I AM!

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." - Revelation 1:8 (NIV)

I AM the Alpha.

I AM the salt of the earth. I AM the salt in your tears.

I AM in the beating of heavy rains. I AM in every beat of your heart.

I AM the rock upon which you stand. I AM your shield from rocks thrown from your enemies.

I AM in the swirling winds of the sea. I AM in every swirl of your fingerprints. 

I AM with you in the silence. I AM with you in the noise.

I AM pleased to see the fruit of your labor. I AM the fruit that gives you nourishment.

I AM on the wings of soaring eagles. I AM the wings that shelter you from the storm.

I AM with the soldier whose soles of their feet enter dangerous ground. I AM crying out for the lost souls to return to me.

I AM the warmth from the sun on a summer's day. I AM the SON who died to give you life.

I AM your first breath. I AM your last.

I AM the Omega.

From dust to dust, I AM!

What May Come?

There’s a monster in our house.  That’s right-a big, ferocious tickle monster that comes out daily.  He seems to make his way to both of my children, upon request. The laughter that echoes out of their mouths will light up a room with joy.

How ridiculous would it be if I told my kids I couldn’t tickle them because when they move, they could bump their heads on something and get hurt? Pretty silly idea, right? So many intoxicating, playful times would be lost all for what could happen.

Life is filled with great moments like that. The kind that bring delight and pleasure. Sometimes, their short lived and others last much longer than we expect.  But, with those, also come the trials and heartache.  As we age, we witness more blows so we come to expect the bad will always follow the good. As a result, even when things are going smoothly, we will hold our breath and wait for the other shoe to drop.

Why do we let the good things in our lives be overshadowed by fear of what may come?

When opportunity presents itself, it’s easy for us to ask the what if questions:

What if I give my heart away and it ends in heartbreak?

What if I pursue my dream and it crashes and burns?

What if I pitch an idea, apply for college or ask someone out on a date and I’m rejected?

If we are worried about what will happen in the future, we can miss all the great things that happen in the present.  To worry is to have fear and I’ve heard it said there are 365 fear nots in the Bible. One for every day of the year.  God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love. (2 Timothy 1:7) Can any one of us by worrying add a single hour to our lives? (Matthew 6:27)

The better question to ask ourselves is “what happens if we don’t open our hearts, chase our dreams and risk rejection?” Then we will never know what it means to step out in faith. The tickled pink feeling of new love. The gratifying sense of accomplishment knowing we tried.

There are countless stories in the Bible of ordinary people, like us, who, through their fears and doubt, trusted God and took a chance.  In turn, we are still reading about those very people today. Can you imagine what it must’ve been like for Moses, who didn’t think he could, to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land? He had no idea what awaited them in the future and yet, he did it anyway.

God wants us to live faith filled lives as we trust Him with every part of it. He wants to richly bless us with our hearts desires and watch our wildest dreams come true. Does that mean we always get what we set out for? No. Sometimes He says yes and sometimes no.  But “The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor.” (Author unknown)

God's Gifts

Psalm 37:4 (NIV) Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart

Birthday parties are hassle free and relaxing…said no parent ever!  For any of us who’ve had or will have to plan a child’s birthday party, it can be quite stressful.

Once the day arrives and things run smoothly, we find a moment to exhale and enjoy the look on our child’s face as they beam with joy over a time celebrated just for them.  We watch with anticipation as they unwrap their presents and wait for the smile that appears followed by a thank you (hopefully). Why do we do this? Because we love our children and it brings us happiness to see theirs.

My nine year old will be moving to double digits in a few short weeks and in preparation, I’ve asked him what he would like for his birthday.  Though I can’t afford everything on the list, I’m sure he will be quite pleased on his special day.  In addition to purchasing new video games and Pokémon cards, there will be a few things he receives that he didn’t ask for. There always is. He may question why I’ve gotten him certain things and may even reject them initially, but, reflecting on previous birthdays, the gifts he didn’t want but needed have turned out to be the very best ones.

I thought about how many times I’ve asked my Father for things and I didn’t get them, or if I did, it wasn’t when I expected. It’s hard not getting the things we want when we want them.  For everything we don’t receive, it’s not because God cannot afford it. It’s because He knows it would be too costly to us. Our immediate wants can turn into future regrets when we act outside of the Lord’s will.  That’s why it is always best to trust Him. Gifts may not come packaged as we think they will and we may even reject them in the beginning, but they are always the best ones. He knows what we need long before we do and His time is always perfect.

