in control

As they sailed, He fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

- Luke 8:22-24

 

There were some crazy storms around the United States last week, Hurricane Laura made landfall and left significant destruction in her wake. 

I wonder, if the storm that the disciples experienced was as crazy as a hurricane, if it was, I can sure understand how they might have felt like they were going to die. 

Check out the lyrics of this new song I heard:

From Heaven You can hear

I know You're drawing near

As I worship

Held within Your love

The wind and waves will come

But I will stay here

I lift my hands to Heaven

Here my heart surrendered

I tell my soul again

You are Lord of all

And though the seas are raging

You will speak and tame them

In You I find my rest

You are in control

Through valleys I will trust

Your spirit is enough, to keep me walking

You guide my every step

Speak life to me again

Lord I need You

Oh I need You

I lift my hands to Heaven

Here my heart surrendered

I tell my soul again

You are Lord of all

And though the seas are raging

You will speak and tame them

In You I find my rest

You are in control

I will trust in only You

No one can add to Your perfection

You're the beginning and the end

More than I can comprehend

There is no one like You

No one

God is in control.

Not me, not my family or my boss, just God.

If the storms and raging seas listen to Him, why don’t we?

always

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

- Matthew 28:19-20

 

These verses are at the end of the Great Commission, Jesus has been crucified, died, was buried and rose again, and it was in these verses where Jesus told His disciples what their next steps needed to be.

I really want to focus on the last line: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

In life we face a lot of really tough circumstances, in those times we need to lean on God more than ever. 

We need to trust Him even when it feels like He is not there.

We can overcome incredible odds as long as we remember that we are never alone, that God is with us, always. 

He wants us to reach for Him.

His love is for us will carry us through every trial, every circumstance, every bitter spoonful of evil thrown at us. 

He will be there.

Always

unified

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

- 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)

 

I really dislike politics, especially the last several years.

Everywhere you look is another article, another picture, another something telling about how terrible the politicians are. 

And they all are.

Everyone has an agenda, and none of those politicians are going to be able fulfill their campaign promises in accordance to what we as people need. 

This is not a political post.

This is not an outlet for hate.

God created us to love each other – no matter what color our skin happens to be, no matter how much or how little money we have, no matter what. 

We need to stop making assumptions about others and jumping to conclusions about them based on where they live and work, how they dress or act. 

We need to reach out, be a blessing to others, be gracious and love one another.

Did you ever think that maybe with all this fighting we are doing, we are hurting God?

Unending

Again and again they limited God, preventing Him from blessing them. Continually they turned back from Him and provoked the Holy One of Israel! They forgot His great love, how He took them by His hand, and with redemption’s kiss He delivered them from their enemies.

- Psalm 78:41-42 (TPT)

 

Do you remember the song “Little Bunny Foo Foo”?

Little bunny Foo Foo
Hopping through the forest
Scooping up the field mice
And boppin' 'em on the head!

Down came the good fairy
And the good fairy said:
"Little bunny Foo Foo, I don't wanna see you
Scooping up the field mice and boppin' 'em on the head!
I'm gonna give you three chances,
Then I'm gonna turn you into a goon!"

OK, now that you have that in your head (you are welcome) I want you to think about the was the song ended. 

Three times Foo Foo scooped up field mice and bopped them.

Three times the fairy told him to stop.

That last time – well *poof* Foo Foo was a goon.

If you are done laughing, I really do have a point to this story 😊

How many times do we turn our backs on God, and how many times does He let us run back to His arms and when we ask for forgiveness and repent of our sin? 

God freely gives us His unending love.

God doesn’t just give us three chances and turn us into goons.

He gives unending love – that is His amazing grace. (yeah, that was another song reference).

Don’t forget His great love.

And don’t bop the field mice on the head.  

beauty

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

- Psalm 145:5 (NRSV)

 

We recently returned from a trip to Iowa and South Dakota.

I love driving through the Black Hills National Forest and seeing the beauty that God created.

We had the opportunity to see a herd of buffalo, what a majestic beast they are!

We saw mountains and trees, some of the most breathtaking waterfalls and other glories of God’s creation.

How lucky we are that God gave us this earth to live on, and He painted landscapes, fiery sunrises and sunsets, beauty every where we look. 

On that adventure, everywhere I looked I could see our God.

Take a moment soon to go explore the beauty of God’s creation, whether it is in the face of a child, the peace of a sleepy kitten, or the majesty of a mountainside. 

Be still, and meditate on Him.

faith or sight

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight.

- 2 Corinthians 5:6-7

 

Have you ever prayed really hard for something, living in expectation that God would make it happen?  

And if He does make it happen then you feel confirmed that God is all powerful, heard your cry and answered your prayer.

I am telling you – that is not faith, that is living by sight.

You see something that you want or desire and pray for it, and - sadly, this is what makes a lot of people fall away from God – when it doesn’t happen well, He must not be as powerful as you were lead to believe.

See the thing is, when we live by faith, we live knowing that God loves us and will provide us with the things we need.  

The things we need are not always the things we want.

Trust Him.

