Carry Them in Faith

"One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord's healing power was strongly with Jesus. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn't reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven..." Luke 5:17-20 (NLT)

My granddaughter is in the thick of teenage rebellion. In all outward signs she seems to be the typical moody 17 year-old, earbuds and all. But away from of our view she has slipped into a very dark alternate life of drug use and using means to get those drugs that no grandmother wants to think about. You can imagine the turmoil and heartbreak that has resulted knowing the horrible situation her choices have led her to.

The thing is, she doesn't see it. It doesn't seem horrible to her. She has been convinced by her desires and 'the ways of this world' that this is an acceptable way to live. After all, it's HER life and she can choose what to do with it. What she doesn't realize is that she has been paralyzed by the world's deceptive thinking. If she continues on this path her life will wind down to a stand still and she will find herself struggling just to maintain the moment.

So hard to know just what to do. It is so much easier to pray for God to heal an illness or provide a need. After all, these things are out of our control and in God's hands but this situation seems different. What do we do with this? We are convinced that because everyone has 'free will' and can choose what they wish there is not much that we can change . It leaves us watching as our loved one lays down on their 'mat of hopelessness' worrying and waiting until they are ready to look to the Lord for help.

I would like to suggest that is just not the case. We can follow the lead of these very good friends found in the passage from Luke and grab the corners of the mat and haul them to the feet of Jesus.

I love this picture. It gives me hope. It takes the power away from hopeless situation I see, empowers me with what I can do and shows me what God will do in turn. Because of the faith of these friends this man's sins were forgiven and the story goes on to tell us his body was healed as well. Did you see that? Jesus acted on the FRIEND's faith.

I have seen this in action over and over as the women of the Bible study I attend have carried their sisters to the feet of Jesus. Most have gone willingly but there are some who would have who fought us off except they were paralyzed. (Which means they have to go where we carry them.) Healing and restoration has happened and what's more? We have witnessed and recounted the stories bringing the hope to even more women. Yes sir-e! These are exciting times. Healing is happening. God is good.

"Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, "We have seen amazing things today!" " Luke 5:26

Please grab a corner of of granddaughter's mat and help me carry her to the feet of Jesus. I know that because of faith of others and the willingness to carry her to the feet of Jesus her sins will be forgiven, her body will be healed and to God's glory she will take up her own 'mat' sharing her story with other young women so they too can find hope in a God who loves them. We will see amazing things today!

Route 66: Light the Way

I love, Love, LOVE how “God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” in all things. [ Romans 8:28] Each lesson he showed me yesterday had a common theme of living a fully surrendered life. Even the songs at Bible study lent their words to reinforce the fact that my life is best lived in total obedience to my God. One thing that God has been showing me through this is, when you give yourself over to the idea you are going to follow the road ahead becomes smooth. I don't know what it is but I have a feeling is is we who place those rocks in our way when we question God's wisdom. Hmmm...

Today, our reading in Route 66 took us though the beginning of Jesus' teaching. Found in this group of verses is the teaching on salt and light. I really love his concept on both these things but it was light that God wanted me to consider at the moment. How do I know? This is the picture I received from a friend on Facebook this morning. Isn't it amazing? It gave me a picture of exactly what Jesus was saying in Matthew 5:14

 I saw some thing similar when flying to Seattle a few years back only there was quite a bit of cloud cover that night. It did not, however, block out the lights of the towns and cities I passed over. I could see their lights glowing through the mist. It was an equally beautiful sight. Just think, we are light in our families, neighborhoods and communities. Just as in this picture, we stand out and draw attention. When we gather there is more light but even separately we illuminate the dark spaces. It's a beautiful thing.

If I may, please let me give you one more thing to consider. How did you feel the last time the lights went out? Lost, fearful, uncertain? We need to embrace our roles as light in a world living in darkness. Let's draw attention to the One we draw power from. Plug into Him and SHINE your light!

