I sit today in a waiting area at a hospice house, awaiting Jesus to come and take my Beloved Grandmother home. She has been struggling with cancer and her war torn body has been struggling against this dreaded disease for the past year. Her body is but a mere shadow of who she is, but I must say, she has never been more beautiful. A bride made ready to meet her Jesus.
And today, we are counting minutes as we await the Deliverer to come and bring her to glory. I could certainly share stories of her faithfulness to the Lord and how she served Him well. I could recite the many stories that made us laugh and cry, making memories for us that bring smiles to our hearts even now. Or I could share with you the blessing of a love story between her and my grandfather, having been married 65 years, that would make you want to run and find your spouse and hold them tight.
But today, instead of sharing the details of life. I think I feel the necessity to share the details of death.
Standing in a hospice room, watching a stream of friends and family come to say goodbye, I couldn’t help but smile at the life well lived. Not because she was a good Mom, grandmother, wife or friend, although she is all those things. But instead, because she has been Jesus to all these. And even in her dying…Jesus has been made real, has been seen and is magnified. Even in her struggle, she never lost her praise and continued to thank God for His benefits.
I sang over her yesterday and read Scripture to her today. And this morning, as we gathered in her room, we paused and played Chris Tomlin’s song I WILL RISE. We stood in her room and the words rang out, “ I will Rise when He calls my name, no more sorrow, no more pain. Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed. The victory is won. He is risen from the dead….I will rise”. In those moments, the glory of the Lord descended upon her room and the Presence of our DADDY encompassed us all. With hands raised to heaven, tears flowed and voices began to sing. And yet, the beauty of the voices of angels singing Worthy is the Lamb gave us a glimpse of where my Memom will soon be. The cry of every longing heart, including hers, was singing Worthy is the Lamb. Church took place in that room. With both death and life circling, the glory of the Lord and the Presence a God that calls us to ‘Come away with Him’ enveloped our hearts. Death lingers and Eternity awaits. In death and life, Jesus is being revealed. No longer had the music stopped that prayers began to be lifted up and cries to our Father of praise and thanksgiving began to flow from the lips of those who love her. And the Father, was pleased to hear the cries of His children.
As I read to her today from Psalm 121; that HE never slumbers and is the keeper of my soul, her eyes opened and she raised those precious brows as if to say, I know…
I have spent many hours thinking about life and death and have come to the conclusion that Memom must feel much like Paul….Hard pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ for that is very much better, yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. (Phil 1:22-23) I have contemplated the longing to finish well and to hear “well done” from my Father, as I have watched myriads of people that my Grandmother has impacted, pouring her life out as a drink offering. And have decided that I want to live a life worth dying for.
I share these words, probably because I needed the therapy of writing what I was feeling and the solace to know that others might care, understand and need to be encouraged by them. But the ultimate thought for me today is what the Lord has been swirling in my head for the last 2 weeks.
Why do we wait until we are dying to live like it? What would happen if we lived like we were dying everyday. With no regret, with a boldness and an intention of heart to please our Heavenly Father in all things? What if we chose to store up treasure in heaven instead of earth because we knew this world is not our home and that our time here is short? We are so distracted with life…and life is a gift, precious and to be lived, but to be lived as if we were dying…with the intention of investing life in those who come behind so that the legacy of Christ-the hope of Glory, lives on in another.
If I have learned one lesson from my precious Memom (and believe me, there have been many), today the lesson would be….live like you are dying, being hard pressed with a desire to be with Christ, but remaining for the sake of others, convinced that if you remain and continue it will be for the progress and joy of others in the faith. And yet our earnest desire should be to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Shortly my Memom will GAIN, because her life lived has been Christ. So while we could certainly talk about a life well lived, perhaps, our hearts should be challenged to live like we are dying from now until the Deliverer comes to take us Home.
Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed. The victory is won. He is risen from the dead….Now live like it.


ALL FOR YOU

Jim asked in Sunday School this week what our favorite character was in the Christmas story-apart from Jesus. My first thought was Mary. For she was a young girl who when God showed up in her world, it wrecked the life that she knew, yet she embraced it as good. Some in the class spoke of the Shepherds, even Simeon. After having sat on that question a few days, I have come to the conclusion that my favorite for the time being is the Wise Men. And yes, I know they were NOT at the manger. But I think that is WHY I like them. Let me explain.

