The greatest thing about Grace

is that it makes life not fair.

THE KNOTS PRAYER

Dear God,

Please untie the knots
that are in my mind,
my heart and my life.
Remove the have nots,
the can nots and the do nots
that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots,
may nots, and
might nots that find
a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots,
would nots and should nots
that obstruct my life.

And most of all, dear God,
I ask that you remove from my mind
my heart and my life all of the am nots
that I have allowed to hold me back,
especially the thought
that I am not good enough.

Amen.

Envy - Wrecking

By Rhonda Rhea



Does the green eyed monster grab ya?
Psalm 37:8 (NLT) "Do not envy others--it only leads to harm."

Rhonda Rhea: I have a friend who looks good in absolutely everything she puts on. Argh! The girl could drape herself in the cover of her car and look classy enough for the fashion runway. If I draped myself in a car cover, I guarantee I would look more like a Buick. And I'll just go ahead and admit that I need to drop a few pounds off these fenders. My bumpers are a bit of a wreck, too.

Envy is such a dangerous thing. It throttles peace--and worse, it leads to anger, even rage. Psalm 37:8 says, "Stop your anger! Turn from your rage! Do not envy others--it only leads to harm." (NLT) The envious, angry person experiences painful harm personally. Proverbs 14:30 tells us that, "...envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones." (AMP) Our own personal rottenness. It can be a total life-wrecker but it's even more than just personal rottenness. That harmful, rotten disposition often spreads, spilling over onto family and friends.

How do we avoid bone-rotting envy and wrath? We replace them with love. 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy..." (NIV) Love is the opposite of envy.
Anytime we catch ourselves envying, we can ask God to love the person we envy through us. He loves to answer that prayer. As he gives us love for the ones we're tempted to envy, we discover that love, just as 1 Corinthians teaches, always wants the very best for others. Instead of envying, love rejoices in their victories!



Rejoicing in victory; that's the Jesus way. Yes, rejoicing in the victories of others ... even if those others have exceptionally sleek fenders.

A pearl to string: Rhonda Rhea is one of my favorite Christian authors. She brings home a point here that will bless you deeper and wider than you can imagine. If things are tough and you’re looking around you thinking everyone else has got it better…STOP! Come on! Look what the Lord has done in your life. Really! There are so many things for you to be thankful for. Are you reading this? Then start with your eyes and your education. Thank the Lord you can see with your eyes and you have learned to read. Turn your sorrow around do not let that green eyed monster grab ya. How you ask? Count your blessings!

Be in Sonshine
You are loved,
Lyndi

BLUEPRINT FOR LIFE

~ The I AM ~

I am the Lord, I change not.
Malachi 3:6a

That which hath been is now; and
that which is to be hath already been;
and God requireth that which is past.
Ecclesiastics 3:15

To enter the promised land,
find what pleases God and do that:
Deuteronomy 6:18.

Pay attention, listen for God,
then follow His instruction and
He will protect you and your children:
Deuteronomy 12:28.

When you make God the husband
you give your devotions to, God can use
your example to teach your children:
Isaiah 54:5, 13.

For your wife and children to be the blessing
you had hoped they would be,
return to Zion (Psalm 125:1)
and lay your hands on the word of God
to get guidance from Him:
Psalm 128:1-4.

To overcome indebtedness and
then to experience financial freedom,
take care of God's business and
let Him take care of yours:
Matthew 6:33.

For spiritual warfare, sing:
2 Chronicles 20:21.

For healing, share testimonies of how,
in your weakness,
God became your strength:
James 5:16.

Exhausted caretakers,
to remove sickness from around you,
make sure it is God that you are serving:
Exodus 23:25.

If you have problems walking,
follow God as He speaks to your heart,
that your steps are in alignment
with His desires for you.
Hebrews 12:13

If you want to experience
an End Time Holy Ghost Pentecostal Revival,
put God's true apostles in their rightful seats:
Acts 8:18.

To live longer, in the place of blessings,
honour your father (Isaiah 66:13)
and mother (Exodus 20:12):
Matthew 23:9.

Except the Lord build the house,
they labour in vain that build it:
except the Lord keep the city,
the watchman waketh but in vain.
Psalm121:7

KJV

Mouths of Christians

There are times I’d just love to drag my soap box out and stand on it.
So I’m gonna do it.














It bothers me that people suffer at the mouths of Christians. Hate and vicious accusations, condemnation and judgment all hurled in the name of God. LORD HAVE MERCY. What kind of a witness is that? A tune keeps humming through my brain, a line in a song: “and they’ll know we are Christians by our love….” Who can see that love? Not the ones that hold an opposing view to what some believe are biblical principles. Who did Jesus die for?

Out in the streets where emotions run high over moral issues of the present day people are beat up for their belief by Christians or people calling themselves Christians. It’s not people Christians are supposed to fight…. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) Not all people that believe in God hold the same opinions on every subject. A Christian’s weapon is love. God’s love.

Nobody wants to be smashed in the face with a Bible but everybody needs to know they matter. If you believe in Jesus and have invited Him into your life, you are a Christian. I did that more than 30 years ago and as long as I am on this earth I am a work of His in progress. I will never reach any type of perfection here on earth. My hope is in Jesus sacrificed life for my sin. It is in that Salvation that I will be able to spend eternity with God. My blueprint for life on earth is in the Word of God, the standard I live by. All other standards change with the wind.

A pearl to string: God’s word tells us about love in 1 Corinthians 13: “….....If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing……… faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

There are people who do not believe in God and maybe they never will. Interestingly it is God that gives them that choice.

We were created to be love
Be God’s arms today and hug someone for Jesus
Know you are loved,
Lyndi

I know Christians take a beating too but that’s another soap box……

Along the Way

Are you shouting your struggles to God? Want-Want!
Can’t find a job/hate my job, want-want!
Can’t find a life mate/don’t want this one, want-want!
My finances stink/check too small, want-want!
Can’t stand school/what future? want-want!
Sick of being sick/still breathing, want-want!
Angry? Depressed? Unhappy? Unfulfilled? Is that working for ya? Who is being blessed by you? Is God in there? There are times two emotions mix like vinegar and baking soda and the heart erupts like a volcano. Family, friends and co-workers never grow fond of being covered in emotional ash. The dog doesn’t like it either!