He knows what He is doing.  

eye of the storm

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

- Psalm 107:28-29

 

I have lived through a lot of storms in my life, both weather related and emotional storms.

Both kinds of storms can wreak havoc on our souls - when a tornado rips off our roof, or a loved rips out our heart – we need to remember who holds us.

Song reference!

In the eye of the storm

You remain in control

And in the middle of the war

You guard my soul

You alone are the anchor

When my sails are torn

Your love surrounds me

In the eye of the storm

When the solid ground is falling out from underneath my feet

Between the black skies and my red eyes, I can barely see

When I realize I've been sold out by my friends and my family

I can feel the rain reminding me

In the eye of the storm, You remain in control

In the middle of the war, You guard my soul

You alone are the anchor, when my sails are torn

Your love surrounds me

In the eye of the storm

Mmm, when my hopes and dreams are far from me

And I'm runnin' out of faith

I see the future I pictured slowly fade away

And when the tears of pain and heartache

Are pouring down my face

I find my peace in Jesus' name

In the eye of the storm (yeah, yeah)

You remain in control (yes you do, Lord)

In the middle of the war

You guard my soul

You alone are the anchor

When my sails are torn

Your love surrounds me (Your love surrounds me)

In the eye of the storm (in the eye of the storm)

When the test comes in and the doctor says

I've only got a few months left

It's like a bitter pill I'm swallowing

I can barely take a breath

And when addiction steals my baby girl

And there's nothing I can do

My only hope is to trust You

I trust You, Lord

In the eye of the storm (yeah, yeah)

You remain in control

In the middle of the war (middle of the war)

You guard my soul (yeah)

You alone are the anchor

When my sails are torn

Your love surrounds me (yeah)

In the eye of the storm

You remain in control (yes you do, Lord)

In the middle of the war (in the middle of the war)

You guard my soul

You alone are the anchor

When my sails are torn

Your love surrounds me

In the eye of the storm

No matter what storm we are going through, one thing is constant, and that is the Father holding on to you, so hold on to Him with all your might and you will get through your storm.

living

After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.

- Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (MSG)

 

We are 233 days into the year 2020 and what a year it has been.

A lot of crazy, crazy things have happened in our world, things that are horrible and we will spend a long time as a society trying to recover after it is all over.

These crazy things have made people unhappy, have turned friends against friends and even destroyed families.

We need God more than ever.

I challenge you to find something every day that brings you joy and focus on that thing.

If you find yourself drifting down a path of despair, think of that thing that brough you joy and lift yourself up.

We can be happy, God wants us to be happy, we need to focus on the things He gives us that bring us joy.

don’t be mean

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

- 1 Peter 2:1-3

 

“He hit me!”

There is not one person out there that has not heard or experienced someone being mean. 

Sometimes we have even been the mean one.

Women can be especially guilty of falling into the “mean girl” role, who ever thought that tearing another down would elevate themselves started a horrible trend that will not likely end. 

But you can stop it in your own world.

When we walk the “mean girl” path, we are closing ourselves off from walking in the fullness of God.

Why would we do or say something that would prevent us from knowing and loving Him fully?

Don’t be a mean girl.

two

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?"

- Ecclesiastes 4:9

 

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!

My mother and father-in-law have been married for 57 years (if I did my math correctly, and for those who know me, I do not math!) today.

They have been an amazing inspiration to me, in their marriage in the way they raised their kids, in how they treat their grandkids and pretty much everything they do.

I am so thankful to God that they are in my life, they are truly a gift, they change hearts and lives wherever they go.

I have seen them accomplish so much, I think it is because they always work together and God is the very center of their lives. 

Two humans are better than one, but when you have God there, you are unbreakable.

I love you Mom and Dad, thank you for showing us what a God centered relationship looks like.

refresh

Be still, and know that I am God

- Psalm 46:10

 

It is so very refreshing to take a vacation.

When we get back though, boy howdy! 

Ten million emails and forty thousand messages, everyone wants your attention first when you get back.

Don’t have to rush back after a vacation without purposely making time each day with God.

You can spare ten minutes to just breathe, and let His presence fill you with His peace.

I feel like I will take a lot of “ten minutes” today while I am catching up, and that is ok, it just takes a moment to be still and know that He is with you.

it’s so dark

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

- John 1:4-5

 

Are you afraid of the dark?

I admit that I am a little nervous in darkness, I have some sort of light in every room in the house and I leave some small light on when I stay in a hotel. 

It doesn’t matter how dim it is, I need something to break the darkness.

Mostly it helps me to orient myself if I wake up at night, without some light to show where I am, I get lost quickly.

Have you noticed in the Bible that sin is a darkness of sorts?

When we fall into sin, we reject the light of truth and we don’t see where we are going and we quickly get lost.

The darkness overwhelms us.

His word brings us back to the light, opens our hearts to Him again.

If you ae struggling with darkness, let me know, I’ll help you find a light for your way.

Give

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

- Proverbs 11:24-25 (NLT)

 

Everywhere we look there is someone that needs something, especially right now.

