the desert

 

Therefore I am now going to allure her;

I will lead her into the desert and speak

tenderly to her.  There I will give her

back her vineyards, and will make the

Valley of Achor a Door of Hope.

Hosea 2:14-15

 

 

From The Spiritual Formation Bible:

Imagine standing in a valley named “Trouble” (Achor means trouble) and in the far distance you see a doorway labeled “Hope”.  What do you hope is on the other side of that door?  From where you stand in the valley, what lies between you and the door?  What steps must you take to go through the Valley of Trouble and walk through the door into renewal?  How can focusing on God’s intimate, committed love deliver, heal and transform you?

you will see

 

“Come and you will see.”

 

Jesus

 

Jesus still invites us to “come and see” (John 1:39) what He has to offer.  As “the Author of life” (Acts 3:15), Jesus wants us to come and see His plan for our lives.  He then wants us to show God’s passionate love to others. 

 

There are those who are in a spiritual desert, longing for a cool drink of water.  Will we take the time to see them and to lead them to the place of abundant life?   

  

The first thing he did, after finding Jesus, was find his own brother telling him, “We have found the Christ.”  He immediately led him to Jesus (based on John 1:41-42, The Message).

the voice of one

 

“I am the voice of one

 

Calling in the desert,

 

Make straight the way

 

For the Lord.”

 

John 1:23

 

 

“Who are you?  What do you say about yourself?”  John the Baptist was frequently asked these questions, (questions nobody has asked me!)   His life was radically different from those around him, and people wanted to know why.

 

John knew his purpose in life was to “show everyone where to look, who to believe in …” (John 1, The Message).  As a result, he was extremely focused.  He was able to give an answer to those who asked who he was, because he knew his life’s work was to show people the “Light of the World” (John 8:12). 

 

I have been thinking about John the Baptist, because I am studying the gospel of John with an amazing group of women.  When we read slowly, mediate on what we are reading, and then discuss it with each other, we see scripture in a fresh way.  I would like to invite you to study the gospel of John and share your thoughts and insights with me or a friend. 

 

Questions of the day:

Who are you?  What do you say about yourself?  (John 1:22)

 

“I’m the voice of 1 calling u in your pain. 

Create space 4 God.”

 

(My texting paraphrase of John 1:23.) 

 

  

Thank you to Kristie for sharing thoughts about John the Baptist’s life.

- Light -

 

“I am the Light of the World.”

 

Jesus

 

 

From Water My Soul, Luci Shaw

 

“I am reminded of the image of the moth and the candle in Annie Dillard’s Holy the Firm, in which the moth’s passion for the light draws it into the light of the flame, and it eventually becomes a charred attachment to the wick, a part of the wick in its self-immolation.  This is the image of the Christian drawn by the God-flame that burns up our mortal elements and turns us into wicks to light the rooms of the world.”

 

Jesus … said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”  (John 8:12).

 

Question of the day:

What would my life look like if it was completely consumed by the “God-flame”?

 

- light -

 

You are the light of the world.

Matthew 5:14

  

~

From Matthew 5, The Message

 

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.  If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?”

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.  We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.  If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you, … do you? I’m putting you on a light stand.  Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!”

“Be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

 

For Renni, my mentor, who is generous with her life.  She reflects God’s light and brings out the God-flavors and the God-colors in the world.

turning and seeing

Jesus turned and saw her.

Matthew 9:22

 

Seeing how Jesus turned and not only saw the people in his path, but also responded to their needs, inspires me to do the same.  It is so easy to focus on my own life and the plans I have made.  My heart’s desire, however, is to steep my life in God-reality and God-initiative and to give my entire attention to what God is doing (based on Matthew 6, The Message).

I can remember a time when I saw a woman who needed help, but I didn’t stop to help her.  She was standing on a corner by a broken-down car and I was at a stoplight.  I could tell she needed help, but I didn’t want to become involved in her problems.  I had a really “good” reason for not having time for her, so I drove away.  I know I could not have rescued her, but I could have offered her a “cup of cold water” (Matthew 10:42).   

A continual challenge is to turn and see the people that God puts in our path, and willingly give them whatever we have to offer.

bartender + prayer = $1,000

“Rivers of living water will flow

from the heart of anyone

who believes in me.”

Jesus

 

 

Recently, one of my close friends had an experience that I found inspiring.  I asked her to write about it so that I could share her story with you;  I pray that it challenges you like it has challenged me.

