You Already Know Good

Last night I watched a favorite television show that solves crime cases. It's mostly a lighthearted show, but this particular episode featured a creepy character taking delight in the power of killing. I don't do well watching horror of any kind, so the show had me hearing every bump in the night between nightmares. It was a rough night.

I remember when my parents would watch scary movies when I was little - really bloody stuff - that would give me nightmares as a child. My father would say, "Honey, it's just pretend." But then one day our family was watching Helter Skelter. I remember repeating to myself over and over again while we watched it, "It's just pretend. It's just pretend," at which point my dad said, "This one is real."

Say what!? This show was worse than all the crazy fictional ones we watched and it was real?! That did it for me. I was done with horror films. I like a thriller as much as the next guy, but bloody, torture stuff, I just don't get it. How is it entertainment? It's evil.

When I teach Sunday School kids about that first sin in Genesis 3, I focus on something the serpent says to Eve. He says about the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil found in the middle of the garden, "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

I always ask the kids, "What were Eve and Adam really learning when they ate the fruit?" To which the kids always brilliantly respond, "Evil. They already knew good." Think about it: God had created this beautiful perfect place where all their needs were met and "it was good." His words. So they already had the knowledge of good. What they learned in their disobedience was evil. And it led to death, as God forewarned.

There is a song by Tal and Acacia called Garbage In. The lyrics say: 

I fill my mind with bad things
So horrible, I feel ashamed they'd show
I've taken sin so lightly
That lately, oh, the darkness is all I know.

Then the chorus says: 

Garbage in, Garbage out.
What goes in is found out.
All can see what goes in me.
I pay the price. 

I have seen some television shows and movies and read books and magazines filled with such evil. And I wonder why I wasted my time. Why do I need to fill my head with this garbage?

A book came out a few years ago that is a sadomasichistic thriller with bondage and domination. It became very popular and a movie is coming out based on the book next Spring. I haven't read the book, because I see absolutely no reason to invite something so evil into my mind about something so beautiful that God created for married couples. I already know good, why would I want to know evil?

I think we, as ridiculously vulnerable humans, have to truly examine what it is we watch, download, read and research. Especially if we are Christians. I do not see the benefit of opening up our minds to something that will in no way make us better. And opening up that door just a crack to evil, allows the devil to get a foothold. Sorry, just don't want to give him that chance. There are so many beautiful, wonderful things we can be thinking about and filling our heads with. It's time to leave the garbage where it belongs: in the trash can.

Colorful Metaphors

I remember the very first time I cussed. I remember because I was in high school next to a friend of mine in the hallway. I don't remember the circumstances, but I do remember deliberately using the word to watch for her reaction. She reacted as I expected - startled that a word like that could come from my mouth. As my childhood neighbor, I wonder if she was thinking, "What would your mother think of you using that word?" But she never said anything. Just wide-open eyes that said it all. But I don't remember feeling ashamed. Instead, I felt empowered. I remember that evil feeling very, very well.

I mention it because once that door is opened, those cuss words just flowed out. And I could cuss like a sailor. I don't say that with bravado, but with shame. See I hear young people cussing all the time now. I imagine, like me back in high school, they feel empowered by the words. To cuss, one pretty much has to make a conscious choice. It's not natural for it to come out (and if it is, it's time you reexamine your heart).

Recently I visited with someone who cussed up a blue streak. F-bombs mostly. This was a young lady and I can honestly say I cringed every time she spoke it. Did she feel empowered to say it? Was it cool? Cause from my end it reeked of trashiness. But here's the thing about cussing: it's addicting. After being around this person for a few days, the cringe-worthiness wore off, and I found myself easily dotting my speech with what Spock in Star Trek IV called "colorful metaphors." I could feel my insides scrunching, like an evil waking up, desiring to grow. Since it's a conscious choice, I remember each time I thought - yes, thought - about what I could/would say. It made me sick to my stomach to hear me say anything.

Cussing is ridiculous. It really is. You sound crude, disrespectful, unintelligent and shallow. And the Lord has plenty to say about it. Jesus says in Matt. 15:10-11 "And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Jesus' brother James writes: "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so." Prov. 4:24 says: "Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you." In Prov. 8:13, Solomon writes that God hates "perverted speech." Paul writes to the Colossians in 8:3, "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips." And of course, God is very much against using His name as a cuss word, making that one of the Ten Commandments, adding in Lev. 22:32: "Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who made you holy."

So it is pretty clear how we are to talk. We are to edify one another, open our mouths with wisdom and kindness, speak commendably, be self-controlled, be a person of dignity, integrity and sound speech, be righteous, transformed, good and acceptable. And honestly, this isn't difficult.

The Lord tells youth through Paul in his first letter to Timothy, 4:12: "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

These are not just words for the youth, especially if adults are setting the example to start with. Recently I heard a pastor cuss (no, not my husband). He was referring to a parishioner, calling the person a cuss word (normally used to describe a donkey) because of some ridiculous comment they made about his sermon. I was taken aback. He giggled when he said it, even surprised by my comment that I'd better leave his company before he made a poor influence on me. They say the last word pilots say on the black box recordings if their plane is crashing is a cuss word. And in a moment of surprise, it may also be the first word out of your mouth. But it sure isn't what God wants.

In Prov. 10:18 the Lord calls a person who cusses "a fool." He is listening and tells us we will be accountable for every careless word we speak ... even as it is in my case to dysfunctional inanimate objects.

