Marco..... Polo!

How often do you send a text, make a phone call, or Marco Polo your best friend? (Marco Polo is a fun app where you start a conversation through video messages.)

Lately, I have found myself texting, calling, and “Marco-ing” my friends more often than ever before. I have some amazing women of God in my life, and we use these tools on our phones to build each other up, encourage one another, check on each other, laugh together, and sometimes even shed some tears together. Friendship is powerful, and living in community with like-minded followers of Christ is paramount to my spiritual well-being.

I’m so quick to grab my phone sometimes that I forget about someone else who is longing for me to communicate with Him. God is watching and waiting and ready to listen. When you feel that gentle tug in your heart, Jesus is calling. When you’re driving to and fro - and you see a beautiful sunrise or sunset of colors that take your breath away- Jesus is calling. When you are in the middle of one of life’s storms, and all you feel is confusion or pain, Jesus is calling.

How often do you answer the call? He is longing for us to stop, sit, bow, and pour out our hearts to Him. And He would love nothing more than for you to do the dialing! So my question today is this:

Do you have Jesus on Speed Dial? Do you cry out to him as if you were playing the familiar game of Marco Polo?

“Marco! Here I am Lord! Are you there? Do you hear me? Where are you? I need you!”

Prayer is so powerful. There is nothing else like it. I have been part of a Moms in Prayer group at my children’s school for 4 years, and I have learned so much about prayer. I’ve learned how to use scripture to pray, and I’ve learned to be bold in my prayers. I’ve seen God answer prayers, and I can testify that His promises never fail. Even when our selfish requests and earthly desires are not met, God is working. Surviving life’s curveballs takes faith, trust, and consistent, persistent PRAYER.

Keep calling out to Him, friends. Keep yelling “Marco!” He will always answer, and He will always listen. And when it’s His turn to do the talking- oh, how beautiful it is to sit and listen! Listening for the Lord takes waiting and watching. If you wait and watch, he will reveal Himself. Sometimes it takes months or years of the same prayer. But friends, He will move and He will answer. His answers sometimes come through Scripture, a word from a friend, or sometimes through music or circumstances. Be alert! The Holy Spirit will guide and direct if you remain in step with Him through daily prayer.

 

“The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:18-21)

No Worries!

Do you ever find yourself texting a friend back and saying "No Worries!"  Maybe they had to cancel a lunch date and this is your response.

We've all done it.  We give our friends grace, because we know how much they have on their plate and we want them to know that it's OK if they drop the ball on something.  (Because I'm over here balancing a full plate too, and I drop the ball DAILY.)

But what happens when you need grace for yourself?  Do you give it freely - to yourself?

When all the "worries of the world" stack up on your plate, what do you do?

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33)

     These are red-letter words in your Bible, which means they are Jesus’ words.  Not King David, not Paul, not Matthew or Mark.  Jesus himself is preaching, and he is saying “Do not worry.” Close your eyes and imagine that you are face to face with Jesus. He is holding out his hands to you like he is inviting you in for a hug. As he hugs you with the most tender touch, he whispers, “Don’t worry.  I’ve got you.”  But that’s not all he says.  He points you to your Heavenly Father.  And he says, “Seek first his kingdom.” 

    What does it mean to seek first his kingdom?  Start your day with Him, even if it’s a quick one-sentence prayer or listening to worship music on your way to work. Seek His counsel- through scripture- and pray for wisdom before calling a friend.  Go to him in prayer before doing anything else.  And when all the worries of the world become too much, prayer is where we find the peace that passes understanding. 

    Time and time again in my own life, I have tried searching for peace in other things and grasping at other people (loved ones or friends) to help me find it.  I unload my worries on others and then feel bad when I find out that they are dealing with something way more worrisome than my little personal load.  Have you been there?  We are all dealing with something, and there are worries around every corner- for every season of life- no matter how young or old you are. But Jesus says, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you. Just seek Me first."

Prayer:  Father, I praise You and thank You for all the blessings in my life. They are too numerous to count. But, Lord, I also have worries, and they seem insurmountable some days. So today, I lay my worries and burdens down at the foot of Your cross. Holy Spirit, come.  I need your tender embrace today. Hide me under the shadow of Your wings and be my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

I Used to Hate the Rain

     When I was in middle school, my best friend and I were “office aides.”  We took this job very seriously, and we loved it. At the time, school office personnel needed student helpers for things that can now be done at the click of a button or even on our phones. Our main job was to walk up and down the hallways collecting attendance sheets that teachers hung outside their classroom door. I will never forget the dreaded days when it was raining, and one of us would have to brave a monsoon to run outside and collect attendance from the portable buildings. You might wonder if we had heard of umbrellas – so why the dismay? And the reason can be summed up in two words: humidity and hair.  You see, I have naturally curly hair. Humid days used to haunt me because my hair would literally triple in size. And you know how middle schoolers are: So. Self. Conscious. My world began to crumble when anything slightly embarrassing would happen.

