Whatever is Lovely and Admirable!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8

I saw the Big Dipper!  Can you believe it?  For the first time in my 51 years of age, I saw Big Dipper!  The thing is, growing up in Panama, looking for and talking about star formations and constellations was not a thing.  Those who did were considered a bit...how shall I put it? ... strange?  I guess sailors and fishermen did know about such things, but I didn't know any sailor or fisherman.  Therefore, my knowledge of stars was limited to the "Three Marys."

Do you know about the "Three Marys"?  No?!  Let me tell you.  That's what we called the three stars in Orion's Belt...in reference to the women who went to the tomb of Jesus the morning of His resurrection.  Yep, everyone knew about them.  That's the only thing I ever saw on the night sky as far as star formations...Then, I come to the United States and boom!  I'm about the only person around who has never heard about things like "Cassiopeia," "Ursa Major," "Little Dipper," "Orion," "Big Dipper."

At any rate, we got a telescope last Christmas for Grant, and we still haven't had time to figure out all its features.  We got to see the moon a few times, and I have to tell you, it was mighty impressive...but I have to admit, the Moon is about the only thing I can ever find on the sky anyway.  I still can't quite see Orion other than his belt (A.K.A. The Three Marys).  But this morning, as I took Link outside in the brisk, still dark wee hours of our fall dawn, I turned my head toward the northern sky...and there it was!  The Big Dipper!  Right in display for me to see!  It was so clear, I can't believe I've never seen it!  I have been taking Link outside before sunrise for over a year now, always looking up at the sky, marvelling at God's creation, and never saw anything until this morning...

It was huge!  Kind of upside down, but perfectly clear.  It was as if God had opened my eyes.  It was so "there" that I still can't believe I never saw it before...it was like a veil had been removed and I could finally see...and it was admirable!

I was so excited, I came inside and announced it to everyone, and ... nobody cared.  "I saw the Big Dipper!" "I saw the Big Dipper!"  I said, "OK, cool" I heard in response...it wasn't a big deal for them.  But it was for me.  It was a gift, an it was lovely!  And it made me think of the glory revealed in His creation.  Who, other than Our Amazingly Creative God would have thought of forming the stars for our amusement and amazement? And to think that He made the atmosphere clear so we could see it!  WOW!  It's no wonder David, a shepperherd used to spending nights without end staring at the sky, couldn't help but proclaim:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Paul guides us as to where we should invest our thoughts into.  He tells us to place them into whatever is lovely and admirable.  Well, I tell you, today, in a world that seems to be in decay, with not much to find lovely and not much to admire, there is still God's creation and its ability to surprise us with its grandeur and majesty! Therefore, when I find myself falling into the default darkness of  my mind, I am going to remember to look up and be marveled at the lovely and admirable glory of the work of His Hands proclaimed by the skies!

p.s.:  I still can't believe I finally saw the Big Dipper! LOL!

Whatever is Pure

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Yesterday afternoon, as Grant and I were spending a few, precious minutes being lazy, and he was letting me mess up his hair, I just buried my face in it to inhale its fragrance (somehow, Grant's hair always smells beautifully)...at that moment, I was transported to the night when I first saw him, over 17 years ago...wrapped in a hospital blanket, wearing a crazy looking beanie in his head that tried to cover his messy dark curls...and the memories of the overwhelming feelings I experienced at that moment, years ago, came back rushing into my heart and mind with the same force.

"How can you love someone so much, that you just met?"

I heard that phrase in a movie once, years before Grant was born.  I didn't get it at the time...until I was holding my newborn baby boy for the first time...the power of the love is unreal! And one has to wonder...where does this pure, unmitigated, sheer, unadulterated, unpolluted, absolute, unchangeable, unconditional, never ending love comes from?

The only thing I can think of is:  it is God's.  The overpowering love a Mother often feels for her newborns is a manifestation of the way God loves us: His Children.

