Mud Puddle Praise!

On Memorial Day my husband and I went for a walk at the park.  As you know we have had an abundance of rain and as a result the walking path was more like a cross-country running course than a walk in the park path!  The path was dotted with standing water that at times took up its entire width.  As soon as I would reach a nice power walking speed I would then be presented with a new water obstacle.  As I was dodging these mud puddles I noticed that there was a really nice concrete curb on both sides of the path that was perfect to practice my balance beam walking!    In the midst of my cross-country walk I was focused on praying for my family, friends and those I have the honor of teaching on Sunday mornings.  As I walked, I prayed. I prayed for those who were facing challenges in their lives. As I prayed through the obstacles the Lord would bring to mind a scripture that helped me through my present physical obstacle as well as the truth to pray on behalf of others experiencing their own physical, emotional or spiritual obstacle.  

I began to challenge myself to see how long I could walk on the raised curb without falling into the muddy water on one side or the water soaked grass on the other.  The more I focused on the mud and water the wobblier I got on my concrete balance beam. Then I decided to . . .

“Fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of my faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

As I focused on the truth of that verse, my wobbling gave way to a steady and balanced walk past the mud. Ben Carson’s quote came to mind: “When a victim walks in the sand, he sees dirt, but when a victor walks through the sand he sees the ingredients for a sand castle.”  Attaining a balanced life is all about perspective and what we choose to dwell on. 

At the beginning of the walk I grumbled and whined to myself, “Why didn’t they build this path with better drainage?  Now I am going to get my shoes all muddy!  I am not going to be able to walk as fast as I want to, since I have to be more alert of the muddy obstacles. And by the way Lord, when is it ever going to quit raining?”  If the Lord would have spoken to me audibly I am sure He would have said something like, “Blah, blah, blah!  Whine, whine, whine!  Can’t you be thankful?”   The Lord brought to mind my friend, Ronda, who had a horrific accident this past year and woke up to a paralyzed body.  One moment she was fit, riding her bicycle at the start of a new day and then in the next moment, she was totally helpless.  She has come such a long way in her recovery due mostly to her attitude of gratitude.  I receive her prayer and progress updates weekly and have been beyond blessed and humbled by her godly and grateful attitude through it all.  So, as the Lord reminded me of Ronda, I began to thank Him that I had the ability to move, to breathe, to walk, to stop, to see, to feel the breeze and the heat of the sun.  2 Peter 1:3 popped into my mind,

“By His Divine power we have been given everything we need for life and for godliness through our knowledge of Him, who called us by His own glory and goodness.”

Yes, Lord!  You have given Ronda and me everything we need for life and for godliness – everything! For in you we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)  A balanced beautiful life comes through gratitude.

The longer I walked the stronger I felt!  The mud puddles became opportunities to praise the Lord for being the cornerstone of my faith, my rock and the one whom I stand on, especially in those hard and messy times.  The Lord has been so very good to me.  I spent some years walking away from Him and chose to walk through some mud because of some very poor and selfish decisions.  Yet, when I came to my senses, broken hearted and beyond repair, the Lord lifted me out of the mud, He did not drag me through it! 

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.”  Psalm 40:2-3

Are you on a messy walk, trying to navigate through some mud puddles in your life?  Fix your eyes on Jesus, the One who gives you life, who will lift you up out of the mud and put a new song of praise in your heart as He sets you gently on solid ground.  Then you will find what it truly means to live a balanced and beautiful life. 

Out of the mud . . .

Praising the Rock,

Nancy

Deadline Desperation

Have you ever missed a deadline?  If you have you know the sinking feeling that comes over you which soon becomes full blown panic.  I experienced such desperation this week when I discovered an unread email with the subject line:  “Resending: Important Update!”  Resending?  What?  Where is the first “Important Update?”  I searched a little further and found the original sent two weeks prior to the second.  Both email messages were lost amid over 500 messages that had come in while I was out of the country on a tour of Israel.  As I read through the message I discovered that there was an action required on my part by May 15th  at 5:00 pm, after which the “deal” would no longer be available.  It was now May 16th at 9:00 am, just 16 hours past the deadline.  I tried not to panic.  My "fix-it quick," survival mode kicked in.  I clicked on reply and sent an urgent email explaining my dilemma and asked for a deadline extension.  This was on a Saturday and so I waited with a hopeful expectation that they would extend grace to me come Monday.  

