make an impression - but to make a difference.

You could have been the one outside the gate. You could have been the one with the Lord's resistance Army slitting your child's throat in the middle of the night, you could have been the one born into a slum, rapes without hope, you could have been the one born into AIDS, into starvation, into l;ives of wild Christ-less desperation.  The reason you are inside the gate for such a time as this - is to risk your life for those outside the gate.  If I perish, I perish.  

Radical has to be the Christian's new normal, that radical isn't radical but the regular to the disciple of Christ, and what if we're all fooling ourselves with the American Dream instead of waking up to the Christian Reality and His Kingdom Come?

God forgive.

God forgive all the lukewarm blood.

Lately, God has been impressing upon my heart and mind what I'm to be about in the right here and now time of my life.  Our time here is so very short - a dash.

I don't want to waste the dash I've been given.  I want to live a life that pleases God in every stage of existence - to be used for His purpose.

People all around us are hurting, struggling, starving physically and spiritually in a decaying world.

God asks, "Where is my church?"

Please God, convict our hearts to be about doing the desires of yours, wherever and whatever that looks like in such a time as this.


______________________________________________________
my life ETERNITY ....ETERNITY ....ETERNITY ....ETERNITY .... ETERNITY .... ETERNITY...

What will you do with your dash?

MOM 2 MOM: Can You Hear It?

Life will always have its share of puddles!  And there isn't a mom in this world who hasn't had to dodge them, plow through them, and often come out muddied from battle.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE! God is working for you and sends his mightiest angels to fight on your behalf - no matter how small or how big the war.  He will always be your solid ground in a world filled with potholes.

This morning God impressed upon my heart to share words of encouragement with several precious moms I have the privilege of mentoring - one whose daughter is the receiver of hurtful words and actions by a girl who has learned to manipulate and deceive.  Know the mother, know the child. Her behavior has been learned by example, and God will deal with it! Because his justice is just.  He has a way of getting our attention!

Another mom is trusting in God's strength to be courageous in dealing with verbal abuse and mental instability from the former father of her children; while a third mom seeks boldness and God's intervention in standing firm during times of verbal attacks and vindictive behavior by extended family members.

Constant prayer is penetrating through the darkness giving each mom heavenly insight and wisdom that is helping in very visible ways. God continues to bring people along their path who are doing good on their behalf and are on the battle lines with them.  

If we refuse to tire of doing what is good and what is right, if we remain steadfast and obedient to God, he deals with the words and actions of others.  He hears your battle cries and renews your strength! And as an added bonus, he's promises to never give us more than we can handle without bringing in reinforcements!

Jesus tells us his yoke is light and he is waiting for each of us to release our conflicts to him -  he's up all night anyway!

Surround yourself with people who dwell is what is good, and forget the bad - those who make you laugh and who refuse to let the world zap their joy, even when life turns sour.
My grandma used to say,"Hang out with the cherry tomatoes, and be in prayer for the radishes!" 

I was given an amazing song cd by one of my moms yesterday, and as I listened to it this morning, one sung by Kim Walker Smith pierced my heart! Honestly some of the most beautiful and worshipful lyrics I've heard!  Powerful!!

So I copied the song link below and hope those reading these words will listen...(early morning before the kids are up, or late at night after they're asleep ... or when you're alone in the bathtub! Are moms ever alone?!) 

Spirit Break Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj3XD4WVJzM 

Can you hear it mom?  The sound of heaven touching earth?  God's Spirit breaking out and heaven raining down! He's there in the puddles! He is with you now, with you always, and never forsakes you...          

Be strong and courageous ( through battle)  Do not be afraid; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Blessed to be on this journey with you!  Never lose heart mom ...you're in good company!

Going Crazy...Wanna' Come Along?!

Last Wednesday was filled with unexpected interruptions...not the fun kind, but the frustrating, pull-your-hair-out, grit -your-teeth kind!  My dryer decided to die mid-way through the morning...a second wash load had just finished the rinse cycle when it began making screeching sounds and then abruptly stopped...silent.