The Lord takes great delight in giving us our hearts desires so long as they match His. When we take pleasure in Him, God’s gifts will always be vastly greater that we can ask for or imagine.  I picture Him watching with expectancy as His perfect plans are unfolded and a grin of satisfaction appears as he hears our thanksgiving.  Why?  Because we are His children.  He loves us and it brings Him happiness to see ours.

The next time we watch children opening gifts, let’s remember ones we’ve received as well. May we bring our hearts to a place of gratitude like we teach them and let’s not only do it on those days, but every day.

Like David

The older I get, the more I seem to reflect on my childhood. One major milestone for me and I assume a lot of youth, was getting my drivers license. I was 15 and my first car was a blue Pontiac Grand-Am. I drove that car until the tires were bald. You couldn’t tell me anything at that age because I knew it all. Yep, I had all I needed in that 4 door car. What an accomplishment it was to have this new found independence and freedom.

15 was also a hard age. I wasn’t a little girl anymore. I was stubborn and far from God. I believed in Him but I wanted no part of living the Christian life. The Christian life was boring. I wanted fun and to make my own rules.

As I was reading out of 1 Samuel this morning, I had to stop for a moment to ponder on David. A man after God’s own heart. David was the youngest in his family. A shepherd. Most know the story of how David killed the giant, Goliath, with a rock. Some think he was around the age of 15 (give or take a few years). David killed Goliath, whom everyone else was afraid of. At 15! David goes from being a simple shepherd to a brave warrior. 1 Samuel 17:50 says: “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”

David trusted in God. He obeyed the Lord and the Lord had favor on him. David goes on to be King of Judah at the age of 30 and finally ALL of Israel around the age of 37.

I cant help but do a comparison of myself at this age to David. Where I was a selfish, worldy driven girl. David was a selfless, heavenly driven young man. Where my biggest concern was having fun and driving around on a Friday night, his concern was listening to God and doing what He said.

The Lord used a young, simple shepherd boy to perform such a courageous act which in turn, caused a pivotal moment in history. He set such an example!

1 Timothy 4:12 says: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

If God can use David, cant he use us just the same? No matter our age. No matter our appearance or economic status. It’s unlikely we will slay giants. We may not become king and queens. But, we can we be bold and courageous in our everyday lives. We can take a stand for the Lord and step out in faith. We can be men and women after God’s heart. Like David.

Prayer:

Daddy, I ask forgiveness where I’ve failed to trust in you or failed to take a stand for you. Help me to be obedient to your word. I pray you will use me in whatever capacity you choose to further your kingdom and do your works. Thank you for equipping me with whatever tasks lay before me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Knock Knock

The past came knocking today, with nothing new to say;

She told it to leave and yet there it stayed.

It invaded her thoughts and held her captive within;

Bringing visions and flashbacks of a life lived in sin.

The trip down memory lane revealed a girl covered in shame;

Saddened by her choices and haunted from outside voices.

She remembered she was washed clean one glorious day when she grew tired of living life her way;

In an instant He made her new, not by good works but just by asking Him to.

So, she slammed the door and fell to her knees, thankful these were distant memories;

For where she was and where she is, was a lifetime apart when she recalled she was His.

The light broke through and a smile reappeared, as her future was calling and it was instantly clear;

She wasn’t her past nor her mistakes, she was God's daughter and all sins He erased.

Good Choice vs. Good Choice

When we are single, making decisions can seem easier because we have the privilege to choose whatever we want. With the freedom also comes the burden of bearing the consequences, whether good or bad - alone or what seems to feel like we are alone.

Let me explain further. When I was married, my ex-husband and I were a sounding board for each other. We compromised and rationalized and even if we did not agree on a certain matter, there was comfort in knowing we had one another’s back.

I've been a single mom for the past three years, which has included hundreds of decisions. Though I often seek wise counsel, the weight can, at times, seem overwhelming.

Several weeks ago, a curve ball hit. I was in a very comfortable place in my life when Wham! God called me out of it.  No warning. I found myself at a crossroads faced with two good choices that would not only affect me but my children and quite possibly the direction our lives would go. However, I knew that, as Lysa TerKeurst so eloquently put it, there was a best yes.

As the restlessness continued in my heart, I found myself wrestling with God. I straddled the fence, having one foot on the old and familiar and the other on the new and unknown. I second-guessed myself for weeks on end and did everything I knew to do. I prayed consistently, read the Bible and asked for advisement from those who had been in my shoes before.

