Have a very orange Christmas

Orange is not a color I usually think of at Christmas time. Yet, this year, I found my mind often wandering back to the brightly-hued citrus fruit. When I contemplate what this holiday season is supposed to mean and what is has become, I remember my grandpa sharing how, as a child, he was thrilled to get an orange for Christmas. It seemed to be the star of the show, as far as presents went.

If you grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, like I did as girl, you might remember her receiving an orange and being equally thankful as my grandpa, This round fruit seems to be the Talking Elmo of its day. Everyone wanted an orange. In the case of the 19th-century author and my grandpa, they lived in areas reminiscent of that famous Irving Berlin song, “A White Christmas.” December is snowy and cold and . . . well, white; beautiful in its sheer vastness, its very monotone. I think this is why the lights and tinsel shine so bright in the wintery parts of the world. And why the vibrant orange would make a child’s eyes light up on Christmas morning. It’s a piece of summer, sweet and sticky, in a cold season that is void of color. It’s a reminder and a promise wrapped in a rind.

I spent a little time researching the tradition of the orange at Yuletide. Several cultures use them and have stories behind the humble fruit. There are legends of them representing the gold coins that Santa would drop in stockings, hung on the hearth, where they would melt by the fire and become a ball of gold. The Victorians made pomanders by sticking cloves in oranges as gifts and they also decorated tree boughs and iced cakes with thinly dried slices. The tradition of putting oranges in stockings has been around for a long time. Here in the U.S., lingering depression and war brought rationing at an already scarce time of year, so a pop of color, tart and sweet would have felt like a taste of heaven.

I often find myself talking about the joy of getting an orange for Christmas in retrospect to the consumerism of today. Can you imagine a modern child being excited over an orange in their stocking? I still remember being upset over getting a sleeping bag instead of a doll one year. I have the snapshot to prove it; my disappointment written on my face. With trays of cookies and cups of hot cocoa, who wants a piece of fruit? Unless of course, it’s dipped in chocolate.

We can now buy bags of oranges, that we then forget about on top of our fridge and throw away weeks later. There are so many varieties of orange juice it has its own section in the store. Fruit, although lovely, has lost its wow factor in our time of plenty. So, to me the orange in snowy weather represents something I’m after, something I’m longing for. . . it’s no longer fruit. Or maybe it is.

An orange in a Winterland feels otherworldly; it clearly traveled from afar, like an exotic visitor. It makes me think of the real purpose of this annual celebration we call Christmas. As Christians, we are focused on the birth of our Saviour, who came like a pop of color into a dark world. He pierced the darkness in a way that ripples through time, backwards and forwards, offering hope to us earthlings. Announced by angels, spotlighted by a star, he arrived out of season, because the earth had been plunged in sin and mire for thousands of years and we couldn’t even imagine a way out. Christmas time falls close to the darkest, longest night of the year, so how fitting that we celebrate with candles and twinkling lights—it’s when we long for warmth and hope the most. Christ, the Babe, the Child, the Redeemer, came when we needed Him most, when it seemed all was lost, the darkest night of the soul.

Then music, then light, then hope; for unto us a Child is born.

“And she shall bring forth a son,

and thou shalt call his name Jesus:

for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

Jesus, laid in the manger, was the perfect fruit of heaven coming down into a dark, dreary and wintery world. God, incarnate, came in the flesh, crossed the barrier between the realms of heaven and earth, of spirt and flesh and landed in a manger, of all places. There we may look upon Him and believe! He is The Gift! The “it” present of every season, the sweet in a world of sour, the living water in the desert of our emotions, the bread of our life. As a human baby and King of kings, he humbled himself to live among us. The salvation and hope He offers this cold world is a warmth to defrost even the hardest of hearts.

He was not what was expected. Like an orange out of season, he was and is both humble and almighty. A gift of summer in the winter of our lives. A gift of color in the blackness. Sweet salvation. Simple and yet deeply complex in only the way God can create. All it takes is a child-like faith, then excitement, hope and anticipation like on Christmas morning. Every move, every word, from stable to cross, from resurrection to ascension, performed out of love for His creation. This is our greatest gift.

Now, we take time each year to remember this gift. This miracle that is the baby who is God. The man (1 Tim 3:16) who radiates hope throughout generations, as we read the Bible and tell our children and our neighbors about the real reason we sing and gather and give during this season. So, I entreat you to slow down this year and ponder as Mary did, just who this baby was and what he meant for mankind. Bake the cookies, wrap the gifts, hug the friends and remember, it’s not about how much we do or where we go or what we get. It is about whom we carry inside of us—the Holy Spirit—growing us spiritually. That way we can produce fruit (even while trekking through a winter of the soul), a picture of God’s love and mercy, a reflection of light that lives in our hearts and minds.

In a season often wrought with stress and pressure, in a time when people can feel most alone, in a place of life’s let-downs and disappointments, we can present someone an orange in a season of snow.

What does an orange look like today? A kind word, a token of encouragement, a remembrance, a story of redemption. Like the tradition of gold coins melting into orange-like balls, we can offer people real worth in a time fraught with imitation gold. So, give your children lasting joy in a world of broken toys, give your friends hope in a time of trials, and give those around you something sweet that is everlasting.

Don’t let the true gift of Christmas get lost in the vastness, the frazzled backdrop of white noise that often takes over this time of year. Sit by the tree, flip through the Bible and read about the baby that came to offer life to a dying world and peel a sweet orange, because really that’s what we are all longing for . . .

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,

and they shall call His name Immanuel,

which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23

Further reading:

Christmas Lights

The Christmas Dress

Floating through the Holidays

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The Laden Table

Thanksgiving is a time heavy with tradition. This holiday goes back to the 1600s, so there has been a lot of time to establish the workings of the 4th Thursday of every November. Most people I know love Thanksgiving. Is it the long weekend? The food? Seeing family? The next day shopping? Sports? We all have our reasons and we want the day to go a certain way. We have a special dish we are looking forward to or we just love going back to Grandma’s house. There is such a familiarity that we almost feel it physically . . .in our very cells . . .we eat, we talk, we laugh, perhaps we cry. We remember and we give thanks.

I can’t help but think of the table. It really is the star of this holiday, after all. We lay all our offerings on it with the colors and the aromas mixing into a perfect fall mosaic. Yellows, oranges and greens with a hint of cranberry. Savory and sweet. Laughter and tears. We catch up with people we don’t see enough and talk about how we should get together more often. We take note of the empty spots and smile at the new faces. The table changes, the faces change, but the point is always the same. What are we thankful for?

If you have read some of my past articles you know I love the Puritans. Well, at least I love their prayer books. They have a way of cutting past all the noise and getting to the heart of the matter, which is in fact, our hearts. Where are we with God? You can thank your local Puritan for the concept of Thanksgiving Day in America. These pious people, fleeing religious persecution, came to the shores of the New World seeking a different way of life.

Have you ever ran from something just to find yourself in a worse place? Those first months and years for them were very rough. You think you’ve had a bad year? Imagine a meager diet, sickness and aching loneliness in a foreign land. They were at the mercy of the elements and as the story goes, surely would have all died, if it had not been for the help of the people living there. The Native Americans (the Wapanoug’s, to be exact) knew the land and the food, they knew what plants to use for medicine, they knew how to survive. And like most new frontiers, the shores of America boasts a complicated and violent history. By the time we get to the first Thanksgiving those who would sit down at the table have been through the wringer.

Have you had a hard week? A hard month? A hard year?

Do you want to have a party and celebrate all you have to be thankful for?

Probably not.

If I had been a surviving Pilgrim, I might naturally be bitter and ungrateful. I think when they announced; “we are going to have a big dinner to celebrate the harvest,” I might have asked: are there any other party themes like, perhaps, a pity party? Maybe I’ll go to that one instead. I’ve been cold, hungry, sick, have left my home and have lost family . . . and the list goes on.

Those early wayfarers, however, had already built in a natural rhythm to their worship. They didn’t necessarily wait for something good to happen to be thankful. They regularly practiced the art or discipline of gratitude.

The Puritans and many of our church fathers, often spent time leading up to a celebration in prayer and fasting. They were seeking God’s voice and will in their lives. The ebb and flow of their spiritual lives allowed for want and abundance. They learned to seek God in both spaces.

