Flying

One of my all time favorite stories is Peter Pan. It is great, there are adventures, pirates, a magical island and best of all, he could fly. Flying is something that I have always dreamed of being able to do. I remember when I was very little, my Dad picked me up and was "flying" me down the hallway. I remember thinking, "just let me go Daddy, I've got it from here." Of course he kept a firm grip on me because he knew the law of gravity, but I just knew I could fly. In the story Peter is telling the children how to fly and he says, "All it takes is faith and trust...And pixie dust. Now think a happy thought and fly." As I was thinking about this the other day, something occurred to me. So often in this life, we feel as though we are just barely getting by. Nothing seems good or beautiful anymore and we feel as though we are stuck on the ground. And, sadly we have trained ourselves to believe that this is the only way. Oh, but there is so much more. Though we will never literally be able to defy gravity and fly, the One who has given us life desires for us to live victoriously, chase our dreams, love unconditionally... to fly. But you may ask, "how can I ever get past these circumstances? I've lost sight of dreams, love and faith." Well, my advice to you are the words of Peter Pan. Have Faith in the One who loved you enough to die. Trust in Him regardless of the circumstances. And think a happy thought, meaning, believe in the beautiful things of life. Set your mind on the positive, for the only place negative thoughts will take you is in a downward spiral. So next time you start to feel discouraged and stuck, take Peter Pan's advice, Faith, Trust and Happy thoughts...and soar!.

"All you need is faith and trust...And a little bit of pixie dust." --Peter Pan

"Childlike faith focuses on our Heavenly Father--Not on our fears." --Unknown

Live

I've decided something. I look at my life and realize that all to often I have not been living. I've been making do, getting by and, more often than not, struggling. I am so richly blessed and yet I don't often live like it. I struggle with fears, doubts and worries and they do nothing more than dull the colors around me to a muddy gray. I sit and look at my shoes trying to think of all that I have to do to get it right and it overwhelms me because I just can't. And then yesterday something clicked in my head. I felt as though God whispered in my ear, "Beloved, stop. Stop looking at the mud because it's not going to get you anywhere. I have set you free but you are not living in it. It's time to start living." Jesus Christ paid the price for me and you to live a victorious, free life. So I'm going to stop looking at what I think I have to do to make myself worthy of that gift and instead, I'm going to look into the eyes of the One who gave it to me. I'm not saying it is going to be easy, even today I started to look back and get caught up in that nasty, muddy mess. But regardless of how I feel, I'm going to rest in the arms of the One who loves me more than I will ever know. So my challenge to myself and you is this: Let it go. Life is waiting.

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." --Unkown
              

The Clocks

 I live in a apartment in a big yellow house on a quiet street in a little town. The people who lived here once, long ago, were watch makers. I made a discovery the other day and it got me thinking. I was down in the basement the other day and there, way in the back was the watch makers desk. It was covered with watch faces, clock pieces and all the tools of the trade. The drawers were full of things just waiting to be discovered and the ledger sitting there dated back to the forties. What really struck me, were the glasses. There was an old wire rimmed pair of eye glasses sitting there amongst the clocks. It was as though the wearer had been in the middle of something when he set them down to run upstairs for a cup of coffee, and he never went back. It made me wonder why he had stopped and what ever happened next. And then I began to think. We only have so much time. Life is a precious gift and yet so often we spend our days worrying, grumpy, struggling, or wishing we were somewhere or somebody else. That is not the way we were meant to live. When God set your life in motion, I'm quite certain He smiled. Because He said, "I know the plans I have for you...They're good plans." So, don't let worry, fear, the grummpies, or discontent ruin your day. Because God has something much better for you, and it may very well be right in front of you but you won't be able to see it if you don't look. So, today with the precious time you have, let it go, smile, laugh and live the life you have been given. It's good.

"Know how to live the time that is given you." --Dario Fo

The Music

Do you ever feel as though the music has stopped. You feel as though life has left you in the dust, and what once was beautiful and exciting feels gray and sad. Stop right now, and listen. Do you hear it? The music is still playing, it may be quiet and gentle, but ever so faintly it plays on. Because, the One who wrote the music promises to never leave or forsake you. Did you know that every organ in the human body vibrates at a certain pitch. That means that you are a living, walking song. The symphony of life is within your very being. God delights in you so much that He wrote His music into you. You can't hear it with your ears, and yet it is there. How amazing is that! Our very bodies are an instrument of praise to the One who has given us life. So, today whatever you are doing, wherever you have been,  regardless of what you feel like, let the music play. Smile! It's going to be a good day.

