For the Days We Don't Understand

       I do not always understand the Bible or God. I have frequently ended my devotion time confused and frustrated.  I read something and I allow the tangled web that is my brain get it all mixed up and confused and before you know it I'm frustrated or worried because I either don't get something, or I've allowed my own understanding in and that has clouded the truth.
      What I'm starting to learn is that I will never fully understand the mystery of God, at least not until I meet Him face to face, and that is ok. I need to get comfortable with my not understanding. I don't mean that I should give up pressing in or trying to understand, what I mean is I need to come to the realization that it's a learning process and I may not understand everything right away or in the time frame that I would like. I'm also slowly starting to learn that when I don't understand something, I can't let fear and the idol of my own understanding come flying in, because the minute I let that happen I loose all sense of logic and end up taking steps backwards instead of forwards.
      As I was thinking about this this afternoon, I thought about how it relates, in a way, to a problem I often come across as a teacher. Occasionally, usually in math, we will hit a topic that for some reason my students just can't seem to grasp. It doesn't seem to matter how much I explain it or lay out the steps, I simply end up with blank stares or looks of dismay(long division anyone).
      I know that the best way to teach students a topic is to help them to understand the "why" of something, but I also have come to realize that there are days they may just not get the "why," but we still need to learn the "how." They may not yet grasp the "why" of how long division works, but we need to at least get the "how" so that they can begin working to solve the problems.
      I know that for myself, the "why" for a lot of math things didn't really click till I was much older, but I could do the problems, I had figured out the "how." When we hit these road blocks in the classroom, I tell the kids that for now they need to just trust me and follow the steps that I've shown them, and that we will survive the unit.
     Back to my struggle with understanding, I can apply this same lesson. When I hit a road block and don't understand, instead of freaking out(which doesn't help ever, be it the Bible or math) I need to lean back into trust and God's peace. Trust what I do know, trust the wise and godly people God has put in my life, trust that some day I will figure it out, or even if I don't that's ok, because God is so good and full of grace. It says in Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I love this verse for multiple reasons, one of them being that part about God's peace transcending my understanding. But I've got to be willing to let that peace in. 
      Well, a brand new day is upon us. Lessons and Adventures abound. Happy Thursday!

"Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching." ~Unknown 

The Chair

     My grandma has a chair, it is her spot. A big easy chair that has sat in pretty much the same spot in her and Grandpa's living room my entire life. Over the years the chair has occasionally changed, but the spot and the sentiment have not, that is Grandma's chair, and it is a good place.

Grandma, Lydia, and baby me 1989

Grandma, Lydia, and me 1999

Grandma, Baby Jordan, and me 1990

Grandma and me 1996ish

     I too am a creature of habit. Both Luke and I have spots that are "our spots" in our living room. I have a seat that I always sit at for staff meetings and teacher devotions at school. We have a spot at church and spots at the dinner table. It's nice.
     We all have our "spots." In a way, I think it may be a part of our desire for home, a place that is ours, where we are safe and comfortable. As I was thinking about this today, it occurred to me that in Jesus we find our spot. The One who designed us and our need for a safe space also designed the perfect safe space. A place where we can always rest in peace and security. In Jesus we can be confident that we are ok. In Jesus we can rest in peace. In Jesus we can relax, breath, and know that we are in the safest spot imaginable.
    Now in no way do I mean to imply that we can or should let our faith stagnate and remain unmoving. We should always be striving to grow deeper in our faith and our desire to know The One who created this life. But in that growth and forward movement we can remain ever steady in our "spot," that safe place that is Jesus. Rest in Him!

