If your life has become as crazy as mine has, it's time for you to go outside and enjoy a bit of nature. You will be amazed at the smells - the fragrant flowers in the high mountain valleys, or the newly mowed hay, or maybe just the scent of the pine trees as they warm themselves in the sun. You might be fortunate enough to see some animals in their natural habitat - the deer or elk or maybe just the squirrels and chipmunks. Who knows what else you might see?
Take some time to let the sun shine on your face. Feel the breeze as it plays with your hair. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you - the different birds singing their song, or the wind through the trees. It's not as quiet out there as you might think.
While you are out there, remember the God that created this all for you. Don't forget that His creation flows from an abundance of love for you. He made it so you could enjoy it.
I could write more, but right now I need to go outside and enjoy the evening!
God bless you abundantly!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
I Just Wanna Go Home....
Loneliness... ugly, heart wrenching, painful feelings of being alone. An emotion that tears at your very soul, at the core of your being. An ache that never seems to go away.
It comes to all of us at one time or another. It can creep up when we least expect it, for reasons that may seem unreasonable. Mentally we try to overcome it, but there is no way for us to completely drive it away.
You know when you have experienced it, but unless someone else has been through a similar situation, that person will never know the depths of your suffering. To them, there is no reason for such intense feelings. Logically it doesn't make sense. But to you, there is no pain that is so acute, no trauma to the soul that is more agonizing.
Sometimes it comes when a friend leaves. Sometimes it comes when a friend dies. Sometimes it comes when a heart is abused and love is left to die.
My daughter knows the pain. After spending nearly a year of her life on an island hours away from "home" with children that she learned to love intensely, she returned to a land that no longer felt like "home." While we tried to make her transition back as painless as possible, we could not heal the ache of loneliness and homesickness that dogs every moment of her day.
Recently I have been feeling the same way. My pain seems like it has gotten more agonizing, my eyes fill with tears much too often, and I find myself daydreaming at all times of the day and night. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night sobbing from the ache of separation. I just hurt...
I understand homesickness. I yearn for a land that I have never seen, except through the eyes of faith. I want more than life itself to be able to go to a place where there is no sickness, no death, no prison bars, no separation, no leaving, no good byes. I want to be able to throw my arms around my heavenly Father and know that He will never let me go away from Him again. I want all of my friends and family with me to spend an eternity in joyous celebrations of life and love.
Just thinking of that day fills my eyes with tears and fills my heart with hope! Jesus promised, "If I go away, I will come again!" (John 14:3) The angels said, "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11) Paul said, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.... Therefore, comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 18)
That's the day that I am longing for! This world will never be my home, and while I will continue to serve the Lord to the best of my ability, and pray for all of the hurting and heartbreaking requests that are sent to me daily, my one desire is to go to the place that is prepared for me.
Are you up to taking a trip with me?
"Even so, come Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)
God bless you abundantly!
It comes to all of us at one time or another. It can creep up when we least expect it, for reasons that may seem unreasonable. Mentally we try to overcome it, but there is no way for us to completely drive it away.
You know when you have experienced it, but unless someone else has been through a similar situation, that person will never know the depths of your suffering. To them, there is no reason for such intense feelings. Logically it doesn't make sense. But to you, there is no pain that is so acute, no trauma to the soul that is more agonizing.
Sometimes it comes when a friend leaves. Sometimes it comes when a friend dies. Sometimes it comes when a heart is abused and love is left to die.
My daughter knows the pain. After spending nearly a year of her life on an island hours away from "home" with children that she learned to love intensely, she returned to a land that no longer felt like "home." While we tried to make her transition back as painless as possible, we could not heal the ache of loneliness and homesickness that dogs every moment of her day.
Recently I have been feeling the same way. My pain seems like it has gotten more agonizing, my eyes fill with tears much too often, and I find myself daydreaming at all times of the day and night. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night sobbing from the ache of separation. I just hurt...