"Music in the soul can be heard by the universe. " --Lao Tzu

Psalm 101:1
"I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to You O Lord, I will make music."

Autumn

I stepped outside today and couldn't help but smile. Fall is here. A time when scarves sound delightful, apple cider is fresh and your every step plays a part in a beautiful, crunchy symphony. Autumn is my favorite season of the year and I must say that the colors are a big reason for this. When the trees begin to change to a million reds, golds, oranges and browns it is as though God is putting on a color show. Close your eyes, do you feel it? The world is dancing with delight. As I was thinking about the change of seasons the other day, a thought occurred to me, autumn is a time of rest. With spring we see many changes as new things are born and life is happening all around. With summer comes a time of immense growth. And fall, oh sweet beautiful fall, brings rest. Some may look at the changing of the leaves and the onset of cooler weather as a time of death, but it's not. Fall brings a resting period. After months of change and growth fall is like a signal to slow down. I think that this correlates to our lives as well. We all go through springs, times of great change in our life, and summers, periods where we grow and learn. These are great and beautiful times, but to balance it all out we need to rest and reflect. I think that fall is a reminder to all of us to slow down, take a deep breath, look back at the summer and see how we have grown, and then rest. So on this beautiful autumn day, I challenge you to run through the leaves, feel the cool air on your face, breathe deeply of the earth's dusty aroma, and know that God delights in you and is inviting you, to come and rest in Him.

"Autumn's the mellow time. " ~William Allingham


"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."  ~Elizabeth Lawrence

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

The Steps

The girl is standing in the middle of a giant field and slowly sighs. A sigh of frustration, fear and doubt. The world around is so large and seems to demand so much of her. A single tear begins to fall. And then, as the sun goes down and the moon begins to rise, He appears. And gently, oh so gently, as the stars begin to dance above, He takes her hand. Then, with the slightest of smiles on His lips, He gives the girl an invitation. He whispers, "Lets dance." At first her heart swells and she so longs to be swept away, until the realization hits her, she does not know the steps. She steps back and with fear in her voice says, "I can't."
        "Oh, but you can," He says, "For I am the one who created the dance. I know all the steps and twists and turns. All you have to do is let me lead." And so, she takes His hand and they begin to sway. But the girl soon stumbles and her heart sinks, for what if He, the creator of the dance will decide that she is simply not worth His time. But before she is even done thinking, He pulls her in and whispers into her ear, "I will never leave you. Trust me and know that it is okay to stumble, for if you only lean on me you will soon find that as you sway to my rhythm, the steps will come." So, she leans forward, lays her head on His chest and begins to move.
       And so it is in life. The One who created us and has called us by name knows all the steps in the dance. He promises to be faithful. As the seasons change, as the years go by, through the ups and downs. In the times of laughter and the times of tears. When it feels dark and like all hope is gone, He dances on. When we decide that He isn't leading properly, we begin to stumble and feel the bumps, and yet, through it all He never lets go. So, close your eyes, feel His promise and dance.


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."

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to be over, it's about learning how to dance in the rain."  --Unknown

 

The Heartbeat

The other day I snuggled up to my husband, laid my head on his chest and began to listen to his heartbeat. A steady, rhythmic, beat... The beat of life. There in that place, with his arms around me and his heart gently beating in my ear, I felt so safe and loved. And it was in that moment that I realized something. The One who made me and knows my heart, loves me more than any person will ever be able to. The One who  has called my name is sitting there with arms open wide, just waiting for me to run into them, lay my head on His chest and listen to His heartbeat... Because it beats for me and for you. The heart of the Father is the pulse of life, it sustains us and keeps us safe. So often in this life we get distracted by all that is going on around us. Worries, fears, and the cares of this world will try to distract us, and it is when we allow this that we begin to panic. Because when our attentions to drift away from the heart of life, we lift up our head so that we can no longer hear His heart beat. Now the important thing to remember here is that even when we do this and allow worries to seep in, it doesn't mean that His heart no longer beats for us, it simply means that we have gotten distracted and have stopped listening. This can feel very frightening. But all that we need to do is take a deep breath, turn our eyes back to the One who is patiently waiting for us to remember that He is always right there, relax against Him and listen to His heartbeat... It beats for you.