 

 My Friend’s Story 

 

After a long day at a home with my children, my husband gave me a much-needed break.  I went to a restaurant with my Bible and journal in hopes of being rejuvenated.  When I got there, I saw a nice booth by the window in the bar section.  I decided to do my reading and journaling there, though it seemed funny to me to have my “quiet time” in a bar.  While I was there, I ordered something to eat.  When the bartender delivered my food, I struck up a conversation with her.  After chatting for a few minutes, I asked her if there were anything I could pray for her about.  She looked somewhat surprised and sat down across from me.  Then she said, “No one has ever asked me that before.”  She seemed genuinely touched.  She then proceeded to tell me about some financial struggles she and her husband were having.  I asked, “Would it be OK if I prayed for you right now?”  “Sure” she replied, so I prayed specifically about the things she had mentioned.  

~

In the months that followed, I continued to think about the bartender.  Gradually, I started to feel that the Lord was leading me to give her one thousand dollars, money that I had been saving (for a long) time in my benevolence fund.  I decided I would visit her at the bar and give her the money.  It had been eight months since our first encounter, so I wondered if she would remember me.  I decided to enclose the cash inside a card so I could write her a note.  In the card, I told her what my life was like because I knew the Lord.  I also enclosed a short essay that I had written, explaining how much God loves us, along with my phone number.  I wrote that I would be happy to answer any questions she might have, but that there was no pressure to contact me.

I was very nervous about going to see her, but I went anyway.  When I arrived, I sat down and waited while she was with other customers.  When she got to me, I asked, “Do you remember me?  I was here several months ago.”  At first she gave me a blank look, but then she said, “Oh yes, you were my angel who prayed for me.”  I was really surprised by this, but I was pleased that she remembered me.  I gave her the card and asked her to open it on her way home.

I left the bar feeling exhilarated.  It was so wonderful to follow through on what I felt the Lord was asking me to do.  I never did hear from my bartender friend, but I know that her life (and mine) is different because of how the Lord used me.

 

Good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.  1 Timothy 5:25  

Generosity of God

“If you knew the generosity of God … 

you would be asking me for a drink, and

 I would give you fresh, living water.”

Jesus

 

 

When my dad was only eight years old, his mother abandoned her family.  He found her, years later, after I was born.  She was a modern day “woman at the well”.  She had been married five times, and the man she was living with was not her husband.  Like the woman in John 4, my grandmother (after a lot of care and love) experienced the grace of God.

  

As I have been thinking about my grandmother and reading about the “woman at the well”, I have been struck by the verse, “For the Jews do not associate with Samaritans” (John 4:9).  Many Christians would not have associated with someone like my grandmother.  She was an alcoholic, an adulteress, and poor. 

 

Recently, I have been thinking, “Why are there people that Christians do not associate with today?”  Intentionally, and more often unintentionally, there are people that many Christians do not include in their circle of friends.  The people that we do not associate with are the very people Jesus would be around.

 

As author Mary Snyder states, “We, as Christians, have turned faith in Jesus into something that requires you to fit into a mold that is of our own making.  I know that Jesus is not pleased with what we are doing.”

 

“I’m after mercy, not religion, I’m here

 to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.” 

 Jesus

 

 

 

Thank you Landon Saunders and Mary Snyder, for contributing to this post.  Scripture references from John 4:10 and Matthew 9:13, The Message.

every tear

 

For the Lamb …will lead them

To springs of water.

And God will wipe away

Every tear from their eyes.

Revelation 7:17

 

My Dad

I grew up hearing his stories

but not this story

of being forgotten

 

his mother left him many times

before the final leaving

she took her children to the movie theatre

(age seven, five and four)

leaving them there alone

choosing wine and party

 

they waited hours after the movie

for her to remember and return

a kind man had compassion

and waited with them

 

my heart travels to the past

and breaks

for the loneliness,

the pain,

the future abandonment

waiting around the corner

 

looking at them

I can see their future

I know the amazing things

they will accomplish

because they will be captured

by One who rescues hearts

 

 

For my parents:

Happy forty-fourth wedding anniversary!

God has used your marriage to flow

“springs of living water” into my life. 

With love, Sara

beside springs of water

He who has compassion on them will guide them

 And lead them beside springs of water.

Isaiah 49:10

 

 

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend an inspiring conference.  For the past thirty-five years, my family has been connected with Heartbeat, a non-profit educational organization.  Heartbeat provides “springs of living water” to those who are seeking a meaningful life.

 

What makes Heartbeat unique is that “while there are millions of Christian communicators and teachers speaking to Christians, there are very few who have repeatedly focused on communicating with those who are outside of the Christian community.”  Heartbeat uses language that connects with those who are searching for life. 