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand,

and it gives light to everyone in the house."

 Matthew 5:14-15

[This incredible image of the Wilmington area at space as taken from the International Space Station. To see an incredible full video fly-over of the US at night, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObnEpRccHM&feature=player_embedded#! ]

Route 66: Merit Badge

When I was a young girl I was privileged to be part of the Girl Scout program. My favorite part was earning the badges for all sorts of activities but it wasn't the experience I valued. It was the proof of completion that I really held dear. That little emblem that I had accomplished the assigned task was the so important to my young heart. There it was on my sash for all to see. It's award was the signal move on to earning the next patch to add to my collection.

In this morning's Route 66 reading through the Bible we started the New Testament. Matthew opens with a genealogy, a cliff note's version of the birth of the long awaited Savior and then we drop in on John the Baptizer doing just what he was born to do- preparing the way of the Lord. In the crowd he spots those troublesome religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. These men were stellar in going through the motions of religious ritual and rule keeping. I'm sure their sashes had many merit badges to show for their efforts but John would not mince words with them about the important people they thought themselves to be. He called them what they were – a pack of poisonous vipers.

That seems so harsh in my estimation but John knew them and their hearts. God and his ways had become something that they added to the outside of themselves to look as though they had it going on on the inside as well but it just wasn't true. He told them, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” It wasn't the religious ceremony that was going to save them. It would be the change of heart, one that was fully surrendered to God and that would only be evident through the fruit of their lives.

We as a culture of Christians need to be careful not to operate in the same way as these religious men. We cannot just add Jesus as another of our life's achievements. We have to be fully in him and he must reside in the proper place as Lord over our lives. What we can add is fruit and everyone will recognize this fruit of God by its characteristics -

“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.”
Galatians 5:22-23

Verse 23 of Galatians ends with “Against such things there is no law.” There is no limit to how much you can do when it comes to producing fruit of the Spirit. If I must collect something for others to see why not it be acting in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. And one last thing, unlike that little girl of the past who just wanted to get through the task to earn the praise of accomplishment, I now savor each moment in each experience with the Lord. That's the true pay off.

"All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice."

Proverbs 21:3-4

Galatians: Joy: The Sparkle in Life

Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.  Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Psalm 43:3-4

I along with my Bible study girlfriends are currently studying Galatians through a Beth Moore study called Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit. And I am so...well, full of joy to be looking at the characteristic of  JOY this week.  Crazy I know, if I take into consideration all of the stress and turmoil life brings each day. But when we set our eyes on the Lord the struggle diminishes and the joy increases because we know that ultimately our sufferings are part to moving us  forward to that "hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 talks about. This shift in focus from ourselves onto God draws our attention to purpose of life's experiences but there is more to be seen. We begin to see something that is beautifully purposeful and the result is joy. It is exactly what is shown in the story of Paul and Silas of Acts 16:16-40 where their beating and imprisonment ends in the salvation of a whole family.

I would like to use one of my friends, Julia, for a moment here-- Julia has a knack for taking an ordinary even somewhat worn out pair of shoes and turns them into a sparkly expression of joy by embellishing them with crystals. She does beautiful work and her creations certainly grab your attention. I can't help but think that no matter where those shoes may take her, they have to give her some measure of joy when she happens to look down and catch their glimmer.  I think that is how God works in our lives, too. Life can be a drag, wearing us out and leaving us discontented and even hopeless but if we take time to glace at him even for a moment we will see the glimmer of his light. A sparkle of truth will catch our attention and we will be drawn in and reminded of the joy of living in His presence while walking out His will no matter where it takes us. Delight in the Lord and allow him to show you the joyful expression of his work in you. 

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything...for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
  James 1:2-4, Nehemiah 8:10

Route 66: Oh, The View is Worth It!

