He Is

I was introduced to Him as Savior when I was just a child, but I didn't trust Him to be Lord of my life until I was in my twenties. It wasn't until my father passed away that I truly allowed Him to be Father, and it wasn't until I spent an entire year without a job that I came to know what a Provider He was/is. I've watched Him make the impossible possible in countless situations; that's why I know Him as Way-Maker. It was the loneliest time of my life when He became that Friend-Who-Sticketh-Closer-Than-A-Brother. Then were those years in the darkest place, the place where I slipped into a pit of despair, feeling like I had unknowingly miss-stepped and taken the wrong path, abandoning His perfect plan for my life; that's when He revealed  Himself as The-One-Who-Orders-My-Steps. My list could go on-and-on, because the one thing I know is that in every single trial, He is waiting to reveal Himself to me in a whole new way.

I don't pretend to know every aspect of Him. What makes this journey so amazingly interesting is there is no end to Who He is and what He can do (That's why the angels continue to be amazed, singing "Holy! Holy! Holy!"). And I don't know what trial you are enduring today, but what I do know is that in every single trial, attack of the enemy, or situation in which you need a hero, He is waiting for you to call out to Him, to draw near to Him, to place your trust in Him, so that He can reveal Himself to you in a whole new way. Who do you need Him to be today? He is. That's why He refers to Himself as "I am." Need peace? He is. Need healing? He is. Need freedom? He is. Need joy? He is. Need love? He is. Provision? He is. A Savior? He is.

Thankful for His Faithfulness

Thankful today that I serve a God who loves me -- all of me, a God who, even though He knows I'm prone to failure, He never ceases to pick me up, wipe the dust from the seat of my pants (or, most recently, the mud from my face), and point me in the right direction. He doesn't leave my side when I misstep or when I say all the wrong things. He never fails me, even when I fail Him and everyone else, including myself. He restores hope to hopeless situations, and radiates light in the darkest of nights. So thankful today that I'm not walking this journey alone, that He is always, always, always near, and He hears the whispers from my lips and the cries of my heart, even when I'm too stubborn and too prideful to speak. I'm thankful too that He has surrounded me with people who love me, pray for me, encourage me, and correct me (even when the correction makes me want to punch them in the face or kick them in the shins). I love that He continues to work on me, chipping away those ugly places and creating beauty from the brokenness. If you've never experienced unconditional love, you are missing the greatest gift this life has to offer. ❤️❤️❤️

Bouncy-Pouncy Lexi

My Lexi is the happiest dog I have ever known. She loves being inside, loves being outside, loves being in her crate, and just seems to thoroughly enjoy life wherever she is at any given moment. There is never a time I look at her when her face doesn't shout "I'm super excited to be right here right now!" In a few weeks, she will be 9 years old, but she still races to my side and pounces on me like she did as a puppy. She's alert and watchful, constantly desires attention, and cannot contain her excitement when I whisper her name.

People say dogs often take on the characteristics and personality of their owners, but Lexi is a far better dog than I am a human. I watch her sometimes, and I can't help but think I should be more like her. She isn't moody. Her enthusiasm for life doesn't change because it's too hot outside or because her sleep was interrupted last night. She doesn't get pouty or give me the silent treatment when she doesn't get her way and never seems to notice when I've failed to give her attention for any period of time. She forgives and forgets before a moment has lapsed, and she showers me with love every chance she gets.

Although she is super-obedient and will do exactly what I ask, try as I may in the nine years of her life, I have not broken her spirit, so she bounces and pounces. The moment she sees me enter the room or the yard, she darts toward me, and as she approaches I shout, "Lexi, sit! Lexi, sit! Sit! Sit!" Running full speed, she comes to a screeching halt and sits obediently at my feet. She sits with her tail vigorously wagging and her face exceedingly smiling, waiting for me to greet her with affection. So I reach down to give her what she desires, but the moment I remove my hand, she pounces on me. Sometimes I can tell she tries not to, but she just cannot contain her excitement and enthusiasm.

I am confident if I worked with her like I should, I could break her of this habit. My husband continually tells me how I can stop her pouncing, but truthfully, I love the bouncy-pouncy Lexi. I love her excitement and enthusiasm, her zeal for life. I love the lessons God teaches me through His creation, even in the bouncy-pouncy and the muddy-paw stains on my favorite shirts. I love how she reminds me what unconditional love is supposed to look like, how she teaches me I too should be content in all situations, and how her celebration of me encourages me to celebrate others. 

The next time you see me, you may not walk away with a muddy-paw stained T-shirt, but I hope as we part our ways, you will know you are loved as much as my Lexi loves me. 