A young man had lost his job and didn't know which way to turn. So he went to see the old preacher. Pacing about the preacher's study, the young man ranted about his problem. Finally he clenched his fist and shouted, "I've begged God to say something to help me. Tell me, Preacher, why doesn't God answer?" The old preacher, who sat across the room, spoke something in reply -- something so hushed it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the room. "What did you say?" he asked. The preacher repeated himself, but again in a tone as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved closer until he was leaning on the preacher's chair. "Sorry," he said. "I still didn't hear you." With their heads bent together, the old preacher spoke once more. "God sometimes whispers," he said, "so we will move closer to hear Him."

This time the young man heard and he understood. We all want God's voice to thunder through the air with the answer to our problem. But God's is the still, small voice... the gentle whisper.

Beth Moore says: Without God on our side, where we’re going is just the ugly side of where we’ve been.

A pearl to string: Sometimes God wants to show us what we can do rather than let us find someone who can do it for us. I know now I was missing something along the way with my incessant shouting. God's whisper means I must stop my shouting and my want-want and move close to Him, until my head is bent together with His. And then, as I listen, I find the answers I seek. Better still, I find myself closer to God.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8 NASB)

In His love,
You are loved
Happy Valentine’s Day
Lyndi

Can’t Rent God

You can rent just about anything these days: A car, a home, clothing, all types of party merriment with a magician no less. You can rent a myriad of tools, scientific journals, a fine Horse Box …… a what? It’s designed to transport your horse or donkey in complete comfort with front and rear ramp for easy loading and unloading. Hmmm sounds perfect for the busy suburban Mom hauling kids all day long – wonder if they have seat belts or maybe it could carry granny on my electric scooter? Sorry just thinking out loud. You can even rent a fence. Yes you can! You can find them at construction sites. Originally in areas where Coyotes posed a danger to the workers rented fences were temporarily installed. Now it seems rented fences are needed to protect sites from construction poachers – a two legged predator. These fences are just leased for temporary protection and are sent on to a new site when the work is completed.

I’m sure there are things you can’t rent but one thing for sure: you can’t rent God.

You wouldn’t try to rent God would you? I mean you wouldn’t just pray when things don’t go the way you think best. Or live a self directed life then expect God to bail you out in times of crisis. There are times of crisis in all our lives, times of threat to our safety, our health, our income, and our relationships. If you just need God on a rental basis only I’d worry that in your most desperate prayers for help you might hear a booming voice out of the darkness ask: Who? Oh no …… that would not be good. I know I don’t want to hear that…. Talk about a nightmare! I want to walk with God in Sonshine along the quiet shores of life. I want to enjoy being with Him and learning to trust Him because I know Him…. I know His heart. I don’t want a temporary fence of protection around my life – I want an eternity with my Savior. God tells us in His Word (Hebrews 10:38), that faith is trusting God in everything- at all times. "And those whose faith has made them good in God's sight must live by faith, trusting him in everything.” It is not something we rent and use only for those difficult periods of our lives- God’s love was designed with a forever purpose in mind.

A pearl to string: I’ve got some great news for you. If you think your faith is weak read Mark 9:24 where God’s word tells us a weak faith can become a strong faith with the Lord’s help.

In Him we are made strong,
Know you are loved
Lyndi

The Legend of Two Wolves

There is an old Indian story that you have heard before. I share it as a reminder to guard against getting stuck in the quick sand of personal struggle and pain. When times of difficulty grip us it’s good to recognize that our misplaced self-focus can be dangerous and even disastrous.

The Legend of Two Wolves: One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil: It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good: It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith"

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

We have an insatiable human nature. So who are you feeding these days? Where do you allow your focus to dwell?

A pearl to string: If we have a heart for Jesus and an authentic desire to pursue godliness, lessons like these become protection as much as conviction.

The Message brings Romans 12:3 home to my heart as Paul speaks: “I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him”.

Better to lose count while naming your blessings
Than to lose your blessings to counting your troubles.
Maltbie D. Babcock

Let’s cast our focus away from that thing that will destroy us. The only thing God wants to withhold from us is havoc. “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” Romans 8:32

You are in His smile
You are loved,
Lyndi

When Rhinoceros Fly

I really do not want you to think about an orange rhinoceros flying with blue wings.
Come on!
Cut that out!
Really!
I don’t want you to think about it anymore. Orange! Orange! Orange!

Have you ever touched a rhino? It feels like a hard orange. A very hard orange. Are you thinking about an orange rhino? Stop! Where is your self discipline? You’ve probably never heard of an orange rhinoceros! And certainly not a flying orange rhino with blue wings! So why are you thinking about it?

The point to all this silliness is simple: the more we try to not do something, the more we focus on it and ensure we do what we are not supposed to do. Ugg! Extremely annoying isn’t it. I appreciate the way Paul shares this struggle in Romans 7: “I do the things I don’t want to do but the things I want to do those I don’t do”. Our human nature gets the best of us just when we are trying our hardest. Most people don't make the same mistake twice. They make it three or four times or more.

A pearl to string: That's why the gift of the Holy Spirit is so important. He enables and empowers us to move beyond our sin -- not by focusing on it and refusing it on our own power or determination, but by enriching us and "distracting" us with the important things of God.

“Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”. (Galatians 5:16)

Know you are loved,
Lyndi

The power of a Periwinkle....

By Butch Maltby

















It is our nature to scream through life scarcely aware of the miraculous provision right at our feet or up on the hill that seems so far away. Errant dreams, dashed hopes and tearful tomorrows conspire to wage an all out war against personal peace which seems illusive even on a good day.

The encyclopedia of God's creation has limitless examples of the loud and furious planet producing act when the Master of all things spoke and waters, sky, mountains and plain spouted up out of the nothingness of a brooding promise. And in between the front line creative acts which brought the house down tiny little miracles became the sinew for what we came to call "the world".

Snails. Plankton. Ants. Delicate flowers. Consider "Cathar Anthus Rojeus" or in our horticultural lexicon-- "the periwinkle".

A foot level flowering vine creeping quietly in the gardening beds of faith. Often as with other creation "runts of the litter" overlooked. With cosmic intensity the womb of the universe birthed it all with Jehovah as midwife and sire. Humans took center stage. Animals next. Flora and fauna made bows to the thunderous applause. And somewhere like rich crumbs falling from the King's table came mini miracles in time's seminal creative act. Like this common yet miraculous little flower. The periwinkle.