Sometimes life has a funny way of flipping on us. One day all seems to be going great and then it knocks us down cold with a sucker punch. If you have lived very long you know this to be true. Life is full of ups and downs or hills and valleys as some would say. If your life is anything like mine those hills and valleys seem to be happening in the same moment. I can't figure out if I going up or if I'm on my way down. Happiness in one aspect and sadness in another. And Sadness has a way of saying, "What do you have to be happy about anyway? Can't you see you're struggling here! You have no space for Happy in your life."

The thing is whether climbing up the side of a mountain slope or going down it is an equally difficult journey. Our legs ache and our lungs scream for air on the way up while we cringe at the thought that one miss step on a steep downward slope could send us tumbling all the way to the bottom. I'm not sure I really get the whole hiking thing but I do know that I appreciate the level path more than the rugged climb. Even if you are not a hiker, you can appreciate the picture of the trail opening onto a beautiful, lush meadow. Your breathing slows and your comfort level rises and you begin to think, "This was totally worth it!"

On my recent trek through Ecclesiastes I had to pause and think. In the midst of woe and meaningless whining about life, its struggles and its distractions we find Solomon encouraging us to find satisfaction in the simple things. He takes it down to the basic level each of us live at. Eat, drink and work. That's it. We can be content with what we have or we can strive, climb and worry our lives away to which Solomon would point out is "Meaningless."

Solomon also speaks to the things in life that come to us through no action on our part-the illness, the accident, the down sizing, the prodigal child- he tells us, "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other." And then he says," Remember that nothing is certain in this life. I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people." [7:14-14 NLT]

Solomon is pointing out there is no checklist or formula to living the perfect life. "Nothing is certain." No matter who we are, how closely we follow the Lord, or how much faith we possess S*** Happens. I'm sorry if I am offensive but lets be realistic. When life gets hard don't you think, "This STINKS!"?

Woe is universal. It strikes us all. It doesn't matter if we are righteous or wicked we will meet up with it eventually. There is no escape. But in the passage from Ecclesiastes it says, "...consider this: God has made the one as well as the other." And that's when we think,"Really, Lord. I'm doing the best I can and now this! There is no hope here." But when the disappointment subsides and we can begin to see clearly again that's when we can actually can start to realize that God is indeed in those dark days as well working to bring about things that could happen any other way. Blessings in disguise some would say.

One 'undercover' blessing came to me at very critical time in my life as they always do. My dad was dying. His body was ravaged with cancer brought on by his lifestyle choices. No amount of prayer was going to turn the tide on this one. Nor did I even think God was working here. After all, Dad had indicated the church would fall down if he ever entered it. So to protect the other parishioners he stayed clear of the building on Sundays. It seemed as though he had turned his back on God. The real truth is he felt unworthy but a few months before my dad's death came a new revelation.

On one of my last visits my dad was calling each of us aside and presenting us with a gift of a personal item he held dear throughout his life. His hunting knife, his hat, his rifle, his watch went to various siblings. They were just things he knew we would like or he just wanted us to have to remember him by. When he got to me he said, "Sis, I don't have anything in my box for you." I shrugged it off with, "That's OK, Dad," knowing his love was really enough. But then he went on to say he wanted me to know he had made his peace with God and he had finally trusted him with his life.

Oh, My God! [reverently, of course] You are truly a God of miracles! I cannot tell you the pleasure I found in hearing my dad's profession of faith. A long season of prayer was answered and a daughter's broken heart restored. And that's not all. When it came time for his passing God blessed me again by allowing me to be with Dad when he saw the light of heaven. He pointed it out to me but my eyes that were still anchored to this earth could not see it. He went on his way to an eternal life with Jesus. A beautiful thing, indeed.

You know, I think I beg to differ with our wise man, Solomon, on the point that nothing is certain in life. I believe you can know for certain what the future holds. For instance, I know for certain that God is with me whether I am in good times or bad. [Deuteronomy 31:6] I know that because of his presence I will survive the bad times. [Psalm 16] But not only that. I will be blessed through them. There will be joy in them. Perhaps not about what I wanted or expected but joy all the same. I will look back and realize it was not a meaningless exercise but a time when God's power and glory as well as his love and compassion were on display in my life. [Romans 8:18, 28] And I have no doubt God will continue involve himself all aspects, good and bad, of my life. That is something I can count on. His ways are certain.