I would ask that you would truly listen to yourself speak and refrain from foul language. If I hear it, I am going to call you on it, and I would like you to do the same for me. There is no excuse for it. None. And as vast as the English language is, surely we can find something beautiful or creative to say in its place. It would be a corn-swabbly shame if we didn't. See what I did there? Fun.

Beastly Green Eyed Monster

Brad and I were watching a recent episode of Project Runway and saw a classic Bible story being reenacted, though I doubt the two participants knew it. It's a classic case of jealously. One contestant - Amanda - in this fashion design show has repeatedly been successful with her creations and has been rewarded as such. And another - Korina - has repeatedly be unsuccessful and thus oftentimes found at the bottom of the scoring. So one morning the unsuccessful contestant decided to tell the successful one that she found her to be phony. The criticism did the trick. The successful contestant could think of nothing else except the cruel comment made by her competitor. I paused the show and turned to talk to Brad.

"This is a classic case of Cain vs. Able, " I told him. "Able's offering is good. Cain's was not, so Cain decided to take out the competition."

When Cain's face was downcast after his offering was not acceptable to the Lord, God said to him in Gen. 4:7, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 

In other words, "Keep at it! Focus on what you can do well and do it! Don't be worried about what others do. Just do your best for Me."

Instead Cain opened the door to that sin and killed his younger brother.

I have seen this story unfold in many different ways of late. Friends and relatives have shared stories recently where they were verbally attacked by someone for no apparent reason, by people they loved and trusted. I, myself, have had the same experience a couple times. And it's the same story over and over again. The root of the cause is jealously. 

Jealousy is a beast. Shakespeare called it a "green-ey'd monster" in Othello. It causes people to do a lot of weird things. When those people are Christians, the behavior is puzzling and frustrating. When they are not Christians, while it is easier to understand, it is not easy to dismiss.

So what is our recourse to such behavior? Stand up for and do what is right. Love as Christ commanded. Forgive 70x7. Press on in the fullness God has given us. And know that the Lord will fight for us.

To those feeling the jealousy, before you say or do something hurtful, ask why you are feeling as you do. Did this person truly hurt you? Did they do something wrong? Or are they doing something well that you feel you can't compete with? Here's the point ... you aren't competing. God created all in His image with amazing gifts and talents. Some are better at some things than others. But those same folks are not good at things others are better at. It makes us a really great symbiotic world of folks working together for good. Instead of focusing on what someone is doing better or more efficiently than you, ask what you're doing wholeheartedly for the Lord to the tune of "well done good and faithful servant."

In this episode of Project Runway, these two contestants were thrown together for a team challenge. Working together they did as expected - dead center of the scoring. The successful contestant made her competitor a better challenger. She even helped her finish her project. It was class-act behavior at its best. It is my hope a lesson has been learned.

It is also my hope that instead of cutting our brother or sister in Christ down, that we will instead rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15), edify each other, correct each other in love and continue to serve to the fullest and best of our abilities. My goodness, we could accomplish so much more for His glory. And isn't that what it's all about?

Noah: Fiction is Stranger Than Truth

The truth is stranger than fiction, it's said. However, I just watched the movie Noah last night, and after that, I'm going with "fiction is stranger than the truth." I had heard mixed reviews about the movie, so I waited until it came out on DVD before watching it. I also heard it was off the Biblical target in a huge way and to just enjoy it as a special effects-filled movie adventure. So I went into it with that attitude. It didn't help. At one point I found the plot so ridiculous, that I walked away to fold laundry.

The story of Noah is fascinating. Moses tells in Genesis about the story of the flood, a tale found in many cultures throughout the millennia. Noah is described in Scripture as "finding favor with God," "righteous" and "blameless" in his generation. Everyone else is described this way: "Every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually." Yikes, that's a lot of evil. So God decides to wipe out every living thing on the earth, except for Noah's family - Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives - and two of every animal on earth, except for clean animals of which there were seven pair (one of my favorite trivia questions). It takes Noah 100 years to build an ark (think long floating, waterproof box) to house everyone for the more than a year they were on there. It had three decks, and its dimensions were similar in proportion to dimensions of our great ocean liners today. You can read about Noah's story in Genesis 6-9, from the material he used (gopher wood - unknown today) to the rainbow found at the end of the story that came with God's promise to never destroy all flesh again by flood (which by the way still leaves a bunch of other options).

It's a wild story, but Darren Aronofsky's was wilder. [Spoiler alert - if you haven't seen the movie and want to, plot revelations ahead] Rock giants that were fallen angels; a nasty stowaway on the ark; Noah abandoning an innocent girl to be trampled to death; no wives for two of Noah's son's who were already over 100 years old at the time of the flood; Noah wanting to kill his granddaughters; putting all the animals to sleep during floating time; both Shem and Ham wanting to kill their dad; an adopted daughter; Noah's dad Lamech getting murdered (he actually died in the year of the flood if not in it, along with Noah's granddad, Methuselah, the oldest man who ever lived); and on and on it goes. So when I say fiction is stranger than truth, in this case, it truly is.

I am not sure why Hollywood insists on altering stories in Scripture for what they may deem is drama or advancing the plot, but the stories in the Bible are so amazing, it seems like needless change and enhancement to me. 