There is no other place it can come from.  He is the One Who IS Love! So Love, pure love comes from Him.  And we experience it, because He first loved us. (1 John 4: 19)

At that moment, when the bond between Grant and I got securely cemented, fastening our hearts together, I experienced a glimpse of the most pure form of love: the love God has for me.

Therefore, when the Apostle Paul commands us to think about "whatever is pure," I think of the way God loves.  How He loves us, OH, How He loves us!  The force of His love is the purest thing I can think of.  Free from anything that weakens, untainted, perfectly pure...that's His love.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.

The fact that purity is found in His love, doesn't mean, however, that life is going to be a carnival.  Of course not.  Those of us who are parents have figured that out, haven't we?  The pure love we feel for our children comes with a devastatingly heavy burden that we must constantly carry for the rest of our lives.  The burden of love reminds us that we are not home yet...that we are not strong enough...that we need His Arms to sustain us every step of the way.  But it also reminds us that He is present, and that He is Good, that He is with us all the time, and that He is a Great God!

After a few short minutes, Grant left my side to do his own thing... I covered my face with my hands to push away my tears and suffocate the pain of the thoughts of him leaving home in less than a year to go to college...and I focused on the joy God allows me to feel knowing that the love I feel for my boy is, but a small fraction of the love He has for His own.

Whatever is Right

Dylan celebrating his 14th birthday at Sunday School at Church. 

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

"Let me give you my password, Mama..." said Dylan as he waited for me to grab paper and pen to write it down.  It took me, what seemed like an eternity to react/respond. I think it was pure shock what kept me from moving immediately.  I think he was surprised to, so he just began saying the password while I was still staring into the void, unmovable...finally, after he repeated it a couple of times, I snapped out of it, fiddled through my junk drawer and found a piece of paper and a pen to record the important piece of information Dylan was volunteering without my prompting...as I wrote the combination of letters and digits, finally my mind cleared up and I realized the reason for my shock:  Dylan had chosen to do the right thing on his own...

I know it sounds harsh, but 14 year-old boys don't usually think about, much less actually do the right thing on their own accord.  Maybe yours do, but my sons need lots of priming.  Dylan is particularly stubborn ... all the time ... anyway.  The thing is that finally, after about a year and a half of Dylan begging, demanding, reasoning, explaining, rationalizing, manipulating, psycho-persuading us on why he needed a cellphone, this weekend, he got one for his birthday....sigh...I'm still getting used to the idea; but he got it.  For as long as he has been wanting a phone, Dan and I have been telling him about all the rules and conditions he would have to follow and meet in order for us to even begin thinking about the remote possibility of him having one.  One of the conditions/rules that we established from the beginning was that he was going to have to tell us his password and that he was going to have to leave his phone in our room at night before going to bed: the no phone to bed rule.

When he got the phone, we allowed him to enjoy it without bringing the rules back to his face right away.  He worked on it all afternoon, trying to figure out the features and getting used to the idea of having his own phone.  We never mentioned anything about the password or about the no phone to bed rule.  We gave him some space.  I wasn't even thinking about asking him for his password...and that's when he surprised me by giving it to me without me even asking.  At the end of the night, he carried the phone to our bedroom and placed it on my dresser, where we had instructed him, what seemed like a million years ago, that would be its place at night.  He thanked us for the gift, hugged us and kissed us good night (no, he did not kiss the phone, which was very surprising to me) and went to bed...leaving me with a sense of awe, praising the Holy Spirit for helping Dylan make the right choices...at least for today...

Like Paul says, "whatever is right" ... in this world where right and wrong seem to no longer be a standard of behavior, as Christians, we must consciously and intentionally decide to choose "whatever is right."  And for us, "whatever is right" is right in Scripture.  This means, it would be impossible for us to think and do whatever is right if we do not know His Word...