I realized late in the afternoon I'd forgotten lettuce for croissant sandwiches - a must for a perfect bite, so I made a mad dash to the store, getting back with just enough time to prepare the fixings and cut fresh fruit for arriving friends.

Rushing to clean out a refrigerator drawer of past due items, I managed to clog up the disposal with old coleslaw, (You'd think I'd know by now NOT to put it all down at once) and after several minutes of trying to plunge it down, the water level not descending, I knew I'd have to loosen the piping under the sink to find the clog!! UGH!! 

Tom would've done it with record speed, as he's done many times before, but he was in Atlanta, so I'd have to muster the courage to go it alone! I had one hour to find the clog and finish making dinner before my friends arrived--so taking everything out from beneath the sink( a major  feat!)  I set my big  turkey pan under the pipes to catch any water and began to unscrew the connectors, one pipe at a time.

So in a state of frustrated desperation, I began talking out loud:  "Lord, you know I'm totally deficient when it comes to fixing this kind os stuff, and I know you're in the small things, so please lead me to the pipe that holds the clog."

Within seconds one of the loosened u-shaped connectors simply popped, exposing the hollow opening, and I had complete confidence that if I could get my finger into it, I'd find a mangled mess of coleslaw lurking inside!  I was euphoric!! Talk about his amazing grace!
In no time, I had the coleslaw out, all the connectors tightened, everything put back under the sink, and the goo scrubbed clean with 15 minutes to spare!

A few minutes later my friends called saying the roads were getting icy and slick. Peering out the kitchen window, I was flabbergasted to see a blanket of fresh, deep snow!

"We're still a good hour away as traffic is crazy!"

"Don't  want you to be driving in this...it's really starting to come down here!  Just head for home, and stay warm!" I replied.

 After laying out my wet clothes from the washer in every nook and cranny available, I couldn't wait to get into my jams and enjoy a cup of steaming tea by the fireplace. I thought of what Alexander from one of my favorite children's books, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day would have said about this day:  "Some days are like that...even in Australia."

Praising through Disappointment

A friend of mine has been dealing with much hurt and disappointment in her life.  Trying to make sense of it has been difficult, and she has cried many tears in the last year.  


I've been following the blog of Joanne Heim, a beautiful woman of God who suffered a stroke on January 11th.  Thousands are praying for her and her family, and there has been much praise lifted up to our sovereign God these past weeks as she shows signs, however small, of coming back!  You will find much humor, wisdom, and inspiration in Joanne's words, and I encourage you to check out her blog at:  www.thesimplewife.typepad.com.


Her husband and friends continue to post updates on her blog daily regarding Joanne's condition. Several of her family and friends are posting some of their favorite past blogs which Joanne wrote, and today's blog spoke to my heart in a special way.  Joanne was speaking of a disappointment her oldest daughter experienced when a weekend  she had planned with a best friend didn't work out.  Her daughter tried to come up with all sorts of ways to make it happen-to force it to work out, desiring to take control over it.  


Joanne wrote how her daughter reminded her of herself--"trying to force things to fit when the answer is no and realizing that to force it means compromising what you really want." And then God laid something on her heart:  Praise for everything.  The bad as well as the good.   
She was reminded of a quote from one of her favorite books, Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard:  "For DISAPPOINTMENTS accepted with PRAISE always seem to turn into EXTRA-RADIANT BLESSINGS."
And in the book, Winged Life, by the same author, these quotes:
"The secret of the victorious Christian living...is to go through each day praising God for everything--the bad as well as the good." 
"Don't try to hold onto anything in this life, but willingly let go, in order to be able to receive new enrichment from the Lord."
"Everything that is willingly laid down into death will be raised to life again in some more glorious and perfect form."


We've all had times in our life when we were given the chance to put all these words into practice.  It's rarely easy, but God knows best. We have the choice to to praise in the midst of disappointment, and trust him for the outcome. Those things that appear to be seemingly bad to us are part of that best...God's good and perfect will, even when we don't see the whole picture!
In Joanne's words, "It is never hypocrisy to act as we earnestly desire to feel, even though the feeling may be very contrary at the time." 