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."
~Maya Angelou

"God's mercy and grace give me hope, for myself, and for our world." ~Billy Graham  

Seek Peace

     I was reading my Bible the other day and I came across this passage,
Colossians 3:15
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful."
     This says that we are supposed to be ruled by peace. That sounds so wonderful to me. To be ruled by something means to be under its authority. To be under the authority of peace sounds like safety, comfort, and assurance. Unfortunately, I all to often allow fear into my mind and heart, and fear leaves no room for peace. Without peace there is no joy and that is not a good place to find yourself.
      But the One who created your heart knows that fear will try to cripple it, and He asks us to seek Him. He offers peace and He wants to breath it into the very fiber of our beings. Seek the One who designed peace and joy, the One who created laughter and delights in you.
Psalm 34:14
"Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."
     Pursue peace. Set your mind and heart on it and go after it with all that you've got. Because when you are pursuing peace, you are pursuing Jesus.
     There is something so completely peaceful about a Spring evening. I've had the windows open the past couple of nights and to hear birds sing and the rain gently fall floods my soul with the peace of the Creator. Seek peace, soak it up, and allow your faith to grow.

     On a side note, Norbert the Turtle got a tank upgrade this weekend.

Happy Sunday.

"God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." ~C.S Lewis

Beyond My Understanding

      The other day I was thinking about what the Bible has to say about my own understanding of things. It's not very reliable at all. I often have to remind myself of the wisdom of Proverbs 3:5-6
           "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
      Trust in the LORD, not yourself. All to often I find myself leaning back on what I think I know or what I feel, but that proves to be a very shaky support system. Our own understanding is wobbly and unstable and all to often, when we lean on it we find ourselves toppling over backwards. We need to lean back on God.
    Then it says in Provers 28:25b-26
"But the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched. Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered."
    Here again, it points out the uselessness of "my own understanding." According to this verse, I've found myself to be a fool more often than not. I trust what I think I know, I trust what I feel, but for some reason, it can be so hard to trust in the LORD. But when we do, we come to a place of safety.
    But the Bible doesn't just talk about the uselessness of our own understanding. It also talks about how God's peace and love is so far beyond what our minds can comprehend.
       Ephesians 3:17-19
"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and the length and height and depth, and to know the love Christ which surpassed knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
     The love of The One who created this life "surpasses knowledge." His love is so big, we can't comprehend it. It's beyond our understanding. Which is good, because if God only loved me as much as I could understand, than I wouldn't be very loved.
     But there's more. God's in the business of blowing our minds and showing us things that are beyond our wildest imaginations. And not just in how much He loves us, but in the peace He floods our souls with.
    Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
    The peace of God is beyond our comprehension. And that peace is our safe place. It "will guard your heart and your mind," if you let it.
     If you let God's big love wash over you, and His incomprehensible peace guard your mind you will be in a good place. Because, if you rest in His love and peace you won't be leaning on yourself.
     So today, may you give up trying to understand and simply trust, resting in the love and peace and joy of One who is so much bigger than you.

Relax

    I love babies, I always have. I have multiple pictures of me over the years holding some baby or other. They are just so sweet. I look forward to the day when My love and I have our own little snuggler, but until then, I have great friends who are willing to share their babies with me.
    This morning at church, I was holding my newest little friend. He was tired, but resisting. He wasn't really upset, he just couldn't quite figure out what he wanted. He was wiggly and fidgeting, he would lay his head down then pick it back up. He just couldn't seem to relax.  I rocked, swayed, and rubbed his back until he finally gave in and fell asleep. One of the best feelings in the world is when that sweet little 8 pounds of wiggliness finally calms down enough to relax into you and fall asleep.
    As I was holding that sweet little guy I started thinking about how even as adults we sometimes struggle with that very same thing. We struggle to relax into the arms of the One who is holding us. Our heavenly Father has us securely in His arms. He loves us so very much but as He holds us, we so often struggle to calm down and rest in Him. We flail our arms, wiggle, feel frustrated, lay our heads down only to pick them up again. Resisting.
   Why is it we so often fail to rest in His love? Perhaps it's fear, or guilt, or the desire to hold onto control. Sometimes I think it is because we simply don't know how to just give it up and rest in Him. We are so used to the feelings of anxiety that resting in His peace is almost a foreign concept.
    But the One who knows what's best just keeps holding onto us. He sways and rocks, pats our back and whispers to just calm down and rest in Him. And just like holding that sweet baby as he finally fell asleep was an amazing feeling, when you finally relax into the Arms of the One who holds you, a feeling of peace will engulf your very soul... And peace is about the best feeling there is.
Happy Sunday

"Peace begins with a smile." ~Mother Teresa 

God's Will Part 3

      So, this year, I've been on the look out for passages in the Bible that clearly outline what the will of God is for His people.  So far, I've written about what I've found here and here. And now part 3.