Think about it... how would we decide what is right if we don't know what God says? We would be swept away in the confusion of this world without the Word!  The world tries to define things apart from God.  In our moments of decision, let's not forget that our standard is the Bible!  Let's make sure we know the Word of God as well as we can, so when the prince of this world tries to deceive us, we don't even have to go look, because we have internalized His Commands... Let's make His Word our own, so when the road gets foggy, we have the Light that makes it bright and clear right here with us.  This way, we'd know which path to follow and how to direct our steps.  Let's drill Scripture into our minds, so it comes to us in our moments of doubt, clearing up the way, prompting us to think and do whatever is right.

I know Dylan is going to make mistakes with that darn phone.  I know he will misuse it to the point that we will have to take it away for long seasons...but for now, I am rejoicing in the fact that it is possible to choose to think and act the right way...as long as we know what that is.

Noble

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

I'd like to continue looking at the things the Apostle Paul tells us to focus our thoughts on.  Today, I'd like to look at the word "noble."  I don't know about you, but "noble" is not really a word I use very often.  The first association that comes to my mind is royalty.  And, unless I'm watching a Jane Austen-inspired film, there aren't many royals around in my everyday life.  

The context of the verse, however, is not really pointing toward that particular meaning of the word "noble."  Instead, the verse is instructing us to think about things that are of high morals,  principles and ideals.  Paul reminds us that our minds should be inspired by what's righteous, virtuous, good, honorable and honest so we can escape the inner webs that it could knit for ourselves when not carefully directed.

Much of our character is informed by our thought-life.  Therefore, having a healthy control over the thoughts we entertain will help us take steps towards becoming the person God intended us to be.  Filling our mind with what is "noble" can help us move closer to this goal...but...how do we stay focused on what's noble, when we are surrounded by the opposite?

There's the trick: don't surround yourself with ignoble things!

Easier said than done?  Of course...just like anything else that is worth our while.

The only way to accomplish the goal of saturating our thoughts with noble things is to examine ourselves and pray that The Lord guides us in this examination and gives us the strength to renounce to those things that don't meet the standard of nobility in our lives.  The problem is: what if what we are talking about renouncing involves loved ones?

sigh...

Unfortunately, the toxicity that surrounds our lives often is channel to our souls, hearts and minds through the presence or absence of those who are supposed to love us most.  We become paralyzed...unable to move on...trapped in a pit of darkness and loneliness without a chance for escape because we feel we can't remove ourselves from the influence of the toxic person.

What are we supposed to do?

I don't know...

But, I do know God loves us and He does not want us to be enslaved.

God is Sovereign and He can do all things.  He can solve our situations by merely saying the Word. (Matthew 8:8)  In many cases, however, He doesn't change the situation, but He changes us.  And often, such change comes about through the help of a Holy Spirit-inspired professional that can guide us in our journey to allowing God to heal us as we surrender to Him the person who inflicts all the damage of ignoble thoughts into our minds and lives.

Again...not easy, but, by the power of the Most High, nothing is impossible!  And this is the encouraging message!  We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength! (Philippians 4:13)

May the Holy Spirit speak the truth into our ears constantly so we are always reminded of His presence and His might!  Amen!

Think About "Such Things"

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4: 8

The encouraging verse of today totally addresses one of the biggest struggles of my fragile soul: my thought life.  If left to my own impulses, I allow my mind to dwell in darkness and negativity, which in turn becomes a heavy wet blanket of fear that covers my entire being, pushing me down to a pit of hopelessness and despair without any easy way to escape.  Dramatic?  A bit...but 100% true.

It is no wonder Paul gives such a firm and emphatic command wrapped in his farewell to the Philippians...which travels a couple of thousands of years later to us today, this rainy, windy, cold, depressing morning...The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle to write this verse because He knows human nature doesn't really change.  The struggles of a people who no longer exist, are the struggles of the people who replaced them...

The encouraging thing, behind all this melodrama, is the reality that, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can overcome our mind and transform it by renewing it as we fill it up with whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy!  By thinking about such things, we can control our thought life and it will keep us on the road that leads to Jesus, the Chief Encourager, the One Who IS true, noble, right, pure lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy!

The key is finding "such things" in a world that seems to be void of anything good...