A friend commented to me yesterday when I told her I was going to watch the movie that she hoped it inspired people to go to their Bibles to read the actual story of Noah. I agree with her, that is my hope, too.Otherwise the movie is a huge waste of anyone's time.

Noah is not a story of a vengeful God wanting to wipe out the children He created, but rather a merciful God, patient enough to give us all a second chance. I have to say, there is one thing that movie reinforced for me, and that is the notion that our all loving God is also almighty, holy and just. It embarrassed me to think about how pathetic we are as humans to contend with the Creator, dismiss Him and disobey Him. Who do we think we are?

So as for the movie Noah: the special effects are cool. That's about the only redeeming factor. I feel like I wasted my time. I've read the story in Scripture many times and never felt that way. It's another case of "Read the book. It's better." Fabulously so.

Makes me wonder what Hollywood will do with Exodus: Gods and Kings coming out Dec. 12. If "Gods" is any indication, I may skip it altogether.

What is truth?

I recently took one of those goofy Facebook surveys to see what accent I had. See when I lived in the north, lots of folks asked where in the south I was from. And when I live in the south, people ask where in the north I'm from. I have lived a third of my life each in the north, south and midwest. Prior to moving to the midwest in my teens, it was quite easy to determine from my accent that I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, one of the finest cities in the country. We speak fast, forthrightly and from the heart. Questions like "Did you eat yet?" come out "Jeet jet?" to which one responds, "No, jew?" While the darlin' "y'all" is popular here in the sweet south, "yinz" in Pittsburgh refers to the group we called "you guys" in Chicago. While we worshiped Gawd in Pittsburgh, in the midwest it was Gahd. It's been so much fun learning the different cultures, accents and terms used in each location. Bubbler vs. drinking fountain; jagger bush vs. thorn bush; gumband vs. rubber band; hoagie vs. sub; crayfish vs. crawdad, coke vs. soda vs. pop and so on. So much so that my accent is mishmashed enough to confuse anyone who hears me.

Recently I had someone tell me I was too "northern" for them. And they weren't talking about my accent. I rolled my eyes. Too northern for someone? What does that even mean? By the tone of voice, it was not intended to be a compliment. In the five years I've lived in Alabama, I have been called a Yankee twice, both times in jest. My northern friends, it is never a kind reference, ever. I heard it more often in Georgia, with folks telling me they'd rather we Yankees just move back up north. But here in central Alabama, we're located near an Air Force base with people moving in and out all the time. Folks around these parts are used to loving people from all over the country, so the Yankee moniker is rare. For someone to actually tell me I was too northern for them was so pathetic to me.

After rolling my eyes at this person, I asked what he was referring to? He didn't answer.

People from the north and south could stand to learn a few things from each other. Northerners are direct, quick, honest, hardworking, generous, strong folk. Southerners are kind, hospitable, tough, sweet-like-the-tea-they-drink and faithful. Now these are pretty general adjectives and certainly do not describe every northerner or every southerner. But there is one distinct difference: typically a northerner will tell me to my face what they think of me. A southerner will be sweet to my face and talk about me as I walk away. If I had to choose between the two, I would take direct honesty every time. Since I grew up in an area where people are blunt with each another, I take at face value that what people say to me is the truth. Sadly, I have learned the hard way to take some things said here with a grain of salt. On the flip side, because northerners are so direct, it doesn't always come across kind, and sometimes even rude or hurtful. Southerners ooze kindness - yes, fake kindness in some instances, but kind nonetheless. So here's a compromise ... and a Biblical one at that: How about the truth in love?

Eph. 4:15 says: "Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." 1 John 3:18 says: "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 3 John 4 says: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

I have a problem with fakeness, lies, deceitfulness and exaggeration. All are forms of fraudulence, and Jesus had a problem with that. It is one of the Ten Commandments, for crying out loud. Standing before Pilate before his crucifixion, Jesus said, "In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." To which Pilate promptly responded "What is truth?"

If you have to ask, you have a problem. The truth hurts sometimes, yes, but at least it's the truth. And as long as it's done in love, there's a divine combination there.

If I am too northern for you, ask yourself what exactly you're saying, or even more scary, what you're preferring. I will never sugarcoat things or say something to you I don't believe from my heart. If I have complimented you, I want nothing from you, just to tell you how amazing you are. If I have given you information that can possibly make a situation better, don't automatically assume I am trying to discredit the way you've always done it. If my directness is intended to hurt you, you will not have to guess. But then, would that be truth "in love?"

Psalm 15 tells us a person whose walk is blameless is one who speaks the truth from their heart. Jesus says the truth sets us free (John 8:32). It's a theme repeated over and over again in Scripture. If I am going to err as a human - and trust me I will repeatedly - it will be on the side of truth.

I love this country, every single goofy region of it. And you will see bits of each of those places have become a part of me. I praise Jesus for that.

By the way, in case you wondered what accent this oh-so-accurate-and-thorough survey said I had ... ask me. I'll be honest with you.

The Unqualified Worship Leader's Guide To Worship Leading

Last Sunday I ended a nearly four-year stint as worship leader at Trinity United Methodist Church in Prattville, AL. It's a job I never should have had in the first place, but for some reason God placed me there. I say never should have had because I have stage fright something awful and my musical background - while including much singing - has little musical instrument training. (Yes, I had 7 years of piano lessons, but about all I can play on the keys is Chopsticks.) On paper, it just didn't make sense for me to be worship leader. But by God's grace, the sweet encouragement of a friend and the whole hog support of a pastor, I took it on hesitantly.

