Lord of the Ringless

Day After Valentine Thoughts

Last week I watched the Biggest Loser on television. It is a show where people team up together to lose weight--a great idea and it works. One man lost 100 pounds in 6 weeks. Unbelievable.

During the temptation phase of the show one of the contestants, facing a roomful of Valentine's chocolates turned around immediately upon one glance at the red and pink room--repulsed. The chocolates were not temptation. Why?

"I hate Valentine's Day! she exclaimed vehemently. Later she elaborated frowning, "My dad calls me every Valentines Day...I hate it!"   So the biggest loser wasn't talking about her weight issue, but her love issue. She felt unloved and sorely Losing at Love on the Biggest Love day of the year.

Too bad to see it that way.

There are many people to share our hearts with in life and many wonderful people to love whether family or friends, big or small. I felt bad that she scoffed at her Dad's call on the special day of they year she regarded more as a Romeo, Juliet affair. It's not unusual thinking. It can cause discontent though. It can rob peace and steal joy on a wonderful day of the year. Expectations about what that day should, could be.

What ever happened to the great feelings we had as kids passing out our Valentine cartoon or Disney cut outs for each person in our classroom? And then making a cut out for parents, grandparents, aunts, cousins, and even our brothers. Why don't we carry our childhood thoughts and traditions into adulthood?  Thinking of it more as a Heart Day for those who have touched our heart.

For the record, Loving people in life, finding a special someone to love and be loved, has little to do with our weight. There are plenty of overweight people, now 70% of America, who have love in their lives. People who struggle to keep weight on can feel "too thin"-- a feeling which may lead them to feeling unattractive also.

 How many people have the perfect weight and meet someone at their perfect weight? Some for sure. Most, not. It is more the way we feel about ourselves, that we consider ourselves worth knowing and able to provide fun and feeling, passion and purpose in life that sets the groundwork for a good relationship. That enable us to reach out and introduce ourselves or catch someone's eye (or im)  and give them the go ahead to move towards us.

Valentine's Day can be loaded married or single in a relationship or not. When I worked in the hospital, some married nurses faces paled when one or two lucky stars received a dozen red roses  from their hubbies.

I do hope next year the young woman will have someone special to share a Valentine's meal with and even a small chocolate. If she doesn't have a boyfriend yet, hopefully it can be with her dad. I sure enjoyed Valentine's dinner with my Dad at a great fish restaurant! Sunday my boyfriend and I made cookies. And today, I'm dropping off a Valentine cookie to my hardworking nephew...who is currently single and loving it.

 

"For now we see through a glass darkly a poor reflection. Then we shall see face to face. NOw I know in part,; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now remain these three: Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."    I Corinthians 13:12

 

Slowing down and hearing God... even in the holidays

Yesterday at a writer’s group, we were talking about busyness and how if we run around too much nothing really gets done well…and we become undone, impatient and unkind. Especially now in holiday season.

One of my peers told a story about a man who met with his pastor wondering why he couldn’t  feel God in his life anymore.

“I don’t see God in my life .” He approached the pastor.

“God is in your life just like goldfish in a bowl,” the pastor replied.   “But you have so much going on all the time, it’s like  what happens when you shake up a goldfish bowl. The dirt and grime clouds the water so much you can’t even see the fish. You need to stay still and quit moving.”

We were talking about our live’s  getting out of order when we add on tasks or commitments without taking away something on the other end. Add, add  and add  leads to busy, busier, busiest.  Forget the joy of sitting and watching goldfish swim in a bowl.

My first fish was a goldfish named Goldilocks. Mom said Goldilocks  used to keep her company  swimming around in her bowl while  Mom  read at night  when dad was away traveling. Even the smallest  segments of time at night can speak of God’s presence at the edges of our day if we are quiet inside.

Monday  I woke up and read a devotional to begin my day. A card fell out  that said, STOMP OUT ANTS.  A-N-T-S stood for Automatic Negative Thoughts.  I had to catch all the ants that were surfacing that morning over various issues relationally and in general. “Why did she say this?” “Why didn’t they wrap the paper?” “Who made this coffee so weak?”  It can go on and on. This day choose life the Bible says, in order that you may live. Choose a blessing or a curse this day. It’s all in the attitude if we choose a blessing. Thank you God for this person asking me questions and relating.  Thank you God I have coffee to drink and the money to buy it. 