But the idea is to be encouraged not discouraged, right? So let's look at it from the correct angle.  Let's go on a scavenger hunt to find "such things."

Let's start with "whatever is true."  It is not by chance that this is the first thing in the list, is it?  Our mind must dwell on the truth and nothing but the truth.  And, what is truth? Remember this question?  This was Pontius Pilate's famous question to Jesus.  He meant it to be rhetorical, since it seems like one impossible to be answered, and which seemed to stay unanswered to those not paying attention... He meant it as a scorn...because he thought nobody could answer it, missing the part where the answer was standing right in front of him in the person of Christ!

Truth is not a concept.  Truth is a Person.  Jesus is Truth.  Therefore, if we are to renew our minds by staying focused on Truth, we better keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.  And, what is the place where we know we can always find Him, even when He seems to hide behind the cloud of circumstances that may darken our thoughts at any given time?  The Word.  Jesus is the Word, so of course we will find Him in Scripture.  Simply put:  whenever our thought life takes a turn toward darkness, run to the Bible!  Find your favorite passages.  If you don't have any favorite passages yet, read the Psalms, one after another one...I can guarantee you will come across some verses that will become your favorites there.  Go to the red letters if you have a Bible that has Jesus' words in red font...read, memorize, read again until the Word becomes part of you and it shines brightly on your path, guiding your every step.

Thinking about whatever is true will, indeed, hold you by the hand toward a place where trusting Him is no longer a wish, but a blessed reality.

Let's not be like Pontius Pilate.  Let's not stay rhetorical.  Let's ask the question and find the answer in His Face! Let's truly fix our eyes upon Jesus, The Way, The Truth and The Life...and let's see our mind become renewed as we think about "such things."  By the Powerful Name of Jesus! Amen!

Hope for Haiti and for Us Today

I just finished reading a post from missionaries in Haiti where the current situation is extremely dire.  The light of encouragement might not seem to be shining very brightly on a post that starts like this, right?  And it is not... Believe me, as I read the long list of unanswered questions that the writer posted, my heart ached for them and for the entire country of Haiti.  My soul sank as my illusions for good news fizzled, buried under a pile of profound concerns for safety, sustenance and overall survival of the people left on the island.  However, as I went on reading and the questions became more and more terrifying...at the end...after the last one was left hanging: "how do we plan for this?" the pending thought of how do we do life like this was answered by a sole reply: "with hope."

The words jumped out of the electronic pages with full force:  "with hope!" That's how we do life...with hope!  There's no other way.  And the way to hope is marked with blood stains.  The road to hope is the road to Calvary.  The sign of hope is the cross...for Jesus is our Hope and our Salvation!  "For in this hope we were saved!" says Paul in Romans 8: 24.  And hope is usually on things unseen, so patience and trust are its support. 

Life can very quickly become dark, void of joy and meaning if we don't have the hope of Christ in our hearts.  As we see our reserves emptying and nothing but bad news coming our way, it's very easy to fall in despair, especially if the reality of Jesus is not in us.  But the Word is clear:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 

Hebrews 11: 1

We don't hope on what we see, 

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8: 24-25

We hope in Him!  We trust "with hope" in the One who is Trustworthy! 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10: 23

We trust and wait "with hope," patiently and in perseverance, knowing that He will fulfill His promises...

This is true as much in Haiti as it is in our little corner of the world.  This is true whether we are concerned about fuel to keep an entire educational complex on, serving countless of individuals in need of evidence of Christ in their lives, or we are just waiting in the comfort of our safe home for the phone to ring with any kind of news.  This is true in wanting and in plenty.  This is true in darkness and in light.