Perhaps this year’s pre-set Thanksgiving Day comes at the perfect time for you; you have so much to be thankful for—when it’s your turn around the table to give a blessing in your life, you will have a hard time picking just one. Or perhaps it’s been a year of want and struggle and the homemade whipped cream on your pumpkin pie is the best thing you’ve got going.

Maybe you struggle with what to bring to the table, not only in a casserole dish, but also in a more real way. Sometimes we look around at the laden table and feel that our offering, our very lives in fact, are left wanting. You were asked to bring the relish tray and you couldn’t even manage to pull that off or you experimented with a dairy-free, gluten-free dessert and nobody seems all that interested in a slice. What’s particularly noteworthy of Thanksgiving is the variety of concoctions sitting next to each other on the same sideboard. Just like the souls around the table, we are all made up of different experiences and preferences, that can at their best, complement each other, and at their worst, clash. All things are possible on Thanksgiving Day.

In a place of old traditions, there is still room for new ones. As generations past are remembered, we look forward to the future. Hope always has a place, especially before you take your first bite of the vegan turkey. Hmmm . . .vegan turkey? What we bring to the table matters, even if it is only the napkins. We each make our own contribution in each others’ lives all year long, and then we join together to share our struggles and triumphs.

Someone recently said to me, there is always room at God’s table. We can squeeze in one more, there’s ample food for everyone. The pilgrims could certainly attest to near starvation, but spiritually the Lord always provides. The ram in the bush, the loaves and fishes, the jars of oil . . . story after story in the Bible illustrates God’s provision, even in lean times for both body and soul. You can turn to Him with your dish of hurt and pain and loneliness, of wandering and wanting, and He will welcome you and even more so, give you beauty for ashes.

Isaiah 61:3

“…to give unto them beauty for ashes,

the oil of joy for mourning,

the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness..”

In many ways our greatest worship comes out of the lean times. When we praise the Lord, despite what feels like unanswered prayers, we are saying He is still good (even though we wish things were different). We can still put forth praise because we know He has a plan for our lives that will ultimately bring us to the promised land—heaven with our Saviour—even if we happen to be traveling through a hard terrain this Thanksgiving. Sometimes we walk through deserts and climb rocky paths, but we are always in His hands. Therefore, we can give thanks, we can use our lives as a witness to God’s presence in our journeys, as we sojourn towards life eternal. We can encourage other spiritual pilgrims along the way. This holiday is a day set aside for praise and gratitude, like a guidepost in the year, on this day we give thanks.

On the other hand, when things are going really well for us, it can be tempting to think that we did this. It’s hard work and determination that got me here . . .my own brains or brawn . . .and while that plays a role certainly, and we should feel a sense of accomplishment and joy over our successes, we have to be careful not to become prideful. James 1:17 tells us that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. And yet, if all the glory goes to God, we can rid ourselves of some of these emotional and spiritual pitfalls, because it’s all about Him anyway.

Thankfulness, in and out of season, is a hallmark of our Christian faith. We are taught to give thanks in everything, always! What a request! It is only possible with Christ, in the light of eternity. So, bring your dish to the table, bring your stories of what God has done for you this year and in the past. We all have a common story that seats us at the same table of thanksgiving: the story of a risen Saviour who loved us so much He gave “his life a ransom for many”, so that all the hurts and tears of this life will one day fade. We can be thankful in the bounty of such a harvest like the first Pilgrims, like so many struggling Christians throughout history who could find a thankful heart even in war and famine. If we have life, we have hope, and if we have whipped-cream pumpkin pie, we have joy, if only for a moment (even if it’s dairy-free).

Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the peoples,

proclaim that his name is exalted. Isaiah 12:4

Further reading:

The Bitter and the Sweet

How to Float Through the Holidays

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Living Stones

When I say the word church, you probably picture a building. I live in what is often referred to as the Bible Belt of America; there are churches on every corner. And I mean, like every corner! I can hear the church bells from where I sit right now. I recently had a non-American friend ask me how anyone here picks a church when there are so many. Excellent question.

If I lived in Europe, I would be tempted to select my Sunday morning destination by which cathedral inspired the most grandeur in my heart. I’m a sucker for a beautiful building; the older the better. Have you read my article on restoring old buildings? I love architecture and if it’s old and crumbly, all the more. I’m willing to endure damp and drafty for Old World charm, but I will complain when a church has the air conditioning on too high or if they run out of coffee. So maybe I wouldn’t have made it in a 5th century structure after all.

Build your faith upon the rock of God’s word

Although we picture a building when we say the word church, be it in someone’s living room or a domed cathedral, we should actually picture people. Other believers are the “real” church. The building is simply that—a place to gather. The church is made of “living stones.” This idea comes from 1 Peter 2. Here Peter tells us that we, “as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house” and Jesus Himself, is the chief corner stone, of which all is built around.

Well, if Jesus is referred to as a “stone” in the Bible, how blessed are we to also be likened to these seemingly uninteresting pieces of rock that can be found laying around almost anywhere? So, I figured a further study on rocks would yield something interesting spiritually. As so often it goes, once the Holy Spirit has put this thought in my head, it pops up everywhere. I have never once thought of rocks as having a spiritual lesson to teach us: gardens, misbehaving dogs (my dog, Scout!) and children—sure, but rocks? But when it comes to eternal lessons, God leaves no stone unturned.

As it turns out, rocks are just waiting to teach us about God. So next time you collect a rock at the beach or arrange them around your flower beds or (gasp!) kick them down the road, think of how God uses even these lowly guys to preach His glory.

Rocks are likened to bread, to people, to the word of God and to Christ!

Satan temps Jesus to turn the rocks into bread. What a thought! Jesus has been fasting for 40 days (I would be tempted to eat a stone after, like one day of fasting). In his human form, Jesus is so hungry and of course He has the ability to turn something boring into something delicious, something inedible into wonderous bread. It is no doubt that Jesus can work miracles (something Satan certainly doesn’t doubt); he is not tempting Him to do it, rather to refrain from using his undeniable powers. Perhaps like me, you have no issue believing God can heal or rescue you, but you battle with why He doesn’t. Here Jesus could easily bring substance out of rock, yet for God’s glory, He doesn’t do it. Is it possible that the situations in our lives are meant to teach us and mature us for some greater purpose? The rocks stayed rocks to defeat the enemy. Do you have some rocks in your life that perhaps need to stay rocks?

The Bible also likens our hearts to stone. Ezekiel 11:19 says, “And I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” I would be the first to admit that my heart can act stony. Sometimes I am unmoved by the needs of those around me because I’m too busy looking at my own wants. Perhaps I’m fed up with recurring situations or behaviors and I’ve grown weary of showing patience and love. Or worse yet, I’ve grown hardened to my own sin, it doesn’t bother me anymore. Are our hearts soft and sensitive to the prodding of the Holy Spirt? Are we being convicted to represent God well in difficult situations? In many ways it’s easier to have a hard heart. We can’t be hurt. If someone kicks our heart of stone chances are that they will get hurt, not us. Do we trust God with a soft heart?

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering . . . and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.” (Col 3:12, 14)

One stone or brick by itself is fairly useless, but when fitted together and stuck with mortar they become shelter and protection from the elements. Stone houses really stand the test of time because the material is so solid. A rock or a stone is hard to damage; it can really take a beating over time. God created the church at Pentecost (this story is found in Acts) but instead of making it a physical building, he made it a living body, so it would last generation after generation. We, today, are part of that same church started in the 1st Century.

lively stones

The church is a living organism made up of souls. It makes me think of a coral reef. A reef is something solid like a wall, but it’s alive; made up of tiny living organisms called polyps. They look like wee little flowers and they are all attached together to form this living structure where other animals and plant life can survive, yet the reef itself is alive!! This makes me think of the church—a place for shelter and protection (when done right), a place that is made up of living souls, all coming together to be sanctified, to be nurtured and to grow in faith.

What part do you play? Do you provide stability by being someone that is always there and available. Are you a good listener or ready with Biblical advice? Can you help someone physically who is struggling or financially who can’t cover their expenses? We are lively stones, making up the invisible church. While we do have a calling to spread the Gospel we are told to take care of each other, other believers; we are family. Discipleship, encouragement, teaching, correcting (in love) and understanding are all part of the coral reef that is the living church.