When I went to the gym that morning  a man I  shared this with  from church added another thinking help.  “STOP the COMMITTEE” he laughed.

What is that? I asked.

All the voices that say , “I can’t do this, it will take too long….cost too much….I’m not prepared”  all the objections of the negative voices chiming in our minds –that’s the Committee.

So between Stomping out Ants, Stopping the Committee and  Contemplating Goldfish it seems we will be able to live a quieter, more focused, more productive life.

 It all starts with the small steps of  clearing our plate little by little so we can see God and hear Him easier. And then recognizing and, interrupting our often human and limited thinking so God can speak into our lives and encourage us to live above the circumstances. To allow ourselves to be encouraged so we can encourage others and enjoy life a little bit more than we may be doing now. And isn’t that what living each day in the moment really means?  By focused Purposeful travel and owner- friendly thinking we can hear our Guide and we can prepare for the journey of each day.   

 "I have come to give you life that you might have it abundantly..."  Jesus,  John 10:10

 

Busy , Halt and Smell the Roses

Too Busy to Tend the Garden

“How are you?”

A month ago, every time I spoke with someone and I asked how they were doing, the same answer popped up like the skip, repeat on a vinyl record.

“I’m busy”

“I’m very busy”

Sad thing was, my answer was exactly the same. B-U-S-Y.  Well, at the top of the busy chart, my computer did something terrible. Really bad …for such a busy time. Murphy’s Law, or was it a trial sent as a test by a Divine Troubleshooter?

“You have the blue screen of death,” the fix-it pc guys informed me. So my hard drive pulled into the shop and I hit the wall of frustration.  And then I moved faster to try and finish things for a deadline that was past the dead line.

A weekend retreat turned into a long crying spell, during which time I reminisced.

Busy turned into HALT.

BUSY. Being Under Satan’s Yoke, yes, the old acronym felt true. There was no fresh air to breathe- in because I had no breathing space. I think the Arch Rival of God’s order and sanity and connection, has little Speed Demons running around trying to get us to go faster. When we stop nobody knows, including us.

Until we get:   Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. 

The saying goes, never make a decision when we can see HALT screens in our life.

HALT  happens after over indulging in BUSY (ie. cars only spend so much time going 75mph on the freeways before back down to 40 and 25, how come we think our bodies can handle the forever freeway?)

Overextending our selves leads to: bad decisions, wrong turns,  because of haste and lack of planning and good thinking—which  busy competes with.

How can we process correctly in busy mode and pray to hear the still small voice of God when we can’t find still? Even lying in bed to sleep, the mind is churning like a wind-up toy that is buzzing away waiting to be placed on the floor again and zoom off?

HALT happens because we grind to a Halt by God’s grace.  Like my overloaded PC.

When I was forced to a “Yield” to tend to the Blue Screen of Death for my pc , the good news is…it was saved. Restored.  And funny thing, God had my attention.

 “The system has recovered from a serious error”   the screen eventually announced.

 Both PC and me are doing better this month, restored and redeemed . PC by the hand of man, and me by the hand of God.

Scripture says, “Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46: 10

What happens when we are not still? God seemed to speak to me.

Be not still and surely, you will not know that I am God.” (You will think you are running the show, again.)

Busy?  There are degrees of busy. We know when we are spinning uncontrollably.

I was reminded once again the hard way, for now, to quit making decisions in busy if HALT is blinking. Back-up and smell the roses.

 Spring is not just around us, it can be inside of us too.  We can be a fragrant aroma, a well-tended garden that gives glory to our Master Gardener.

 Wouldn’t it be amazing for people to say, “What a well watered garden!” when they look at our lives?  Because we are living and receiving enough—enough sleep, water, healthy food, good social connection, prayer fellowship, time in the Book of Life… that we can thrive inside-out and give the glory to the one we claim cares for us?

“ I am the True vine and my Father is the Gardener. He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce. And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.”  John 15:1-2

Does the King of Hearts Make a Difference?

God is love. He is the King of Hearts. His heart is so Big, if we receive His love it overflows—we shed it abroad all around us to all we come in contact with.

If we receive Him.

If we rejoice in Him.

So Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-5

We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient.  And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Which reminds me once again of a favorite Valentine story.

