Being Known...

Greetings, Everyone...

To my visitors, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my purpose is simply to nourish your soul and encourage you along the way.

Lately I've been going through a refining fire of sorts. My son injured his back several months ago which has drastically affected his life. My mother's heart has been aching for him as I've watched him sit at home while all of his friends are together at practice. We've gone to one doctor after another and it's been a long four months. He is a high school athlete and yet this injury has pulled him completely out of sports. One of my "happy places" is watching him play football and basketball. Needless to say, I've been selfishly doing some of my own grieving through this process. Moreover, this "fire" has shown me once again what a solid young man my son is...and it's also shown me that I have a long ways to go in the way of surrender. Though Jordan has had some significant moments of sadness, he is fully trusting that God is writing his story. I too believe and know that God is up to something wonderful here. It's just that Jordan's trial has shown me things in myself that I wish weren't there.

But God is good...and His mercies are new every morning...

This morning wrapped its arms around me in an intimate and personal way. Everything I love was right there waiting for me.

My French vanilla coffee brewed minutes before I awoke. I poured myself a steaming cup of java, grabbed my Bible, and headed out to my swing on the deck.

The morning sunlight danced on the leaves and the birds sang a melodic song. The trees swayed in the breeze and the sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds.

I snuggled under my blanket with my Bible and my coffee and I began my prayer time by complimenting the Creator on His handiwork.

I looked over the tops of the trees at the beautiful sky and I prayed, "Nothing matters more than knowing You more, Lord."

As I paged through Scripture, I stumbled upon this wonderful passage from Jeremiah 9:23-24:

This is what the Lord says:

Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom

or the strong man boast of his strength

or the rich man boast of his riches

But let him who boasts boast about this:

that he understands and knows me

that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on the earth,

for in these I delight,"

delcares the Lord.

One of the greatest things about belonging to God is that He knows us. He wants us to know Hiim more. When we go through the fire, He knows how we'll respond. He is well aware of the dross that will surface and He is glad to remove it from us. He knows us fully and loves us deeply.

How is it then, that we as wee little people slowly and subtly begin to rely on our own strengths (which really aren't our's, they were given to us by God)?

If God has given us an extra measure of wisdom, somehow we dare say that we are wise. If we are excellent with money, we tend to judge those with holes in their pockets. If we're healthy, we wonder what the sick are doing wrong.

God help us!

To boast in our own strengths is to let go of the Vine so that we can dangle from our own branch by our fingertips. May it never be! This is no place for the Believer.

In so many words, God is saying to us in the passage above:

"Yes, you are good at some things because I have made you that way, but not so you will believe in yourself or think yourself great. No, I planted seeds of greatness in you so that you might humbly carry on My work and bring My presence with you wherever you go. If you must boast, boast in this: that you know Me and are known by Me. Be much with Me and press on to know Me more. Let your eyes reflect a heart that is humbly confident in knowledge of My love. You have nothing to prove and much to share. I know all about you and I am crazy in love with you. In the fire and on the mountain top - you are known by Me.

Let that be your highest goal and your greatest treasure."

You are known by Him. The good, the bad, and the ugly. And yet you're beautiful to Him.

On your best day and on your worst day, boast only in this: that you know Him and are known by Him. Be thankful that we serve a God who exercises kindness, righteousness, and justice in the earth.

Oh, to know Him more!

Until next week...

Love you, friends~

His Promises Are True!

Greetings, Dear Friends and Visitors!

As most of you know, I post every Wednesday and my goal is to nourish and bless you along your way...

Though we are surrounded by trouble, God is our fortress. Though these are turbulent times, God is our peace and He will lead us to quiet waters. Though people are weak in their convictions and morals seem scarce, God is the strength of our hearts.

Here is a powerful, paraphrased declaration from Psalm 112: 1-10...

Read it out loud today and go on in the strength of the Lord!

We are full of joy because we walk in the fear of the Lord!

We delight in obeying His commands!

Our children will be successful wherever they go. An entire generation of godly people will be blessed. We will propser in all ways and our good deeds will last forever.

God's precious and guiding light shines in the darkness for us and we are not afraid.

We are generous, compassionate, and righteous.

Much good comes our way because we lend money generously and conduct business fairly.

We will never be overcome by evil.

Because God has made us righteous we have a godly heritage which will be long remembered.