The Lord God made them all …

Have you ever looked at picture of an underwater reef? It is a bright and colorful place, made up of many different plants and animals that are part of the ecosystem. We, as a church, are joined to all people, kindreds, tongues and nations that call Jesus, Lord. We often do things a bit differently, but I believe God loves variety; look at how different He has made each one of us and still we are all made in His image. The church is a place of diversity, yet what unites us in Christianity, is that Christ is our corner stone—the rock of our salvation and we believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, from which we take instruction. In this ecosystem, the orange fish and the purple plants are living on the firm foundation of Christ Jesus as Lord. “The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.” (Ps18:46). “The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” (Ps 18:2). “He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.” (Ps 62:2)

God does not need us to praise Him. Jesus taught in Luke 19:40, that even if the people keep silent the rocks will cry out in praise. So watch out, we can be replaced by a mere rock. I, for one, am now completely intimidated by rocks. These guys are impressive!

Even the rocks will cry out …

Further reading:

More on my dog Scout (God can even use him!)

Running Scared

Nose Pressed Against the Glass

Clawing at the Door

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It’s the Little Things

“It’s the little things in life.”

I love little things. Actual little things. I have written about this before, it was one of my first articles back when I was finding my way with this website. I have changed direction, quit, come back and (once again) asked the Lord what He wants me to do with my love of writing. I felt a pull to write more and with that comes a lot of challenges. I don’t love challenges. I want things to come naturally and work out and then I can say this is so obviously what I’m supposed to be doing because it comes so easy and has such success.

In short, I’m looking for the big things in life. Which is ironic considering my love of little things. I want big successes. Big rewards. Big recognitions. Don’t we all long for this? Look at how well my job is going, how great my kids are turning out, how deep my relationships are, how I’m acknowledged in all my circles, even in the world (perhaps?).

I have my writing awards framed, I want people to see them, to know my worth, my value as a writer.

What accolades do you have under glass or displayed on your fridge? That reward in your field? Or maybe your child’s impressive report card or sports recognition? Maybe you had your picture in the paper or even on the cover of a magazine?

Do we put our families on display? Our businesses? Our best artwork or crafts? Of course we are excited and want everyone to see how great it’s going. To share with the world or at least our “group” the good things happening in these areas.

And we need to celebrate these things! It’s important, it’s fun, it’s lovely to see the wedding pictures, the beautiful children in coordinating outfits (with no fighting) and the first day of the dream job. These are the snapshots of life we put on our desks at work, post on social media and hang in our hallways.

How wild would it be if you sat across from a desk only to spy a picture of the time your accountant fell off his bike instead of the time he won the race? Or what if you went to a playdate and the snapshots were of gum in the hair and tears at bedtime and the third night in a row your kids ate cereal for dinner? What if artists displayed only their first attempts at a forthcoming masterpiece? What if we showcased the review with “constructive” criticism? What if I published my first drafts?

Most people aren’t interested in putting the less than perfect images on display. I know I’m not. I like to put those first drafts in a drawer. I delete the unflattering pictures. I don’t want to talk about the failures, the time wasted, the wrong things said in a meeting or in a hard parenting moment.

Yet, these are the little things that build up to the bigger things.

How many mountaintop moments do we experience? In actuality, life is a lot of little things strung together, like pearls on a necklace. Alone they aren’t that impressive, but all together they can be layered around and around until they are weighty. A statement piece. Set against the background of an ordinary life, these small wins can add up.

What if the real gems are more about our character and our growth than about the actual achievements?

I tend to want worldly victories. I find myself chasing after what my culture says is important. Ironically, that is subject to time and place. These are fleeting, changing goals. Like trying to capture the wind vs building a house on a firm foundation. The older I get the more I want something solid, something unmovable on which to build my value and worth. When I was getting published regularly and winning awards, I felt great about my career as a writer. When I started working on this website, I struggled (and still do), because I no long receive the reward of a paycheck or media recognition. This website is a smaller thing.

What are things in your life that feel small?

Most people tell me their life doesn’t look the way they imagined when they were younger. We dream of the heights with no regard for the valleys between . . . and if you are anything like me, you are actually surprised by the low (difficult) times.

Yet, it is in these lowlands that the little things matter the most.

Steamy coffee sipped on a quiet morning. A summer evening dancing with fireflies. Words of encouragement from a friend. When your children make you laugh. Watching a rainstorm. Time to think. Rest.

These things keep us going. They add up to something bigger. To something better. A life that can find joy even on the darker days. Even when the laundry is piling up and tensions are high at work and your trip just got cancelled. Moments that make us smile or pause from our trials or even just the monotony of everyday life, are bright spots moving us forward (even if its just to the weekend).

More importantly, the same is true in our spiritual life. We have some big moments, like our salvation or our baptism, that are exciting and noteworthy days, but much of our faith is walking out our beliefs in the everyday moments. How do we behave when it gets hard or stressful or even boring? That’s when I find, that “the something solid, something unmovable on which to build my worth and value”, can only come from my life being hid in Christ, my Lord and Saviour. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6

The little things of our faith add up quickly: daily Bible study, praying (with thanksgiving), resting in the goodness of God, sharing our hope. These practices of our faith sustain us on the trail. We get thirsty and hungry and tired in this race called life. Sometimes there are really big hills that hit when we are the most tired or deep valleys that seem unbelievably lonely. But these not so little, little practices encourage our feet to keep moving.

A Bible verse that speaks right to our heart.

A time in prayer that calms our anxious souls.

Sweet words from a friend.

“Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty (heartfelt) counsel”. Pr 27:9kjv

Every hike starts with one step and then another and then another, all strung together. Small movements adding up to a journey. We wouldn’t leave for a trek without proper provisions. We need energy, hydration and protection from the elements. The Lord has provided all things for his children. We are nourished by his word, watered by prayers and protected in community. Don’t go it alone and don’t go empty-handed.

How many times have you left home and forgotten something? What would you go back for? Your lunch packed in a cooler, your water bottle, your phone? These are things we need and they are worth turning around for. Time spent growing our faith is also worth the sacrifice. Sometimes we need to turn our day around and gather our supplies; sit quietly with the Lord and be filled so we can deal with life, from the mundane to the unexpected.

Yesterday, I was so busy running from thing to thing that I forgot to pack any food. I was feeling over-caffeinated and a little woozy, I needed to eat, but didn’t have time to stop. Next on the list was picking up my son up from a friend and speeding off to camp. I asked his grandmother, if I could heat up my coffee (because more coffee . . .right?) and she offered me lunch! Sometime we just aren’t equipped for where the trail takes us. This is why the Bible says to be in fellowship with other believers. Sometimes we need lunch. She had extra food and I needed a sandwich (a small blessing) that really made a difference in my day.

At times we are dry and weary and need others to motivate us to keep on the journey. We give into the lies and the fears that can plague every Christian. So the Lord sends his saints to offer a weary traveler encouragement. He preserved his Word (the Bible), to teach us the armor of God (Eph 6), to show us the Hope set before us (Heb 6) and to “restoreth our souls” with the poetry of Psalms . His presence quiets us when we pour out our hearts.

I have been reading a book on Puritan prayers (I know, yawn) but they are anything but boring. These prayers are deep and profound, they are so beautifully penned and speak life into my soul when it is weary and tired. These prayers have reshaped the way I communicate with the Lord. A “little thing” that has had a profound impact on my spiritual life.

At every level of our development, the Lord can use us in small and big ways. Are we willing to start in the small things?

Will we commit to being in The Word daily?

Will we carve out time for prayer?

We will speak up when someone needs to hear the truth and encourgment the Bible offers?

Will we act unselfishly when our flesh tells us otherwise?

Small things sparkle in an ordinary life.

Showing God that we are willing to be used, willing to do the difficult things, willing to grow can seem like little things but are often actually the big things.

His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Math 25:21 esv

Read more:

Faithful in Little

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Feeling Ordinary?

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Running From Thunder

My dog, Scout, is terrified of thunder. Anytime there is a rumble in the sky he runs for cover. The problem, as you can imagine, is that you can’t actually hide from thunder. This, however, does not stop him from trying! He crawls behind a half open door, he goes into the bathroom and wedges himself between the toilet and tub, but alas, the thunder can still find him. He runs around, his little nails clicking annoyingly on the floor, looking for safety.