Thought to have been originally "planted" in ancient Madagascar this magic wand weaves properties both aesthetic and medicinal into a frequently hearty and often curiously fragile plant. Sometimes pale pink with a purple eye she is rough and delicate. Ubiquitous and solitary. Fast growing and stunted. A study in tension and contrasts. But when crushed this lioness yields alkaloid rich nectars used around the globe for the creeping diseases of life. Bleeding, blood pressure, cancer, infections-- all have tribal, native and modern treatments taken from the small veins of a beautiful flower after she is obliterated.

They die.

Others live.

And it struck me this eternal rhythm of living and dying especially to self is mirrored in the creation I take for granted. Your life teems with the turmoil of the unfolding covenant. The rocks, hills, plants and creatures offer spiritual sign language of our God and King's footprints on our sphere of wonder emblazoned with all the colors of the rainbow. New healing surprises greet us in a lush amazon, distant island, rocky crag or ocean floor.

And He whispers again through each solitary periwinkle. I made you. It was glorious.
You contain healing balms for a hurting world. Be crushed. The aroma and sap are life-giving elements in my hands. And others will be touched in their severe moments of agony if you are willing to die. God never wastes a moment. Or a miracle. But She leaves a missing puzzle piece to each reforming act.

That piece is you. Harvest the multicolored periwinkles in your garden. You are the steward of your own gift. Leave a few in a vase on your small kitchen table. Water them daily. As a reminder of who we serve. And what He alone gave. Then take your healing brokenness to your hurting world.

And watch God smile.
Butch Maltby

Truth, Love, and Endurance Dr. King and Christian Activism

"Breakpoint" by Chuck Colson

















January 18, 2010
As Americans observe Martin Luther King Day today, I am reminded of the rich Christian tradition of activism in this country. For millions of Christians who have gone before us, activism was considered fruit of the faith. Not only was the civil-rights movement led by evangelical Christians like Dr. King, so too were campaigns for abolition and women’s suffrage heavily influenced by Christians expressing their faith.
But for much of the 20th century, Christians—especially white evangelicals—shied away from activism. Part of the reason is that from about the 1920s to the 1970s, many evangelical Christians simply withdrew from the public square. Defeats in Prohibition and the discouraging results of the Scopes trial left many evangelicals disheartened. Soon the rich activist tradition was lost or divorced from true faith.
But in the African-American community, Christian principles and hopes prodded the rise of the civil-rights movement. It was not until the ’80s with the rise of the Moral Majority, that activism began to resurface among white evangelicals. Unfortunately, as Tim Stafford notes in his new book, Shaking the System, by then, “The very idea of Christians advocating for public causes created panic among secularists and dreams of utopia (a long-lost Christian America?) among true believers.”

This is why I like Stafford’s book so much: It draws from the rich history of Christian involvement to revive that lost knowledge of what it looks like to be a Christian activist.

True Christian activism, Stafford writes, always begins with the truth. “That means,” Stafford says, that “the true activist is a witness, anxious to pass on truth to others.” This is how the abolition movement began in the United States. About 30 years before the Civil War, the truth that slavery was a sin began to break through the consciousness of more and more Americans.

Soon all activists, however, learn that not everyone can handle truth. That is why a second thing that any Christian should know about engaging the world with a Christian worldview is to expect resistance. When truth collides with the status quo, Christian activists had better know where their ultimate hope lies
Christians must also have a strategy for shaking the system: from prayer to dialogue, from political involvement to pressure tactics such as boycotts and strikes.

But above all, like Dr. King, the activist must possess courage and an unyielding faith in the God of justice. Injustice does not loosen its grasp easily. We must be prepared for a long haul, drawing on the rich resources of community and that abiding hope and passion for truth. And we must avoid violence: in our rhetoric and our actions. As Martin Luther King reminded those who gathered at his home after it had been bombed, “Don’t get panicky. . . . I want you to love our enemies. Be good to them. This is what we must live by. We must meet hate with love.”

So if the life of an activist holds so much discouragement and risk, why get involved at all? Because a Christian understanding of the world compels us to combat injustice and promote truth. That is a thought worth reflecting on, especially on Martin Luther King Day—a man who exhibited those qualities.

This commentary by Chuck Colson originally aired January 21, 2008.

Pain Summons His Grace

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened - everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.

"God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground ----it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.


A Pearl to String: For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer:

You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28)

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I FORGIVE YOU (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I don't have enough faith"
God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

Leaning into His love,
Lyndi

Be of Good Cheer

Some monks were running low on funds, but didn't want to close up their monastery. After much consideration, they decided to start selling the flowers they grew. Soon after opening up shop, business boomed, much to their delight. They had plenty of cash now for burlap and oatmeal and everything else good monks need.

Unfortunately, the town already HAD a flower shop. The disgruntled owner of the rival store tried everything -- having discount sales, spreading slander about the monks, and even poisoning the monks' flower beds. Unfortunately, they'd been blessed and nothing could stop their little business.

Finally, the rival shop owner sought out a man rumored to “fix things”: Hugh. No one knew his last name, just that he got the job done, no questions asked. After the appropriate amount of money had changed hands, Hugh went over to the friars' place, thoroughly beat them silly, and then destroyed their flower beds.

The next day, the monks promptly boarded up the windows and closed shop permanently, thus proving that Hugh, and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars.

Did I hear a groan? Come on! A cheerful look brings joy to the heart… (Proverbs 15:30a) It’s a new year ….. Be of good cheer!

A pearl to string: To the paralytic man lying helpless on a bed, Jesus proclaimed, “Be of good cheer” (Matthew 9:2). To the frightened Apostles battling the tempestuous sea, Jesus appeared on the water, declaring, “Be of good cheer” (Matthew 14:27).

How does the Lord’s admonition of cheer sound when it is applied to you and me in our world today? When economic uncertainties, terrorist threats, and corruption provide top stories for the evening news where is the cheer? When we experience personal loss in so many ways and on so many days, what is left to be cheerful about? When Christ proclaims, “Be of good cheer,” He is not requesting a naive, Pollyanna-like response to life’s harsh twists and turns. Nor is He promising a pain-free life of constant happiness. The cheer Jesus speaks to comes from a deep trust in God’s unfolding purposes. “In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

As the mother hen covers her chicks with her wings, so the Redeemer will surround us with His all-embracing power if we will come to Him (see Matthew 23:37).