Early Monday morning I called to explain my dilemma and begged for mercy.  The answer was, “Sorry, but the deadline was May 15th at 5 pm and the “deal” is no longer available."   I asked if there was a grace period for special cases like mine.  “No,” she said without further explanation. I then asked to speak to a supervisor, but was told the supervisor was not available and she assured me that someone would call me back later.  Before hanging up I asked for her name.  “Grace,” came the answer. 

After the call ended, the tears began to flow and despair set in.  This “deal” was huge to me.  It concerned something God had called me to do and I had obeyed and finished.  Now all that work seemed to be for nothing – simply because I missed a deadline.  I prayed God’s favor to come through and waited for the supervisor ‘s call.   An hour later, my phone rang and after explaining again what had transpired she echoed the words of Grace saying that since it was past the deadline no “deal” would be made.  I proceeded to plead my case sighting some very good reasons why I deserved the company’s grace.  But there was no budging.  They were determination to stick with their deadline.   This was a devastating blow and a tough pill to swallow. 

A scripture that I quote often came to my mind the next morning.  “I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.”  (Proverbs 24:32)  As I reflected on my deadline disaster the first thoughts that came to my mind were similar to the children’s book entitled, “The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!” However those first thoughts were redirected to true, noble, right, and pure thoughts hidden deep in my heart – “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”  (Psalm 139: 16) God knew this day would happen because he created me, knows all about me and is very present with me in each and every day I have lived and will live in the future.  I also know Jeremiah 29:11 says that He has plans that will prosper me, give me hope and a future.  I recently looked up the original Hebrew word for prosper. I discovered that it doesn’t have the “American” definition of financial wealth, but instead means a satisfied condition, a state of peacefulness, and a sense of well-being.  Taking all of these truths to heart I reflected and searched for the lessons God had for me in this day He had ordained and planned as he knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Here are just some of the lessons the Lord is teaching me through this deadline dilemma:

• Compassion.   Before opening the email that rocked my world I had spent some time in the Word and praying.  I had asked the Lord to give me more compassion for those around me and especially for those who did not know Him personally.  Reflecting on my phone conversation with Grace, it now caused me to chuckle as I thought about the woman named Grace, who was unable to give me grace.  I was then reminded of God’s grace.  His grace is unearned and unmerited.  He freely offers us a second chance at life and forgives us when we mess-up.  He is always willing to extend the deadline because He doesn’t want anyone to perish, but to live eternally.  However, there will come a day when the offer no longer stands, when there will be no further time given for people to turn to Him and find forgiveness and His marvelous grace.  This thought pierced my heart and filled me with compassion for those who have rejected Jesus’ offer of eternal life.  The Lord was already answering my prayer for compassion – but not in the way I had expected.

• Trust.  For a brief moment I panicked and thought to myself, “What am I going to do?”  Then the Lord’s unexplainable peace surrounded me.  I now cling to the truth that God planned my days and that Monday was on His calendar, as well as mine.   Quite possibly He had it circled in red as a day I would need to lean completely on Him.  I trust that when God shuts one door that He will open an even better one.  My bad day happened because of something I didn’t do, a choice I made not to go through all my emails on my first day back from Israel.  If I had I would have found the email.  But, I didn’t.  So, I can choose to linger at my own pity party blaming others for my dilemma or  I can choose to trust God to rescue me and work it all out according to His purpose and for His glory.  I am choosing to trust, simply trust. 

• Margin.  Returning home from a ten-day trip to over 500 unread emails in my inbox tells me that I have a hoarding problem!  I need to unsubscribe to some email lists and delete those emails I have already read.  But, I think it is deeper than emails.  This deadline debacle has shown me once again that I take on way too many things and struggle to do any of them with excellence.  So I am taking the steps to purge my emails, closets, and calendar of the good, the bad, and the ugly.  In my “keep” file will be only the necessary messages, clothing, and appointments that characterize one who excellently lives to glorify God.  I am ready to walk in His spacious place void of  stress and anxiety.