We always try to soothe our nervous little dog. We tell him it’s alright; we pet him and whisper that he is a “good boy” (my other posts on Scout will show this is not actually true). But it matters not, because none of this helps. He is frantic. His beady eyes are even more crazed than normal. He will not be calmed, he must run around looking for shelter from the noise that is attacking our home. Perhaps it is better outside, he scratches at the door. Despite my best efforts to tell him it’s actually worse out there, he must see for himself. Sure enough he is instantly jumping at the door with muddy paws to get back inside.

Do you have invisible fears? Is there something that has you franticly running round? Do you look for safety, not behind a bedroom door, but in a bank account or job security. While you would never wedge yourself behind the toilet (I hope!), do you make sure you have enough money, supplies, friends or connections to keep you “safe”?

We want freedom from our entanglements or we long for more security. Inside or outside, we still have the same fears, the same longings, the same insecurities.

I have written several articles on my dog, Scout. He has much to teach us on doing it wrong. The truth is I often see myself in his mishaps. He pushes his doggie nose against the window longing for what’s outside and then once he has broke free of the constraints of the home he wants back in. Isn’t this us? Give me freedom, no wait; I want security! We long for what we don’t have and then pine for what we’ve left behind. Scout is very good at pining. He will lay for hours at any closed door only to immediately want out of said room once he achieves entrance.

We shake our heads at his antics, but really, how often do we act like a crazy dog running from thunder? I want to tell Scout, you can’t hide from a loud noise, but he will not be convinced.

What do we run from? What are the loud noises that have you running for cover?

For me it’s a lot of the what ifs. What if this person is just using me, what if I get lost, what if I get sick, what if I don’t have enough of . . .

I spend a significant amount of energy imagining hypothetical situations. Imagining the worst. Getting worked up and fretting over what could happen, what might happen, what I fear the most. The thunder of my fears shakes the frame of my house and I can’t find a safe place to land.

Maybe like me, you have had the worst happen so it doesn’t necessarily feel like fiction, but just being practical. Being prepared because sometimes the worst does happen. That loud cracking storm isn’t just a bunch of noise, but produces lightning and it actually strikes the ground setting your whole life aflame. Storms can do real damage, uprooting our lives and blowing them all over the place. We are left cleaning up the mess for day, weeks and even a lifetime.

As a side note, since I started this article (some weeks ago) there have been many real disasters in the lives of our close family and friends. I even thought about abandoning this piece; maybe Scout is right after all? More than ever lately, I’ve wanted to run and hide from the thunder, as life has proven that it is sometimes followed by a very real storm. So I proceed hesitantly on this topic, as the Holy Spirit keeps nudging me through Bible study and prayer, that we cannot live our lives like a scared Jack-Rat Terrier mix (I’m convinced this particular breed was never meant to exist). I blame the Fall. So, if we are subject to the evils of this world what are we to do? Hide? Shake in fear? Refuse to be comforted?

The Bible does not teach me to do any of the above, so I have to ask myself should I carry on with this article by faith and not by sight?

How about you? Are you walking by sight? (It can look pretty bad) Or by faith?

Most storms are just seasonal with some rain and thunder, maybe some sideway fireworks, but not a tempest to blow through our lives. How do we quell our fears and what ifs? How do we lay down in the storm and sleep at night, instead of pacing the house with our tongues hanging out (or is that just Scout)?

The ways I don’t want to be like Scout are many! I don’t want to let every loud boom shake my faith and steal my peace. I don’t want to run around when I can lay down in green pastures (Ps 23).

So what still rings true—even after a storm has struck or is threatening us in the distance? Well, the promises of the Bible echo down through the ages.

We are not, however, promised happiness and easy times. I checked; it’s not there. But we are promised peace in the storm.

Wait! What? This isn’t exactly what I’m looking for.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John that while we will face hard times, we can face them with peace because He is in control. I assume He tells us this because it won’t feel this way. We will be tempted to think the train has fallen off the rails and nobody is in charge. Yet, He knew we would need this reassurance. Like a terrified dog we tend to seek shelter in all the wrong places. Hiding behind a door, say, to save us from thunder. But because the Bible tells us that God knows the end from the beginning, we can actually sleep at night. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Is 46:10) “And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed . . .” (Deut 31:8)

And here is one of my favorite verses; one I memorized as a teenager, wrote on a card and hung over my bed. It’s probably the verse I can most readily bring to mind—it’s truly hidden in my heart.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Now, what I wish it said, is something like, “Dear Christian, it’s only smooth sailing from here. You will only be happy all the time and get everything your heart desires.” But, alas the promise is different and if we really examine what Jesus is saying we can see that it’s actually a far deeper promise; it cuts through the noise and distractions of life to the heart of the matter, which is eternal peace and security. Fair weather comes and goes, as do storms, but if we can claim His promise of peace, our boat won’t be rocked quite so hard because our eyes will be fixed on the firm rock of Christ and not the choppy waters of this life.

The promise of peace is ours for the taking, but how do we get to it when we are cowering in fear? The disciples ran to Jesus. In Matthew 8, we learn about a time when they were crossing the sea and a storm arose and the wind and waves began to beat on the ship. Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat and they woke Him, crying, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” How often do we run to the Lord saying, “God don’t you see what’s happening in my life?” Don’t you care?” Jesus arose and rebuked the wind and told the sea to be at peace and suddenly there was a great calm. Then he says to his close companions and disciples, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

Right.

Why am I so fearful?

I do have faith, but it is often so weak. “Lord, I believe but, help my unbelief,” was the cry of the father in Mark 9:24. How often is this the sorrow of our hearts? Help us Lord to believe the promises you have given us, even when we can’t see them. We can run to the Lord, appeal to Him as our father. He will answer; sometimes in our spirits (our hearts), sometimes through His Word or a teaching, or perhaps a friend to remind and comfort us in the hope that is ours already.

“And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.” (Ps 39:7)

We can seek Him out in the Bible where we are reminded of these promises of peace and even joy in the storms. We are beckoned to pour out our hearts in prayer, knowing He listens and cares. The true blessing is not, after all, in the ease of life or the way things work out, but in the relationship itself: we are safely tucked away inside the arms of our Saviour. Our spirit can rest and even sleep during a storm, because unlike Scout, we know that God is in control.

Further Reading:

Fuzzy Hope

Why Struggles are Important

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Drafts on Balsamic Reduction: How to thicken Your Faith

If you know me at all, you know that I’m no cook. I do not come by this naturally. I actually come from a line of women who are remembered for their dishes. My great-grandma’s homemade bread is only spoken of with awe to this day. Shortbread cookies, pies and soups still show up on my family’s tables with a dignified nod to their maker and perfecter, with a whisper, “this is Grandma’s recipe.” My own mother is famous (among my friends, that is) for her scones which are regularly requested among them because they are amazing (as is she).

This brings us back to me, the “non-cook.” Can I keep people alive? Yes. Is anyone going to bake a cake and whisper my name someday. No! If anything, I will be known for my charcuterie boards. But I do love to eat and I do really love sauces. I’m far more interested in the sauce than anything else. I always, always ask for extra. So when my family introduced me to balsamic reduction glaze, I was smitten.

I love a flavored vinegar. When the main thing you make is a “mean” salad, a flavored balsamic vinegar is like the piéce de résistance. I’ve tried some with notes of fig, chocolate and cherry, but my absolute favorite is a reduction glaze. All the luscious flavors are boiled down to this thick gloss that is just bursting with flavor. I put it on everything: salad, pizza, bread.

Has your faith gotten watery?

Why is reduction sauce so good? Because it’s been reduced down to its pure goodness. This makes me think of my faith. Sometimes my faith gets watery. It slides around and I can’t quite gather it up in my mind. My feelings dilute it and stretch it out to something tasteless. I’m unsatisfied by this weak faith. Where are the notes of peace and joy? Nobody would ask for extra of this concoction. My weakened faith is full of lies and misconceptions—that I’ve added.

The world and our culture have watered down my doctrine into something that sounds nice on a menu, but there is no substance. When I really need something to grab onto, this watered down version runs through my fingers. It has lost its color and is clear and just shows whatever thing is popular or easy.