There is room under those wings for all of us.
You are loved,
Lyndi

Marriage the Miracle Journey

Looking back to my eighteenth year of life when I first fell in love with my Coach Wonderful it is difficult to admit but I was dumber than a box of rocks when it came to love and relationships. I thought all there was to love was feeling it inside my heart. Once that happens a person should get married and live happily ever after. I know, I know, that’s enough to gag a rhinoceros but that was the extent of my wisdom back then. Imagine my surprise to the realities of life.

I had been in love for months and thought I’d been very patient through that protracted period of dating with no talk of marriage. The irresistible necessity to give hints welled up inside me. One night while ordering a meal at a Chinese restaurant as Coach Wonderful perused the menu, he casually asked me, "So. . . How do you like your rice? Boiled? Or fried?" Without missing a beat, I peered over my menu at him and replied pithily, "Thrown." Well that went right over his head! I found I had to be more explicit with my hints. “So, how many children would you like to have?” When he said four I knew it was a match made in heaven – I wanted four! I mean really what more does a person need to know? I loved him and he wanted four children the same as me! Oh, and by the way, the first time we held hands through an evening vespers service his hands didn’t sweat! I was a sucker for dry hands. There’s a really valuable measuring stick for marriage. Scary to think we started a life together based on little else. We needed a Savior!

After a whole year of dating we were wed on the 29th day of December 47 years ago in the sweet little village of Hartsdale, NY. Across from the canine cemetery (somehow that would be prophetic) stood a quaint old church where we participated in a miracle. It would be several decades before we would comprehend the size of the miracle needed to hold two people together, much less become one. Weddings are a dime a dozen. (That's just an old expression not the cost) I've got two brothers that have had seven weddings between them. So anyone can have a wedding but only God can create a marriage. In the early going the 'my way’ thing and being a ‘right’ fighter turns into the battle of the egotists and it's an I for an I. Through the struggles and the joys, the hurts and the healings, and the tug a wars and the victories we learned marriage prepares you to serve the Lord. You can’t grow a marriage without dieing to yourself and your ways nor can you serve the Lord.

Where God resides He provides and guides.

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:11)

A pearl to string and the secret to a long marriage: If you wait for a person, or an event or a provision you will grow weary and hopeless if it is a long process But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31, KJ)

If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,
you can bet the water bill is higher.

Dying to yourself is like a God directed prescribed burn. It clears out the underbrush of self and improves the hungering and thirsting of your soul while strengthening temptation deliverance and seriously reducing the noxious weeds of daily life. It never gets easier to die to yourself and there always seems to be another deeper layer of pride in me that needs to die. I am amazed at what the Lord has done in our lives together. We are God's miracle. To pledge your life to another is indeed an act of faith that requires belief in miracles.


Happy Anniversary my love
Swinging on the vine of life,
Lyndi

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:5, NIV)

Destination Bethlehem - the journey to Christmas

Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened . . .
(Luke 2:15)

Traveling back in time and finding it’s not as pretty as it is in the movies or on Christmas cards.

Did you know that caves where shepherds kept their flock in winter are not clean? Whew, one whiff of that stench is enough to gag a rhinoceros. I’m a city girl, I like clean animals.

Mary, how did you do it?

The trip from the village of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea is about 65 miles. On a donkey? While you are in labor? Have mercy! The town of Bethlehem was bulging with people in for the big census taking. It was dreary, noisy – really rowdy – and sold out. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Luke 9:58) I can’t even imagine the feelings inside Joseph as every effort to find comfort for his wife and his any minute child failed. People were ugly and unsympathetic. At this point Mary was obviously in the latter stages of labor. Joseph was directed to the caves behind the Inn as a last resort. It was a long enough trek for the donkey – he headed straight for the manger for a drink of water right where our Savior would first lay His head.

(A manger in Bethlehem)

Of course Joseph would do everything possible to make Mary comfortable but what did he know about birthing babies – he was a carpenter. He distributed the hay and snatched a blanket from the donkey to create a somewhat clean place for Mary. She probably had a small bag of salt to rub on her new baby’s skin preventing infection, some yarn to tie off the umbilical cord, a piece of sharp slate to cut it, and strips of cloth to swaddle her baby in. She was only fourteen but God was her guide. Jesus probably looked quite ordinary to Mary & Joseph in that first extraordinary parent vision. Ten fingers, ten toes, a thatch of black hair, skinny little legs and arms and the wizened face of a newborn who had dwelt in water for nine long months. To them He was the most beautiful baby on earth. God gave them the ordinary human experience but the Shekinah glory came upon them as angels and shepherds appeared and wise men gathered bearing gifts.

A pearl to string: "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:11-14)

A birth like no other – let your hearts be swaddled in His love for eternity.
Merry Christmas
Lyndi

Acts of Martha - Christmas Christmas

Oh it’s that time of year where the Martha work crescendo is about to culminate at the feet of Jesus. Move over Mary. Christmas is a beautiful Holy-day and it is jointly celebrated with a holiday for families by the same name but we don’t call it Christmas Christmas. Even Christians can get a little confused. The hustle bustle of the holiday part of Christmas is a love story gone askew. We get all bunched up trying to create a beautiful place to celebrate making sure there are gifts for all, and scrumptious food prepared for family and friends. There are parties to attend and cards to send to wish far away loved ones well. There are cookies to bake, lights to string, trees to trim, popcorn to pop, mistletoe to hang, and shop, shop, shop, wrap, wrap, wrap and smile, smile, smile. . Our hearts want to reach out to others with food, clothing, prayer, acts of kindness, love and we want to sing, sing, sing. The list of “to do’s” can sometimes seems endless.






Years ago when fresh 6’ Christmas trees were still $14.99 at Frank’s nursery in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we set out to choose the perfect tree. Young, though the family was, we had six very strong oppositional opinions eagerly expressing there views simultaneously. To the outside ear it may have appeared this family was argumentative. Ok, they were right. The lively dialog continued all the way home and until the tree was completely decorated. We all sat back to admire the work of art. I think God must have kicked the tree over. We watched in horror as the Christmas tree crashed to the ground and the pretty blue and gold ornaments smashed to smithereens while the strings of cranberries and pop-corn and glittery tinsel flew all over the room. The silence expressed our disgrace. Where did we loose Christmas? Coach Wonderful began to read Luke chapter 2. Listening to the Christmas story my heart grew heavy with sorrow for how I steered our family astray. God sent His Son into this world as a baby, dependent on human kind. To believe in Jesus is to take His love every where we go – for others to see His love in everything thing we do – Sometimes I get a busy momentum going and I go sideways from the Lord. Whenever that takes place Lord – PLEASE – kick over my tree. And Mary – move over I want to sit at Jesus feet and listen too.

