A Day is Coming

A Day is Coming

Imagine, if you can, a world where God intercepts all hurt and pain. Where He stands a guard against all illness and accidents. Imagine, if you can, a life of nothing but joy and happiness and good things.

Would it be a wonderful thing if God so willed to eradicate cancer and addictions? What if He looked down on earth and declared “Enough!” What would it be like to weep no longer for those we love when pain comes their way? And yes, to no longer weep for ourselves because we cannot physically step in and change the course of the future.

It has become the cry of every soul on earth – the cry of those who don’t believe in God as well as those who love God dearly. A cry that says, “If there is a God, why doesn’t He step in and do something?” A cry that shouts, “I believe God has the power to heal, change, and stop my pain. Please, Lord – do it today!”

God could, if He chose to do so, make it all stop. He is the Most High God, The All Powerful Lord.

If He would come and sit alongside me and ask me if He should simply end all this sorrow on earth, I would have to say, “no, Lord, no.”

What would drive us to our knees if we walked in perfect peace on earth?

What would make us take notice of what matters most in life?

What would cause us to turn to God and scream, “Only YOU Lord, I need only YOU”?

 What would God use to mold us, shape us, and form us into the likeness of Christ?

Like you, I have known heartache. Like you, rain falls in my life. I know we all have our own way of grieving and handling the tough stuff we must face.

But to know God’s grace on news levels . . . to experience His peace in my heart . . .to catch a greater glimpse of heaven to come . . . to quote a great old gospel song I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now.

We won’t hurt forever. A Day is coming. . .

A Day is coming when the clouds will part and there will be no more pain. A Day is promised, when God will dry every tear from our eyes. . .

Look! God is dwelling with men,

And He will live with them.

They will be His people,

and God himself will be

with them and be their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Death will exist no longer;

grief, crying and pain will exist

no longer,

because the previous things have passed away.

Revelation 21:3-4

God will make everything new, just as He promised.

A Day is coming. . .

Until that day arrives, I chose to believe God’s promises. He has proven Himself faithful time and time again.

A Day is coming . . .

Until then, I chose to be faithful.

Let’s worship Him together. Let’s honor Him together. Let’s believe in His might together.

A Day is coming. . .

Who is Easter For?

Last Sunday we had our Easter Celebration for the kids at church. They heard the real Easter story, played some games, made crafts, had a fun egg hunt and finished the day with Worship KidStyle.

I had more than a few ask me "Why are you celebrating Easter the Sunday before Easter?"

We had our special kids day on Palm Sunday for two reasons. Palm Sunday is very much a part of the Easter season. And I believe it is important for children to worship with their families on Easter Sunday, the day we set aside to celebrate The Risen Savior.

I realize that for many, in fact for a growing number of people in America, Easter is not at all about Jesus. It's the bunny, the candy, egg hunts and prizes.

I did a little research to check for the origins of the bunny. Best I could find, we first see it in America in the early 1700's. German immigrants brought it over along with the explanation that the Hare watched for obedient, good children and left them colored eggs and candy in their bonnets and hats. Does this remind you of ole Saint Nick?

The prizes, candy, treats and favor belong to the good.

I learned something else about this bunny; something very disturbing.  The origins can be traced back to the thirteenth century, pre-Christian Germany, when people worshipped gods and goddesses. The goddess of fertility had a symbol - the rabbit.

This is what we accept into our homes and unwittingly tell our kids when they wake up on Sunday morning and look for what the bunny left them. The created rabbit, worshipped in place of The Creator, brings treats and favor to good boys and girls.

We gave our children candy and gifts on Easter Sunday morning. We still enjoy the seasonal candy and I will have a little egg hunt for my granddaughter. Thankfully, we never told our kids the bunny brought the treats and we never taught them it was only if they were good.

That message is most certainly the anti-Jesus message. Jesus walked this earth in human form and He died a brutal death. We celebrate Easter Sunday because He did not stay dead. He walked out of the grave that Sunday morning. He brings salvation to all who will accept it. This gift of eternal life is not for the good. And aren't you so glad? There are none that are good. . . no, not one.

Our world - your neighbors, your co-workers, your family members - is full of broken and confused people. Desperate people who look in the mirror each morning and, with tears in their eyes, wonder how they will make it through the day. They walk out the door and go to work or attend school and they wear their "everything is great" face and no one around them knows what struggle is going on in the heart.

And we don't tell them there is a Savior who lived, died, and lives again and He did it for the broken. We are all broken because we are all sinners.

And God made a way.

Easter. It is not just one Sunday a year. No, it's not two Sundays. It's not only for the good.

For the believer, Easter is EVERY DAY, now through ETERNITY! Our broken world is waiting to hear that God's love reaches to them every day in the form of our risen Lord.

Death could not keep it's prey . . . He is Risen indeed!

Rose Colored Glasses Classes

I have the complete privilege of hanging out with awesome kids. I am a Director of Preschool and Children's Ministries. That means every Wednesday and Sunday I get to be with people who are full of energy and creativity.