I was blessed beyond measure in this position because I was surrounded by the most talented musicians in town. Seriously. One played with the Bee Gees and KC & The Sunshine Band, could play anything by heart on keys - and I mean anything - and had superior producing skills. Two were in a band called the Sweet Young'uns for nearly 50 years and could play the sweetest licks around. Another was a songwriter and talented on several instruments. We had two amazing drummers, gobs of talented singers with unique voices and a bass player from Hawaii that made a coconut bra look pretty frightening. Later with the addition of yet another amazing drummer who had the best song ideas ever and more guitarists that added character to our songs, this praise band was truly hard to beat. Between all these folks, Sunday after Sunday, the Holy Spirit brought our congregation to the most beautiful place of worship. And I learned so much.

And I think what I learned is something all worship leaders (or those wanting to be) can learn from. So here it goes ...

1) Stop noodling and vibrato when you are singing worship songs. The congregation has trouble singing with you when you are showing off vocally. You can sometimes retard the end of a song to do your noodling then, but good heavens, keep it out of the the meat of the song.

2) Oldies but goodies are always the favorites. Don't hesitate to utilize those top CCLI worship songs frequently. There is a reason they are on the top of the list. People LOVE to sing them and worship wholeheartedly when they do.

3) Do not introduce new songs during the opening segment of worship. Keep those songs to the offertory time when the congregation typically isn't singing along. This will give them a chance to hear the song for the first time, so the next time it is part of worship they will be familiar with the tune.

4) Drop the mid-song instrumental parts. It's performance, pure and simple. What exactly is the congregation supposed to be doing while you're doing a slamming solo? We incorporated a few instrumentals during worship, but it was rare and brief.

5) Pray before every practice and every worship. It's for the Father after all, so why not start with Him.

6) Be authentic. I will never forget attending a worship leading conference where the leader of the workshop encouraged vocalists to raise their hands whether they were feeling the Spirit or not. His exact words were "Fake it - the congregation is following your lead." I was appalled. Let the Holy Spirit lead your worship. Fake it? Are you kidding me? Ridiculous.

7) You don't have to memorize everything. I had another workshop leader say every instrumentalist and vocalist should have words and music memorized. Baloney. That might work for your megachurches, but volunteers in praise bands do not all necessarily have the time or talent for that. So you have music stands and monitors on stage and lyrics projected on the walls. This isn't a show. It's worship.

8) Lay low on the special effects, keep the volume at an appropriate level (you should not have to pass out earplugs at the door), and steer clear of rock band show tactics. Again, this is not a concert. It's worship.

9) Lower the lights in the congregation if you can during your open set. People feel less intimidated worshiping (dancing, hands lifted, singing) when they think no one else can see them. However, congregation - I saw you ... and loved it. :)

10) You do not have to wear anything particular when you are leading worship. Some folks think the standard contemporary service outfit is a t-shirt and jeans (girls add a scarf). I made sure to wear whatever I wanted and encouraged our band to do the same. I like sparkles (Heaven is sparkly, so I was too). Sometimes I wore a dress, sometimes capris, sometimes T-shirts, sometimes dress clothes. I wanted anyone who came to our service to feel comfortable - dressy or casual - so I dressed as such. On Pentecost I might tell everyone to wear some red or be in red, white and blue for a patriotic service. One of our guitarists wore a mink on stage once and a captain's hat another time. It was him, so I was cool with it. Just as I am without one plea...

11) Change the key of a song. I know some worship leaders are hesitant to do so, but honestly, I found it was much easier for our congregation to sing some songs when the key came down a bit. And it certainly helped me sing them.

12) Don't be afraid to mix songs. We would put choruses of classic hymns in the middle or at the end of some contemporary songs where they worked and it was beautiful. Just make sure the key and tempo are the same.

13) Bacon is awesome for your voice. I know that sounds crazy, but greasy foods, I found, lubricated the vocal chords and helped a bunch, especially at 8 a.m. on Sunday morning. Milk coats the chords and you spend a good bit of time clearing your throat in the morning if you've had some.

14) Take time to really meditate on what the sermon is about and what the Scriptures are for that week when selecting music. The Holy Spirit picked the music for almost every single Sunday for worship. I say almost because I picked my favorites for my last Sunday and let some of our band folks when they were leaving do the same. It is amazing how the Lord had the perfect songs sitting there waiting to be discovered for worship. It was a miraculous process to be a part of.

15) Listen to Christian music frequently and - cough - religiously. :) That's the best way to get to know new worship songs and hear what the public is loving to sing. Check out Itunes new releases, listen to your local Christian station, check out www.praisecharts.com and www.ccmsongsbytopic.com. And never let anyone tell you Contemporary Christian is less Biblical, theological or worshipful than hymns. Let's face it, many hymns were once bar tunes - secular songs with new lyrics. Contemporary Christian music is powerful, beautiful and worshipful.

16) Make sure your band members have a servant heart. Notice I didn't say a heart for God. While that is ideal, if your band members don't know God, they will get a good dose of Him at practice and worship, so let God handle that. But be sure they have servant hearts. Ask them to get you a glass of water or help you move something on stage. If they leap up to help, servant's heart. If not, they may be a little more self-focused and that helps no one.