I understand homesickness. I yearn for a land that I have never seen, except through the eyes of faith. I want more than life itself to be able to go to a place where there is no sickness, no death, no prison bars, no separation, no leaving, no good byes. I want to be able to throw my arms around my heavenly Father and know that He will never let me go away from Him again. I want all of my friends and family with me to spend an eternity in joyous celebrations of life and love.
Just thinking of that day fills my eyes with tears and fills my heart with hope! Jesus promised, "If I go away, I will come again!" (John 14:3) The angels said, "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11) Paul said, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.... Therefore, comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 18)
That's the day that I am longing for! This world will never be my home, and while I will continue to serve the Lord to the best of my ability, and pray for all of the hurting and heartbreaking requests that are sent to me daily, my one desire is to go to the place that is prepared for me.
Are you up to taking a trip with me?
"Even so, come Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)
God bless you abundantly!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Some Rain Does Fall
I had such plans for today.
Because of some challenging financial times affecting work, we were asked to pick a day this month that we could take off. I chose today - I wanted to get the lawn mowed in the morning and jump on my motorcycle in the afternoon, cruise downtown to catch the flavor of the motorcycle rally and take a look at all of the bikes that had come into town. It was going to be a good day.
But I woke up to rain, and while it wasn't a torrent, it was enough to ruin my plans. The grass didn't get cut, and will continue to grow, making it even more difficult to mow. I did get to go downtown to look at the motorcycles, but there were fewer ones in the rain - and I drove the truck instead of riding the bike.
(to be completely honest, later in the day the sun came out enough for me to get on the bike and ride into town to fill the tank with gas and head back home.)
I was reminded of all of our plans for our lives. We so much want things to go a certain way, and we make plans that are based on our dreams. But they seldom work out the way we plan.
Jesus spoke about a man who was making a good income - his crops were doing well, and he had more than his barns could hold. So he decided to tear down his old barns and build even bigger ones where he could store all of his goods. His plans were for his success, and he had the route already decided.
But he forgot to consider God in the equation. That night would be his last, and everything he had saved for would go to someone else. (you can read the parable in Luke 12:13 - 21)
Are there things in your life that are not going as planned? Does it feel like everything you were hoping to achieve is beyond your reach, and that your life has gone a different direction than you ever intended? Do you feel that God has forgotten you?
I believe that God is most interested in outcomes. Don't get me wrong - He still wants to give us the desires of our hearts. But if it comes down to giving us something now at the risk of losing eternal life with Him, He is always going to chose eternity. Eternal life with Him means so much to Him that He is willing for us to suffer some now to ensure we are ready for the future plans that are beyond our greatest dreams. I'm sure that He suffers with us when we suffer, but He keeps His eye on the prize, and keeps encouraging us along the way to that goal.
Romans 8:18 has become one of my favorite verses. It says "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." No comparison. Not even worth talking about. Don't even waste your breath mentioning it.
Friend, please remember this: You are of such value to God that He sent His only Son to die so you can spend eternity with Him. We will have some rain that will fall in our lives. But ultimately the Son of Righteousness will arise in our hearts, and "thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (I Thessalonians 4:17-18)
God bless you abundantly!
Because of some challenging financial times affecting work, we were asked to pick a day this month that we could take off. I chose today - I wanted to get the lawn mowed in the morning and jump on my motorcycle in the afternoon, cruise downtown to catch the flavor of the motorcycle rally and take a look at all of the bikes that had come into town. It was going to be a good day.
But I woke up to rain, and while it wasn't a torrent, it was enough to ruin my plans. The grass didn't get cut, and will continue to grow, making it even more difficult to mow. I did get to go downtown to look at the motorcycles, but there were fewer ones in the rain - and I drove the truck instead of riding the bike.
(to be completely honest, later in the day the sun came out enough for me to get on the bike and ride into town to fill the tank with gas and head back home.)
I was reminded of all of our plans for our lives. We so much want things to go a certain way, and we make plans that are based on our dreams. But they seldom work out the way we plan.