A good versus bad choice would be much easier than a good versus good. Because of that, indecisiveness camped out.

Pretty soon it dawned on me that though I did all the checklist items, I was in my own way.  I hadn't let HIM do the work in me.  Our goal, as Christians, is to become more like Christ.  This is so often a process that happens over time, unveiled by peeling back layer after layer. Every circumstance we go through will hopefully be a teaching lesson to mature us so we can discern what is best until the day of Christ. (Philippians 1:10)  So, I asked the Lord: "what do you want me to learn through this?"

As I sought God’s heart, he began to sift some pretty ugly things out of mine such as my motives and the worry that filled me because I hadn't fully trusted Him.  

When the muck is filtered out, it allows direction to become crystal clear.

Eventually, the answer came, as it always does when we earnestly seek the Lord’s will for our lives.  It’s always on time…His perfect time. 

Though we may question, doubt and struggle to find the right answers, He is there through all of it. No matter what stage of life we're in, we are never alone. When we aren’t sure what to do, we must actively wait by seeking Him. If anxiety threatens to consume us, we combat that by knowing God is in control and placing full trust in Him. And, if we find ourselves at a point of two good decisions, choose the one that will stretch an grow us bringing Him more glory and honor.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the freedom of choice.  Please forgive me when I move ahead of you and try to take the reins.  I don’t want to be anywhere or do anything that is outside of your will.  If I should make a mistake, I trust that you will get me to exactly where I am supposed to be.  In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Click below to listen to Colton Dixon's new song: "Through all of It." It's been a blessing to me and I hope it will for you all as well.

A Light For My Path

“Do my eyes look Chinese?” is what my nine year old asked one Monday morning as he stumbled his way to the kitchen table. Before sitting down, he dimmed the overhead lights until his eyes were fully open. About that same time, my daughter made her way to the bathroom and said “don’t turn on the lights, I can’t see.” What an oxymoron that is.

We all know light is needed for most of us to make our way around in the dark.  But for some of us, we have been in the pitch-black so long it’s all we know and what we’re use to. If we stay there, it will leave us blinded by the light and obscured to the truth of God’s plan for our lives.

I was in that sunless, somber place for a while.  My later teens and early twenties were spent in the wrong places making poor decisions.  I remember being the life of the party when in reality there was no life inside me at all. I had heard the truth of Jesus and yet I chose to turn away from Him. Like I did, there are those, who rebel against the light (Jesus), who do not know its ways or stay in its paths. (Job 24:13). He allowed me to make my own decisions and in so doing, consequences always followed. And they always will.

Why would so many of us choose the painful dark road of obstruction rather than walk on the illuminating path of righteousness? It could be a number of reasons:

Familiarity - Even if we know what we’re doing is wrong, if it’s all we know, we will continue doing it.  Romans 7:15 says “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

Fear – We may be afraid that our mistakes will be made known. The truth is we are all sinners saved by grace.  Our omniscient God already knows everything we’ve ever done or will do. Even so, there is nothing we can do to separate the love He has for us. We may also fear we won’t have fun anymore.  So many people that aren’t walking with the Lord seem to think the Christian life is boring.  However, living a life completely sold out to Christ will be anything but.  

Fleshly desires –We’re human beings born with sinful, selfish ways. Temptations are at every turn with a constant battle against the flesh and the Spirit. But, God is faithful; he will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear and will also provide a way out so we can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Hindsight is 20/20. Looking back over the course of my life, God orchestrated so many people I crossed paths with to continually point me to Him. Though some of those divine encounters may have felt their words were falling on deaf ears, they helped teach me who this magnificent beacon, Jesus Christ, was.  They were able to shine because Christ shown through them.  Their lives impacted me even though it took many years for me to realize it.

We, who have accepted Jesus, have that same light inside and should let it shine before men in such a way they see good works and glorify our Father in heaven. (Matthew 5: 14-16)

For those who have felt imprisoned to bleak, painful nights, the bond has been paid and freedom to walk in the light of day is for the taking. Being a follower of Jesus does not mean we won’t face hard times, because we will. However, if we use His word as a lamp to guide our feet and a light for our path, we’ll find it much easier to maneuver.

Most majestic heavenly Father, I thank you for never leaving me though I so often leave you.  Thank you for the people you have placed in my life that beam with your truth.  Help me to be a light that extinguishes the dark and ignites others for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.