 There was once a peculiar little boy; something about him was different—I can’t remember what. His mother worried Valentine’s day morning as she sent him off to school with his bag of little cards folded in half, one for each member of his public elementary class. She remembered how few cards he had received in the little crayon-embossed bag with his name the previous year.

She dreaded his return again today. So she baked a batch of soft warm chocolate chip cookies and poured a glass of milk. And waited. Finally he came into view walking down the sidewalk. His head was shaking back and forth and he was talking to himself, as usual. Within earshot, he now looked up and grinned from ear-to-ear. “Not a one,” he stated proudly.” I didn’t miss anyone—everyone in my class got my Valentine!”

The saying by a doctor of science (I once read) pertains so perfectly to this little child with the God-sized heart.  “If we live to get love we will get sick. But if we live to give love we will find health.”

Lastly our Prince, “Love one another as I have loved you” John 13:34

So we spot-check our own hearts a heavenly stethoscope. WE listen for signs of a healthy heartbeat.

Are we asking God daily [for those we are entrusted to love in our little corner of the world]

Have I loved today with as much love as He has given me?”

What a difference we could make if we let Him shed His love abroad in our hearts.

What a great time to start.

The Angel that Fell out of the Closet Christmas 2008

Last week the festivities began for Christmas season when a group of my friends filled one of fifty tables for our annual Christmas dessert. Myriads of settings and arrangements set the ambience for sipping tea from bone china, adding sugar with silver teaspoons and reveling in song and conversation.

The Christmas celebration spurred conversation at our table about Scriptures surrounding Christ's birth . We talked about the angels and how exciting the events in Scripture preparing for Christ's birth. All of heaven was aglow with angelic activity as celestial messengers prepared the human race for their Savior… by personally delivering messages to Mary, Zacharias and the Shepherds dtraight from God in heaven.

Suddenly one of our friend's effervesced, "An angel appeared to my sister also, and bruised her cheek." Joyce laughed pointing to her sister Gina sitting beside her.

I looked at Gina as she grinned and pointed to her right cheekbone with an index finger. She turned her head revealing a darknened black translucent hue instead of rosy pink blush.

What happened? I guffawed.

Her eyes lit up brightly as she explained . "This weekend I was rummaging through the house for Christmas decorations. I opened a closet and looked above me on the top shelf. Just as I was thinking, there's so much stuff in here I need to get rid of it all, something wrapped and hard fell from the shelf and banged me on the cheek.

She laughed. When I opened it up… it was an angel. I thought about it, trying to place the significance and realized it was the angel my neighbor had given me last year. I wracked my brain again and suddenly remembered that very same neighbor had invited me to her church Christmas play—It was a Christmas event and it was this very night. I had forgotten about it.

I was so thrilled the little angel reminded me about it, I forgot my throbbing cheek. We called my daughter's little friend and scurried to get ready. I brought my daughter and the little neighbor girl who was thrilled to come. After the play the little girl and my daughter both wanted to ask Christ into their heart . They prayed together. It was a joyous occasion.

Thinking about the chain of events, it amazes me still. God sent me an angel, a little figurine angel, to remind me about an event that would be significant to my life…and the children.

It was the best Christmas present ever."

When she was done with her amazing story I had to glance up at my Grandma seated in those heavenly places with real winged creatures and smile. I could almost hear her saying for the zillionth time, "God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform."

It happened a week ago…Christmas 2008

Last week the festivities began for Christmas season when a group of my friends filled one of fifty tables for our annual Christmas dessert. Myriads of settings and arrangements set the ambience for sipping tea from bone china, adding sugar with silver teaspoons and reveling in song and conversation.

The Christmas celebration spurred conversation at our table about Scriptures surrounding Christ's birth . We talked about the angels and how exciting the events in Scripture preparing for Christ's birth. All of heaven was aglow with angelic activity as celestial messengers prepared the human race for their Savior… by personally delivering messages to Mary, Zacharias and the Shepherds dtraight from God in heaven.

Suddenly one of our friend's effervesced, "An angel appeared to my sister also, and bruised her cheek." Joyce laughed pointing to her sister Gina sitting beside her.

I looked at Gina as she grinned and pointed to her right cheekbone with an index finger. She turned her head revealing a darknened black translucent hue instead of rosy pink blush.

What happened? I guffawed.