“They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but he LORD was my support.  He brought me out into a spacious place, he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

Psalm 18:18-19

If you have never been offered the grace of God then let me be the first to invite you to live eternally with your Creator Father.  Respond by faith acknowledging that Jesus died, was buried and rose again to purchase for you a new and wonderful life fully satisfied, secure and safe.  Respond while the offer still stands . . .  He lingers not wanting anyone to perish.

Trusting Him,

Nancy

The LORD Knows

One of the greatest desires of every heart is to be known by another, someone who is aware of all their layers.  These powerful truths are laid out for us in Psalm 139.

O LORD you have searched me and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word in on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Psalm 139:1-6

The name LORD refers to our covenant God.  You see the LORD desires to have a connection and a relationship with you.  The psalmist says that the LORD has searched him.  The word “searched” refers to careful scrutiny such as in mining operations, excavations and in explorations of countries.  While in Jerusalem I was able to visit a city that was discovered recently through archaeological excavations.  The tour guide showed us a few areas where archaeologist had found layers of civilizations.  A city would be built, then an earthquake would occur and over time the city would be covered up.  Then a new city would be built above that city and it too would be covered up by earthquake or mudslide over time.  The people would just keep building one city on top of another.  But, the archaeologists, after careful search and much digging, have uncovered one layer after another of roads, buildings, and even kingdoms.  The LORD carefully searches our minds and hearts because He desires to have a relationship with us.  As God searched the layers of our lives, He knows us.  The word know means to perceive, understand, to be familiar with and to be aware.  The LORD is aware of you and understands you. He can peel off the layers of our lives to reveal the origin of our hurts, hopes, anger and dysfunction.  The LORD knows us from the inside out.

The LORD knows our dwelling places. The word sit means to dwell or rest.  Where are you dwelling or in whom are you resting? What is your mind dwelling on and what is your emotions sitting in?  The LORD knows.  To rise means to rise up, establish, and strengthen.  The Key Word Study Bible Lexicon states, “Used of individuals standing up from a sitting, kneeling or reclining position. It refers (also) to the confirmation of a person, oath, decree, or existing situation.”  We can only rise from where we have been sitting or from whom we have been resting in.  If you have been sitting in bitterness, you will rise in anger or revenge.  If you are resting in God, you will rise in confirmation of His strength and His love.

In fact the LORD not only knows when you sit and when you rise, but He also knows what you are thinking about when you sit or rise! To perceive means to discern, observe, pay attention to, and to understand. In other words the LORD is paying attention to not only when you sit and when you rise, but He also knows how you perceive Him when you do what you do.   

Yet you know me, O LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you.”

Jeremiah 12:3

The Word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to diving soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

The LORD knows the attitude of your heart. Do you trust Him in your sitting, thinking that He is the God who knows what is best? Are you rising up because you know the truth that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength? If your answer to either of these questions is no, then take the time to get to know the One who knows all about you.  In order to live the full life God intended, get to know the LORD and who you are in relation to Him. The LORD is aware of your layers, your circumstances, pays attention to your thoughts, knows all about you and still desires a relationship with you!  You are fully known and fully loved!

Known by Him,

Nancy

Wherever Jesus is, There You Find It

I just returned from a tour of the Holy Land and am still trying to take in all that I saw and touched while there. Walking where our Lord Jesus walked, sailing on the sea where He walked on the water, and standing near the rock where He ascended into heaven were all overwhelming experiences.  If I could sum up my trip in one word it would be the word peace.

As I was preparing to go to Israel I was confronted with feelings of fear and anxiety because of the chaos in that part of the world.  To help combat these feelings I memorized, meditated on and prayed a specific scripture as I traveled:

"Like birds flying about, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem.  Defending, He will deliver it; passing over, He will preserve it."  Isaiah 31:5

Israel is precious to the Lord and He has promised to protect it, defend it and preserve it.  As I went there I claimed that truth and clung to it, believing that He would continue to defend and preserve Jerusalem, while I was there!

As we traveled from the airport to our hotel in Bethlehem a peace settled over me.  It was a peace that was indescribable.  That peace followed me throughout Jerusalem and when we went to the place of His ascension into heaven John 14:27 came rushing to my mind:

"Peace I leave you, My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." 