17) Don't be afraid to say no. Lots of people think they can sing, but not everyone can carry a tune, stay in key, sing in synch with others, or are reliable, or are flexible, or are willing to do background vocals. If it doesn't work, say so. Yes, folks may walk away with a bruised ego, but this isn't about that, is it?

18) Keep copious notes. If a particular sound, funk or beat works, write it down. If that extra verse was one too many, scratch it out. If one person's voice works amazingly for a specific song, jot it down. If you've found acapella parts or key changes or tempos or harmonies or a change in the road map of the song works - write it down and remember it for next time.

19) Use a metronome. Yes, sometimes the songs will get loud and your drummer can't hear or feel the metronome vibrate, but it consistently helps keep everyone from speeding up or dragging.

20) Let go and let God. If you saw where our praise band started on Tuesday evenings for practice and where we ended up on Sunday worship, you would be amazed. The Holy Spirit showed up and showed off every single week. And it was a joy to observe the transition process.

There you go - the unqualified worship leader's guide to worship leading. You know, I will probably never lead worship again. And that's okay. This was my season to do so. The time and circumstances were just right for me. By God's grace, I never got to a place where I was so comfortable on stage that I forgot Who was in charge. So I am grateful for those knocking knees, shaking hands, pasty tongue and pounding heartbeat. Cause I knew I could never do it myself. And even more thankful for a sweet husband - and friends if he was out of town - who would hold my hand till I calmed down after the lead songs in worship so I could absorb the sermon.

Praise to you, O Father God, for allowing me to have that most excellent adventure. My heart overflows with love for you, your music, your children, your Son, your Guiding Spirit and those precious moments in time where you smiled on us and let us reach beyond what we thought we were capable of. You are an Awesome God. To you be all glory forever and ever. In Jesus name, Amen.

Prep Time

You should see me get ready to walk each day. It's pretty comical. I don't just throw on a pair of shoes and walk my daily 2 miles. First I put on my walking shorts (stretchy and comfy), a snug jog bra, an old T-shirt I've cut the sleeves and collar off (instant tank top) and ankle socks. But no, I'm not done there. Then I slide my Ipod under my shirt with the ear buds coming out of the top of the collarless tank and clip it to my shorts. I also clip a retracting key chain with my house key dangling from it to the waist band of my shorts. I clip my cellphone case on. I put my hair in a ponytail and top everything off with my sparkly visor (whichever matches that day's outfit - I'm not kidding). Then I check the duct tape on the inside back of my walking shoes. The inside lining wore off (I always slip on the shoes verses untying and tying them), but the soles are still good, so the duct tape is allowing me to get more turf time with this pair. But the duct tape curls periodically, so I need to change it every few days.

I have found doing all this makes my daily walk much more enjoyable. I've got my music. My kids or husband can get a hold of me if they need to or I can have a 30 minute visit with a friend via cellphone. My face and eyes are protected from the sun via the visor. If I forget the key, I'm locked out. If I forget the visor, I'm squinting the whole time. If I don't check the duct tape, I can end up with a blister. Yes, it's quite a process to get out the door, but since I do this every day, it takes just minutes to get everything together. Then I'm good to go. Prepared, safe, secure, comfy ... I'm better for the walk. The prep time is worth it.


Recently I noticed that I had gotten too busy in the morning for my devotion time. Strike that. Make it "too lazy." I say too lazy, because honestly, I had the time, I was just not getting to it. I decided to turn things around a couple weeks ago. I asked the Lord to wake me as the sun rises so the first thing I do each day is spend time with him.

Now, you need to know, I am NOT a morning person. I'm the gal who kicks in about 3 p.m. I get more things accomplished, faster and more efficiently in the afternoon to evening hours. So asking God to wake me early was not my first choice. But I noticed that the sunlight wakes me up every morning anyways to my chagrin. And it's a beautiful time of day, so peaceful and sweet, watching the sun creep up over the horizon, that it feels like Jesus is starting the day just for me.

So I got myself a new Bible study and have been giving my Father about 30 minutes to an hour each morning in devotion, study and prayer. And it's been delightful. I have learned so much, had miraculous answers to prayer, gone through my prayer lists over and over again, been nudged by the Spirit to meet the needs of others, corrected some behaviors (okay, still working on those) and just basked in the glory and worship of the Son. Call it my day prep time.

I'm getting about four times more accomplished, I'm growing Spiritually and getting much better rest each night. What a blessing this morning devotion time has turned out to be for this very non-morning person. And honestly, like getting ready for my walk, it's not been difficult at all to get into the routine. The Lord has been faithful to wake me up early every day and I have stayed faithful to spend time with Him. It guards my heart, this morning time with Him. I need it and love it.

I have done devotion times at all times of the day, but I can say with all honesty, when I do it in the morning, the day goes better ... every time. My focus is where it needs to be. I love that prep time. I'm better for the day.

Prepared, safe, secure ... and comfy in Jesus.

Scintillating

I love sparkly things. Sequins, glitter, jewelry, anything that sparkles. As my daughter said, "I am drawn to sparkly things like bugs to a zapper."

I have a pair of silver sparkly shoes that I got at our church youth yard sale a year ago for 25 cents. (I know, great bargain, right?) They are comfortable and super sparkly ... unless it's cloudy outside. Then, not so much. They don't sparkle at all actually. They need some kind of light to reflect to be completely appreciated.