 

The theme of the conference was “What Really Matters”.  One thing that matters to Heartbeat is being relevant to young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine.  Several men and women in this age group spoke, and it was startling to see the disconnection between church and the reality of their world.  Please check out Heartbeat.org and consider how you can connect in a deeper way with ”those outside the Christian community”.

 

See comments for a challenging essay from Heartbeat.

well-watered garden

You will be like a well-watered garden,

Like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:11

 

 

“Soul growth begins when we actively embrace ourselves, even in seeming failure.  It took a while, just as a new plant takes a while to become itself, but living generatively, cultivating my soul soil … became the call of God to me.”  Luci Shaw, Water My Soul    

 

The Lord will guide you always;

He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land ….

You will be like a well-watered garden,

Like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:11

 

 For Christine – who waited, watched, and now knows the answer is “Dallas”.  I miss you already.

 

valley of weeping

When they walk through the

 Valley of Weeping, 
They make it a place of springs…

Psalm 84:6

 

   

When I am in the kitchen, I enjoy listening to The Book of Psalms on CD.  I have found listening to the Psalms an easy way to imprint these words on my heart.  For the past two months, my favorite has been Psalm 84.  I find this Psalm especially comforting when I am going through the “valley of weeping.” 

 

 

How lovely is Your dwelling place,
       O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints,
       for the courts of the Lord;
       my heart and my flesh cry out
       for the living God.

 Even the sparrow has found a home,
       and the swallow a nest for herself,
       where she may have her young—
       a place near Your altar,
       O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
       they are ever praising You. 

Blessed are those whose strength is in You,
       those who have set their hearts on finding You.

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,
       they make it a place of springs;
       the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

They go from strength to strength,
       till each appears before God in Zion.

Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty;
       listen to me, O God…

Better is one day in Your courts
       than a thousand elsewhere;
       I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
       than dwell in the homes of the wicked.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
       the Lord bestows favor and honor; 
       The Lord will withhold no good thing
       from those who do what is right.

 O Lord Almighty,
       You bless everyone who trusts in You.  

 Psalm 84

 

This is a combination of the New International Version, New Living Translation, and the Contemporary English Version.  I also made some minor changes, such as, “set their hearts on pilgrimage” was changed to “set their hearts on finding You” (verse 5). 

if one part suffers…

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it…

1 Corinthians 12:26

 

 

One thing I enjoy is helping women transition into motherhood.  I like to send letters to my friends with the wisdom that has been shared with me and the helpful tips I have learned as the mom of three children. 

 

However, it is easy to forget that some women do not have even a minimal amount of support.  Over at Flowerdust.net, I read a story that broke my heart.  It is a story about a woman and a newborn baby rescued by the International Justice Mission.

 

Today our staff, in cooperation with the local police, were able to bring many laborers out of a slavery facility. One of the laborers was a woman who had been forced to work up to the moment of delivering her baby (without a doctor – the owner refused), and then forced to continue work immediately following. She was unable even to pause to bathe her newborn or to get food for herself. Today, the day of this rescue, the baby is 1 day old. 

 

Questions of the day:

What does it look like to suffer with those living in desperation?

Will I let myself truly feel other’s pain and respond to their needs?

 

“Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.”

Bob Pierce 

 

 

“The International Justice Mission Institute is a community of Christian leaders advancing solutions for overcoming injustice. It is a place for sharing ideas, resources and tools to raise awareness of injustice and move the Body of Christ to action.”

Anne Jackson’s eloquent response to this story at Flowerdust.net.

be thankful

Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart,

Since as members of one body

 You were called to peace.

And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

 

 

My three-year old son Sterling is very affectionate.  He gives my husband and me kisses and hugs for no other reason but to show his love.  It is nice to be appreciated for who you are and not just for the things that you do.  In the same way, I believe God likes to be noticed and appreciated just for who He is.  Our praises and thankfulness are our way of giving God “hugs and kisses”. 

 

I have a long history with the book, My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers.  In 1996, I first highlighted his July 12th devotional.  It has continued to be one of the most challenging and inspiring devotionals that I have read.  

           

 My Utmost for His Highest – July 12

We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy a quiet retreat. We are here to have the full realization of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of building up his body.

 

Am I building up the body of Christ, or am I only concerned about my own personal development?  The essential thing is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ — “… that I may know Him.” (Philippians 3:10).  To fulfill God’s perfect design for me requires my total surrender–complete abandonment of myself to Him.  Whenever I only want things for myself, the relationship is distorted.  And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me.