A pearl to string: And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!" (Luke 2:8-14)

The tiny Baby in the manger is the mighty Creator of the universeHappy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas
Lyndi

Pretty Blue Sky

CONFABULATE. It’s a real word! It came in my email this morning for my word of the day. It means to chat, confer or fill in gaps in memory by fabrication. Hummm, I seem to do a lot of confabulating these days. It’s not done to be intentionally deceptive. It’s more like when I was a kid I had to do something with the holes in the picture I was drawing. I loved to fill those holes with pretty blue sky. So when I confabulate it’s just a little pretty blue sky for the holes in my memory.

It’s that time of year when my memory goes dancing. Christmas time is such a lovely, fun time of the year. The memories of yesteryear hold joy and plenty of blue sky. These days controversy swirls everywhere. Instead of singing we’re arguing, instead of giving we’re complaining, instead of honoring we’re dismantling - all in the name of diversity? Yikes, makes a body want to just go home, close the doors, keep the TV off, turn the phone off and pull out the boxes of stored Christmas decorations. I love to decorate our home when it’s cold outside – snowing is the best time. I light the logs in the fireplace, turn on the Christmas music and brew some cinnamon tea. Sipping and humming I ponder the wonder of how God trimmed our world with the sun and the moon and all the twinkling stars to light our way and bring us warmth and joy. All the shimmering lights that are strung around the houses, in the trees, on the boughs and intertwined in wreaths reflect His handiwork to me. God colored our world with four uniquely different seasons and all His creation reaches up to Him in praise with every branch and leaf turned towards the sun. How beautifully He ornamented our lives with animals to love and care for and people to figure out and be in relationships that reflect His character. It is in giving that we receive. Love is not a “feeling” – love is an action.

The Scriptures say, "God commanded light to shine in the dark." Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

A pearl to string: Love is our Father’s character and He gave each one of us a heart to hold Him and seek Him then sent us the Christ child to believe upon to keep us united with Him for all eternity. Now that is an action that I can celebrate. That’s no holiday – that’s Christ’s Mass – A celebration of God’s love, His communion with His people.

We are His, we came to sup with Him and be in His everlasting love,
Merry Christmas and pretty blue sky,
Lyndi

THE U IN JESUS

Before U were thought of or time had begun,
God stuck U in the name of His Son.

And each time U pray, you'll see it's true,
You can’t spell out JesUs and not include U..

You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name,
For U, He was born; that's why He came.

And His great love for U is the reason He died.
It even takes U to spell crUcified.

Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand
He rose from the dead, with U in His plan?

The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew,
and this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.

When JesUs left earth at His Upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing He just had to mention.

"Go into the world and tell them it's true
That I love them all - Just like I love U."

So many great people are spelled with a U,
Don't they have a right to know JesUs too?

It all depends now on what U will do,
He'd like them to know,
But it all starts with U.

Nobody Remembered

David Langerfeld

"There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man." Ecclesiastes 9:14-15

Disaster was averted and lives were spared.
..."But nobody remembered that poor man."

Wise words of counsel were given and heeded and lives were blessed innumerably.
..."But nobody remembered that poor man."

Could sadder words be spoken? I think not.
..."But nobody remembered that poor man."

This time of year, we naturally think of giving more so than we do in any other season. But the best thing you can give this season - or any season - isn't for sale. It comes freely, but it only comes deliberately - and because you can't touch it, it can never wear out. It's called "appreciation."

This season, as you give, give your heart. As you share presents of possessions, also share presents of your heart to encourage the spirit of others - tell them of your appreciation for them.

A pearl to string: Remember that poor man - and all the people like him. All the people God has sent your way to steered you away from destruction, time and again, all your life. Bless them today by remembering them. Your appreciation of their lives may very well be the best gift you can give. So give it often….. for it costs you little and those who receive it will be wealthy indeed.

“How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?” 1 Thessalonians 3:9

Your words of appreciation and encouragement have greatly enriched my life. We all need to know we make a difference somewhere. Turn around and hug another soul because YOU make a difference and you are hug-a-licious!

Safe in His love
Lyndi

Enjoy a peaceful moment with the Lord in the scenery and music.

Watch God

He who . . . changes deep darkness into morning, who also darkens day into night.
Amos 5:8

Looking out the window before dawn this morning I stared at the fresh fallen snow. It was as beautiful as a bride headed for church. Feeling the chill from the window pane I wrapped up and snuggled into a woolen blanket. Sipping on a steaming hot cup of coffee I gazed into the shadows of the unborn day while watching carefully as God “changed the deep darkness into morning.” It was as if the sun kissed the morning hello and all the earth blushed briefly with a pale orange thank you Father. Following an array of orangey pink hues the day shone bright and clear beneath a deep blue sky. I began to think how equally and incredibly beautiful it will be at the opposite end of this day as God “darkens day into night”. Can you imagine what it was like when God did this for the first time? His chill bumps must have been phenomenal as He watched it and said, “This is good.” God made two huge lights, the sun and the moon, to shine down upon the earth—the larger one, the sun, to preside over the day and the smaller one, the moon, to preside through the night; he had also made the stars. And God set them in the sky to light the earth, and to preside over the day and night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God was pleased. Genesis 1:16–18 TLB

A pearl to string: Oh Lord how could anyone wonder if miracles still occur today? I guess most hearts picture the lame walking, the blind seeing yet to our wondering eyes each day has a ball of fire hanging in the sky, and another hanging ball that reflects the light of the big one, and billions of twinkling ones! Oh the splendor of Your creative touch. Each day is a miracle to rejoice in.
"The dawn and the sunset shout for joy". Psalm 65:8 TLB

May this Thanksgiving be a time you dwell on your blessings.
Taking time to reflect and know we are all
Safe in the depth of His creation,
Lyndi

Thankful For The Thorns

Author Unknown

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son. She grieved over their loss.

Troubles had multiplied. Her husband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location. Her sister had called to say that she could not come on her long awaited holiday visit. What's worse, Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer.

"Had she lost a child? She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life, but took her child's?"

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" Sandra was startled by the approach of the shop clerk.