I plan to share Joanne's words with my friend tonight.

Rewind...

I've been putting off converting twenty-some years of VHS tapes to DVD for too long!  So today I took the plunge--beginning with Christmas 1988.  
Watching our two boys at the age of eight and two and a half on Christmas morning brought an onslaught of emotions. I was aghast at how young Tom and I looked! 

As I made my way into 1989 and viewed one of Josh's basketball games, my motherly pride swelled as I watched him dribble with deft skill and make a basket for the "Green Hornets!"  My parents sat cheering on the sideline - both just about the same age I am now!

The emotional roller coaster ride I experienced was not what I'd expected.  My plan was to plow through at least a dozen by noon, and finish another twelve before dinner.  I was a train wreck by mid-day! 


The lyrics to the John Lennon song, "Beautiful Boy," came to mind as I continued to glimpse various moments in time: (How did they pass so quickly?) 

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."  

I yearned to place myself inside that video, push "re-do,"and re-live the minutes. Life is made up of moments that turn into hours and become days, and too many times as a mom, I missed it. 

If we aren't living in the present, in the here and now, we will miss it - those ordinary days that truly are extraordinary.

Our children are with us for such a short time.  What I would give to have one more day, one more hour with my boys. The cleaning and laundry and dishes will always be there, but our children will not. Seize the day!  Live in the moment before the moment's gone. Recognize the immeasurable worth of what's right in front of you!

Linger a bit longer as you tuck your kiddos into bed tonight and gaze back on those elfin faces as they sleep...tomorrow they'll be graduating high school and you'll be watching DVD's, longing to rewind!










 
     

If He does not...

For many years I've wanted to delve deep into the prophetic book of Daniel, as I yearn for Daniels' resolute faith & courage, and unwavering trust in God.  I've become more conscious of the Babylonian mentality in our world today...greediness, over indulgence, our obsession with aging, beauty, position, and wealth.  Through its reading, God has given me an awareness of my own Babylonian mindset which creeps in subtly in daily life!

This last week, I've been impacted by the stanch loyalty of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to God in intense times of trial. Most of us have experienced  times of testing in our life, and our Godly loyalty - our ability to stand firm in faith, deeply tested our character and convictions.   

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego  were thrown into the fiery furnace, they had already predetermined their loyalty to Jesus.Their resolve was firm; their integrity apparent no matter what the circumstance.  Everything they were on the inside was obvious from the outside.  

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king (Nebuchadnezzar).  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

They knew there would be one of three outcomes:  

God would deliver them from the fire, and their faith would be built.

God would deliver them through the fire, and their faith would be refined (proved genuine-1Peter 1:7)

Or...

God would deliver them by the fire into His arms, and their faith would be perfected!

They knew that any of the above three was a win/win situation! 

...the God we serve is able to save us from it (the fiery furnace), and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

I know that as we draw closer to the end times, my faith will be tested like never before, and it is my deepest desire that like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the last mention of my name would bring God fame!  Please Lord, may it be so!

 

Morning has broken

Mornings are my favorite time of the day!  Sitting out on our back patio this past summer has given me a keener knowledge of the wildlife all around me.  Surrounded with morning's quiet and nature's sounds, I've observed young crows learning the ins and outs of swooping down on their prey, woodpeckers with brilliant black feathers and clean white stripes hard at work pecking out beetles on the pine bark, a lone red tail fox darting into the woods with the first morning light, a doe with spotted fawns grazing in the tall grass, and squirrels and rabbits tromping through the grasses gathering food...always busy!

But this morning I was awed by the great pine trees that border the acreage behind our home -  here long before I was born (really old!). Grand and  majestic, there are several close by that have come together in pairs, as if they yearned for company! Each one forming an almost perfect half for the other, and yet together making one full, perfectly shaped whole. So much like two people coming together as one in marriage; each complimenting the other, making life full and complete!  Life is always reflected in the nature surrounding us, and this morning, God provided me with another beautiful example of harmony in his creation - in my own backyard!