Her eyes lit up brightly as she explained . "This weekend I was rummaging through the house for Christmas decorations. I opened a closet and looked above me on the top shelf. Just as I was thinking, there's so much stuff in here I need to get rid of it all, something wrapped and hard fell from the shelf and banged me on the cheek.

She laughed. When I opened it up… it was an angel. I thought about it, trying to place the significance and realized it was the angel my neighbor had given me last year. I wracked my brain again and suddenly remembered that very same neighbor had invited me to her church Christmas play—It was a Christmas event and it was this very night. I had forgotten about it.

I was so thrilled the little angel reminded me about it, I forgot my throbbing cheek. We called my daughter's little friend and scurried to get ready. I brought my daughter and the little neighbor girl who was thrilled to come. After the play the little girl and my daughter both wanted to ask Christ into their heart . They prayed together. It was a joyous occasion.

Thinking about the chain of events, it amazes me still. God sent me an angel, a little figurine angel, to remind me about an event that would be significant to my life…and the children.

It was the best Christmas present ever."

When she was done with her amazing story I had to glance up at my Grandma seated in those heavenly places with real winged creatures and smile. I could almost hear her saying for the zillionth time, "God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform."

It happened a week ago…Christmas 2008

Getting ready for Christmas 2008, I am reminded and rewarded by the verse in Isaiah 9:6-7.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace…there shall be no end…”

 

The problems we are having with our mortal government are not unlike some of the problems with human government even 2000 years ago.

And even as the shepherds received relief on the hills of Bethlehem when the angels, God’s messengers, announced the Good News of a Savior to be born, Christ the Lord—so we are able to receive relief when we accept the Light of the World in our hearts. He stokes a fire and fills us with peace, a peace that the troubles of this world cannot take away.

 

“My peace I give to you , it is a peace that the world cannot give,”…Jesus said.

 

And so we enter Christmas Holy Days carrying within us the light of our Savior. May we accept His gift of peace today and every day, sharing it with others along our routines and rounds of life.

The gift of a smile. Patience. A kind word. Pausing long enough to say hello, how are you and stop to listen for a response.

Always remembering who we are honoring by our actions and who we celebrate and why…

 

"Lord, you were one solitary Light coming to a dark world but You kindled the Christian faith and YOur candle has never burned out. Thank you for lighting Your love in my soul.                        Alma Burkman

Thanksgiving Thoughts from a Single Parent

Today I received an email from a single parent without her children for Thanksgiving:

"I have to say that I've learned a lot about having a different perspective....the holidays are nice, because somehow, it does bring warmth and good cheer.  But for those who don't have family, or for whatever reason, can't be with family, or have family that are difficult to be with, those expectations of the love and good cheer that is not in the picture sure makes this time of year very difficult. 

 I have been thankful for the Word of God that brings so much comfort any time of the year, because whether it's Thanksgiving or Christmas, we can have both in our hearts every day of the year.  I am reminded of that song that Barry Manilow sang...It's Just Another New Year's Eve"....(does he still sing that for New Year's?)....it's rather a melancholy song and one that always made me so pathetically sad because I didn't have a significant other at that time...but now that I have a Significant Being in my life - my Savior - in one way, it can be just another day that doesn't have those lofty expectations.

  But it is a day that He has made and I can rejoice and be glad in it.  Thanksgiving is a day that reminds us to be thankful, but if we can remember that every day should be Thanksgiving Day in our hearts, then perhaps, it wouldn't be so difficult when those worldly expectations are before us....thanks for letting me share my two cents with you all...."

Station's of the Cross- A Day to Remember

She drew near to one of the three wooden crosses and gripped the folded paper in her hands.
Her Good Friday noon vigil was ending. She was half way through the last station of her 2 hour walk through the Stations of the Cross.
"If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,O Lord, who could stand?" (Psalm 130:3)

She knew the Scriptures well. Rehearsing them she picked up a paper and pencil from one of the baskets loosely scattered in the area and pressed the pencil into the paper. With every letter she laid on the paper scrap her heart panged. It was as if each stroke of her hand carefully dispensing the letters outwardly, recarved the secret sin as a knife over her heart like fresh bark. Still she rehearsed the truth which she knew, should set her free.
Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

But no matter how much she knew, she could not break free emotionally. She knew she was a sinner, but she knew she had a Savior and she loved Him. Just as Mary Magdalene wept and washed his feet, so would she...if she could feel him.
But, all she could feel was the suffocating weight of her guilt. "I've struggled long and hard over this for years," she told us. "The enemy had me. He told me I was a piece of junk and I felt like it. I would actually become physically ill when he would assault me with terrible thoughts about myself."