Sunlight or artificial, they need it to scintillate (my new word for the day - basically means to sparkle). And if you're wearing something with sparkle potential, you want maximum scintillation.

I think Christians are a lot like my glittery shoes. We need to be in the Light to truly shine. Every moment of every day, we need to find the Light, stay in the Light and reflect the Light so others see it. If we are, perhaps people will be drawn to Christ the way I'm drawn to sparkly things.

I used to wish that when I walked, I would leave sparkle behind me (you know like Tinkerbell when she flies). And with these sparkly shoes, that sometimes happens, as the little glitter bits fall off now and then. Again, I think that, too, is something we as Christians should aim for: leaving that sparkle of Christ in our wake so people will know we've been there in His name. You know - change the world for Jesus so they see it's all because of Him.

It's a sunny day today. I've got the sparkle shoes on. Praying I radiate the Son as much as they reflect the sun.

Commanded to Love

If you call yourself a Christian and are not loving your enemies, you're a joke. Just let me state that flat out. It was one of Christ's commands in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:43). He didn't say, "tolerate your enemies," "ignore those who are displeasing to you," or "give someone you disagree with the silent treatment." No, He said plain and simple, love them. LOVE THEM.

I am sure you are detecting a note of frustration in my voice. I am so very, very tired of people calling themselves Christians and finding all manner of ways to dismiss those they just don't like. I have been treated kinder, frankly, by non-Christians than people who call themselves Christians and smile to my face, while their behavior is blatantly opposite to what Christ commands.

Our Father calls us to be honest, compassionate peacemakers and He even gives us a formula for its success. First, Christ tells us in Matt 5:23-24 that we are required to reconcile with our brother or sister before we bring our gifts to the altar. Second, He tells us to forgive this person so our Father will forgive our sins. And thirdly, if we catch someone in a sin, we're to point out the person's fault and if they listen, all is well, but if they don't, take one or two witnesses along so the matter can be rectified. There's even a final option about getting the church evolved in Matt. 18:15-17. Therefore, based on all three of those Scriptural guidelines, we Christians should be resolving conflicts, forgiving one another and loving one another. But if even the forgiveness is coming slowly, we are above all, to love.

There. I know I feel much better getting all that out. And honestly, I don't follow all the above perfectly all the time. But I strive to, and praise Jesus, have an accountability group that calls me on the moments I am not doing as such. But if I don't see my Christian brothers and sisters working to reconcile, then I just plain and simple don't believe they are following the commands of Christ. They may be building walls around themselves or removing themselves from different things thinking they are protecting themselves from further harm. But that is folly. It's simply Satan isolating that person from the loving, reconciliation that Christ encourages. I know because I was there, doing that isolation bit, when all it did was make me more bitter, lonely and heartbroken.

If you love Jesus and owe your life to Him, He had a command that He considered second only to loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, strength (Deut 6:5), and that was to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev. 19:18) - and that doesn't mean just Christian ones. When we stand before His throne we will be accountable to Him.

So stop faking it. Stop metaphorically stabbing people in the back when they aren't around. Stop eliminating souls from your life thinking that is how you will guard your heart. Stop rolling your eyes at people you disagree with. Stop pitying yourself. Stop being so arrogant that you believe you alone have been wounded or are sin free. Stop looking for reasons to dislike someone God created in His image and was willing to die for. In the name of Christ Jesus, stop it.

And start being who Christ commanded ... Him.

The Daniel Plan

If I like something, I am one to be sure to tell everyone about it. For example, I love chocolate. I love sparkly things. I love my husband. I love my children. I love my Lord and Savior. Anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about all of this. So when I come across something that has changed my life for the better and really works, I'm going to make sure you know about it.

Just recently our church started The Daniel Plan. It's a program created by Rick Warren author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. As Adult Education Coordinator in our church, I was sent some material about it and it intrigued me. First of all it was Biblical, and secondly because it was a life-change wellness book and not a diet plan.

The Daniel Plan has five initiatives: faith, food, fitness, focus and friends. It's a book on complete wholeness and wellness, showing us how our bodies can be a temple for the Lord (1 Cor. 6:19). The book is excellent and filled with Scripture, facts, statistics, stories of success, goals and suggestions. But it's the advice it gave that has been an inspiration.

Much of the health part you've heard before: eat more fruits and vegetables, the right portions of the food groups necessary to maintain health, eat the right fats, limit sugars, exercise at least four times a week, don't skip meals, etc. But it was other information I hadn't heard that opened my eyes. For example, how foods with labels including more than five ingredients, probably aren't foods (especially if you can't pronounce the ingredients). How sitting has become the new smoking in its detrimental effects on our bodies. How your brain immediately craves carbohydrates in food emergencies, so you should have a food emergency kit on hand with healthy choices. How the brain releases certain chemicals throughout the body based on the negative or positives thoughts you have. And the dangers of processed foods we eat. My husband commented last night: "I tell you what, the Lord has truly made the human body resilient after all we put it through."

As a result of The Daniel Plan, we are grocery shopping in a whole new way, reading every label to make sure we're eating actual food, selecting more fruits and vegetables and avoiding the processed food aisles in the center of the store. And we've been shocked by the changes in a few weeks, and we're not talking weight-wise. We sleep better, longer and deeper. We have tons more energy during the day. Brad's blood sugars from a diabetic standpoint are more controllable. We are excited to see if our new habits stick and more importantly to see if it translates into better health for the two of us. When 15,000 people joined Rick Warren in this first Daniel Plan, they lost a combination of 260,000 pounds. That's impressive and encouraging. And the fact that it's all revolving around our love for the Lord is the coolest part.