A dear friend and I get to lead chapel once a week for kindergarten through 5th graders for our Christian school. I think she would agree it's definitely a highlight of the week for both of us. There's nothing like hearing all those kids singing 10,000 Reasons or The Fruit of the Spirit Song.

I recognize my role in the lives of these kids is one of support for their Mom's and Dad's as they raise them to love and serve Jesus. I also know the weight of the importance of teaching biblical truths every time we are together. It might look like we are having extreme fun, well, because we are! But it's fun with purpose. It's fun designed to help kids grow in their knowledge of God and His great plan for each one.

I look around me, and even during the most difficult of days, I see the hand of my grace-filled God. Some might say I wear rose colored glasses. My response to that would be yes, yes I do.

You see God gave those glasses to me.

I believe the Bible when it says God works in all things to bring good to those who love Him.

His Word is true when it clearly says His plans for me are for a future and a hope.

He is a promise keeper and He promised to be with me wherever I go.

So, yeah, I'm looking at life through the lenses of God's supreme presence and promises.

I look for reasons to say, "Do you see it? Do you see God's hand in this?"

And when I have the opportunity to speak with kids, I am quick to remind them of His goodness every single moment of every day.

Last Sunday night with the kids we prayed for a sad heart because her dog got run over that afternoon. We prayed for a family who misses their granddad who recently passed away. We asked God to heal some very sick people we greatly love.

There's no denying life is painful.

Here is where those rose colored glasses classes come in. For every hurt and disappointment we face, we have the opportunity to teach our kids to trust God especially when we don't understand.

We weep.

We mourn.

We get discouraged.

We worry even as we try not to.

But

If we trust God to keep His promises, we will grow closer to Him as we see how He takes ashes and turns them into beauty.

I'm so glad God is faithful and trustworthy. After all, when you really consider it, everything in life comes down to whether we trust God the way we say we do.

If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!

2 Corinthians 4 (The Message)

Church is Messy

I went to church this morning for a cleaning day, it was great to see so many folks give up a chunk of Saturday to polish, trim, sanitize, and pressure wash God's house inside and out. It was especially heartwarming to see families there. I love it when Mom's and Dad's model what they want their kids to grow up doing.

As I did my part, I thought of how messy church is. I'm not talking about the wadded up Kleenex under the pew or the "quarterly" from Spring of 2010. Side-note - many years ago I had a friend who would strategically place a candy wrapper on the floor during worship so she could see if anyone had cleaned when she returned the following Sunday. Are you rolling your eyes? I know, right?

Back to point, church is messy. Perhaps my friend of old illustrates the point. The Church is not the building, its people. The Church is people who get together, hopefully often, to learn, worship, fellowship, grow, and take care of one another.

I have a special birds eye view of the Church. As a pastor's wife, I get to witness and be a part of the Church at its best. It is also very much a part of my life when the Church struggles.

We (meaning people who profess Jesus as Savior) are all on our own journey to know Him better and love Him more. We all have our own baggage. Some of us learned a long time ago how to give it God and allow Him to use life's hurts to make us more like Him. Others of us aren't there yet.

And we're all messy.

We get our feelings hurt.

We struggle with forgiveness.

We misunderstand one another.

We make assumptions.

We feel insecure.

We want to make a difference and often aren't sure how.

Yes, the Church is messy.

Even so, I wouldn't walk away from this beautiful family for anything. I'm glad we are all in this together. We can all say "He's still workin' on me" and maybe give each other a bit more room to be imperfect.

May I speak to you from the heart of a Pastor's wife? Don't be too hard on those around you who wear their baggage like a backpack. Be kind and show grace. Tomorrow it might be you dragging a heavy bag around.

  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

I am excited to get up in the morning, put my best foot forward, and go to church. I love walking into a room that shines and smells lemony fresh! I'm asking God to use me to help carry someone's bag tomorrow too.

Because, until we all get to heaven, Church is messy. 

What God Sees When He Looks at the Heart

. . . for the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance,

but the Lord looks on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7b

We find the historical account of the Prophet Samuel as he searched for the king of Israel in chapter 16 of 1 Samuel. We read the account of Samuel as he stood before Jesse and requested to see all of his sons. Jesse, David's father, brought seven sons for Samuel to see.

These young men were strong warriors. Evidently they were nothing like David. Or should I say David was nothing like his brothers.

God told Samuel that none of these young men would be the next king. Samuel asked Jesse if he had any other sons.

Jesse tried to discourage Samuel by saying, "Yes. There is one more. He is my youngest. But you don't need to see him. He is with the sheep right now."

Samuel called for David to stand before him. Samuel looked at David and the Bible tells us he saw a healthy looking, handsome young man. Immediately the Lord told Samuel, "Anoint him. He is the one."

Samuel took his horn of oil and did as God commanded. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David that day.

We don't know why David's brothers were rejected. We do know God, as he told Samuel to keep looking, made it clear that the heart matters more than outward appearance.

At first glance you might say, "Shew! That's a relief. I'm too short or too fat or my nose is way too big for my face. I'm glad God isn't looking at my appearance."