A pure faith—a reduction, if you will—is boiled down to its finest form; what is true about God, about His Word, about me (and you). It doesn’t change. It is rich in color and flavor. It satisfies all my longings. I want an extra helping of this sauce. I want to put it on everything. My pain, my hurt, my losses. It makes everything better.

I’m trying to figure out how to make a reduction sauce faith. One that is sticky and tacky and stays where I put it.

I love to introduce people to the wonder that is balsamic reduction, therefore, it is often my contribution to a dinner party. I recently toted it along to a friend’s house, where we preceded to put it on salad, swirl it in our butternut squash soup and over homemade sourdough bread. She told me later that she tried to recreate the meal, but didn’t realize my sauce was a glaze and not just regular vinegar. It shocked her when she dumped some balsamic over a slice of bread, thinking it would be a lovely dark drizzle, but instead was a watery mess.

How often is my faith a watery version of what God is actually saying in His Word? The deep jewel-toned truths are what I need when things get difficult. I need something that will stick when I’m hurting, doubting and struggling to find God in a challenging season. It’s easy to trust Him when things are going our way. When we feel the Lord’s blessings, we can point upward and say, look how good God is . . . He has given me what I prayed for; what I longed for has come to pass. And while all good things come from God (James 1:17), what do we do in the times of hardship? When we are facing sickness, yet again? When we have gone to all the doctors and can’t get answers? When the bills are sitting dusty and unpaid on our desk? When that relationship we have worked so hard on is still in pieces on the floor?

Is God still good?

Do we point upward and say, this is really hard right now, but I know God hears my prayers?

Do we have a sticky faith that knows, though the night is long and dark, God is at work, even when we can’t see His hands?

I’m not good in this area. I’m much quicker to sing His praises when I’m “feeling” loved, when I see things lining up the way I hoped they would. When prayers are answered in my favor. Yet, I long for a faith of more depth, more substance, more staying power. I wondered how I could boil down my faith to the pure ingredients that are full of flavor, making even the driest of seasons, rich in faithfulness.

These last few months have been a time of learning hard things in many ways. When I look at the fruit of the Spirit, I’m most interested in the love, joy and peace slices and less inclined towards the patience, self-control and long-suffering cuts. Have you ever dipped a large spoon into a fruit bowl, hoping for some strawberries and blueberries and come up with a mound of melon. Sure, melon is fine; I want to be patient with the chatty lady checking me out (when I’m in a hurry) or with my dog when he pukes on the carpet (again). But where are the raspberries of joy?

There is something fundamentally off about a fair-weather faith. It’s easy to work hard at a job you love or put time into a relationship you enjoy. Yet, we are so often called to places that we don’t enjoy or feel well-equipped to handle. This is a time of simmering down our beliefs to basics. Does God always love us and want what’s best (best for our character and walk), not necessarily what is easiest? Does God want us to stretch and grow in our reliance upon Him? A time of learning these, shall we say, “less” fun characteristics, will give us staying power when things get hard.

When we are walking through a time of difficulty, learning to lean not unto thy own understanding (Pro. 3:5), but allowing God to do a work in us, we have so much more depth to offer those who cross our paths. When a friend calls and says she doesn’t know how to carry on or how God can possibly be in her illness, her marriage, her finances or her parenting that has gone sideways. . . we have something to offer. We sat down with that spoonful of melon we were served and learned new levels of knowing God.

So, how do we achieve a reduction sauce faith? How do we depend on the Holy Spirit to produce more fruit in our life?

First, and most importantly, we must know what God teaches us in His word. The reading of the Bible chases out any watery beliefs we have picked up from social media or our pseudo-religious co-worker. We learn what God really teaches. Not that it will always be easy, not that we won’t suffer, but that our Saviour also suffered (Eph 5:2) and that we can go to Him with all our fears, worries and tears because He understands (Heb 4:15). We learn that God will never leave us and He is always working on our behalf for our good even when we can’t see or feel it (Rom 8:32).

For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;

but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15 kjv

Secondly, spending time in prayer gently simmers biblical principals into our minds and hearts. I asked the Lord to help me understand the hard truths and to give me a peace in my spirit that transcends my circumstances. A joy that can’t be taken from me when the berries are out of season, when the garden is ugly and bare. We know spring will come again, there will be new life and new hope. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, I am learning to store up fruit and preserve it in my heart—to get me through the winters of life.

And thirdly, a Bible study or prayer group where we can gather with God’s followers, carries us along as our faith is stirred and encouraged. We can season each others’ walks with lessons we have learned along the way. We can teach and learn, adding nuances to our faith that cannot be gathered in one life time. Like a dinner party where everyone brings something to share; a time in community and ministering to others which adds richness to our lives.

As we work on this boiled down faith, wherever we are in our walk (brand new or decades old), we have something to share with the body of Christ, the church and our communities.

I love to share the goodness of God, the long-suffering of Christ and the peace of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, joy has more meaning and the blessings are sweeter, set against the lessons of the other fruits. They all work together to point us towards the glory of God. He is a God for all seasons—the winters and summers, the sour and sweet, in times of joy and in times of mourning. A full-bodied essence, a well-rounded reduction sauce that we carry with us to all situations.

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Drafts on Invasive Species: dealing with Negative Thoughts

When negative thoughts show up in our thinking

Invasive species are unwelcome organisms that show up in a place they don’t belong. These uninvited intruders then proceed to cause trouble and damage to the environment because they don’t want to comingle; they want to take over. I remember as a student, we learned about zebra mussels and how they were coming into Lake Michigan and wreaking havoc. What is interesting about them, though, is that they don’t do much; they just cling, No one notices or thinks much about these unassuming fingernail-sized mollusks. This is how our thought life works. We are sailing along and we don’t even notice invasive thoughts moving in on us. Maybe it’s a little voice that says “you aren’t good enough, or someone else would do this better, or look what they have or you have every right to act this way.” We quietly agree with it without hardly noticing, like a little crustacean attaching to our mind. It’s not really doing any harm . . . right?

Just as it takes years and generations for an invasive species to really settle in, the same is true with our inner thought life. Perhaps generations of people in a family have agreed with an invasive thought. “Nothing ever works out for us, it will always be too hard, we mess everything up.” Some may have grown up hearing people in their lives say things that put them down right from the start (these negative thoughts have been passed down the family tree). If someone, especially a person of authority, like an older family member or teacher plants an unkind seed in our minds we often water it over the years by repeating it to ourselves until it grows into a dark vine that poisons our thinking. (Now, of course, the same is true of good thoughts—we bless others when we speak the words of God over them. This is a great ministry and think of the benefit to family generations.)

The concept of Invasive thoughts had never even crossed my mind until a few years ago. I just assumed the way I thought was, well, just the way I thought. I never considered that the enemy (sometimes through other people) was slowly trying to take over my thinking. If he can get a foothold in my cognitive life, I will be much more vulnerable to temptation. If I think I’m no good and not worth much why wouldn’t I move into depression, anger or unkindness. If I think I’m a failure why would I try to be useful to the Lord. If I can’t do anything right why would I try to help others. The invasive thoughts have taken over and will start to control my environment. Not only will they spread quickly, they will get a stranglehold on good thoughts.

We recently moved into a new house and my neighbor asked me how I felt about the ivy growing at the edge of my property. Well, I’m a big ivy fan so I told him I really liked it. He proceeded to tell me how he had introduced the ivy in his backyard, thinking it would be good ground cover, not realizing, because it wasn’t a native species, that it would take over and kill the other plant life, including trees! Gasp! These thin, pretty little green vines could take down whole trees? Sure enough he showed me how the ivy was already growing up one of the trees and it was in fact losing limbs. I felt instantly conflicted because I really love ivy. I mean an ivy covered building is beyond charming. But! I also love trees. What a picture of my internal struggle. I don’t really want to get rid of the invasive thoughts. I have become comfortable, even grown fond of them, like the ivy vines.