At the end of this particular portion of Scripture in Ecclesiastes Solomon states, "It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all [extremes]." I believe he is talking about grasping the good and the bad that comes to our lives. Hold them in your heart. Look for God and his wisdom in each situation. Know that God is at work bringing not just a good but the best outcome. This is what brings that sense of ease even in the midst of turmoil. When we do this it is like that experience we talked about in the beginning, the stepping onto that peaceful meadow. Trusting that God is in control of all situations allows us to stand in awe of the beauty he is creating in and around us. When we do we will surely find ourselves breathing out, "Now, this is totally worth it."

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Route 66: InternalChange Ahead

A wife of noble character who can find? 

 Proverbs 31:1

Oh, the dreaded Proverbs 31 woman is in our sights today. Of course we would love to be God's ideal of a woman but in reality her description just makes most of us feel anxious, extremely tired and a bit hopeless.  Where does this woman get all her energy? Up before dawn working all day and well into the night, she completes her check list with a satisfied smile. She sews, she shops, she cooks, she farms, she sells, she spins, she gives, she protects, she interacts with the community, she speaks wisdom, she gives good advice, she keeps an orderly home and she is never idle. How could she be with that list!  And another thing.  Nothing seems too much. She does her job well. So well in fact that others take notice.

What is the secret to this woman's unending pool of motivation and energy? The love for her husband or children? The need to help her friends and neighbors?  The responsibility of being a contributing member of society? These things may play into it but will never sustain the energy it takes to be successful. We find the answer way down in verse 30- "a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Its not the checklist God is after here. It is the heart of the woman that determines her nobility not her ability to stay busy all the time carrying out prescribed tasks. Does she fear the Lord is the real indicator. Once that is in place the motivation and energy to make a difference in this world will follow.

In case you are a little confused how being afraid of God could provide the positive example we see in Proverbs 31 let me give another definition.

fear [verb] to hold in awe [noun] -respectful fear and wonder [verb] -to think or speculate curiously [adjective] -eager to know [adjective] -full of desire or enthusiasm.

There you have it. I believe that if we follow our English definitions this woman was full of wonder about the Lord. Her mind was on him. She examined him with a need to know more about him and she did it with eagerness and enthusiasm. Enthusiasm [noun] actually means 'absorbing interest' which means she was extremely interested in the Lord but not only that she was engrossed [adj] with him. Her mind and attention were fully and completely occupied with the God. How then could she not be affected by him in everything she did?

There is a story about two other women in the New Testament you may be familiar with.  Two sisters, Mary and Martha, look forward to a gathering where Jesus was to be the guest of honor. Martha became distracted with the preparations for the event. Oh, the plans she made but in the end she grew weary of doing everything herself while her sister seemed preoccupied with their visitor, I can't blame Martha. I know her pain and frustration of trying to pull everything together for a perfect party. But perhaps I, as well as Martha have missed the point on these occasions. Jesus' answer to Martha brings it back into perspective.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,  but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

Jesus was saying, "The important thing here is we are spending time together and nothing can replace that. And when all that is left of the banquet is a sink full of dirty dishes, you will still have the relationship we have built interacting with one another. That lasts for ever."

Jesus was supposed to be the focus of the get together not the preparations Martha was spending so much time and energy doing on her own. I believe our Proverbs 31 woman likely has that all figured out in her life. Her focus is the Lord and his influence is seen in all that she does and accomplishes. The same is true for us. Our lives should have Jesus at their center and everything else we are involved with will reflect his presence.  A shift in perspective can bring that ideal women well within your reach. Jesus first, then... The noble lady of Proverbs-that 'perfect' woman- simply put is one who fears the Lord.