 

My goal is God Himself, not joy and peace,

Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.…

From Him the whole body … grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16

 

live a life of love

 

Live a Life of Love.

 

Ephesians 5:2

 

 

Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2).

 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger…. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:29-32).

 

Questions of the day: 

What does it look like to be an imitator of God?

Do my words help build others up?

Does my behavior grieve the Holy Spirit?

Am I kind and compassionate?

~

“Live a life of love” was the first Bible verse I taught my daughter.  At that time, she couldn’t pronounce her “L’s” and she sounded very sweet!

 

be kind when angry

Be kind and compassionate

To one another.

Ephesians 4:32

~

 

Sometimes, anger is surprising.  I do not often become angry, but recently something happened that made me furious.  I have found it helpful to have a plan of what I will do when I experience the emotion of anger. 

 

This is my plan:

1. Be silent.

2. Walk away from the person or situation.

3. Go to a private location with my Bible and journal.

4. Read my Bible and write in my journal.

5. Pray (for myself, the other person and for God’s perspective).

6. When I am calm, discuss the situation.

 

I opened my Bible to read Ephesians 4, looking for the verse, “In your anger, do not sin.”  The verse I found was, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32).  What struck me about this verse is its close proximity to the verses about anger.  We are called to be kind and compassionate even when we are angry.  This is my goal, even though I am not always successful.  

 

The situation that caused me to be angry was resolved quickly because God helped me to be calm and the other person involved responded to me with kindness when I shared my feelings.

   

Make every effort to keep the unity of the  Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit….  Ephesians 4:4 

 

honor one another

Honor one another

Above yourselves.

Romans 12:9

 

 

Today is my Dad’s birthday.  The way he lives his life has been one of my greatest blessings.  Every morning, for the last forty years, my Dad has awoken early to spend time with the Lord.  I see the fruits of this consistent time in everything that he does.  With his recent health issues, I am even more aware of looking for ways to show him love and honor.  Because it reflects my Dad’s heart, I would like to share this sweet note my sister Margy wrote to him:

 

How blessed I am to have a father who has known and continues to know the secret of a beautiful life, and who will stay up late into the night (when he must arise early) to impart such secrets to his daughters.  For teaching me certain things which I am continuing to learn the truth of more and more, I thank you. 

 

You have taught me:

- that “being” is more important than “doing”

- that you understand the joys and the sorrows of my heart because they have been your own as well

- that we have a God that runs to meet us

- that life is a continual and mysterious gift.

  

Sara, Melissa, Margy, Elizabeth

Happy Birthday to our Daddy!

  

Today’s Challenge:

Think of ways to honor the people in your life.  Be creative!

the body

Now you are the body of Christ… 

1 Corinthians 12:27

 

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corin. 12: 27 & 26).

Yesterday, my Dad was at the hospital being evaluated for chest pains.  I thought about this verse throughout the day as we were waiting for his results.  It was easy to feel his suffering and care about him because we are so close.  This caused me to think about the importance of being connected to the body of Christ.   

The early Christians were extremely close and connected:

“All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:44-47). 

Our culture is different, but God hasn’t changed.  I believe we are still called as a body to the closeness that these believers experienced.  They were interdependent and they had time for each other.  Maybe if we were not as busy and not as independent, we could recapture what has been lost.

 

My Dad is doing great.  He is home from the hospital and being treated for high blood pressure.  Our family is very thankful for the prayers and support from our friends. 

His body

He himself bore our sins in His body….

1 Peter 2:24

 

Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it,…saying, “Take and eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26).

 

He himself bore ours sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness  (1 Peter 2:24).

 

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life….  For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.  Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me (John 6:53-57).

 

Questions of the day:

Do we take and eat Jesus’ body the way He wants us to eat it?  Are we so accustomed to the “Lord’s Supper” that we don’t see the radical nature of what He said, and take His words lightly?

 

Jesus’ body is the spiritual food that we need to eat daily to thrive.  Let’s look for creative ways to feast on Jesus’ body throughout the week.

my body

My soul thirsts for You,

My body longs for You… 

Psalm 63:1

 

 

O God, you are my God,
       earnestly I seek you;
       my soul thirsts for you,
       my body longs for you,
       in a dry and weary land
       where there is no water.

 

I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and glory.

 

Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

 

I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

 

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

 

On my bed I remember you;

I think of you through the night.

 

Because you are my helper,

I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

 

My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me.

 

Psalm 63:1-8

 

 

A favorite from the book of Psalms.

A combination of the NIV and the NLT translations.