I am a pessimist after all and that is just fine with me. If you read my last post on my struggles with joy, you will know I do not naturally find the joy in life. Looking on the brighter side seems exhausting! How do people do it? My negative thoughts or self-talk had snaked their way through my brain so that the truth was being squeezed out. The enemy is afoot! He works his way into our brains, convincing us that these thoughts are our own and not warfare. The best way to take down a country, a company, a person is to attack from within. If the opposing side can plant someone on the inside, half the work is done. It’s hard to make it over the borders or walls, but if someone is already inside wreaking havoc, it won’t be long before barricades are rendered useless because the infiltrator can simply open a door or a channel to the enemy.

Do you have an open door for the enemy to enter your thought life?

Have you ever examined your inner voice? Is it even yours?

Do those thoughts belong there?

The Bible teaches us that many, if not most, of our battles start in our minds. Before something manifests in our physical life, it was a tiny seed or simple crustacean hanging out unnoticed. Jesus talked about how, if we sin in our minds, it as as if we have sinned in the flesh. (Check out the beatitudes in Matthew 5) Why did he say this? Is it actually the same thing? If I think about stealing or lying but don’t actually act on the impulse, surely that is better then going through with the act. But I believe Jesus’s point was that these thoughts, if not dug out of the soil of our minds, will go on to produce dark fruit. If, however, we plant seeds of truth and allow them to flourish they will produce a hedge of protection against self-sabotage, harm and brokenness. These are the borders we need to put in place to protect us from these invasive thoughts. Because they will come!

We have to start by reading the Word of God so that we are filling our mind with truth; this alone will push out many of those killer thoughts. Colossians 3 says to set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (v2) . . . Put to death therefore what is earthly in you (v5). We need to pray and ask for help in knowing the difference between what is our thoughts (a.k.a. the enemies) and the thoughts the Lord would have us dwell on. Psalm 19:14 says “let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord my rock and my redeemer.” Also, we need community to encourage us along the way. Finding a church, a Bible study, and a believing friend are essential to keeping back the invaders.

Be ruthless with these thoughts, rip out the ivy, scrape off the barnacles before they take over. Cut them off, burn them in the redeeming flames of Christ’s love and fill the holes with the voice of the Shepard. Jesus says my sheep hear my voice. He, although at times is convicting, is never condemning. (We desire change because we love the Lord and trust that He has good things for us). God asks for change (to the point of death to self) but he does not ask us to do it alone. The Lord has provided us with all the tools to carry out this near impossible task . . . my burden is light and my yoke is easy. Pick up your Bible, get down on your knees, reach out to other Christians and start to change your thinking and your life. You are made in the image of God, bought and paid for at great cost, not without hope, not without purpose. He has a plan for you and it is for good.

Romans 7:23 “But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” esv

Want to read more on this topic? Check out these articles

The Hitch: Feeling Stuck?

Soul Wounds: Do You Have Any?

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Drafts on new perspectives (Soul Restoration part 3)

Why do we renovate old buildings or redo our homes? Usually because we are ready for something new. Perhaps the space has fallen into disrepair, or we are just ready for change. Our spiritual life requires maintenance, as well. We are all subject to entropy. I think about this every time I clean my house. I pull out the vacuum, the dog freaks out and everyone suddenly needs to be in a different room. But I’m stuck sucking up all the dog hair. I loathe vacuuming and apparently so does the dog. The worst part about this chore is that I know more dog hair will appear (within minutes, if not seconds). This is entropy. It happens everywhere! It not only happens on our kitchen floors and in our gardens, but in our friendships and in our spiritual lives, as well.

Thus, the need for restoration. The longer we let things go the harder it is to recover. When we buy an old building, we know it’s going to be rough because nobody has been keeping it up. The paint is peeling, the pipes are leaking, the wood is rotting; it’s usually a gut job. Once we have gone through the demolition phase, which I wrote about in part two of this series (check it out here) or if you missed part one about soul restoration (check that out here), it’s time to start designing the new space.

When we are updating buildings, we usually look for ways the space can be better utilized. How can we use this area to the fullest? I feel this way spiritually. I’m tired of my old way of doing things. I want something new. I have tried my way for a long time. I’m more than ready to try God’s way. A place I really struggle personally is to find joy. I tend to look at everything wrong with any given situation to the point of overlooking anything good. Can you relate to this? This was the culture of my family. There are many, many great things about us, but finding the bright side? Not so much. My uncle once told my aunt that she was defined by the things she hates. Yup.

I have to work so hard not to complain. I honestly don’t even always know I’m doing it; it just feels like talking to me. Do you have something in your life like this? Maybe you always put yourself down or you have no patience for anyone who doesn’t do things right (i.e., your way). Maybe you don’t make time for people, or you deal with a jealous heart. Whatever it is, are you sick of it? Ready to change?

Sick of it was how I felt about a month ago when we were in the middle of our second move in less than a year. An unexpected move. We sold our house (that I loved, but we wanted more space). Intellectually, I knew at some point we were going to have to move if I ever wanted more said space, but I wanted to just move into the next “dream” house. Well, this move was a multi-tiered plan that involved going into a rental while we looked for said new place. Let’s just say I was not finding the “joy.”

As events unfolded, there were steps in there nobody saw coming (especially me). For instance, we bought an old school building to renovate into living spaces with the plan of going in ourselves. While a very cool idea, this was not in my plans. But surprise, the school wasn’t ready anyway before we had to be out of our rental. So (wait for it) we bought a tiny cottage to remodel and move into in nine days. People said it couldn’t be done. Turns out it really can’t be done, and we had to spend a couple of nights in one of our Airbnb rentals that was available only because we were waiting for the air conditioner to be repaired. So, place to stay. Check. Any chance of sleeping after a near 100-degree day. No check.

I am not really one to swing with the punches. Thus, all the complaining. If I were to swing into any mental illness it would probably be a hoarder. I love to save things. I keep clothes from college. Scones from last week. So, you can see being forced into a minimalist lifestyle might evoke some complaining or just talking (however you see it.) So, as you can imagine I needed to do some redesigning of my thought life. I had painted myself into a corner. I was living in a small closet of complaints when I could be living in a whole tiny cottage. One day I caught part of a sermon on the radio about not giving into our compulsions. Ever feel like a sermon or article is talking just to you?

The Holy Spirit convicted me through the audible voice on the radio. It hit me so hard, I forgot about the library books I needed to return and sat in the car listening and then had to go on a long walk just to process where I was spiritually. My complaining and unhappiness had become an ugly habit, a compulsion. It was time to knock down some walls and rearrange the rooms. I had locked myself into a dark little corner when there was so much space. So much to enjoy. So much to be thankful for. That night I went for another walk, this time in my new neighborhood, and it was nothing short of magical. How had I not seen it before? I caught a glimpse of the sunset over the lake across the street, families gathered at outdoor tables lit with twinkle lights and someone played old music from the 40s and I thought, wow!, I get to live here?

I was so focused on the dollhouse-sized washer and dryer and the lack of counter space in my tiny cottage that I had missed the beauty of living near the lake and the simplicity and joy, yes joy, of having a small place. I felt like a veil had been lifted. Wait! I’ve been using this space all wrong. I wanted to paint over the hideous colors of discontentment and bitterness and redecorate with thankfulness and peace. I opened all the windows and aired the place out; gone was the musty stench of ungratefulness and in came the fresh air of a new perspective. I could never do this on my own. I needed the conviction of the Holy Spirit to open my eyes and my heart to what God had for me and this time it came to me over the radio air waves.

Renovating our soul is not just getting rid of the old but planning for the new. The new creature you are in Christ. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor 5:17) One that can change, that can grow, that can find joy (or contentment or peace or forgiveness). The Bible says joy cometh in the morning. (Ps 30:5) After a hard season of demolition, it’s time to rethink, update and rearrange our lives. What do we dwell on? What do we talk about? How do we spend our time?

What’s one of the first things we want to do when we renovate? Have people over! Come see the changes I have made in my house or more importantly the changes the Lord has made in my heart. Before in this area I was ugly and selfish (pull out old photos), but now the Lord has changed my outlook. I see things through His eyes. We want to share the renovations in our homes and in our lives. Come over, have a meal, a conversation in this new space. I want to tell you what the Lord did for me. How things have changed by His grace. What’s the best part of a makeover story? The after shots.