Route 66: Drive-Thru vs Roadside Diner

OMGosh, it's been a long time since I have have had to sit down and write. As many of you know we have had a wedding in our family. Our youngest daughter married in June to a very generous and kind young man whom we feel very happy to welcome to the family. With all of the activity of preparations along with company of friends and family there just hasn't been time to settle my mind to putting 'thoughts to paper'. God finally used a tiny slip of paper found in a fortune cookie last week to remind me it was time to get back to writing. It said, "You are an adventurer traveling on the highway of life" so today I am ready to get back on the road to see what God has for me to see.


OK...we are now in the book of Proverbs with our travels along Route 66. I do love this book and its lists of instructions, knowledge and wisdom Solomon wished to pass along to his son.

"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:for gaining wisdom and instruction;for understanding words of insight;..." Proverbs 1:1-2

We, too have the opportunity to benefit from the writings of Solomon as well as others from the Bible and since they are directly inspired by God himself we can gain more insight about him every time we read it.

Recently, I was a approached  by a woman from our summer Bible study and was complimented for my knowledge of the Scriptures. She had been encouraged by something I had said which in turn had made her think about God's word all week. (This was a happy dance moment for me because I love to promote God's word in women's lives.) She also admitted feeling a bit intimidated by me and the wisdom I possessed. The last thing I want to be intimidating so I  revealed to her and now, to you that this wisdom/knowledge thing has not always been prevalent in my life.

For most of my adulthood I have lived as a nominal Christian. I guest you can say I just snacked on God from time to time. I attended church services but did not read the Bible outside of filling a few blanks in a study booklet but about ten years ago, something changed. I joined a Bible study and decided to really take on studying the portion of Scripture put in front of me. As I worked through the passages, God revealed himself to me in such a way I never wanted to let go. It created a hunger for something substantial in regards to God. I wanted to know him more and I knew the way to do that was not by hearing what others had to say about him. I needed to discover him, his ways, his thoughts and his desires for myself through his word. Our relationship became personal as I was getting to know him first hand and loving every minute of it.


So, as they say,"The rest is history." I continue to seek his wisdom through his word and I get so filled up I have to share it with others. I am not wise outside of his influence.  I say all this because its attainable in everyone's life. I am no one special. Anyone who wants to have more knowledge about God  needs only to jump in and get started exploring the Scriptures for themselves. I guarentee you will never want to go back to mediocre life of just knowing what others tell you about him. You will want to get to know God for yourself in a way that makes him real and your relationship with him meaningful.

Am I perfect when it comes to daily studying the word? Hardly. I am like everyone else. I struggle to find time, I get distracted by life and its drama and sometimes I just can't seem to find the motivation. I have days, sometimes several in a row when I don't open the Word but I can always tell when I have been away too long. I start to get cranky and critical. I begin to feel shaky and weak. Sounds a bit like hunger and low blood sugar don't ya think. When I have these physical symptoms, that's when I know I need to sit down and have something to eat. So too, when these symptoms are spiritual. I need hardy portion of the Scriptures.

 In  the Old Testament there is in an exchange between God and Ezekiel as Ezekiel prepares for his mission. In The Message it reads like this--

 "He told me, "Son of man, eat what you see. Eat this book. Then go and speak to the family of Israel." As I opened my mouth, he gave me the scroll to eat, saying, "Son of man, eat this book that I am giving you. Make a full meal of it!" So I ate it. It tasted so good—just like honey." Ezekiel 3:1-3

Love it! Eat my words. Linger over them for they are pleasant and they keep you coming back for more. These instructions are good advice to us, as well, especially when its been awhile since our last meal on the Word. Just the thing to put us back on track feeling strong and energized. So pull up a chair, settle in and begin to feast on the best thing you will every eat. And you sure can't beat the company.

 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." 

Revelation 3:20