I've been given one "jar of clay" (1 Cor. 4:7), and to be the best, strongest, most resilient soldier for the Lord, it's about time I took better care of it. As the book says, "You wouldn't give a hamburger and french fries to your dog. So why would you eat it?" When I look around me and see how poorly we've done as a people taking care of ourselves, and how we truly have only ourselves to blame (self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit after all), it's startling ... but not hopeless. We may be coming to this realization late, but at least we're here. As chapter one in the book ends: "Welcome to the journey."

47 Faith Focuses

Next Tuesday is Mardi Gras - the French words for Fat Tuesday, the day you're to feast before the fasting of Lent. Lent is the 40 days plus Sundays leading up to Easter. Some people throughout history have sacrificed something during these days - candy, smoking, social media, television, video games - to remember Christ's sacrifice. But I'm going to suggest a different method of celebrating.

If sacrifice is your preferred method of focusing of the Lord in the days leading up to Easter, go for it. Fast from whatever you feel is pulling you away from Him. But you can also proactively approach these days in efforts to improve yourself spiritually. I've listed 47 things that you can do, one each day, leading up to Easter Sunday. You don't necessarily have to do them in order (although the last seven do coincide with some events from the most important week in history). Perhaps these will revive your soul, encourage your spirit and grow the Kingdom in some God-glorifying way. Have fun! Praise His Name!

47 Faith Focuses during Lent (40 Day of Lent + 7 Sundays)

1) Read your Bible every day. Even if for a short while. Document over these next 47 days what the Lord teaches you through His Word.

2) Pray all throughout the day, as you wake up, mealtime, before bed, devotion time – even at restaurants if you’re out to supper. And ask the server how you can pray for them.

3) Do an anonymous random act of kindness in Christ’s name.

4) Write a thank you to someone for their service to Jesus.

5) Honor your parents in some way. Write them a love letter, do something in remembrance of them or in honor of them.

6) Give to a charity in Christ’s name.

7) Care for God’s Creation in some way – compost, plant a tree, start a garden, clean the streets.

8) Find reasons to edify others throughout the day.

9) Spend some time in study – read a Christian biography, take a new Bible study.

10) Podcast sermons to hear what others called by God are sharing.

11) Switch your radio to Christian music and see what change it makes in your life.

12) Journal your prayers. Write down when God give a specific answer to prayer.

13) Find a devotional that works for you: couples, women's, men's, family, beach, etc.

14) Ask the Lord to convict your heart in forgiveness. Ask for forgiveness from those around you that you have wronged. Forgive those who’ve wronged you.

15) Find a cause you are passionate about that involves helping the oppressed.

16) Clean out your closets and donate to a local Good Will, Salvation Army or thrift store.

17) When you grocery shop, pick up a few extra items for the food pantry.

18) Visit someone who is lonely, in the hospital or a nursing home.

19) Boldly speak to someone about Jesus Christ that you know could really use Him in their life.

20) Watch a Bible DVD or movie and have a discussion together about its accuracy, theme or message.

21) Sing praise songs to the Lord all day long.All. Day. Long.

22) Memorize Bible verses, or entire chapters of Scripture, like Psalm 23, the Sermon on the Mount, Romans 8, 1 Cor. 13, etc.

23) Avoid watching garbage on TV. Yes, that may mean turning it off completely. Remember, garbage in, garbage out.

24) Write out your faith story for future generations to read.

25) Ask the pastor: “What need does our church have that I can fill?”

26) Ponder the names of God and praise Him for the name that means the most to you today.

27) Take a good look in the mirror: What do you need to do to improve your body as a temple for the Lord?

28) Count your blessings. Write down everything you have to be thankful for.

29) Ponder God’s majesty by spending sometime tonight under the stars. Look for constellations in the sky, watch for shooting stars, check out the phase of the moon.

30) If your Bible is worn and filled with notes and highlights, considering getting a new one or different version and reading it with fresh eyes. If it’s not worn – open it up. The best kind of Bible is a well-read one.

31) Whatever task you face today, do it as if serving the Lord Himself, with joy, respect, grace, love and enthusiasm.

32) What has been the high of your day? Your low? What did God teach you through both of those things?

33) Take a spiritual gifts test. See what your strengths are and utilize them for God’s service.

34) Invite someone over for supper and learn more about them as brothers and sisters in Christ.

35) Be creative today! Make something, paint something, fix something, all for God’s glory and in His Name.

36) Go to the highest point in your town and look over the vastness of God’s creation. What new things do you see?

37) Look up the author and back story of one of the old hymns and sing it out, sing it out, sing it out!

38) Ask the Lord to nudge you about a particular person that may need to hear from you today and then act on it.

39) Go the whole day being “third.” Putting God first, then others, then yourself. Humbly let others go before you.

40) Read the story of the Exodus and participate in a Passover Meal. See how Christ took the place of the Passover lamb.

41) Check out Biblical maps to see where the patriarchs lived, where the 12 Tribes of Israel settled, how the Kingdom divided after Solomon, where the Israelites went during the Diaspora, what the Holy Lands looked like in Jesus time and what they look like today.