As I stood there, I imagined Jesus saying those very words in that exact place.  Once more His perfect peace came rushing into my heart and mind as I sailed on the Sea of Galilee.  I could almost hear Jesus say to those frightened disciples in a storm tossed boat:

"Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."  Matthew 14:27 

Our last stop was in Jericho which can be a dangerous place, but again I felt God's peace like never before.  Jesus spoke words of peace that echo through time to help us whenever we want to give in to fear, worry or anxiety.

I have told you these things so that in me you will have peace.  In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

In fact, in Philippians 4:5 the Apostle Paul says that the Lord is near and then reminds us that since He is near we should not be anxious about anything, but instead we should pray about everything! Jesus is as near to me in Houston as He was in Jerusalem.  When Jesus left this earth He reminded his disciples that He would not leave them alone, but would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit to be with them, to live in them, to remind them of His words and to empower them to overcome fear.  

If you are in need of peace today, take courage, Jesus is near, do not be afraid!  May His peace that goes beyond our understanding guard both your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus!  

Shalom,

Nancy 

William and me on the Sea of Galilee

Let Loose!

Spent just a few moments yesterday with my one and only grandchild, two-month-old Isla Rose.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, even when her daddy was changing her diaper!  I stood over her as she responded to my baby jabber with wide eyes and a dimpled smile.  She is still not to the stage where she can purposefully use her hands, but somehow her hand found its way to my hand and she wrapped it tight around my index finger.  When the diaper was changed she still had a tight grip on my finger and this grandmother wasn’t about to pry her loose!  Eventually, I gave her up to my son and off they went to the next grandparent’s house. As I reflect on this precious moment, I am reminded of something the Apostle Paul once said:

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 3:13-14

I love how he gives us a one-step process for reaching our goals.  This one step does however, requires two intentional actions on our part:  forget what’s in the past and reach forward to what is in your future.  Unfortunately I am more apt to follow baby Isla’s lead and move with no purpose.  I often unintentionally find myself holding on to things that are not moving me forward, but are keeping me from my God-given call – taking hold of the thing for which Christ took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12) I often allow the fear of failure, past mistakes, or just plain procrastination to keep me from moving forward in my relationship with Christ.  These would be considered “the sin that so easily entangle us” that keep us from finishing strong in the race of life.  (Hebrews 12:1)  But Paul says to forget about the good and the bad. Dwelling on what you have done well in the past may cause you to become comfortable with where you are.  On the other hand focusing your attention only on the bad things in your past may cause you to live in shame and condemnation.  When you are lured back to the past, that is the old enemy singing over you.  (Micah 7:8) Instead Paul encourages us to forget about it.  I don’t think he meant literally to forget your memories of past failures and accomplishments, but to not keep your focus on those things – bringing them back up in your mind over and over again.  Sometimes a quick and gentle reminder of the past can spur us on and motivate us to grow up in Christ and even go deeper still.   

Once you get your mind off the past, Paul says to reach forward to the future.  The Greek word for reaching  forward, or straining forward, is a picture word illustrating a runner who is stretched forward at the starting line, ready to run his race.  Literally it means to “stretch oneself forward.”  Moving forward is always a stretch!  God stretches us by calling us to do God-sized tasks.  We stretch forward toward God, who is the One who accomplishes all His purposes in and through us!  (Psalm 138:8) When the gun goes off the runner is focused on winning the race and the reward that awaits him when he crosses the finish line.  Paul also encourages us to run to win.  (1 Corinthians 9:24) The good news is that if you know Christ and have entered into His eternally full life the reward is a home in heaven spent worshiping Him forever – a very sweet reward!  

This week at our church there was a revival for the precious senior citizens of our congregation.  I had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy the worship segment of one of the revival services.  That day the hymns were all focused on heaven.  I took a moment to drink it all in and observed the beautiful white crowned men and women as they worshiped with passion and over-the-top joy.  Their faces lit up as they sang about the mansion in heaven, the streets of God, and seeing Jesus’ face for the first time.  They gained energy with each song they sang.  They were focused on the prize, fueled to finish the race! 

Time spent with a baby and with a room full of senior saints gave me fresh inspiration and encouragement to stay the course, to live a life worthy of Christ, and to remain focused on the prize of eternity spent with the Father.  Now I say with Paul:

I am off and running and there is no turning back.  