Jesus spoke about a man who was making a good income - his crops were doing well, and he had more than his barns could hold. So he decided to tear down his old barns and build even bigger ones where he could store all of his goods. His plans were for his success, and he had the route already decided.
But he forgot to consider God in the equation. That night would be his last, and everything he had saved for would go to someone else. (you can read the parable in Luke 12:13 - 21)
Are there things in your life that are not going as planned? Does it feel like everything you were hoping to achieve is beyond your reach, and that your life has gone a different direction than you ever intended? Do you feel that God has forgotten you?
I believe that God is most interested in outcomes. Don't get me wrong - He still wants to give us the desires of our hearts. But if it comes down to giving us something now at the risk of losing eternal life with Him, He is always going to chose eternity. Eternal life with Him means so much to Him that He is willing for us to suffer some now to ensure we are ready for the future plans that are beyond our greatest dreams. I'm sure that He suffers with us when we suffer, but He keeps His eye on the prize, and keeps encouraging us along the way to that goal.
Romans 8:18 has become one of my favorite verses. It says "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." No comparison. Not even worth talking about. Don't even waste your breath mentioning it.
Friend, please remember this: You are of such value to God that He sent His only Son to die so you can spend eternity with Him. We will have some rain that will fall in our lives. But ultimately the Son of Righteousness will arise in our hearts, and "thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (I Thessalonians 4:17-18)
God bless you abundantly!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Who Loves Ya, Baby?
I'm not sure that I am fond of funerals, but there is something about a funeral that appeals to me. Don't misquote me - saying a final goodbye has always been agonizing, and even if I don't know the person that has passed away, I always leave with tears in my eyes.
What I appreciate is the fact that people get up and say things that are wonderful about the deceased. They remember all of those times when the person was vibrant, funny, and full of life. They share stories that bring back that person from the dead - figuratively speaking. They remember the very best.
Why do we have to wait until someone passes away before we feel the freedom to recall all of the best things about them? Why can't we just plan on regular celebratory events that would focus on lifting up those we love?
Yesterday I was able to arrange a surprise party for my wife. It was her birthday, and with the help of some very good friends we were able to bring people together from different parts of her life (church and work friends) to just shower their love and appreciation on her. It was a fun time that she will remember forever. She has been talking about it all day, shaking her head in disbelief that those people would care enough to do this for her.
On Monday my daughter comes back from her year in Saipan. She has fallen in love with the children that she worked with, and they in turn have fallen in love with her. She said that one child hugged her around the neck so tightly and didn't want to let go. That embrace will stay embedded in her mind for many years to come. The child never held back his love.
So who do you love? Who has touched your life so significantly that you want to recognize them? What is holding you back?
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have every lasting life."
God never held back for you...
God bless you abundantly!
What I appreciate is the fact that people get up and say things that are wonderful about the deceased. They remember all of those times when the person was vibrant, funny, and full of life. They share stories that bring back that person from the dead - figuratively speaking. They remember the very best.
Why do we have to wait until someone passes away before we feel the freedom to recall all of the best things about them? Why can't we just plan on regular celebratory events that would focus on lifting up those we love?
Yesterday I was able to arrange a surprise party for my wife. It was her birthday, and with the help of some very good friends we were able to bring people together from different parts of her life (church and work friends) to just shower their love and appreciation on her. It was a fun time that she will remember forever. She has been talking about it all day, shaking her head in disbelief that those people would care enough to do this for her.
On Monday my daughter comes back from her year in Saipan. She has fallen in love with the children that she worked with, and they in turn have fallen in love with her. She said that one child hugged her around the neck so tightly and didn't want to let go. That embrace will stay embedded in her mind for many years to come. The child never held back his love.
So who do you love? Who has touched your life so significantly that you want to recognize them? What is holding you back?
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have every lasting life."
God never held back for you...
God bless you abundantly!
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