There are families needing financial support or food because they are out of work, there are people that are trying to hold it together while dealing with the loss of a loved one, there are nonprofits and small businesses that are struggling with trying to stay open.

Our generosity might help in some of these cases, but it might also mean that we have to go without, because we all know that giving costs something.

Stop worrying about if you give ten dollars to a charity how you are going to pay for lunch – God will provide.

Don’t hesitate to give up your warm coat when it is freezing outside – God will provide.

God will provide for your every need when you give generously to others.

Even if we don’t see it on earth, the riches we will have in Heaven are far better than any earthly thing.

think first

Careless words stab like a sword, but wise words bring healing.

- Proverbs 12:18 (NCV)

 

I can’t even begin to list the number of times I have stuck my foot into my mouth.

Words can wound us until we feel that we are beyond repair.

Seemingly innocuous thoughts can slip out of our lips damaging the reputation or feelings of someone without us even realizing it at the time.

We know this is true because we struggle to remember what we had for lunch yesterday, yet we remember in great detail the battle of wits that cost us a friendship in the 7^th grade. 

Words carry power.

Are your words healing or hurting?

I didn’t know!

“This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is His name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

- Jeremiah 33:2-3

 

During each mealtime that we shared as a family when our kids were growing up we would ask a series of questions of each person at the table: how was your day, what did you learn new, what are you grateful for and why? 

Guests were not immune, they had to answer the questions too!

We felt that it was important, no matter how old we are or where we are in our lives that we learn something new every day.

God feels this way too, obviously, showing us things we do not know every single day.

When you don’t know something, you can go to Him with your questions, He will tell you things you do not know.

pick me!

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

- Exodus 4:10

 

As you all know, I am a big fan of quotes.

Today’s quote would be “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called!”

How true is this? 

Look at Moses, he had a horrible stutter, yet God qualified him to speak to the people and lead them out of Egypt.

Saul of Tarsus certainly was not qualified to be an evangelist, he was destroying churches!

How about David, who was a shepherd, but God chose him as king!

Listen up, you are enough, because God chose you.

What every He is leading you to do for Him, you will have the qualifications, otherwise He would not put you in that place.

God knows what He is doing!  

they called Him

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

- 2 Corinthians 5:21

 

I love stories, maybe that is why I write the way I do, so that people read these daily thoughts as a story.

Here is a story that I heard, that I really like:

The Greatest Man in History… Jesus; Had no servants, yet they called Him Master. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He did not live in a castle, yet they called Him Lord, He ruled no nations, yet they called Him King, He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today (Lyle C Rollings III, 2008).

The Greatest Man in History.

What a concept, that our Lord and Savior was once every bit as human as you and I.

And He died for us, so that we could be like Him.

Wow.

beautiful

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

- Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

Look around, tell me that you cannot find one beautiful thing in your presence, I will call you a liar.

You are a beautiful thing.

Don’t believe me? 

Here is a song reference:

The day is brighter here with You
The night is lighter than it's hue
Would lead me to believe
Which leads me to believe

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

What does that make me?

My eyes are small but they have seen
The beauty of enormous things
Which leads me to believe
There's light enough to see that

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

From glory to glory
You are glorious
You are glorious
From glory to glory
You are glorious
You are glorious
Which leads me to believe why I can believe

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

He has made everything beautiful, especially you.

sustained

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

- Psalm 3:5

 

August 5^th, 2019 was a day I will not soon forget.

We were hiking in Spearfish Canyon, in the middle of the Black Hills national Forest.

Crazy things had happened that morning, from my loud scream as a snake slithered past me to another set of hikers kindly informing us of the bear poo that was just off the trail (I did NOT need to know that!!).

Then the unthinkable happened, I fell and broke my leg, not a nice clean break, but shattered the fibula and broke the tibia.

Needless to say, the hike came to an abrupt halt as we tried to call for help, but where we were in the canyon there was absolutely zero cell service.

Long story short (those who know me know the whole story anyway) I was medivac’d off the mountain and found myself in surgery 11 days later.

Getting off the mountain was the first of several very long and painful trips that I would end up taking through the healing process.

I made it through by the grace of God, there were so many God moments in that trip, I know that He is the One that sustains me.

Everything I do, is for His glory, because it is God who sustains me.

approval

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

- Galatians 1:10

 

I have spent the majority of my life seeking approval from other humans.

My parents, my friends, my teachers, my bosses.

I am just now learning that human approval is not where it all matters, in fact, human approval does not matter at all.

God’s approval matters and by being followers of Christ, we are striving to lead our lives according to His expectations and therefor, His approval.

That is the only approval that I need.

Early mornings

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.

- Mark 1:35

 

Happy Monday, everyone!

I’m writing today from the comfort of my home away from home, my mother and father-in-law’s house in Iowa.

I love it here, this is my happy place.

I love that my father-in-law, even though he is retired, still gets up early every day to spend time with his Father. 

I have learned so much from him, including the joy of having that very early in the morning time with Jesus.

A few weeks ago, I challenged my readers to wake up 15 minutes earlier to spend time with God.

How is that going for you?

I hope that it is making a difference, because it sure makes a difference for me.