"I.... I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving?" Sandra nodded. Do you want the beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the 'Thanksgiving Special'? I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong." Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer, "Hi, Barbara... let me get your order." She excused herself and walked back to a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

"Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again." She said, as she gently tapped her chest.

Sandra stammered, "That lady just left with, uh.... she left with no flowers!"

"That's right, said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's the 'Special'. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do, today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had just lost her father to cancer; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I NEVER questioned Him why those GOOD things happened to me, but when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, "WHY? WHY Me?!" It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life, but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about the thought that her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted the balding, rotund man. "My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement... twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?"

"No... I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we trudged through problem after problem. The Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times. That was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us." As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too... fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember that it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise Him for the roses; thank Him for the thorns.

Stretcher Bearers

Excerpts from a devotional by Sharon Jaynes: One day Jesus traveled to Capernaum, Peter's hometown. The people had heard about how Jesus healed the sick, made the lame to walk, and cast out evil spirits. That evening, so many people came to hear Jesus at Peter's home they were crowded into every nook and cranny, even overflowing out the door.

However, Jesus' voice was not the only thing heard among the crowd. Sounds of hammering, pounding, digging, and scraping mingled with voices. Jesus suddenly felt clay from the ceiling begin to rain down on his head and sprinkle his lashes. Dust piled up around his sandaled feet and showered his now powdery cloak. As Jesus raised his eyes to the ceiling, he discovered a growing opening in the ceiling and four very determined men.

The crowd stared wide-eyed as a man was lowered through the opening in the roof and placed at Jesus' feet. Jesus looked down at the paralyzed man lying on the palette before him and simply said, "Your sins are forgiven."

But wait; is that what the man really longed for? Is that what his friends had in mind? Oh my friend, sometimes it is our sin that paralyzes us. One of satan's most damaging tactics is to paralyze us with our own emotional wounds. He wants to fill us with shame, weigh us down with guilt, and cripple our progress toward the cross, but Jesus came to set us free! He tells us to get up and walk!

Another facet of this story sets my heart to singing! The man's friends loved him enough to carry him to Jesus. Sometimes we don't have the energy to make it to the Healer alone. How blessed to have friends who will be the stretcher bearers that carry us to the Savior, risk the rebuke of digging a hole in the roof, and are not afraid of getting a bit messy in the process.

Someone once said, "A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails." A friend can remind me of God's faithfulness when my memory is clouded by the circumstances of life.
God sometimes uses friends to be our "stretcher bearers", those willing to carry us through the difficulties of life and set us at the feet of Jesus. At other times, He might call you to be that willing friend for someone else.

A pearl to string: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!". Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10 NIV

My prayers for you my friend have made me one of your stretcher bearers.
You are loved,
Lyndi

Ray Cone: Farewell Friend & Beloved Buff

"I will never forget you.
See, upon the palms of my hands I have written your name."
Is 49:15-16

"I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me."
Jn 10:14


Ray C. Cone, 48, went to rest in peace with his Savior, on November 7, 2009. Ray is survived by his loving wife Trish and beloved children Daniel, Andrew, Patrick, Caroline and Stephen. Ray was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, where his family. was stationed in the Air Force. Growing up in Edgewater, Colorado, Ray excelled in baseball, basketball and football. He later became an All American middle linebacker at Colorado University, where he still holds the record for the most tackles. He later signed with the Denver Broncos. Ray shared his love of sports with each of his five children, volunteer coaching all their teams. Ray’s outgoing personality, integrity and strong work ethic led him to become a successful salesman. Ray will be remembered for his sense of humor, selfless service, love and devotion to family, and above all his love for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.



I will come to you in the silence,
I will lift you from all your fear.
You will hear my voice,
I claim you as my choice,
Be still and know I am here.
Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.

I am hope for all who are hopeless,
I am eyes for all who long to see.
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light,
Come and rest in me. Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.

I am strength for all the despairing,
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see,
The lame will run free,
And all will know my name.
Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.
I am the Word that leads all to freedom,
I am the peace the world cannot give.
I will call your name,
Embracing all your pain,
Stand up, now walk, and live!
Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.

Mercy & Grace

A friend of mine who is going through a very painful trial in her life shared with me how she is dealing with the anger and frustration as she faces the daily unpredictable encounters. When the negative experiences collide with her shattered heart she reaches for the Lord and focuses on mercy and grace. Often repeating the words rapidly as the healing balm begins to cover the pain. How vital for our own healing it is to forgive even the most unforgivable.

While in a concentration camp in Germany, Betsie ten Boom was becoming frail. One day while doing heavy manual labor, she kindly said to her guard, “Don’t give me more to do than I am trying to do already, because I am not strong enough to lift these heavy parts.” The guard flashed back, “You don’t decide what you do. I decide.” At that the guard brutally beat Betsie. Corrie ten Boom, her sister, watched and was enraged. When the guard left, Corrie went over to Betsie who now had blood all over her face. Betsie immediately said, “No, don’t hate, Corrie. You must love and forgive.”

Corrie knew that she was unable. That night she went for a walk and told the Lord that she could not forgive “that brutal woman.” The Lord reminded her of a Scripture, “God’s love had been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) Corrie knew that what she was unable to do, the Lord, in her, was able to do.

She writes, “At that moment, when I was able to forgive, my hatred disappeared. What a liberation! Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness. What a liberation when you can forgive.”
- Adapted from Oh How He Loves You, by Corrie ten Boom

A pearl to string: Troubles, trials, and tragedies reveal our vulnerability and weakness. Those times strip us of arrogance making us less judgmental of others. Most of us become more accepting, understanding, and kind after we have been through a fiery trial. Finally it is from the darkness that we emerge stronger, wiser, and more resilient. It is when we are falling into the depths that we experience the majesty and power of God’s promises. In the biography film The Hiding Place, Betsie Ten Boom said to Corrie, her sister that “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”
A statement of faith of God’s timeless and boundless love.

Refresh in His Mercy & Grace,
You are loved
Lyndi

Broken into Beautiful

When I was a little girl I lived on the beach in Santa Monica. I loved to stroll along the ocean's edge and collect the broken glass the sea would toss out. The salt water had smoothed the rough edges and changed the color into something so beautiful. I would examine each colorful piece and imagine wonderful stories of travelers in far away places. Broken into beautiful.... wouldn't that make a great devotional. I've been waiting more than a couple of years for the Holy Spirit to guide me into that devotional. I wondered why it would not come to me until this morning when I read Gwen Smith's devotional from Girlfriends in God. It's the perfect illustration for my beautiful broken glass devotional.