And for this reason, I used to hate the rain.

Now that I’m older, I look back on that time and laugh at myself. At the age of 29, I experienced a (figurative) torrential downpour. I felt like my life and my “normal” was being swept away. The rain wouldn’t let up, the winds picked up, and I felt a lot like Dorothy in the tornado scene from The Wizard of Oz. Through this storm, I set my eyes on Jesus and continued to seek Him.  I knew He wouldn’t give up on me. And I was right. He was with me the whole time, and He delivered me from that trial. Today, I’m here to testify about His healing power through it. And a little rain doesn’t bother me so much anymore.

“We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling short-changed. Quite the contrary – we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” (Romans 5:3-5 MSG)

These days, I embrace the rain. I love to watch it, listen to it, and maybe even go outside and dance in it now and then. I have confidence that my God will get me through any storm, and I’ve experienced how those storms end up making me stronger. I also recognize that drought is far worse than rain. So in all actuality, we need the rain! It refreshes and renews us when we are completely dried up. It brings trees, plants, and flowers back to life and makes them green again. (Can I get an “AMEN!” from my fellow Texans?) God’s promise- like His beautiful rainbows- reminds us that there’s a purpose under Heaven for every rainstorm. You may not see it now, but God has a plan to use your storm for good.

Puppy Training 101

In October of last year, we lost our beloved Luka- our two-year-old Border Terrier. The shock of his death rocked my world and totally shattered my kids. My son had trouble sleeping, my daughter would break out in random tears, and I could not shake the Replay of images of the horrific event.

It wasn't long before we started researching dog breeds and talking about getting a new puppy.  After we all agreed that a Giant Schnauzer would suit our family well, the research for breeders began.  I thought we would be put on a waitlist and I was prepared to wait for months.  To my surprise, I found a breeder with one male puppy available.  He would be ready for adoption in 3 weeks! We excitedly discussed options for his name, and the kids had fun making his nametag at Petco.  I mentally prepared for all things TRAINING: potty, crate, obedience, etc. 

Sweet little Maximus arrived the Thursday before Spring Break.  He is precious, and he immediately bonded with me while the kids were at school.  He follows me around the house and plops down to lay his head on my feet.  He loves to be close to his new momma.  When he's not able to get to me, he cries.  It's like having a baby all over again.

And it got me thinking.

What a great picture of how we should be with our Heavenly Father.

Wherever He leads, we should follow.  We should plop down at His feet and find our comfort THERE.  And nowhere else.  We should cry out for HIM, and nothing else.  We should long to be with Him, near Him, and we should look to Him for our provisions.  Because only He can provide everything we need.

Yesterday, I read 1 Kings 17 - a story about Elijah.  God ordered him to flee and fast.  God told him that He would provide fresh water from a brook and ravens to supply all his food.  Elijah obeyed, and God followed through with His promise.  What an amazing picture of obedience and sole dependence on God.  Elijah had to trust that God would provide his daily sustenance.  Don't know about you, but in my book, that takes a huge amount of faith.

I've been diving into Psalm 119 (The Message Version) and there's a theme that tends to repeat itself.  I've collected some of the verses that I highlighted throughout this, the longest, chapter in Psalms.  Can you find the pattern?

Train me in the ways of wise living.

Build me up again by your Word.

Grace me with your clear revelation.

I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me;

I'll run the course you lay out for me if you'll just show me how.

Give me an appetite for your words of wisdom.

See how hungry I am for your wise counsel.

I cherish your commandments- relishing every fragment of your counsel.

I set your instructions to music and sing them as I walk on this pilgrim way.

Train me to live by your counsel.

Train me in good common sense.

Train me in your goodness.

Let those who fear you turn to me for evidence of your wise guidance. And let me live whole and holy, soul and body, so I can always walk with my head held high.

So as I continue my Puppy Training today, I am reminded that I am still in training.  And I never want to lose that zeal to seek the Lord and follow His ways and His will for me.  I want to grasp and cling to Him just like my new little puppy is clinging to me today.  

I pray that you never stop seeking His counsel.