1 Peter 2:1-2
"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."

God's Will: These are the things God doesn't want to see in your life: deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

1 Peter 3:8-9
"Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

God's Will: As part of the body of Christ, God desires for us to be loving, compassionate, humble, and caring. 

1 Timothy 1:5
" The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

God's Will: Love. 1 John 4:16 says that God is love. And we are supposed to be Christ like, therefore, love better be a part of who we are. 

Psalm 34:13-14
" keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."

God's Will: Once again, stay away from evil and deceit. Seek after goodness and peace. In fact it says, "Pursue peace." So don't just open your door to peace, don't just passively hope for it, pursue it. Go after it. Peace is a good thing. 
      Isaiah 26:3 "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in you." 


Today may you pursue the peace that is found in the One who gave you life. Happy Tuesday.

Today

        Good morning. How are you today? Are you wonderful? Are you tired? Are you happy? Are you sad? Are you discouraged or encouraged? I personally woke up today with a mind that was tending toward worry. But you know what? Psalm 118:24 says,
"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
       Is your mind anxious or joyous? Knotted up or at peace?  I find myself going through stages in this process of learning to trust the One who gave me life. I have days where I seem to be able to let go and simply trust and then something pops into my mind and tangles up all the progress I seemed to have made. But you know what it says in Zephaniah 3:17?
"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing." Everything about this verse is hopeful and inspiring but I would like to point out the part where it says "He will quiet you by His love." What about your life needs to be calmed down and quieted? My is my mind and the anxious tangle it likes to make of everything. Through His love, He brings quietness and peace to your tangles.
       Are you sad today or happy? Feeling lonely or loved? Well you know what choose the later of both those options because Haggai 1:13b says, "I am with you, declares the LORD." The One who created closeness and love and security is with you.

Happy Wednesday. 

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." ~Confucius

Beautiful Day

      What makes a beautiful day? There are a couple of songs that I really like right now and they are both titled "Beautiful Day." So what is the true definition of a beautiful day? I have been thinking and for me the most beautiful days are the ones that are filled with peace. Sun or rain, work or play, the day is beautiful when I have surrendered my white knuckle grip on control to the One who made the day.
      And now for some gardening goodness. Yesterday some of our nephews and one of our nieces came over to help us get our garden spot ready. Luke tilled and we shoveled a tailor load of goat manure.

Shoveling the good stuff

 A chance to wear my fabulous new mud boots.

I didn't get everything planted yesterday so I finished up today in the gentle rain. Beans, peas, cucumbers, onions, zucchini, peppers, radishes and soon there will be tomatoes. 

Crooked rows and all! It is going to be good. Happy Monday

"Life is like a mirror, it'll smile at you if you smile at it." ~Unknown

And here is one of my favorite songs. 

The Refuge

Psalm 46:1
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Psalm 61:2-3
"From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,  for You have been my refuge a strong tower against the enemy. "

      God is our refuge. He is our safe place. He is our Peace. And believe me, Peace is a refuge you long to find when worry starts to attack your mind. I've read verses like the ones above many times. They are highlighted and underlined and marked with a little castle symbol in my Bible.
      But it didn't occur to me till a few days ago that the Word of God is that refuge.  I had been having a particularly worrisome day and so at the end of it I decided to try reading my Bible. As I read through the Psalms, verse after verse started to reach out to me and His peace began to flood in.   And that was when the thought popped into my head that spending time in the words of the Giver of Life is one of the ways that we can take advantage of this refuge He offers.
       Like it says in Ephesians, the Word of God is our sword--a fierce weapon to be reckoned with, but it is also a soft and warm blanket. The blanket that the little kid keeps with him at all times because it makes him feel safe and warm. Seek refuge in Him. Happy Tuesday.