Broken Into Beautiful
by Gwen Smith

Today's Truth
"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:5

Friend to Friend
I remember the phone call to my college boyfriend. Through sobs, I managed to tell him I was pregnant. There was a long pause on the other end of the phone ... and then came the speed round of questions and comments: "What are we going to do? Do you think we should get married? Oh, my gosh ... Oh, my gosh...what are we going to do? Do you want to have this baby? What are we going to do? What about volleyball? What will your parents say? What will my parents say? Oh, my gosh!"

Like trapped animals, we were frantically looking for a way out. Then we made our decision. We would take care of it. It wasn't time for us to have a baby yet.

God wasn't consulted. He wasn't invited into our decision.

Adam and Eve hid in the garden after eating the forbidden fruit. My boyfriend and I hid from God and did what we considered to be our only option. We made a plan. He would pick me up and take me to a clinic that I read about in the yellow pages.

When the day came, we drove in icy silence. I was Fort Knox. No one was going to break through the emotional walls I had constructed for protection.

You see there was never a moment that I believed having an abortion was the right thing to do. I only stubbornly and naively believed that my choice was the only ladder to grab out of the horrible pit I had dug for myself.

I was wrong. Dead wrong.

There, in the sterile room of that stale clinic, I used an alias. I wasn't Gwen. My charts did not say that I was Gwen, the girl who was raised by good parents, the girl who was raised in the Word of God to know right from wrong. The counselor I had met with said that using my name could have made me feel uncomfortable with the "harmless and legal procedure" I was having done that day. Nobody else needed to know. I was anonymous.

It was my secret. A secret of chains that bound me in silence for the ensuing fifteen years - a secret kept because I mistakenly assumed that no one else could handle the ugly truth of my sinfulness with grace and forgiveness. I was a Christian girl. Christians don't get pregnant when they aren't married, and Christians don't have abortions, right? It was all too scandalous, and I was crazy afraid of the consequences.

Most of that day was a blur. It was a dark, cold January day. Though the clinic was lit with bright fluorescent lights, the flame of dignity and hope in my heart had grown dim. I blocked out all the voices in my head as they contested what I was doing. I was desperate and scared.

I was Peter. Simon Peter was a fisherman Jesus had called to be a fisher of men. His relationship with Christ was passionate and intimate, but far from perfect. He was a disciple, one of Jesus' closest friends. Jesus called Peter "the rock," and he would eventually go on to build the foundation of the Christian church.

But before he did, the Bible shows us, in Luke 22:54-60, that the night Jesus was arrested, Peter "followed at a distance," sat in a courtyard with enemies of Jesus, and denied the Lord he loved three times. Remarkably, Jesus knew Peter would betray Him, yet still extended advanced mercy as He said to him, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32).

I imagine that when Peter betrayed Jesus on that long, dark night preceding the crucifixion, he must have felt a physical illness and emotional angst similar to the one that shattered my life the day I said yes to death and betrayed my Lord. Luke 22:62 tells us that after he had disowned Jesus three times, Peter "went outside and wept bitterly."

Peter knew Jesus, yet still betrayed Him.
He loved Jesus.
I knew Jesus, yet still betrayed Him.
I loved Jesus too.

But that love was tucked into the icy trunk of my heart on that snowy winter afternoon.

For weeks following my abortion, I went through each day under a dark cloud of despair. I couldn't reconcile what I had done with who I was, and who I was supposed to be. My heart was broken. I felt hopeless and was horribly ashamed. I hated what I had done, and I hated myself for doing it. I was responsible for the death of my baby. It was my fault. I knew it, and it haunted me.

Voices of accusation used to scream in my head. They shouted things like: Murderer! Baby killer! Hypocrite! You can never tell a soul about this! Condemnation kept me shackled. Without realizing it, I was a captive to my own acceptance of those words. I was guilty. A wretch. No excuses. My heart was paralyzed by death. Words just can't express the depth of anguish my soul experienced.

The dark days turned into weeks, which turned into months. Although I could turn on the fake charm like water from a faucet...oh, how my plastic smile served me well in those days...I was dying inside! At night, my pillow soaked up rivers of tears. I would lie awake, wondering if my baby was a boy or girl, or if my baby had felt any pain as she was being sucked from my body.

I wept. I wept for both my baby and for myself. It was necessary. It felt right to cry. And though the tears helped my soul grieve, none were as healing as the ones I cried to Jesus when I finally turned back to Him.

Like Peter after the rooster crowed, I wept bitterly at the feet of Jesus in raw repentance. Then, as the psalmist did, I "waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God" (Psalm 40:1-3). Although I didn't deserve His mercy, Jesus forgave me. My forgiveness was immediate and complete, but the healing took time. He gave me a new song.

Hallelujah! I've been forgiven and transformed by the unconditional love of God. I was dead in my sins, but am now alive in Christ! I am free and it is my privilege to encourage you towards that same freedom in Christ. God longs for you to experience His perfect healing and hope too - no matter what you've done, no matter where you've been, no matter what has left you broken.

What's your story? Jesus came that we would have life abundantly (John 10:10). Not because of anything that we have done to deserve it, but because of what He has done. His grace is sufficient. The guilt, pain, and shame of our pasts tell us we are disqualified to move on, to serve God, to be free, and to know peace. But to believe this lie is to believe that your sin is outside the scope of God's grace. Nothing could be further from the truth. You have purpose in this life. And though you may have gone through a season of hurt, rejection, or pain, God can and will pick you up and place you back on track. I'm living proof.

There is no condemnation for those in Christ. While the enemy loves to cast false guilt, our Lord loves to extend grace and forgiveness, which is the remedy that restores all your broken pieces. Don't hold onto those pieces. Don't hide them behind a plastic smile. Bring them into the light, lay them at the feet of Jesus, and let go. Allow your wounds to be healed today.