Philippians 3:14 (MSG)

Let loose and Press on!

Nancy

Hardheaded!

Have you ever been called hardheaded, stubborn or unchanging?  I can be all of these, wrapped into one - on occasion!  But I also know a few of those hardheaded types and they can leave this cheerleader speechless!  This year as I have focused on the word new, I thought it was going to be so refreshing and all shiny and, well – new.  But, the more I desire new, the more I am reminded of all the changes that are required for new.

I would love to get started on writing a new book, but that would require a change in my daily schedule.  One of my desires is to encourage others to become healthy through personal training, but that would require additional hours a day for study for a new certification.  I would love a new kitchen, but I would need to write the new book and start training people in order to afford it!  There are some things I would like renewed in my life as well.   I would like to become a better teacher, friend, student, and speaker.  All these require change.  Change also requires accountability.

For over five years I was a part of an accountability group.  There were six of us women who gathered weekly to share honestly and openly in a safe and secure environment. We shared blessings, temptations, key struggles and areas where God was calling us to go deeper with Him.  This usually meant He was calling us to something new.  It could have been a new habit of encouraging our husbands, speaking truths to our children, or using our time more productively.  We all had times when we struggled with the reality of change.  We needed each other to speak words of encouragement, instruction, or truth over our lives as we sought to reach these new goals. We cried together, prayed together, laughed together, and grew deeper in love with the Lord together.  It has been over a year since we’ve met together and oh how I miss them. I miss the accountability and being spurred on to love and live well.  If we ever showed up hardheaded or stubborn, someone in the group would call us to account!  Instead of fighting it, we welcomed it. 

Let a righteous man strike me – it is a kindness; let him rebuke me – it is oil on my head.  My head will not refuse it.  Psalm 141:5

Jesus is our ultimate Change Agent.  He is all about changing us from the old to the new.  He paid the ultimate price by dying on a cross to provide a new relationship with God.  He gave us not only a new relationship, but a whole new life!

“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”  

Romans 6:4 

My efforts to change on my own fall flat and I fail miserably!  Trying harder just doesn’t seem to work!  Eventually I must lift my hands first in surrender and then in praise of the one who makes all things new.  My efforts are like patching up my holey jeans.  They may be “fixed,” but they are not new!  My husband is such a good steward of his shoes that he will take them to the shoe shop and have them resoled several times before I step in and tell him that it is time for a new pair.  Sometimes doing the same thing over and over again is no longer effective.  It is time for a change!  Its time to walk in the new way.    

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.  No one puts new wine into old wineskins; 

otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; 

but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”   

Mark 2:21-22

I started the year giddy with excitement for the new that the Lord was going to bring into my life, and my family and friends’ lives.  The excitement has now given way to reality. The reality is I am hardheaded and so are a lot of others I know. That means the only way we are going to experience the excitement of the new is to live the reality of change.  The author of Hebrews has the key that will unlock the stubborn streak in all of us:

Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race marked out for us.                                                                        Hebrews 12:1

The Lord is calling each of us to run a new race, but we have to throw off stubbornness and allow him to strike us with His kindness and welcome His rebuke. He is our Change Agent and He is calling us to account.   

Hands up and hearts open,

Nancy

What's Love Got to Do With It?

So, what does love have to do with it – humility, that is?  I have been studying this week about “unconditional love” for a class that I teach to mentors and about “humility” for my ladies Sunday morning Bible study class.  It dawned on me this morning that love is all about humility and that humility is a required ingredient for unconditional committed love.  I see this played out on the pages of my Bible and in the lives of my family and friends. 

In Scripture, God revealed His love for all people, the good, the bad and the ugly, by sending His Son, who suffered the shame and pain of crucifixion, to provide a way for all to experience an eternal relationship with the Almighty, One and Only God.  Jesus exemplifies humility.  Jesus was and is God, yet He did not use His divine status for His own purpose and gain.  Out of His humility He showed love and out of His love He chose to be humble.

Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself . . .. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  

Philippians 2:5-8

The two greatest humbling experiences in my life have come from love relationships:  marriage and parenthood.  These begin with an overwhelming emotional love, but love that is lasting and unconditional comes when we are humbled in and through these relationships. In this season of life I am watching the beginning and the development of these relationships in my children.  My daughter is engaged and in the midst of planning and preparing for her wedding day. She is in love, but soon after the wedding she will experience what it means to be humbled by love.  Even now, during the planning she has been faced with many difficult decisions regarding such things as the number of bridesmaids to have, the best photographer, and the colors for the bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen suits. In this process she made this statement, “I want to be considerate of what he (the groom) wants.”  She is taking the first steps in learning what it means to love unconditionally.  Just as Jesus chose to set aside His divine rights to fulfill God’s purposes, a husband and wife must choose to set aside their rights to self-gain in order to fulfill God’s purpose for marriage. Tina Turner may sing that love is just a second-hand emotion, but the truth is, love is not only an emotion, it is also a choice to be humble.  When we demand our rights, rather than humbly considering others above ourselves, it never ends well.  Lasting love lasts because people choose to put others before themselves.  That takes humility.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, 

regard one another as more important than yourselves.  

Philippians 2:3

My son and his wife have just recently become parents to my precious granddaughter, Isla Rose.  Moments after Isla was born I received pictures of the brand new family.  My son and daughter-in-law’s faces glowed with an awe-filled love.  A couple of weeks later I had the great joy of spending a week with the new family.  The sleep-deprived parents were still over-the-moon in love with their precious Isla, but the romance of parenthood was giving way to the reality of sacrificial love.  Every moment of each new day was now filled with meeting the needs of this tiny human being.  She had to be fed, bathed, changed, swaddled, soothed, and watched constantly.  Changing dirty diapers is humbling, but it becomes second nature because you love her, sacrificially.  Parenting can also be humiliating!  When my daughter was two, she began to exert her will with a vengeance.  I remember once in the grocery story when I had lightly swatted her leg for some act of disobedience, which I can no longer recall, that she loudly proclaimed, “Mommy, you are hurting me!” (With no tears I might add!) At that moment I wanted to find a rock to crawl under in embarrassment.  That was only the beginning of many more humiliating experiences as a mom.  Because I loved her, I persevered and learned that it wasn’t about how good I looked as a mom, but how well I loved my child.  Often I had to discipline my children out of love.  I wanted the best for them and so correction and instruction were necessary.  Selfishly I wanted to let it all slide, have fun and keep the peace.  In love, I had to choose to put aside my own interest and do the right thing.  That takes humility.

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  Philippians 2:4

God continues to teach me how to love and live humbly.  The lessons so far have revealed one solid truth – you cannot have one without the other. 

He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

 Micah 6:8

Humbled by His love,

Nancy

A Divine Sidewalk Encounter

Over the past couple of weeks I have read the same verse several times in my devotional book and then heard it in a sermon.  I made note of this reoccurring passage in my journal, asking God to show me the lesson He was teaching me in this familiar passage. 

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  2 Corinthians 4:6

The day after writing this question to God in my journal, I was enjoying a breakfast and reading scripture at a favorite restaurant in Santa Monica, California while my daughter was working.  She was to call me when she was finished with her meetings and then I would walk up the street a few blocks to meet her.  I had finished my meal and the restaurant was filling up and becoming louder, so I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and started my walk toward the spot where I would meet my daughter.  As I walked along the sidewalk taking in the sights and sunshine, a young man approached me and asked, “Would you mind if I asked you a questions?”  I was drawn to him.  This was in itself unusual because I generally am a little apprehensive to speak with strangers I meet on a sidewalk.  I generally ignore them or give them a polite nod and say, “no thank you.”  But today was different.

I surprised myself when the words came flowing out of my mouth, “Sure, what would you like to ask me?”  He answered with this question:  “Can I pray for you?”  He went on to tell me that he felt that our meeting was divinely appointed and that he was to pray for me.  With my skeptical tendency and guarded heart, I asked him how he would pray.  He closed his eyes and said, “I would pray like this: Father in heaven I am asking you to give her a revelation of your love.  Fill her with your love in such a way that others would notice.  Fill her with your Holy Spirit . . . in Jesus name, Amen.”  As he opened his eyes, I said, “Amen, in Jesus name, I receive that prayer!” I asked him if he knew Jesus and he said, “Yes and I can tell that you do too.” He went on to say that his faith was being increased, just by talking with me.  I shared some scriptures with him and answered a few more of his questions.  Then a homeless man walked up and he said, “Sir, can I ask you a question?”  At that I said goodbye and continued on my walk.  