We do not fear bad news because we confidently trust the Lord to care for us.

We are confident and fearless and can face our foes triumphantly.

We share freely and give generously to those in need.

Our good deeds will be remembered forever and God will bless us with influence and honor.

The wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger and they will slink away with their hopes thwarted.

This is not an evenly matched battle. Overwhelming victory and strength are in the Lord.

Blessed is everyone who puts there hope in the Living God!

Until next week, friend...

Put your hope in Him.

This Day...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my goal is to nourish and bless you as you go about your day.

With my books in one hand and my coffee cup in the other, I made my way out on to the deck this morning. Sleep has been eluding me lately making my mornings a little less enjoyable than they normally are.

Still, I love the morning. Everything about it. The new sunrise. They puffy clouds. The singing birds. The swaying trees. Each morning I sit on my deck and behold a fresh look at creation because it makes me feel close to my Creator.

In spite of my heavy eyelids and foggy brain, I was intent on experiencing the beginning of this new day. I was determined to be reminded once again of God's fresh mercies and abounding love. I love the fact that while I slept (tossed and turned, rather), the Lord of the Universe held me in His hands.

Do you know what a gift today is?

As you went about your day yesterday, did you confess your sins? Or when you put your head on the pillow last night - did you do it then? If so, those sins are gone today.

You have a fresh new start.

Your slate is clean, your sins are gone, and you have a chance to begin again.

If you got knocked down yesterday or harassed by a bully or by the enemy of your soul - that doesn't mean you're defeated.

Because today, you have a chance to get up again.

God's promises are true for you and He's already won the war.

Maybe yesterday you said or did something you regret today. Did you bring it to the Lord? If not yesterday, do it today.

Because the wonderful thing about God is that He is into the business of redemption. He redeems our lives from the pit. He even has the power to redeem our mistakes.

As Graham Cooke says, "He stands in our credibility gap and smiles."

Even if you're exhausted, sick, or just tired, determine to look up today...make yourself smile.

You are not bound by your circumstances or even by your tired body.

You have the living-loving-Lord Jesus alive in you and if His Word can raise the dead, He can surely energize and restore you!

This day is a gift to you because God's promises are true for you today, His provision is available to you today, and He has promised to help everyone who calls on His name.

Don't face this day sitting down.

Stand UP, look UP, and ask for the Kingdom of God to come to bear on your day today!

The One who put the stars in place knows your name.

The One who defeated death will give you victory.

Reach up and lay hold of what God offers you today.

The past is forgiven. The future is secure.

TODAY is bursting with promise.

May the Lord establish HIS plans for you today.

Until next week...

Eyes To See...

Greetings, Dear Friends!



And to those visiting, I extend a special welcome. I post every Wednesday and my goal is to nourish and encourage you along your way.

Today is a recovery day for me. My husband and I co-chaired a large benefit banquet along with Christian artist Sara Groves and her husband Troy.

The banquet was to raise funds for the International Justice Mission. IJM, among other things, rescues young girls from the horrific life of human trafficking. They restore stolen land to widows. And they help free families and whole communities from bonded slavery.

Prior to the banquet, my husband and I sat in a conference room with the leaders of IJM. We bowed our heads in prayer, and invited God to be big in our midst.

We were surrounded by our heroes. The dignity, and bravery, and humility we saw in these people made our knees weak. They regularly put themselves in harms way for the sake of the poor and the oppressed and they consider it an honor to do so.

I loved Sharon Cohn's opening prayer, "Oh, Lord, we are so grateful for the humility of Your invitation...that you would want us to join you in this work..."

I looked around the room and wondered, "Does Minnesota even know who they have in their city? If they did, would the media be here? Would the Governor come and show his appreciation? Would the business owners and pastors all make the time to meet these great Kingdom people?"

It makes me think of Jesus in His day.

When He was in town, many knew, but not everybody cared.

But Heaven knew. And the angels knew. Even the demons knew and they were no doubt gathering for the sake of opposition.

If we could peel back the natural realm and see only the spiritual realm, we would know when trouble was brewing; we would know when someone important was coming to town because we would see the Calvary mounting, and would see the demons taking their position.

Instead we all too often lean on our own understanding. We esteem authors, actors, and rock stars but overlook those who live to make life better for others.