Let's Pray
Holy Father, today I come to You with the broken pieces in my life that I have been hesitant to deal with. Take my hand and lead as I walk past my fears and doubts to the refuge of Your forgiving arms. Please take what is broken and transform it into beautiful. Please free me from the lies that have me shackled in silence and that keep me from believing that Your forgiveness can be mine. Help me to trust that You can redeem and restore every area of my life.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

BEAUTY IN UGLY

Step outside your door and you are exposed to all kinds of ugly out there in the world. OK, some people don’t even have to step out of their door. We’re all experiencing high exposure to ugly comments, ugly injustices, ugly squabble, ugly arrogance, ugly attitudes, ugly confrontations, ugly language, ugly road rage and a few other ugly messes. There is a growing trend toward ugliness. The financial struggles this year are ugly. The job loss is ugly. Both major political parties seem to have sunk into a new level of ugliness. Public discourse is becoming uglier. As news breaks from day to day we are exposed to all manner of creative ugliness. We hear of ugly weather and ugly moods, situations, architecture, even ugly truths. "Uglyism" lives! Hidden somewhere in the middle of ugliness is blessing and beauty put there by the Creator.

Where is this beauty you query?
Show me the beauty!
Come on….
Just a little peek…
Reveal it!

Well….. It’s you!
You are the blessing and beauty God put right smack in the midst of ugly.
Your love for God produces a sweet spirit that blesses all who can see you.

It starts in our own home, our neighborhood, our church, our community, our state, our country and reaches to the far corners of our world. There is enough need around the world for each one of us to be a blessing every day of our lives. Deuteronomy 8:10-15 warns us not to grow proud in our comfort and fine things forgetting those in need. The Lord has blessed us for the purpose of being a blessing. Paul wrote: "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:9 NIV).

A pearl to string: The most freeing thing we can ever do is to abdicate the throne of our own miniature kingdoms. Our status is infinitely higher as a servant in God’s kingdom than a ruler in ours. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

You can make a difference every day
You are the beauty the Lord sent
Lyndi

They Missed Him

They were looking for a Lion,
He came as a Lamb,
...and they missed Him.

They were looking for a Warrior,
He came as a Peace maker,
...and they missed Him.

They were looking for a King,
He came as a Servant,
...and they missed Him.

They were looking for Liberation from Rome,
He submitted to the Roman cross,
...and they missed Him.

They were looking for a fit to their mold,
He was the mold maker,
...and they missed Him.

What are you looking for?
Lion? Warrior? King? Liberator?

What are you looking for?
They were looking for their temporal needs to be met,
He came to meet their eternal need,
...and they missed Him.

He came as a Lamb to be sacrificed for your sin.
...Will you miss Him?

He came to make peace between God and man.
...Will you miss Him?

He came to model servanthood for all mankind.
...Will you miss Him?

He came that we might have true Liberty.
...Will you miss Him?

He came to give you eternal life.
...Will you miss Him?

When we submit to the Lamb, we will meet the Lion.
When we join with the Peacemaker, we will meet the Warrior.
When we work with the Servant, we will meet the King.
When we walk with the Submitted, we will meet the Liberator.
When we concern ourselves with the Eternal, we will have the temporal.

If Jesus is not fitting into the mold you have then come to the mold maker and get a new one. Submit to His plan for your life and you will see the eternal need met first - then all the other things you have need of will be taken care of as well. Matthew 6:33

97 Days by Marc McCartney

At our RightNow Conference last year there was a huge theme to dig deep into the word of God and apply what we read. Matt Chandler even said that if he stuck you with a needle he would want you to bleed Bible! I remember going away with a renewed passion to read my Bible more. That passion stuck as the months went by and about 100 days ago I decided I would read the entire Bible before this year's conference. I figured out that if I read for 30 minutes a day I could get it done. And to add some accountability I decided to take on a Nazarite vow and not cut my hair. I hate long hair - so this was some serious incentive to get in the word!

Ninety-seven days later I finished! Reading the Bible for 30 minutes each day was a wonderful experience. Here are a few of my big takeaways:

The Old Testament is all about our faith in God expressed through obedience and marked by being set apart for God. Almighty God asked Israel to do things that demonstrated their faith and obedience in Him.

The New Testament is all about our faith in God expressed by loving one another. Jesus came and changed everything by establishing a kingdom built on love.

The whole Bible is an amazing story where God chooses His people and His people have the wonderful opportunity to glorify Him through faith and obedience expressed in love.

Jesus Christ is the savior of the world! And I love Him deeply - more than words can express!

And... I'm convinced that all good mafia movies were inspired by the Old Testament - those are some seriously epic stories - and even though I knew the outcome there were nights where I simply couldn't put it down. Cain & Abel, Abraham, Jacob & Esau, Joseph (love me some Joseph), David and the list goes on...
What a great 97 days!

And Robin is very happy that I got my hair cut on day 98!

You Are My Hiding Place - Selah

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Blessings

Ever notice that these days it takes nerves of steel just to be neurotic!

Coach Wonderful got a call from a friend the other day. When he inquired as to how life was going the friend responded angrily with, “I am bitter”. This Christian gentleman has been facing a difficult trial for some time. It’s definitely been taxing his spirit and draining his energy. He had evolved into the mode of blaming God. Raise your hand if you have ever done that. My hand is raised and there is no smile on my face. “God doesn’t care about me, God doesn’t love me”..... We all know in our right spirit … that is a pile of satan poo and we don’t need to be tracking it through our lives. But what’s the ole saying? ....... satan poo happens? We need to be prepared to guard against it. Corrie ten Boom said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.”

I think I’ve been watching too much Dr. Phil my immediate thought was, “You’re bitter? How’s that working for you?” Is that bringing you peace? Can the Lord touch your heart with that bitterness surrounding you? Are your arms safe and reassuring for each of your family members? Bitterness is like a bat swinging away at the balls of blessing that the Lord is hurling. The Lord has to heave these balls of blessing at the bitter person – He’s trying to hit the guy to down him so He can gently bless him. Otherwise the bitter person is just batting the balls of blessing right out of the park with the exception of an occasional miss when they whiz right by him. Ok, now I’m hearing in my head Jerry Lee Lewis singing Goodness! Gracious! Great balls of (fire) blessing! You’re hearing it too. Admit it!

Nothing stays the same but it can get worse if you hang out in the same place.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world”. John 16:33/NLT


When you are hurting real bad sometimes it’s hard to get your mind around the fact that a seed just does not grow strong sitting on top of a mound of dirt. It needs to be pushed into the dirt in order to grow into something beautiful. Our suffering feels like a pile of dirt all around us but don’t worry God owns the dirt. In Him we have the peace and in Him we grow beautiful.

A pearl to string: Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up...

Leaning into His everlasting love,
Lyndi