The Wise Men were men of great wealth. And upon the seeing of a star, the Lord compelled them to make a journey. A journey that took 2 years. They left life, family, job, house, safety and chose to follow a star that hovered over Jesus. They didn’t understand the importance of Jesus. They didn’t know the prophesies or the part they played. All they knew was they were driven to follow this star. The traversed much distance and were not deterred by the time it took or the distance they had to travel. They were not stopped by what they left behind. They faced much danger, including an angry king that threatened to them. They did not hide along the way, but stopped and pointed people to what they were searching for. And they didn’t stop til they saw Jesus.

When they got to Him, they had been on mission for 2 years, with nothing to show for it, but determination. They arrived at where Jesus was and were the first worshippers to bring HIM GIFTS. They came and worshipped, laying gold, frankincense and myrrh at His feet. They traveled two years, over much terrain and difficulty to worship Jesus and to offer Him the finest of offerings despite their lack of knowledge about Him, compelled by a love for Him. Now that is WORSHIP.

Would it be that we could have such determination and offerings in our worship of Jesus. Could this Christmas be filled with giving JESUS the finest and not allowing distance or those that might try to deter us-keep us from getting to Him. And when we get there…might we give our all.

Merry Christmas and SEEK HIM ONLY.

ALL FOR YOU

Enterprise: Jesus

Enterprise: like Jesus
This past weekend, we took a group of students on a weekend retreat to Chattanooga. After stopping in Atlanta for lunch, we loaded back up in the suburbans to continue our trek. When we started the car, however, all of the transmission fluid flooded out underneath the car. Immediately, we knew we were in trouble. With a car load of students and a destination to achieve, we had to make some quick decisions about what we would do. I hastily called Enterprise car rental, explained our situation and set up the rental of a van. Meanwhile, my husband began calling for a tow truck to get our vehicle back home. While we are handling the logistics of the crisis we were in, our students were entertaining themselves in the McDonalds parking lot. Under much supervision (lol), they spent the next 30 minutes trying get the drive through to recognize them as they jumped up and down in the drive through line or pretended to be driving a car and pulling up to the speaker. (it was quite funny-check my facebook for the video!)
Enterprise was quite accommodating to our dilemma. They REALLY do come and pick you up. While waiting on them to do so (only about 30 min) I was texting with a girlfriend who made great insight. So I decided to steal it, blog on it and send it out. The text read, “Enterprise is like Jesus, He meets you in the road where you are and picks you up.” What a cool thought.
When we are broken down in the middle of the road and in need, all we have to do is call and Jesus comes right to where we are, picks us up and makes us able to achieve the destination He has before us. He never leaves us or abandons us in our time of need.
Dec 31:8 "The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."
I don’t know where you are or what kind of dilemma you are facing. I don’t know if you are stranded in a tough spot with no way out or if you feel abandoned and forsaken in the midst of your trial. But I do know that Jesus is on His way… you have to do is call and He will come and pick you up.
ALL FOR YOU

kids get it

The simplicity of a child’s thinking always leads the way. I think our kids “get it”…the together that is. We were driving home and we pulled in the drive way and Nellie said…We’re home. The next few minutes the kids in my car had a discussion about whose HOME it is. That it is God’s house and that everyone is welcome at anytime. Cece says…this is our house, just like our house is your house. We are family.

I think this is a great example of childlike faith and belief…..it is only as we get older that this gets messed up. Kids don’t own stuff, they possess stuff. It is only when we get older that our possessions begin to own us. Kids understand that we are all in this together. That life apart is less and life together is better. They are always looking for reasons to be together. Why is it we grow out of this?
I hope our kids keep the same thoughts…we are family…what is mine is yours…it feels like home not because of an address but because of together. I love kids….