Before I could finish writing this, another post came in from the same missionary: a miracle! The man they had sent out for fuel came back after 17 hours of perseverance at the gas station with enough diesel fuel to keep them open for another while. And also, a new donor's contribution popped in out of the blue!  Praised be His HOLY NAME!  As she says, all the good things that have happened since her previous post are not going to solve the crisis, but God is at work, and He is aware of their daily concerns.  His Mighty Hand is ready to provide what is needed one day at a time...and this is as much true in the middle of a small country deeply buried in the rubble of corruption and bad decisions, as it is true around our kitchen table today.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans: 15-13

The supernatural presence and actions of God are needed to see Haiti come out of the current and historical crisis in which they are immersed.  Join in prayer for Hope in Haiti, and as you do, I encourage everyone who is interested in finding out more information and in helping missionaries in Haiti to check out the following blogs:

The Ayars Affairs: Life in Haiti at:  http://mshaiti.blogspot.com/

and

Autumn Marshall's Blog at: http://autumnsreflections.blogspot.com/

Praise to the Lord God forever!

Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,

who alone does marvelous deeds.

Praise be to his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and Amen. (Psalm 72: 18-19)

Encouraging words of David that are given to us in the Book of Psalms...my favorite book when times are shaky and when my soul trembles.  

Today, as I sat at a hospital waiting room, fretting, yet again, about medical testing, I found refuge in the Word of God contained in this Holy Book.  One thing that jumped at my eyes was a little note at the end of Psalm 72: "This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse."  I don't think I ever saw that in there before.  I know that there are some other psalms written by David after this one, but somehow, it was important to state this line at the conclusion of the first 72 songs...I wonder why?

At any rate, the line just caused me to read the last couple of verses with more care ...and yes, it is impossible to perceive the flow of praises coming through the pen of the king.  David wrapped up these collection of psalms with great exaltation. What a wonderful way to finish!  How many thousands of years later, his words are still infusing encouragement, praise, worship and hope into the hearts of those who go to this book searching for comfort and peace.

As I walk out of the waiting room, with good news of things that should not worry me, I read the verses again, and join in King David's joy:  Praise be to the Lord God, indeed! For His glorious name lives forever!  Amen and Amen!

Always with Us

Hanging on to God's promises is one of the things we can do when we need encouragement.  And, out of all His promises, the one that brings me the most comfort is the assurance of His presence.  I mean, think about it: what are we to fear if God is with us?  Nothing!

Today, in Sunday school we talked to the kids about the "champions" of the Bible and how God used these champions to remind His people that He is always with them.  We talked about Samson and how his presence made the people of God feel protected.  Samson, however, like every other Bible character, was deeply flawed and his job was mostly to point to Jesus, the ultimate Champion!  The Perfect Champion, whose presence is the Only thing we need to be saved and to be sustained, Jesus is with us always! 

Why do we still fear, though?  Well...perhaps it is because fear is part of courage.  If we are not a bit afraid, we would not seek refuge in Our Great God.  We would think we can do all things in us and in our strength.  If we don't feel the shivers of dread, we might lean on our self-sufficiency...and forget about He who is Our Rock!

The problem, however, is when fear paralyzes us.  When fear makes us dismay...and causes us to lose faith and hope...that's when it becomes dangerous.  When fear overcomes us and rules us...leaving no room for the truth of God's love and compassion...that's when we fall into the trap of the enemy.  Knowing His promises, and the fact that they are true will help us stay afloat in the midst of our seasons of worry.  That's why I'm clinging to His Word that reveals His promises...That's why today, my encouraging verse is Isaiah 41: 10

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41: 10)

Please Lord, don't let me forget your promises, especially those that remind me that You are with me always.  Please make Your presence evident in our lives that we may have no doubt.  In Christ's Name, amen!

The Heavens Declare His Glory!

Darkness, fog and mist give way to sunshine.  A welcome coolness is in the air, and the colors from the Painter's brush begin to show against the backdrop of blue skies white, puffy clouds.  

Somehow, the overwhelming burden of the day is lifted, and I breathe in the beauty of the afternoon.  The glory of God is revealed in His creation! If we pay attention, the designs of His hand direct us to witness the glory of The Creator!  Let's praise His Holy Name as we admire His craftsmanship reflected in nature.