Thankfully, we don't have to wait for the natural realm to be removed in order to be in tune with what really matters.

We just have to follow Jesus and listen to what He says.

As we cultivate a deep and abiding relationship with Him, we'll quickly recognize those He recognizes. We'll quickly know when a battle is brewing. And we'll be more compelled to be His hands and feet to a lost and dying world.

Oh, Lord, give us eyes to see, and ears to hear, and a heart to do your will!

Be blessed, my friend~

Until next week...

The Truth and the Lie...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to my new visitors, I say welcome. I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to bless and encourage you along your way...

I've been thinking a lot lately about the power of the lie.

The enemy of our souls is the father of lies and when we believe his rubbish, he can step back and watch us single-handedly destroy our own lives.

You see, to hold on to a lie means to let go of the abundant life and powerful destiny that God made available for those who believe Him.

Someone once said, "The devil lies to you, God tells you the truth, but you are the one who casts the deciding vote."

I've seen young girls give themselves away because they believed the lie that they were worthless. I've seen spouses walk away from a beautiful family because they believed the lie that the grass was greener somewhere else. I've seen godly Christians give in to selfish ambition because they believed the lie that if they're successful "here", they can be successful anywhere.

If we believe a lie, all of our choices will be in effort to retrieve for ourselves, in our own way, that which we think is lost or owed to us. Our underlying goal will be to rescue our sense of self worth and to grab what we think we deserve.

When we choose to believe the voice of the enemy, we give him (and spiteful people) a landing strip into the deepest places of our souls where only Jesus should be. We hand our precious value to the world on a silver platter with the invitation, "Here, you tell me what I'm worth, because I really don't know."

Though the lie isn't true, it often feels true, and because it feels true, we tend to believe it.

But then, there's the truth...

Oh, how I love the truth!

Please don't ever let these words become a cliche' in your mind:

The truth will set you free!

I've seen women bound by fear, condemnation, guilt, and shame, set free in a moment's time, simply by daring to believe that what Jesus says is true! Before my very eyes, I've seen the countenance of women changed after praying with them. These are Christian women who have made mistakes or who have endured intolerable pain, or have been bound by insecurity. Just as if someone flipped a light switch, these women decided to stop looking down and look up instead. They believed Jesus and there lives were never the same after that!

I remember praying for a woman at one of my events. She came in to the conference with a face contorted with anger and attitude. I didn't think I would get a great evaluation from her! She looked ready to challenge me at every turn. But something happened during the meeting. When she came up to talk with me at the end of the session, her whole face glowed and the deep creases in her face were gone. She made no effort to wipe way the tears that flowed freely from her eyes. She said to me, "I'm not angry any more! God met me today. I understand His love and I finally believe Him!" Her friend nodded excitedly and said, "This is my friend! And she's leaving here different than she came in!"

The Bible tells us that it's both our privelege and our responsibility to know the love of Christ. When we deny His love, we deny Him.

First John 2:22 says, "Who is the liar? It is the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ."

When we believe the truth, we refuse to believe the lie, even if that lie feels truer than anything else at the moment.

I think it takes great courage and grit to look a lie square in the "face" and say, "Though you try to tell me that I am worthless, and though I may feel unsteady at the moment, I choose to believe the words of my Beloved! In fact, since you take the time to lie to me, I will assume the opposite is true! If you say I am nothing, I will embrace the TRUTH that I am everything to Jesus! If you say I am going nowhere, I will declare to the world the TRUTH that God has a mind-boggling plan for my life! If you say that things will always be this way, it's only because you see the Heavenly troops mounting on my behalf and you fear that my breakthrough may be on the horizon! God is for me so who can stand against me? And can anything ever separate me from His precious love? No! Nothing!"

A good way to discern the truth from the lie is to pay attention to what it produces in your life. Do the words coming your way compel you to look up and say, "How great You are, God!" or do they make you look down and feel like a putz? Do they ignite peace and passion? Or do they make you believe in yourself more than you believe in God?

Always, God's words to us should make us tremble, make us bow low, fill us with peace and joy and hope, and make us believe that we are ever and always under His divine care.

Read the Gospels this week and count how many times Jesus says, "I tell you the truth..."

You are His beloved one and He surrounds you with tender mercies...and that's the truth.

Until next week...

PS - Drop me a note. I always love to hear from you~