Although we want to make changes for ourselves, we also make changes for those around us. I want to be a place people find safe and comforting. Relatable, yes, but someone that can move past the challenges and provide shelter for those in my “neighborhood.” I want to be useful to the Lord. The prayer of my heart is that God can repurpose my hurt and struggles to further His kingdom. The Lord will always be doing maintenance on me, but I want to be a place people can come to get shelter from the rain, inviting and warm . . . even if there is a lot of dog hair.

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Further reading:

The Hitching Post

Fuzzy Hope

Drafts on Demolition (Soul Restoration Series part Two)

Restoration is time-consuming. When we think of restoring old buildings (as we do in our line of work) or perhaps a work of art, we don’t jump to DIY. These are not quick “do-it-yourself” projects. This type of labor requires professionals. So it is, when it comes to my spiritual life. I don’t head over to the self-help section. Nope. This is not a job I can handle on my own—like doing electrical wiring or plumbing (and believe me, nobody would want me on those jobs). God is my go-to (be-all) professional consultant. And I need to consult Him everyday.

In my first article on restoration read here, I wrote about how God loves a project. He is in the business of restoration. Soul restoration. When He knocks on the door of our hearts, we have to invite Him in before he can start to do any work. Once we have greenlighted the project, He comes in with with the heavy machinery (the kind you need a license to operate). While the Lord does the heavy lifting, we do still have a part to play. We have been provided with a toolbox of our own.

Just as we don’t buy an old building to keep it the same, we need to be ready for God to make some changes in our lives. Am I willing to be renovated? This means the way I spend my time will change. I need to be ready to make reading the Bible a priority, almost a daily habit. In my 20’s, when I was trying to figure out this whole faith thing, I reasoned that I better actually read the Bible (like the whole thing) and not just the parts I saw on bumper stickers. Since then, I have read it from cover to cover, almost every year of my life. Just knowing what the Lord says does huge restoration work on our souls. As we learn His ways, down come some of the false ceilings and crumbling walls and we can start to see the framework God set up for our lives.

DEMO is always the first step in a big rehab project. Time for all the extra layers the space has acquired over the years to get ripped down. Old buildings have had many owners and often many uses. Depending on how old you are perhaps you have tried on some different personas over the years. We go through so many stages, good and bad, chasing after the wrong things, the wrong people. These stages can leave a mark in our thinking. I can still remember some of the lies people told me over the years that really colored the way I saw the world, myself and God. We need to take our thinking back to the studs. Get a clean slate and really dive into what the Word of God has to say about how we should think, live and treat those around us. The demo stage is messy and brutal as strongholds and negative thinking patterns get taken out to the dumpster.

Once all the old junk is moved out of the way (& this can take years); and you think you’ve sandblasted that pessimistic thinking out of your life . . . ahhh! there’s that mold growing in the corner again. I believe there is a demo stage of restoring our souls, but the maintenance is endless. That’s why I couldn’t just read the Bible through once and call it good. To stay on top of entropy (def: a measure of disorder; e.g., melting ice), I need to be constantly (daily is best) reading the Bible because old thinking and lies try to work their way back into my mind. I often think of it as feather dusting my mind; if I do nothing, just like dust, wrong thinking will build up. And just when you’re sure everything is sparkling clean the sun comes out and shows you all the corners you missed. Be sure to look under the furniture because dust bunnies love to hide out in the dark spaces.

What are some areas of your spiritual life and thought life that need to be demoed?

Maybe the way you think of yourself?

The way you think of God?

Or the way you relate to those around you?

How do you talk to yourself? Is it mostly negative and discouraging? What are some of the things you hear on replay? I’m doing a Bible study and one of the assignments was to write down how we think of ourselves. The adjectives I used were along the lines of not enough, lacking, failure. To my surprise almost every other woman I’ve asked about this has come up with the same type of words. Yet, when I look at the lives of these women, I think, “wow they got it together.” The enemy whispers to so many of us in the same way.

The warfare starts in our minds. It starts with how we think about ourselves and then it shows up in our words and in our lives. I often have to remind myself that I’m fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14), that God uses all different types of people (I Cor 12:4), that when I am weak, He is strong (Phil 4:13). A simple read-through of the Bible will show us that God does not use perfect people. Actually, apart from Christ, He uses exclusively flawed people. That alone stops some of those negative thoughts. Yup, I’m lacking, I can never measure up, I will never be perfect, but like that old building we’re rehabbing, despite all its flaws, we see its potential . . . and God sees ours.

When I can see God moving in my life, it’s easier to “feel” that He loves me and cares about me. It is when He is seemingly silent that I start to question His promises. I know He is a God of miracles and I believe He wants good things for me. Yet, when I’m in a time of waiting, I start to lose hope. I start to question what the Word says because I can’t see it in the physical world. I have to come to terms with my own expectations, my own time line, and my own plans for what I deem best. Often our faith is built in the “waiting” and faith is, after all, believing in what we can’t see, but know to be true nonetheless. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb 11:1) There is no doubt we live in a fallen world and for me there is no doubt God can work miracles in lives and hearts. The place I struggle is between those two points. How about you?

Just as a room needs to be demoed, my expectations of the how’s and when’s in my life need some demo work.

There might be some walls that need to come down.

We are made for relationships. It may not feel like it to some of us. I tend to self-isolate when I’m sad or angry. I don’t want to talk to anyone and that includes God. Sure I can do crazy, crying prayers in the shower or while driving, but I’m not really all that interested in the answer, I just want to feel better. I don’t really want to figure out how I got here (again!). But often God will use other people to speak to us and in turn He uses us to speak to other people. Thus, the importance of relationships. We help each other. Yes, we need alone time and time with God, but he pours into us so we can pour into others. His Spirit moves us to speak into a friend’s life or forgive or rejoice with someone. Apart from the odd hermit we live in community. We have to get along. This has really been tested lately in the world. If we are ambassadors of Christ, what does that look like? And (surprise again) we have different takes on that so how do we manage in truth and in love?

This is a lot of demolition work on our thinking and therefore on our words and our actions.

Are we willing to be taken down to the studs?

Do we believe God knows what is best for us? (This one is really hard for me.)

If those old buildings could groan and complain when we are ripping away the old walls and ceilings, I’m sure they would cry out—it is hard, painful work—but the end result is worth it. In our heart of hearts we know it is best. We can’t hang onto that old rotting stuff; we want it gone, we want to be made new. We want to be stronger and more solid in our faith, in our worth in Christ, in our value as a child of God. We want the little foxes of doubt chased out. We want the birds (of prey) that peck away at the corners of our thoughts to fly away. We want to be restored. “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jn 10:10b

God will restore us. It is hard hard work. But the result will be amazing.

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Further Reading:

Take Heart: Why Our Struggles are important

Playing the Wrong Notes

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Drafts on Restoration of the Soul

We are in the business of restoration. We buy old buildings (that are usually sitting empty) and we revitalize them. Most people drive by these dilapidated places and either ignore them or think. . . what a shame that place has gone to ruin. We on the other hand pull over, get out of the car and look around. We peer in the windows and instead of seeing broken and ugly—we see potential.

You know who else is in the business of restoration? God!

He doesn’t drive by broken, ruined people and keep on driving. Nope. He pulls over to the side of the road and gets out. He comes over and peers in our soul and he sees potential. He sees someone who can be redeemed.

We recently bought an old elementary school. (It’s our second school.) I actually made a couple videos if you want to check it out. See school here (Warning: my first videos ever.) This project will need a lot of work. A. Lot. Of. Work. The building has sat empty for decades. The windows are broken, the doors don’t shut, the walls are crumbling . . . I could go on and on. Everything needs attention. It needs a complete overhaul. Most people who see the building get a kind of wide-eyed look of panic. Like this is so much work, is it even possible?

I can relate to this building. How about you? Have you allowed fear to blow through and knock out your windows? Have anxiety and worry moved in and begun building nests, wreaking havoc in the corners of your mind? Has life taken its toll?

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Yet, God does not just do a drive-by. Instead, he sees what we could be; how much value we have even in our state of brokenness.

What’s exciting about the restoration of anything, be it a building, art work, or people—is the transformation. We all love a makeover story. If we bought the school and did nothing with it; well, that wouldn’t be noteworthy. The exciting part, the part everyone wants to see is the change. Sanded floors, painted walls, a whole new layout is what gets us talking. Show me the before and after picture so I can see how far you have come in the renovation.