Now she was ready to nail this sin, to leave this burden of pain, this haunted thing...at the cross.
It was the same sin she had confessed and battled during the year, over the years, from Easter to Easter...with no relief from the guilt.
But this year would be different.
"I walked up to the cross with a hammer a nail and my sin written on the paper folded neatly and tucked closed. When I reached out my arm to nail it at the top of the cross I saw another paper with something written on it for all to see nailed in the place next to my spot. I read it and reeled. Someone had nailed the exact sin as mine- open for me to see-in the spot by mine. I could have picked another cross. I could have picked another place on the cross and not seen it.

I knew as soon as I saw that sin, written exactly as mine, God had led me there. He met me at that cross with my sin, not a secret to Him and forgiven by Him. It was no coincidence. When I pounded that nail into my paper on the cross this time I told the Lord, "I'm leaving it here Jesus. I'm never taking it back again.
YOu defeated Satan at that cross. He can't have a field day with me anymore."

"I walked out of the stages of the cross that year a different woman."

And we believed her and rejoiced.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Loving God

So God is displaying His love to us through the beauty of nature again. I just got off the phone with a friend driving through hills of white snow. Here the white and pink cherry blossoms are topping our trees and our world with the colors of divine love. Our Creator's love for us, His creation.

Does our relationship with God lack creativity and spontaneity? A guy I know sometimes takes off to the hills and totes his guitar for a day of worship, even encouraging a friend or two along.

Referencing God’s own call to us in Revelations 2:4, to return to Him as our “first love,” have we staled in our expression of ingenuity, work well done, surprise bursts of praise and creative expression in our relationship with Him?

It’s time to build something new…get to the drawing board of our imagination and offer God a new thing. And how do we start? As usual, with a whisper of prayer.

So we might serve Him in newness of spirit… Romans 7:6

Valentine Thoughts to Reckon With...

Valentines can be a hard time... for singles or married. Desiring a romantic relationship and life long partner can be hard for singles. Those who are married are often disappointed by the romantic expressions of their mates ...if it doesn't match theirs. It's important to get together with significant people who love us and share an expression of love to them by card or email (not just a significant other) but those in our lives who we appreciate. Here are some thoughts for singles from some of my journals:

Past days of reckoning:

God is the God of miracles
He brings joy out of sorrow,
Love out of hate
Praise out of cursing
And peace out of turmoil
For those who trust Him
James Montgomery Boice

2 Corinthians 13:14 The fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.
Give Him time and listen to Him. Spend time in prayer exercising spirit by the act of our will. The spirit in us is strong to overcome

Excerpt Women Who Love too Much
Explore, develop and enhance yourself. The less you need a partner, the better partner you become and the healthier partner you will attract and be attracted to healthy:
Solid , trustworthy, thoughtful, dependable, handsome (beauty in eyes of beholder)
Now for the first time you’ve got a nice steady reliable man who adores you and you don’t have to change him. He already has the qualities you’ve wanted in a man and he’s made a commited to you.

Once upon a Time
Advice from a friend : Help for those struggling to Let Go of Wrong Relationship:

"You are God’s property...
Holding onto this relationship is a “rights issue.”
God is redirecting the potter’s wheel. He is establishing His rights over this area of your life…refocus your emotions and don’t get re-involved.
Rebuild your thinking process, renew your mind…grow out of it
Yieding your rights to Him to find your mate. God takes care of his property. He takes care of it well. God’s taking a little more control.
Don’t dwell on it anymore
Rebuild your thoughts, (“Romans 12:1,2)
Ask for wisdom to prevail over emotions."

God wants to have a place in our lives where we’re not doing our own thing…we’re being directed by God.

“Closed doors are just as much God’s leading as open ones…” Chuck Swindoll

Trusting God Prayer by Pastor Lambert
When there is not surety let us wait in rest upon you, knowing the answer will come, the direction will come. Rely on God’s wise providence. God’s already made His decision about your tomorrow before you get there. Relax, rely on God’s providence.

…we know and rely on the love God has for us... I John 4:16

Happy Valentine's Day; Jesus Loves You Now and Forever...