I'm not much of an outdoor person.  I don't see myself as one with the natural world.  But, when the Spirit calls me to lift up my eyes from whatever is weighing heavily over my head, I am able to contemplate the magnificence of God's creativity.  When the Holy Spirit nudges me to look...I am able to see.  When I obey, I can be in awe of what He has made.  Often, the nudges come through the voice of those around me who pulling me out of my self-absorption, convince me to direct my gaze towards what is in front of me so I might not miss it...like Dylan with the caterpillar, Dan with sunsets, Grant with the Moon.  Other times, during precious moments of sudden awareness, I notice the calling on my own...I open the blinds and invite the magnificent views to come into my heart.

I don't have a count, however, of those instances I've neglected His beauty... but I pray, those are fewer each day.  I trust I become more aware of the speech that pours forth from what His hand has created.  I pray I can let nature sing His glory for my soul to hear. I pray I always remember that...

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19: 1

May we all keep in mind that there's more than what we see on a computer screen, or on a clutter desk, or on a to-do list... a pile of laundry, a dirty house, a sore body, a broken heart are not the end...the days are designed to find Him, to glorify Him and to remember that to Him we belong! Amen.

Small Things

Me:  Dylan, hurry up!!!  We've got to go!

crickets...

UGH!!!! ARGHHHH!!!

I start the car and begin pulling out of the garage hoping the sound would make Dylan move faster...of course it didn't, but what did happen was that out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of nature's amazing wonder: a Monarch butterfly expanding its gorgeous wings right behind Dylan's basketball hoop.  For the last few days, Dylan had been so excited, calling everyone to see the progression of a cocoon opening up to let out a still immature butterfly.  "Look, look!  Come and see this!" would be his constant yelling...desperate for the rest of the family to witness the miracle.  Of course, his exclamations had been met by bored "yeah..." half-glances and exasperated: "ok, ok, I see it!" by the rest of the clan.  But not this morning...I saw that Monarch spendor and I was mesmerized...

I pulled in the garage again...thinking...what's a few seconds more...Dylan finally appeared, and when he opened the door of the car, I said to him: go look.  He knew what I meant, so he went right away while I observed him on the rear view mirror and witnessed the miracle: a teenager's face lit up by wonder...

"Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?" Zechariah 4: 10

I just came across this wonderful verse this morning, but it's quickly becoming a favorite. Zechariah was a prophet sent to proclaim the Word of God to the people of Israel as they were growing discouraged in their quest to rebuild the temple. After many years of captivity in Babylon, contingents of israelites came back to Jerusalem led by Zerubbabel. They started rebuilding, but disappointed by the little progress made due to conflict and disagreements, the people had began to feel as if they would never see the temple built again.

Hmmm...

Sounds familiar?  It sure does to me.  However, the Rescuer of our Souls never disappoints!  He comes in with the right ____________ (fill in the blank) at precisely the most perfect time to encourage us on.  In this case, a most vivid admonition:  "Who dares despise the day of small things..."  I. LOVE. THIS. PART!!!

This is the part that caught my attention..."who dares despise the day of small things..." A question lingering in our minds, for we ... I have been guilty over and over and over again to do just that: despise the day of small things.  In a world where only the "big" things are valued, small things are ignored and discarded as useless.  In a society where time is money, pausing to enjoy the small things is perceived as a ridiculously extravagant waste.  In the days of rushing because we're running late, taking it easy to admire the small things is just not done...in a moment when the car is started and one's about to pull out of the garage to try to squeeze what little time we have most efficiently into our tight schedule, taking a few seconds to admire the small things of nature's magic reflected on the still wondering eyes of a teen who is about to leave behind the ways of a little boy any moment now is just unimaginably stupid.

Praise the Lord for the small things!!!  The image on the rear view mirror is tattooed on my mind bringing me great joy, thanks to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to stop at the sight of a seemingly small thing.  Dylan open the door of the car again and climbed in.  We talked about Monarchs and how he had learned about them in school.  We drove in silence for a while...long enough to savor the event before Dylan put his headphones on and disconnected from me again...but I hope the memory persists and that I never forget the power of the small things.