We are all in need of a renovation. Sometimes it’s just the wear and tear of daily life. A baby keeping you up at night or maybe a teenager. New responsibilities at work that are out of your skill set. Caring for an aging parent. You are tired and could use a new coat of paint, but there is no time. Or perhaps storms have been brewing and you’re starting to take on water. A hurting child, a floundering business or a crumbling marriage and all you can do is stick a bucket under the leak.

Then there are tornadoes, hurricanes and fires. Where life comes to a screeching halt and leaves you feeling gutted. Tragedies, abuses and losses have damaged us to a point that we feel we won’t recover. It will take more than some weekend projects to restore us. Our faith has storm damage. All our defenses are down and we aren’t sure where to start or if we even want to start.

Yet, God is not willing to drive by us and shake his head. The opposite in fact, He is tenderhearted and full of mercy. He is the Master Restorer. He invented redemption. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jn 3:16 My husband and I get really excited when we see a cool old building that is in disrepair because we see the potential. God made you. He gifted you. He created you for a purpose. Your makeover through Him is meant to bring God glory. When we makeover an old building, we don’t say, look at what this building did? It fixed itself. No, we say look at what we did. We did all this work and now behold its beauty.

It is only through God that we can come into our full potential of who He made us to be. Then we can say, look at what God did in my life. I was broken and damaged and He fixed me. I could never do this outside of His power. The Lord not only patches the leaks, but puts on a whole new roof so the floods of despair do not overwhelm me. He chases away the vermin that nibble at my hope. He washes my windows so I can see the perfect view (of heaven) and he paints me in a fresh coat of joy. The Lord goes beyond just restoration and brings new life. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. . . 2 Cor 5:17 God plants trees so I can have the fruits of the Spirit and become a person God can use for His good purpose. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters . . .her leaf shall be green . . . and shall not cease from yielding fruit. Jer 17:7-8

Our school will become a home, a dwelling where people can be protected from the elements. We will do our best to make it beautiful, not only on the outside, but mostly on the inside (where it counts). God wants us to be a space for other people to go and feel loved and protected. I want to have a heart for others, an ear to hear my brothers’ struggles and a tongue to speak encouragement and truth. We don’t want to fix up that school and have it sit empty. And God’s healing and restoration work is so I can, in turn, provide a place of comfort and peace (that is, Christ through me) to those in my life.

Restoration is a process!

So is the work God does in our hearts.

He restoreth my soul . . . Ps 23

Follow along as I hope to write more articles about restoration. As we move forward on our school building project I can’t help but think about the different stages of rehabbing our life and hearts. When redoing a physical space we need to clear out the junk that has rotted and accumulated, causing more problems the longer they sit. Like a mid-century building, we too, need restoration—but in our hearts—to manage the upkeep of our souls and to be useful to others. But before a developer or flipper can do any work on a building, they must first purchase the property.

Do you know you were bought at a great price? We got a great deal on our school building, but God paid the ultimate price. The life of His Son. He paid in blood to own the deed to your soul. He said you are worth everything to me. I don’t care how ruined and useless you feel, I will pay top dollar for you. God sent his Son to buy all the property rights so we would all have access to his care. He is the Master Restorer, the Ultimate Caregiver and He can rebuild and repurpose your life like no one else. His services are available to all who ask. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mt 11:28

Unlike a building on the side of the road, we must answer the knock on the door and say yes, come in and then everything will be transformed.

God loves a project.

He will come in to blast away the rot and take our hearts down to the studs, if we will let him.

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Drafts on The Bitter and The Sweet

I attended a class at the nature center where I learned all about the many health benefits of herbs. One that really stuck with me was bitters. The teacher suggested drinking bitters in a tea like dandelion or chamomile because they aid with digestion. I found this very interesting. Some bitter plants actually make your gallbladder kick into action, releasing bile to help you break down food. So, I bought a lovely bottle of barrel-aged bitters which is normally used for cocktails, but I have just been taking a small spoonful in the evenings.

And I do enjoy some bitter foods in small doses; one of my favorites being bittersweet chocolate. I love how the sweet and bitter play off each other. The same way I love a strong black coffee with a pastry . . . it’s all about the juxtaposition, the meeting place of two opposites. These are always interesting places in cooking (so I’m told), finding the right balance. You can love a rich decadent dish, but you need something to offset it, something bright or tart.

Life is so much of this, isn’t it?

The bitter and the sweet.

The sugary and the tart.

Opposing forces balancing each other.

Love a lemon tart

We can only consume so much whipped cream before we want something solid and nourishing. We often find ourselves chasing the lighter things in life. The fun. The ease. Especially when we are young, we want excitement and adventure. We want to dance through life with people who are just looking for a good time. Mobility. Lightheartedness. No commitments. Inevitably, one day that sweet whipped topping starts to make us feel sick. We long for something more substantial. Something that will feed our bodies and our souls. We want committed relationships and steady pay-checks. We want something nutritious. We actually crave . . . a salad.

As the years go by, we have the family and the steady job with the reliable car and the sensible shoes and the pendulum swings the other way. We have lived off a steady diet of vegetables. We have made the hard (but right) decisions. We are predictable and solid. We buy the healthy foods and count our steps and offer meaningful contributions to school, church and work. And there is accomplishment in this, but there is also longing. Longing for that dessert. For that something sweet. For that joy. For that spontaneity (which is surprisingly hard with nap times and deadlines).

Always trying trying to find that counterbalance for our life.

I find so many bittersweet spots in my faith walk, as well. We find life in Christ, but must die to self. The bitterness of death is offset by the sweetness of life eternal. The grave will not have it’s victory, but in this life we will have trouble (we feel those troubles) like a spoonful of bitters. We swallow it down knowing the Lord will use this, even this. My grandma used to say life is like a bowl of cherries, sweet and sour and full of pits. Can there be value in the hard parts of life? I certainly want a soft landing, but often find myself in the thistles. Do the losses make the gains that much sweeter? Does the lack make us appreciate the plenty all the more?

Which of us is most grateful for forgiveness? The ones who need the most. Only when we are cold are we thankful for a blanket. Only when we are hungry do we truly feel grateful for the bread. It is in the lack, in the want and in the bitter that we truly feel the sweet. It is after the darkness that the light means the most. These spots are where we truly get a moment of heaven, of the Father’s love, of the promises. It’s in a sunrise, a spring day, a cold cup of water and a friend’s kind words. It’s the storms that shape us, that push our heads downs so when we do look up we see it all with new eyes. After we have stared at the mire for so long, how beautiful is the sun (the Son!).

This walk, this life—it is bittersweet, but we get tangible glimpses of the Lord’s goodness. Are you looking for them? The sun on my face after a long cold winter. Finding a true friend after feeling isolated and forgotten. Someone to hold your hand. Someone to hear your pain. A hot cup of coffee after a snowy walk.

If you are someone who has suffered from headaches, especially migraines, you know what it is to feel pain. I, at times, have experienced some so bad that I can’t even get out of bed, have a light on or have any noise. I am paralyzed in pain. My whole existence has come down to a dark room, nothing else matters; I’m of no use to anyone. When that headache breaks and I can drink a little tea and sit up, I swear I never feel more alive, more thankful, more grateful for life without a headache! In this moment, I’m the most appreciative.

When we first find the Lord and His forgiveness and His promises, it’s like someone opened a window in a stuffy room. And we thought our whole life was to be played out in this room (this life) and then we meet the Lord and he shows us there is more. So much more. I cannot even begin to imagine heaven, so I can only use ensamples from this earth. The beauty of an Irish meadow after a rain, an English garden in full bloom, white powdery sand offset by lapis waters, smoking mountains and and falling snowflakes. So much beauty awaits us. How hard this life is and how wonderful the next one will be. It is the bitter that makes the sweet, so sweet.

“Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.” Psalm 144

Whatever you are going through, the Lord will one day offset it. He will welcome you home and you will never feel more alive, more grateful, more worshipful. All the hardness of life will be smoothed over and we will marvel at the difference. All the shadows will disappear in the presence of the Lord. It will be the perfect balance.

The notes of the honey are heightened by the acidity of the vinegar.

Use the bitter things in life to help you digest the promises of God.

How sweet they are!

One day there will be no more bitter.

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