It would be so easy to miss the beauty and amazing truth behind this verse.

It's a sobering truth to know that God sees our hearts. Our selfish, often confused, easily distracted hearts. When you stop a moment and think about the condition of your heart, you might wish God looked only at your outer self.

We are all so good at putting on our masks. The "I'm not afraid-I have my act together-no need to worry about me" mask. We wear it to church each Sunday. As long as we can keep up the front and have everyone believing we are at the top of our game, we don't have to give personal sin a second thought.

God sees the heart.

He knows when my thoughts do not match my face.

And He loves me.

He knows when I am motivated by self ambition.

And He loves me.

He knows when my patience in thin.

And He loves me.

He knows when I am discouraged.

And He loves me.

He knows when I am worried and wishing I could control the people I love.

And yet, He loves me.

My heart isn't always in the greatest condition. God's love is so great He can look into every dark recess of my heart and still say, "She's mine and I love her."

I asked Jesus to be my Savior many, many years ago. Not only did God forgive every past sin that day, He forgave every future sin too. When God looks at my heart, He sees His one and only Son standing in the gap for me.

While perfection isn't even within reach, my personal sins are forgiven. And, just as He promised, I am never alone.

Does it scare you to know God looks at your heart? It doesn't have to. You can pray, just like I did, and ask Jesus to be your Savior.  He takes a beat up, confused, sinful heart and makes is brand new!

When God looks at my heart, He sees Jesus.

There is no greater truth.

Jesus.

The Power of YES

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

I learned a biblical truth from my momma that she didn't teach me through words but rather through her actions. It has helped me immeasurably over the years as a pastor's wife, not to mention raising 4 kids.

There are days when we feel like Eeyore and we are certain the "rain cloud" is hovering over us.

Often there's more month at the end of the money.

Kids bring home notes asking for a parent/teacher meeting.

The boss is unrealistic in demands.

Your family is plagued by every bug and virus that is sweeping through the school.

Or maybe

You face the long good-bye of a loved one battling illness.

You have lost your job and you don't know what to do.

Someone you love is chained by addiction.

As my husband prayed the other morning during staff devotions, some burdens are so heavy we just can't share them with others but we know we can talk with God. Yes, the ever-present Father God. 

I would never make light of another's heartache. Only God knows the weight of the why's and the how's and the when's of what threatens to take our joy.

But here is the biblical truth my momma taught me. Look for the good. Search for what is right. Refuse to give up. Resist the "no" and embrace the "yes."

It takes practice and some days. . . weeks. . . months. . . years. . . are much more difficult than others, but it can be done. With God's help through the power of His Holy Spirit, we can remove the "I can't do this" from our thoughts and words and replace it with "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Are you struggling today? Is there a raincloud hovering over you? Spend some time praising God for everything, EVERY THING, by listing all the ways (big and small) He shows His love.

And as you list, praise Him from your heart. Praise Him, praise  Him, praise Him. I can't explain it, but when you think on what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely. . .anything praiseworthy. . . the way you handle the stress of the day changes.

Thank you, Momma, for teaching me the power of YES.

If you all will excuse me now, I have some true and lovely things to think on.

It's Alright to Cry

Dear Dad & Mom,
 
   As you face the difficulties of life, don't be afraid to show your children real emotions. So often we feel like we need to shield our kids from seeing us cry. We don't want them to become anxious or worry that we are not okay.

   We have been created in the image of The Creator. We know that does not mean that God looked in the mirror the morning He formed Adam and said, "Today, I'll make man and he will look like me." To be created in the image of God is such a deep and difficult truth to grasp. This is what I tell the children - we have been created with the ability to love, laugh,  and cry. God is spirit and so are we. When God formed Adam from the dust of the earth, the Bible tells us He breathed life into him. God gave Adam - and you and me - the breath of life.

   Our sorrow over a cancer diagnosis, the loss of a job, or the death of a loved one is the exact right response. To cry because we are sad, to be angry over what we don't understand, to question - all of these things are good when we turn to our Creator with each one.

   Don't be afraid to let your children see you show these emotions, but be sure you talk with them and let them know why you are sad.

   And as you cry, tell your kids you are trusting God to be near and take care of your sadness.

   And if you are angry over things you do not understand, tell your children you are trusting God to take care of you especially when you don't understand.

   And when you have questions that don't have answers, tell your children you are trusting God to make you okay with no answers. Because honestly, there are things in life that we cannot explain.

   Jesus wept at the death of his good friend Lazarus. Some Bible scholars tell us He cried, not because Lazarus had died, but because His friends had no faith.

   Faith.

   Impossible to describe to those who have none. And yet, God promises when we take the step and say "I believe" His Holy Spirit will supply the faith and the strength we need to not only get through the hard times, but to grow in them. We will not only survive heartache, we are drawn closer to the very heart of God.

   It's alright to cry. And it's okay for your kids to see what it means to be created in the image of God.

                                                                                      Love to all my friends and family in Jesus