“The all-victorious Christ is like a great rock in a weary land, to whose shelter we may flee in every time of sorrow or trial, finding quiet refuge and peace in him.”~James Russell Miller

Be Still

      I struggle with worry. It can be annoying and it also can be overwhelming. Sometimes I worry about things and it just makes life more difficult. And other times I allow worry to invade and it feels like all hope has left me.  My husband patiently stands by me and tries to help me understand that God doesn't speak in fear, and he reminds me not to listen to it if it is fear. But my argument usually sounds like this, "How can I not listen to it? The fear is screaming so loudly in my head that I can't hear anything else. Why doesn't God speak louder?" But then I was reminded of this story.

1 Kings 19: 11-13
"And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”"

      Fear can seem like a harsh wind, and an earthquake, and a fire. But God is a whisper, a calm, a peace.  
        It says in Psalms 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."
And so sometimes I pray and plead with God to help me with the fear to make me feel better. I try to sit and read the Bible, but the fear just invades. But it occurred to me this morning that that verse says to "Be still" but it doesn't necessarily have to be a physical stillness. My mind needs to be still. I can sit perfectly still and be quiet but my mind is on overdrive. It is struggling to find a way out of what I'm worried about, it is arguing with myself and God, non of which allows for any stillness.  
                Sometimes I find that my mind is still right when I'm waking up. I can fall asleep worried but right when I wake up, I feel at peace. It's like my brain hasn't fully woken up and the part that likes to over analyze and worry hasn't quite caught up with the more child like part of my brain. The part that knows that peace and rest are found in the stillness. That God is there. 
        Yesterday was the first day of this new year and I decided that I wanted to have a verse for my year. I think Deuteronomy 30:19b might be a good one. 
       "Therefore choose life..."
God is peace. God is joy. God is life. 

Summer Nights

        Last night the moon was out and almost full. The air held just enough chill to make it nice and the bullfrogs and crickets were singing their songs. I climbed the latter up to the roof and sat there for a few minutes. Loving the sound of the country at night. There is something magical, peaceful and wonderful about a summer night. For some reason it is a time of day when I more readily feel at peace. Maybe it's the quiet of it, the coolness, the moon... Whatever it is, I love it, I'm reminded of the peace and love of the One who created the stars. So, enjoy your summer nights and be reminded.


"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls." ~Mother Teresa

Moments

        Have you ever had one of those moments. A moment when everything seems so perfect and beautiful and comfortable. A time when love abounds, dreams seem possible and everything seems magical. I was driving home with the love of my life at my side and I was struck with the simple and graceful beauty of the town as millions of Christmas lights twinkled and sparkled against the fresh, white snow. A song played gently in the background and the world seemed at peace. Look for those moments in your life. You may think that you are too busy or life is too hard or that your dreams are impossible, but just look. The One loves you more than you could ever know has filled your life with these moments. Like a gently falling snowflake, these moments may seem small and unimportant, but if you allow yourself to look a little closer, you will see the beautiful lacy craftsmanship. So tonight, snuggle up with the one you love, enjoy a cup of cocoa, listen to the music and watch the snowflakes. Goodnight.