Prayer and Thanksgiving

I draw encouragement from nature's beauty.  A crisp autumn afternoon where a blue sky is colored by the orange and pink hues of the setting sun, making the turning leaves come alive is a refreshing balm to my soul.  A starry night, where the constellations adorn the great expanse like jewels scattered on black velvet make my heart sing!  Cloudy and foggy mornings, where a light drizzle makes my...hmmm... hair frizzy...sigh...how can I find encouragement in that scene?  I mean, really? 

Yes, really...

It is as simple as Paul tells us:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Rejoice always.  And how do we do that?  By praying continually and by giving thanks in all circumstances.  

Easier said than done?  Well, of course!  Nothing worth anything comes easily.  Character development in our Christian walk is God's priority for our lives.  Have you ever seen a movie or read a book where the moral character of a person is developed by an easy-self-indulgent-nothing-bad-ever-happened-always-bright-and-sunny-life? I haven't.  I haven't seen it in the Bible either.  All the heroes and heroines of the Bible went through their fair share of hardship, disappointment, frustration, sadness, disillusion, pain and suffering as they journeyed along the Great I AM.  Jesus Himself ought to be the greatest example of the reality of pain while on this world.  That's why Paul calls us to rejoice always by praying and thanksgiving. 

How do we ever do this?

I don't know.  All I know is that prayer leads to thanksgiving and eventually to rejoicing.  When we pray consciously, we realize that just the simple act of prayer is miraculous.  The fact that we can pray, communicate with God Almighty, is a realization that should immediately lead us into gratitude.  What is mankind, that God cares for us?  (Psalm 8: 4)  ... that He cares enough to  open a line of communication so we can come to Him and place at His feet all that we are.  Praise You and Thank You, LORD for the gift of prayer!

As we become aware of the blessing of prayer, we realize the intimacy that we are developing with God.  Every time we dial His number, we get closer to Him.  The sense of belonging intensifies.  Our identity as His children grows stronger.  And thanksgiving overflows.  If we get in the habit of going to prayer without ceasing, thanksgiving in all circumstances will follow...even if we don't necessarily feel it, the simple act of saying:  "Thank You, Lord, for another opportunity to trust You" will develop a sense of peace in our troubled heart...and we would begin to see every circumstance as a chance to get closer to Him, and trust Him with the outcome of our situation...leaving Him at the driver's seat...and us, behind, to just go for the ride...in joyful adoration.

Easier said than done?  Of course!  But with the help of the Holy Spirit we can start taking steps towards fulfilling this commandment with the simple discipline of thanksgiving.  There is always something to be thankful for.  Even cloudy and foggy mornings are good for something:  perhaps not for a stroll, but perfect for staying inside and read a while, meditate on His Word and rejoice for the moment of quiet contemplation.

May the Holy Spirit inspire us to rejoice always in prayer and thanksgiving!  Amen!

You Rescue Me!

I continue with my challenge to find encouraging things to write about...or write nothing at all...for the next 30 posts...and I must say that, though I'm advancing quite slowly, I shall not be deterred!

I'm a voyager who's gotten too close to the edge while traversing in choppy waters...a careless traveler who thought she could fly, and instead has gone overboard. I feel the cold sea of my busy life overtake me. I've forgotten how to swim, and I begin to drown. Into the deep, its darkness overpowers me. I'm helpless...

The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me. (Psalm 18: 4-5)

But...in my distress...I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help (Psalm 18: 6)...and something marvelous happened...He heard my cry...and, not only He heard, but...

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me. (Psalm 18: 16-17)

Out of breath, but alive, He pulls my head out of the water and breathes life in me again so I can say:  The Lord Lives!  Praise be to my Rock! (Psalm 18: 46a)

He is the God of my Salvation!

I love you, Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18: 1-2)

He will always rescue me!

I encourage you to watch the video that I posted right before...I pray it is encouraging to you right at this moment.  

Lauren Daigle - Rescue (Official Music Video)