As I walked away, I thought to myself, “Was that a genuine divine appointment, or just someone who was a little crazy repeatedly asking people the same question?” Then “Light shall shine out of darkness” came to my mind.  Either way I was in the midst of darkness on a sunny day and Christ came shining through!  I am choosing to believe that the sidewalk meeting was a divine opportunity to shine the light of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit did fill me that morning, just as the young man prayed, empowering me to yield to love instead of hate, to kindness instead of aggravation, and compassion instead of coldness. 

That morning God answered my question.  He is true to His Word.  He has given us the Light so that we can be a light wherever we walk.  The key lesson I learned is that in order to be a light I must be willing to set aside my own agenda, notice the darkness around me, and speak the truth that will bring the Light to those blinded by darkness.

“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.”  Matthew 10:27

The only true light we have is our knowledge of God through a relationship with Christ.  Today the darkness is greater than ever in our world.  Evil abounds, fear rises, and many are without hope.  The good news in the midst of such darkness comes straight from the mouth of Jesus: “I am the Light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 

My prayer for you today is that you would first follow Jesus and then intentionally seek to be a light to those who are groping in darkness.  Build someone’s faith today and share with him or her that you know Jesus, the Light of the world!

Shine on,

Nancy

Like a Newborn Baby

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw. Proverbs 24:32

These past few weeks I have celebrated the birth of my first grandchild, the 30^th birthday of my son, and the 60^th birthday of my husband.  Each celebration marked a different stage of life, yet at every stage there are lessons to be learned.  As I spend time with my precious granddaughter I have been taken back to a scripture that keeps running through my mind.  “Like newborn babies, long for (crave) the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” 1 Peter 2:2-3 Baby Isla craves pure milk and let’s her request be made known about every two to three hours.  She really requires very little: milk, a clean diaper, and sleep.  Simple babyhood! “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated!  Ecclesiastes 7:29 (TEV) It seems the older we get the more complicated we have made our lives.  So complicated that we often put God on the “when I have more time” list. 

As I have been observing Isla, my precious newborn grandchild, I have learned some lessons about myself.  There are days that I confuse my craving for the milk of His Word with the craving for more activity, more fun, or even more ministry.  When was the last time that I cried out in my craving for more of God and His Word?  The second lesson I am learning from Isla is that cleanliness is a requirement for godliness.  Once Isla has her diaper changed, she has a new attitude!  When I spend moments in the morning reflecting on yesterday asking the Lord to show me the dirt in my life and then through confession allowing Him to remove it, He brings me peaceful contentment.  For prior to craving the Word there must be a time where  we put aside malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. (1 Peter 2:1) Nothing is more refreshing than tasting the goodness of the Lord’s forgiveness!  Lastly, Isla sleeps a lot, not always at night, but she sleeps.  After a good sleep, she wakes up cooing and her eyes wide open in wonder.  I have been staying with my son and his wife this week to help with the baby.  I have been sleeping on their couch with their puppy dog.  Couch plus puppy does not always equal a good nights sleep.  But, this morning as I woke up from a good nights rest I opened the blinds and the brightness of the sun peeked through. What hope and anticipation there is after a good nights sleep to see the sun streaming in.  I woke up from that rest craving even more time with the Light of the world.  

This week Isla has reminded me to focus on the simple truth that I am to crave the pure milk of the Word, so that I can continue to grow up in Him.  Isla has grown before my very eyes this week.  She has fed on pure milk, had her diaper changed, and rested well.  Lesson learned:  Crave the Word, confess my dirt, and rest in His love and mercy.  If you are reading this and have tasted the kindness of the Lord’s salvation keep your life simple by craving His word, keeping your life free of unconfessed sin, and find your rest in Christ alone.  