42) Do a spiritual inventory. Are you worshiping, reading the Word, studying, serving others. Put it away to be opened a year from now and see how you’ve grown spiritually.

43) When out to lunch – pay for someone else’s meal without them knowing. Tell the server to tell them it was done in Jesus’ name, but not that you did it.

44) Take communion today in remembrance of Him.

45) Read the story of Christ’s arrest, trial and crucifixion in all four gospels to get all their perspectives on this most important week in history.

46) Put together an Easter treat for a friend – flowers, balloons, candy and a Bible verse or devotion. Tell them how much Jesus loves them.

47) Dance before the Lord because Jesus Christ is risen today! This is a day of completely glorifying the Lord! Hallelujah, Amen.

 

I Have You Now

My coworker and friend at The River radio station, Hiawatha, was sharing an amazing story with me yesterday. She said she had a friend who was going in for heart surgery that did not believe in Jesus Christ. Right before he was to go under, a man in the operating room leaned down close to his face and said, "I have you now." Under anesthetic, he wrestled with this man during the entire surgery, until he finally called on the Name Above All Names, "Jesus!" When he did, he heard a voice say, "Leave him alone" and Satan went away. Yes, he believes he saw Satan in his operating room prior to his surgery and wrestled with him all during surgery. And when he awoke, this man asked Jesus Christ into his heart. I got the chills when she shared that story.

Hiawatha and I were discussing what an interesting method of evangelism that could be in hospitals. A person is going in for a major surgery, a man comes up prior to surgery and asks "Do you know Jesus?" If the person says yes, proceed to pray with them prior to surgery. If they say no, whisper menacingly "I have you now." It may just scare the hell out of them ... literally.

We had a laugh about this, but thinking about it later I wondered what reaction people would have. Because, let's face it, if they don't have Christ in their lives and their life is cut short, the truth of the matter is, Satan does have them. Because Christ told us "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." John 14:6. There is no other way to the Father. Not good works, not being a good person, not any other religion. It is Christ and Christ alone. He died the most horrifying death for the very purpose of bringing us to the Father. To pay the ultimate price for the sins we've committed.

I remember another friend telling me about two men in the trenches during World War II. During heavy fire, one man asked the other if he believed in Jesus and Heaven. One said he did. The other said he didn't. As the barrage continued, the one who believed said, "One of us is wrong and one is right. I'm thinking in a few minutes we're both about to find out. I'm pretty confident about my beliefs. I hope you are confident about yours."

There is no doubt in my mind about Jesus Christ. Not one. I believe in Him. I love Him. I want everyone to know Him. And my heart aches for the ones who do not. French poet Charles Pierre Baudelaire wrote: "The finest trick of the devil is to persuade you that he does not exist." And yet he does. And he's a liar, constantly trying to convince the children of God that the Word isn't true.

If you knew you were being lied to, wouldn't you want to know?

The Word is the Truth. Christ, the Son of God, died for you so that you could be in Paradise with Him. And Satan since the beginning of time has been trying to pull you from Him. Who do you want to believe? The liar? Or the one who loved you so much He died for you?

Because let's face it, if you believe the liar, then he can in all confidence say .... "I have you now."

Clear Winner

The other day we were invited to play a card game with friends called Raupoly. Oh, you've never heard of it? Well, that's because our friend's uncle's wife's brother's friend's cousin's mother's someone-or-other made the game up. And it's a hoot. It's a combination of hearts, the bidding process of pinochle and poker. You need at least five people to play (six max). You all have chips and anti-up, bid for the free hand, bet on your poker hand (which I've learned I do not entirely comprehend - but sure had fun trying), then start laying down your cards with hopes of winning even more chips. There is very little strategy involved and little you can do to alter your hopes of earning more chips short of just paying attention.

Here's the interesting part. This group that was playing, we were not gambling with money. We were using chips without monetary backing. And it was an endless supply of chips. When you ran out of chips, all you had to do was turn to my sweet friend, Katelyn, who was maintaining the bank and say, "I'm out." She'd hand you ten more chips. I think I was out of chips at least three times, and others had similar experiences. It allowed us to play endlessly.

We sure had a lot of fun. I honestly don't know if there was even a winner. There were two folks with more chips than everyone else at the end, but remember we all ran out of chips periodically, so no one knows truly how much in debt they were before they accumulated all the chips they had. So anyone's win was truly meaningless.

Someone commented that in future we might want to set a limit to the number of chips we start with so there's a clear winner. Perhaps, but it certainly wouldn't be as fun. Because then we'd have folks run out of chips and they're out of the game. If you drop below five players, the game is over, and with the max number of players at six, that would happen pretty fast.

It did get me thinking about our government-supported programs and national debt, however, which at this writing is over $17 trillion. How fun it is to continue to spend, spend, spend when there's an endless supply of money. How easy it is to continue to take at someone else's expense, and never have to earn it. The problem is, in the real world, there isn't an endless supply and we do need to earn it. Not so that there's a clear "winner," but that so when you do succeed it really means something.

Raupoly is a fun game. Life on the other hand, isn't one. It's a journey, and a spiritual one at that. We learn from our successes and failures on this walk with and to the Lord. We will have times when it seems the bank has an endless supply, but more often then not, the purse strings will be taut. We are not guaranteed happiness nor excess. But we are guaranteed an abundant life in our belief in Christ (John 10:10). In that sense, there are - we are - clear winners.