"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart." --Hellen Keller

The Motif

Have you ever noticed something beautiful. It may be little and easily overlooked if one is not paying attention, and yet, it is always there. Like a musical motif, this beauty is always there. It occured to me that I have a motif running through my life as well. It is the grace, mercy, peace, compassion and faithfulness of the One who gave me life. No matter where I am or what is happening in my day, it is always there. And I remember this every time I see a butterfly, a small thing of beauty that consistantly appears and reminds me that I am never alone. As I was walking home the other day a butterfly floated accross my path. Over the past few months I have learned a lot from these delicate creatures. And now they are a constant reminder to me that God keeps his promises. A reminder to be still and rest, knowing that the One who made me is always with me. A reminder to chase my dreams. A reminder that life is beautiful and that I am loved. I so easily forget these things and allow my mind to start believeing otherwise. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, a butterfly lands on my shoulder and I remember. So as you walk through life with all of its bumps and twists, start looking around you, I can guarantee that if you pay attention, you will begin to see His grace, peace and mercy in a lot of ways throughout your day, those little reminders that you are loved more than you could ever imagine. See it in the laughter of a child, in the hug of one you love. See it in the delicate beauty of a flower or in the elegeant grace of a butterfly. But always remember.

"It's a wonderful feeling just being in this creative motif." --Roy Ayers

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection." --Michelangelo

Texture

Have you ever noticed that the road of life is often full of potholes, bumps and zig zags. As we are going through them we often get frustrated and wonder why it is happening to us. It is all to easy to get into the "why me" mentallity. We wish that all those bumps and thumps would just go away. I've had my fair share of these road problems, but they got me to thinking the other day. If we were to turn around and look back we would see that all those inconveinant and sometimes painful moments in our life, are exactly what give our lives, and ourselves, character and beauty. It's like when you look at a piece of art. Up close you see all the individual brush strokes, colors, mistakes and blemishes. But when you step back and look at it as a whole all those things come together to make it beautiful. If any of those steps in the process were missing, the art would not be complete. So, it is through the bumps and jolts of life, the things that make us cry and the things that make us laugh, the good and the bad, that we learn and grow to be the person that we are today. So when you look back on your life, don't sigh and think of all the hurt or frustration, think about the things that you learned through it, and the way that you grew because of it. And maybe, just maybe, when you look back you won't see caos, but a beautiful pattern that weaves together and gives texture to the canvas of your life.

"God doesn't put hard things in your path to hurt you, but to call out your strength and courage."
--Unkown

The Legacy

This week I had the privilege to spend some time with a truly amazing person, A woman who has touched the lives of many. She has seen many years and now she is stooped and moves rather slow. Her hand has a slight tremmer and her hair has turned the purest of white. To many who do not know this woman, she appears like any other old grandma. And sadly, most would probably over look her. And yet, when she smiles there is still a sparkle in her eyes and a hint of mischief in her voice. And when she begins to tell her stories, it as if she is opening a window into the past. A window from which we can learn, laugh and remember. As I sat there and listened, I was blown away. She reminded me that there is beauty everywhere, but especially in the little things about life. Like fun trips with friends, evenings spent outside around a campfire, and those little annoying things that in hindsight bring tears to your eyes because you cannot stop laughing about them. She reminded me that life is precious and ought to be lived to the fullest. That the One who has given us life is love. And that the people in our lives are our most precious gifts. Another thing that I learned is that life is not always fair. That sometimes we will encounter great pain, and yet, there is always a reason to smile. If the life of this great lady were laid out like a road map, I'm sure it would be full of bumps, hills and valleys, twist and turns, unexpected forks, wide open fields of sunshine and most likely some clouds. But it is these very things that have made her into the person that she is today. So I've decided something. I've decided that I don't want to just ho-hum it through life. I want to hold onto my hat and say, "Let's get going!" I want to experience life and all the adventures that are out there. And some day when I get to be old and grey, I hope to still have a sparkle in my eye and mischief in my voice. I hope to someday leave a legacy.


"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forewards."--Soren Kierkegaard

"The Legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example."
      --Benjamin Disraeli