Keep Craving,

Nancy 

SOS

In the simplest terms, SOS is a ‘SIGNAL’ indicating distress and the need for help, and not an acronym or abbreviation. After SOS was first used people applied their own meanings to the letters. The most popular ones: "save our ship" and "save our souls." (Source: Yahoo Answers)

This week has been a week of receiving SOS’s via text from dear friends spread out across the country.  In times like these I am desperate for a word of encouragement or guidance to give these women.  As a mom who raised a son I have had SOS moments when I have cried out: Save Our Son!” When my son was a teenager I spent many an early morning searching the Scriptures for words of encouragement and hope. The one verse that brought me relief was Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”   It became my banner of surrender to the Lord, giving up my son once again to the Lord, who would work in my son in ways beyond my highest dreams.

You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth.  Psalm 60:4

So, this week as I received the SOS texts from fellow moms I knew where to go in order to send help.  One friend reached out to me who was in a place of hurt and needed my prayers and my comfort.  I was her lifeline – as Francesca Battistelli song, Hands of God, so beautifully puts it, “Every time you listen to me cause you know I need a friend. Every time you stop what you’re doing help me find my way again . . . I hope you know to me you are the hands of God.”  Her reply was, “I am helped by your prayers.”  We encouraged one another to remain faithful to the truth of God in the midst of her rejection and hurt.

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.  Philippians 1:27

  

The next day as I was walking on the treadmill, the place where I pray and listen to God as I review my scripture memory verses, another friend’s son popped into my mind.  I was reviewing a verse that I have had trouble remembering the reference. I know it is one of the gospels, but which one?  Then as I looked at the reference I realized it was the name of my friends prodigal son.  The truth of the verse fit perfectly with the prayer I was praying for him. I did not message my friend until the next morning when the Holy Spirit brought her son to my mind again prompting me to let her know the truth I was praying for her son.  Later that morning I received her response: “Thank you, thank you again for sharing this.  You have been God’s messenger to us today.”  What joy filled my heart; it was that “complete joy” Paul speaks of when he wrote to the believers in Philippi:

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.  Philippians 2:1-2

I am humbled and so grateful that God would use me as a channel of His love!  I know that this would have been impossible had I not been seeking to abide in Christ daily.  As one of my mentors often says, “I am just one beggar offering another beggar a piece of bread.”  My desperation for God and my daily seeking the Bread of Life enabled me to share with my desperate friends a slice of hope.  We must abide in order to guide. 

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5

Are you sending out an SOS today? 

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 

Have you received an urgent SOS from a friend today?  Reach out with a slice of truth and bring comfort.  

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”   2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

Save Our Souls,

Nancy

I’m Singing a New Song

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; 

Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord.  

Psalm 40:3

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing the Lord all the earth.  Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tiding of His salvation from day to day.  Psalm 96:1-2

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:17

Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.  Ephesians 5:19

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  Colossians 3:16

These verses have been etched on my heart and their words are playing over and over in my mind a sweet melody of praise.  This week the Lord blessed me with the birth of my first grandchild, Isla Rose and placed on my heart and in my mouth a new song, a hymn of praise to God for His perfect gift.  In honor of her birth and her earthy father’s thirtieth birthday, I want to sing a new song.

Isla Rose Taylor
Born January 17, 2015

A Flower Devoted to God

Just seven days before your daddy’s thirtieth birthday you arrived bursting on the scene bringing great joy and promise for the future to your entire family.

Long prayed for, you came as we had believed, hoped and dreamed.

You were fearfully, wonderfully and beautifully created by your heavenly Daddy, whose love you will never be separated from. 

Isla and her Daddy

For your earthly daddy, who was also born seven days before his daddy’s thirtieth birthday, will show you the Father’s love as he holds you, cares for you, and sings over you with loving melodies. 

For your name, Isla, proclaims that you are set apart and devoted to God for a special purpose. 

As an island is surrounded by water and filled with fertile land, so you are surrounded by the Living Water and filled with the promise of a future lavished with love.

You are Rose, a beautiful blossoming flower, like the rose of Sharon, a lily among the thorns. 

Just one look at your face makes all the prickly things of life disappear!

Today, I sing a new song, a hymn of praise to our Heavenly Daddy for the double blessing of seeing the child of my son!

Precious Isla Rose, may I live my days to declare to you the incomparably great power of God and sing over you the love of our Heavenly Father.

“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God till I declare you power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.”  

Psalm 71:18

Singing to Isla Rose,

Nancy

(Now known as Isla's Cycy)