“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.”
  ~Betty Smith 

The Hand

       The girl was walking through the field and her heart was heavy. She felt so alone and the sun seemed to have disappeared behind a cloud with no intention of coming back. Her shoulders stooped because in her hands was the largest of rocks. It was bound in ropes of fear, anxiety and doubt. The girl's steps grew slow and soon she was simply standing there with tears running down her face. Suddenly He was standing next to her with a sad look in His eyes. She looked at Him and suddenly the weight in her hand seemed so much heavier, and she said, "Why aren't you helping me with this? You promised to hold my hand on this journey and yet, here I am with this giant rock."
        He smiled a sad smile and replied, "I promised to hold your hand and be with you through the thick and thin, but you can't hold my hand when you are holding onto that load. You have to give it to me so that your hands will be free to hold mine."
        The girl looked down at the boulder in her hands, it was garish and unsightly and oh so heavy. Could she do it? she wondered. Could she really simply just hand it over? He reached out his hands and waited. She pulled back slightly, suddenly feeling protective of the heavy mess in her hands.  He said, "Will you give it to me? Will you let me hold your hand?"
        Hesitantly the girl took a step forward and moved toward handing Him the rock. A though flashed across her mind, would she really be able to simply let go of this burden that had been weighing her down for so long? Then, she just let it go. And suddenly, she realized that the boulder was gone. She looked up and He smiled at her, in his hands was the tiniest of pebbles.  As she watched the pebble continued to shrink to nothing more than a speck of dust and then it was gone.
        The girl felt a smile form on her lips and a laugh began to bubble within her. He threw back his head and laughed with her. A joyous, full, laugh. He looked into her eyes and said, "When you give your giants to me, they becoming nothing. You see, I have it under control. What seems impossible to you is easily handled when you let Me have it."
      The girl looked down at her hands and relished the delicious freedom that was there. Then, she reached out and slipped her hand into His.
   
"Close your eyes, Clear your heart, Let it go." ~Uknown

The Puzzle

Do you ever feel like you are walking around carrying a huge box of jumbled up puzzle pieces. You look into the box at the thousands and thousands of pieces and your heart drops. The box feels so heavy and you have simply no idea how to put the pieces together to make a whole. Sometimes you may try to put a piece or two together, and sometimes you just feel like giving up as you shake the box. I have been feeling like that a lot lately, and slowly slowly, the answer is occurring to me. I will never be able to put the puzzle together. Not on my own. It is a task simply too great for me. But just when the discouragement sets in, hope appears. Hope is a funny thing, because it is always there, it never leaves. Whether we realize it or not, hope is alive. Hope...His name is Jesus. He is sitting there with a heart that is aching for us. He knows that the only way for us to succeed is for us to give the pieces to Him. It's funny how the simplest things can sometimes be the hardest. Why do we struggle so to hand Him the pieces, they are just frustrating us, but still we have a desire to hold onto them. And yet, all we have to do is hand them to Him and with careful and patient hands, He snaps each and everyone into its place, and suddenly the picture emerges. And when we hand Him the pieces, the messed up jumbled things of life, He smiles and hands us His peace. So my challenge to myself and you is to hand Him the pieces and allow the Hope of the World to bring Peace to your life. And then dance in it.

"Life is God’s novel. Let him write it." --Issac Bashevis Singer


 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
      - Isaiah 40:29-31

Shoes

This week I got a new pair of shoes. And these are not just any shoes, they are red and yellow high tops... It really doesn't get much better than that. And the really exciting thing about these shoes is that I am going to say "I Do" in them. Yep, I'm wearing red tennies to my wedding. But, I don't plan on wearing them just for the one day and then putting them somewhere in the back of the closet to collect dust. I plan on living life in those shoes. I'm going to run, jump, dance and skip in them. Because, shoes are meant to be worn in and worn out. Meant to get us from here to there. Meant to take us on grand adventures. As I was thinking about my new shoes yesterday, I realized that God has given us a pair of shoes to wear too. It says in Ephesians that we are supposed to shod our feet with the Gospel of Peace. I think that this verse means that we are to take the peace of the Good News to the world. But then I realized something. God is the god of peace and He brings peace to every part of our lives if we allow Him in. How often do we find ourselves unsettled and lacking peace in our lives, because we are holding God at a slight distance because we are afraid, or doubt that He is big enough to take care of us. God gave us a pair of shoes when we came to Him. They are the shoes of peace, and it was never His intention for us to wear them for one day and then put them into the back of the closet. He gave us those shoes to live life in. To run, jump, skip and dance. They are a gift to us, to wear in and wear out. To get us from here to there. To go on grand Adventures in. So, next time you feel doubts or unrest, think about where you put your shoes. They are God's gift to you, are you wearing them?

Ephesians 6:15
"For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared."