The First...of What I'm Sure Will Be Many

When is something taught?

It is taught when it is learned.

When is something learned?

It is learned when it is lived.

When is something lived?

It is lived when it becomes a part of you.

In short, you won't learn if you don't change.

(courtesy of Prof. Williams-1/11/12)

Rising to the Challenge

Out of my Bible falls a slip of paper.  On it is this question:

What is your personal challenge for the year 2012?

Instead of the normal "resolutions" made by many, discarded shortly thereafter by most, and despised by all, is a question to ponder.

It is far better to rise to a challenge then to fail miserably at keeping a "resolution".  Don't you agree?

I suppose to break it down into something easier for me to understand, I begin with the definitions.

Resolution:
1)  a resolve or determination:  to make a firm resolution to do something.
2)  the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
(the two definitions that best suit this purpose)

Challenge:
1)  a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc.
2)  something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.

I see a distinct difference.  One I rather much appreciate.

Rather than relying on my own resolve or determination, I am free to answer a call or summons.  One given by the very Giver of life.  One who has the perfect plan, knows my part in it and calls me forth.  One who has designated work for me to engage in and has prepared me for it.

My part is my response.

What choice will I make?  Will I respond to His call?  Step forth, out into the darkness, the unknown and trust Him?  A call to something that will most certainly provide a "battle" of some sort, something that will require a "special effort".

I will.

So how do I answer the question put forth:

What is my personal challenge for the year of 2012?

I will, with the Lord's help, and to fulfill His purpose in my life, depend on Him and rise to the challenge of

worshiping unashamedly...
trusting wholeheartedly...
loving truly...
feeling deeply...

as well as, but not limited to,

spending more time with my First Love...
putting Husband before self...
seeing my children as stewards to be discipled, being willing to teach AND learn the hard lessons...
extending grace to those the world deems undeserving...
being malleable and pliant to the teachings of the Word...
being open to His discipline as He molds me into His likeness...

only to name a few...

These are things to which He specifically calls each of us.  These things are not directed only to me, but to all.

How will you contemplate the coming year?
Will you make resolutions, or rise to the challenge?

Call Upon the Lord

Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask Your forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance.

We know Your word says,"Woe to those who call evil good," but that's exactly what we've done.  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.

We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your word and called it moral pluralism.

We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.

We have abused power and called it political savvy.

We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us;  cleanse us from every sin, and set us free.  

(Text of the original prayer delivered January 23, 1996, by Pastor Joe Wright to the Kansas House of Representatives) 

O Lord, the great and awesome God, Who keeps His covenant of love with all who love Him and obey His commands, 

we have sinned and done wrong.  

We have been wicked and have rebelled; 

we have turned away from Your commands and laws.  

We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all of the people of the land.  

(Text of Daniel, chapter 9:4-6)

We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy.  O Lord, listen!  O Lord, forgive!  O Lord, hear and act!  For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your name.

Daniel 9:18b

Manna from Heaven

It falls gently.  Blowing and dancing about in the wind.  In the light of the street lamp, it glistens and floats about in a scatter.

It's one of my great loves.  Cold, frosty, wet, no-two-alike, drifting to earth at a sedate speed of around 3 miles per hour.

I find such joy in the quietness of watching it snow.

I don't know when the fascination began.  Only that I could not, would not, ever live where I couldn't have snow.  Especially in the month of December.

I only recall that it brings to mind many pleasant memories.

One Christmas eve, with all the family here, here in my home.  A few of us stood on the porch step, right outside the door.  Reluctant to go back in to the noise.  Savoring the quiet, unhurriedness that is snowfall.  We watched it fall from the dark night sky.  The sound of the city just enough to give background, not enough to overpower.  Inside, people chattering, laughing, the sounds of many different conversations colliding to make a not altogether unpleasant white noise.

It's the moment when time stands still.  Your mind is free to move in any direction. We didn't talk to one another, each lost in our thoughts.  I can't say what the others were thinking, or even if they would remember it.  I know that for me, the moment was spent imprinting it into my memory bank and enjoying it's sweetness so that it could be savored for many other snowfalls to come.

I'm ever grateful for the moments God gives me to step back, savor, snap a "memory-graph".  Quite often I find myself retreating, not physically, but in my head, and taking in the scene.

I'm also thankful that we are now in the season where this opportunity should present itself often.

I imagine it looks very much like the Israelites manna that came from heaven.

Don't hate me for my love of snow.

It really is God's sweet gift to me.

Lover of My Soul

The best time I've had this weekend was a dance party at midnight with 20 other young ladies.  Truly lovely.  

Not that I actually danced.  But watching and listening to the pounding beats and giggling girls was like balm to a broken soul.  

Not broken in a tortured sort of way...but lately my heart has been so heavy.  Heavy with the weight of the world.  The hopelessness, brokenness, sinfulness of life can leave a soul feeling empty, bereft of comfort.  Lacking strength. Left adrift, wandering aimlessly.  

Unless we know Jesus, of course.  

I now understand that this should be the condition of my heart - broken -  not "bricked" up by a wall of safety.  One that keeps me protected and "seemingly" safe on the inside.  That kind of hard heart also keeps me from knowing the joy, peace, and comfort that only my Savior can give.  In order to love others, my heart must be broken.  Soft.  Open.  His love is poured in.  Out of the overflow, I offer it to others.

My heart is the broken vessel, the cracked clay pot if you will,  that God wants me to leave at His feet as an offering.  He fills it up and the light that shines throughout is His light, His love, pouring out of me.  In this, it is thus redeemed, made usable, given value.  

He is amazing.  And so worthy.  My Savior and Healer.  The One who is preparing my heart and soul for bigger things yet to come.  He is my strength and my comfort.

Lover of my (wounded) soul.

Window Space

Husband has given me some precious moments to myself.  He has offered to take the little ones to school.

It's quiet.  Outside the window, the leaves fall silently.  I watch them flutter past.  I don't see where they come from, I don't see where they land.  Not today anyway.  I know the tree they have left, and I do know their landing place.  It just isn't within my line of vision for this moment.  All I have is the space of a window.

I miss him.
Too many things left unsaid.
So many things I wanted to say...but didn't.
I love him.
This man-child who must make his way.

I know where he comes from.
Do I know where he will land?

For now, all I have is the space of a window.

The Goodness of Life and Just How Short It Is

Many thoughts to ponder.

Life has been up and down these past many weeks.  But God is amazing and as strong as ever.

What causes our melancholy do you suppose?  It makes for a time of reflection.  Looking back, taking stock, moving forward.  A reevaluation of goals and purpose.  Returning to the Standard for our living.

He gives joy.  Such joy.

Many of my days have had heartache in them but it's the good kind.  The heartache that is part of transition.

And the joy is ever-increasing.

God comes through, makes Himself known and so evident in our lives - even in the tiniest of things.  In the things we think may not matter at all.

How do you capture the moment of all that is happening around you?  What words do you say to describe something that can't be defined?

The goodness juxtaposed against the pain.

This IS how life is lived.  Knowing more of God makes you more aware of the trouble that is of this world.  And shutting it out is not an option.  So many things in life that pull on our hearts, making them heavy.  But the joy that comes from the Lord, living by grace, gives us hope.  We have hope as we look to eternity.  To the day He returns for His bride and we are rejoicing forever.

So, all this being said, I leave you with two songs today. Two favorites that have different flavors to them but both enjoyed today.  Back to back, actually.

Enjoy...