My Hero

I remember this day, sitting across the table from him. It wasn't often dad was captured with messy hair, not clean shaven, and wearing his undershirt, but it's one of my favorite pictures of him. He had just loaded his new camera with a roll of film, and I asked him if I could hold it. Of course, without hesitation, he handed it to me. And I started clicking like it was a digital camera with endless memory. He was laughing and telling me, "That's enough now," as I kept clicking. I wish the pictures caught his laughter too. And his voice, I wish it caught his serious-but-not-so-serious tone. Most of all, I wish the photos contained his wisdom, especially during these seasons of my life when I desperately long for his heroism.

Yesterday, as I was searching for graduation cards, I somehow crossed into the Father's Day section, and I thought of how I took my dad for granted, how I didn't always let him know how much I appreciated his loving, generous spirit, how I neglected to tell him I appreciated how he and Mom were always my biggest cheerleaders, how grateful I was to know that no matter what mistakes I made in life, I could be confident he and Mom would always be there to offer love and support, to dust off the seat of my pants, and to help me find my way again. 

I learned so much about my Heavenly Father through my earthly one. As much as I miss Dad, I know Papa God loves me even more than Daddy ever could. So in missing him, I'm reminded that the One who loves me even more is ready, willing, and waiting to be the Hero I need Him to be. 

Thrive

So this "thrive" lesson, this "learning to thrive where I am" isn't as easy as I thought it would be. In fact, sometimes I'm convinced it's time to pack up, leave this city, and shake the dust from my feet. How do I thrive in this dry, desolate land, this land where seldom His name is mentioned, this land where Love is rejected? His still, quiet voice whispers the answer, "And you shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of living water. In this drought, you can and will thrive. In this place of desolation, I will sustain you. Your nourishment does not come from the environment that surrounds you, but from the roots you've deeply planted in Me. You don't have to fear; this drought cannot destroy you; these winds cannot topple you. Did I not say that when you are weak, I am strong? Did I not tell you that in all these things, I've made you more than a conqueror? Need I remind you Who I am, how big I am, or what I have done? I did not place you here and then abandon you. I have not forgotten you, and I will not fail you. Not only will you be sustained in this desolate land, but the fruit you produce will become nourishment and life to those around you. Don't grow weary. Don't lose focus. This season is your season to thrive. It's your season to discover new things about who I've created you to be. Someday you'll look back at this dry, desolate land and see how I ordered your steps, how I made the impossible possible, how new life emerged in the midst of death. You weren't created to just survive; I created you to thrive." 

Selfish Fear

In my quiet time today, God was dealing with me about the pursuit of a dream. He's been doing that a lot lately, seems to be the theme of 2015. I found myself coming up with all kinds of excuses, reasons why I can't do it, at least, not right now. They were well thought out, valid and legitimate excuses. As I completed my list and finished explaining-- more like justifying-- how each one of them is preventing me from moving forward, my quiet time got a little quieter; and I heard the Holy Spirit speak ever so clearly, "You are selfish." Immediately, I responded with, "Seriously, are You kidding me? Do You even know me at all?" To that He responded, "I know you best."

Feeling a bit like a child reprimanded for ill behavior and sent to the thinking spot, I began to evaluate my list-- lack of time, lack of finances, lack of confidence... My conclusion is that He is, just as He always is, absolutely right. Every excuse I own is rooted in fear, and fear IS selfish. Fear is the result of being so self-focused that it denies my ability to believe in Something, in SomeOne greater than myself. Fear is simply refusing/denying/stamping out faith. And faith happens when I take my selfish thoughts out of the equation, forget about all of my fears, all of my excuses, and become God-focused. It is then, and only then, that the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen is established. 

Thankful today for a Heavenly Father Who does know me best, Who places dreams in my heart, and Who continues to mold me and shape me into the me He created me to be. I've never loved Him more. 

Seek-and-Find Him

Today is our last official day of work before Christmas... I should be excited, relieved, in celebration mode, but I'm a little hesitant to hear the gunshot that starts the fourteen day race ahead of us. With so much to do in such a short time, how do we keep "the Gift" of Christmas in perspective? How do we keep Christ  our focus when we are in the middle of this holiday mess? 

And in my pondering, the Holy Spirit reminded me of something my sister-in-law, Lori, suggested just a few days ago. Even though the discussion wasn't about our here and now, her suggestion is resonating in my heart and soul this morning. 

"Make it a seek and find." She said.

So, that is what I will do. As we are out and about these next two weeks, I will search for Him. I will look for Him in the faces of the people we see, on the shelves of the stores we shop, in the miles of roads we travel, in the conversations we overhear as well as the ones we speak. I will search for Him in the gifts we purchase and in the ones we wrap and unwrap, in the home we have yet to decorate, in the letters I read and in the lines I write. I will search for Him in the foods we bake, in the songs we sing, in the laughter of the little ones, and in the tears of young and old. 

What about you? Will you make this a season of "Seek-and-Find" too?