ALL FOR YOU

text

Have you ever missed a text message? I HATE THAT! Or perhaps you have sent one and the person never received it. I HATE THAT, TOO! I don’t know about your phone, but mine has a little check mark that appears next to the text message sent, communicating to me whether or not the message has been received or not. Sometimes my phone acts up and even though I am sending messages, they are not being received by the person I am sending too. And other times, my phone just stops receiving messages. I am kicking it with my friends, thinking, why isn’t anyone answering me. My feelings get hurt. I begin to think they are all ignoring me. (all 2 of them…lol) And then I realize, my phone isn’t receiving the messages. So, I power it off and try again. Most of the time that fixes the problem.
I am sure most everyone has experienced the same frustration I have with a phone. Text messages are the wave of communication that many prefer these days. So, when that is messed up, we feel isolated and frustrated. We want to be able to GET our messages.
And yet, I can’t help but think that Jesus feels the same way. Yeah, I know you know that He sent us a TEXT message called the Bible. Not really a new illustration these days. But here’s the deal for me. Perhaps the problem is with us. Somewhere along the journey, we stopped receiving the messages. He has been sending, wanting to get a message in our inbox, but there is no check mark next to our name because we stopped receiving.
What if we all were as excited about getting messages from God as we are about our inbox? I mean let’s be real. We sleep with our phones. We wake up in the night to text. We can’t go through a meal with out checking to see who texted. And while many think that is odd…those of us die hard texters know it is because we want connection with those people so badly that we don’t want to miss out on a moment or a message.
What if we began to desire that with our Heavenly Father? A connection so badly that we don’t want to miss one message. We can’t make it through the night or through a meal without waking or stopping to check to see if He has sent us a message. To make sure we didn’t miss out. To make sure that we are still receiving and don’t need to reboot.
Perhaps, today you might get a message from Him…if you open your inbox and look.

Doxa, Christy
ALL FOR YOU

Have you ever almost run over a person with your car? No, I don’t mean the desire to run over someone because of road rage or frustration. I mean just not paying attention, not seeing and just pulling out and almost hitting someone. Well, I almost ran over two young men yesterday. I had pulled up to a stop sign and was getting ready to turn right. I looked to my left and there was a ton of traffic. So, I waited. I looked back to my right and then back to the left, waiting on the last car to drive by. Because I was turning right, I was not really concerned about the traffic coming the opposite direction. When the cars passed, I let off on the brake about the same time as I turned my head and realized that there were two young men in the crosswalk in front of my car that I was totally unaware of and didn’t even see. I immediately slammed on the brakes. My heart almost stopped beating as I realized I could have just run over two young men, simply because I wasn’t paying attention. For whatever reason, this was somewhat humorous to my travel companion, who couldn’t stop laughing at the thought that I could have just run over 2 people. Not sure why that was funny. But apparently it was.
While a few of you have probably had similar situations, all of us have been guilty of almost running over people. Maybe not with our cars, but in the way we live and do life. We are in such a hurry or focused on where we need to go that we just don’t pay attention to the people around us. We don’t see them. We rush right past them in hallways, cut in front of them on roadways and stand next to them in lines and never see or speak. I am the world’s worst. Not just with my car, but to be so focused on what I am doing that I miss the people all around me. How many times have we busted thru a door and run over someone. Or were headed in a direction and so intent on getting there that we almost knocked someone else down. It may be funny that I almost ran over 2 boys, but we are all guilty of not seeing people in our world’s and running over or past them.
And yet, Jesus was all about people. Everywhere He went, He was STOPPING to engage people in conversation. He was never so intent on where He was going that He could not stop for the people along the way. He stopped to speak to Zaccheus in the tree, the hemorrhaging woman that touched the hem of His garment, to heal the blind man. He never rushed past people. Jesus is the perfect example of what life is to be about-people. But I guess my favorite is that while He was always stopping for people, He really just invested life in a few. He spent MOST of His time with 12, particularly 3 and really just 1. 12 Disciples, 3 men-Peter, James and John, and one beloved-John. He made His life about people, yes. But He invested His daily life in a few, perhaps just one.
So while, I almost ran over a couple boys and was reminded that I should STOP and watch out for people. The thought crossed my mind that while I should stop for others and not rush past them, that my life-like Jesus’ should be given for a few, perhaps 1. I can’t invest life in every person, but I can do just one. It is what Jesus did. Could we STOP long enough to not run over people in our worlds and at the same time pour life out and invest all we have in the ONE that God has given to you. Perhaps, the reminder for me was to focus on the ONE in the car and still not run over everybody else. Stop for people, but GIVE your LIFE to a few.
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
Doxa, Christy
ALL FOR YOU

Hair Cuts

Got up this morning and decided it was time for a change. So I drove to the hair place, had all my hair cut off. 8 inches before we were done. I think I like it. It is definately different. But different isn't bad, it's just different.
I think sometimes people think different is bad. Perhaps that is part of the problem with people learning to think like Christ. His thinking is Different. When He said to hate your family in order to follow Him, we think that is bad. But perhaps it is just different. When He says to love your neighbor as yourself. We think that is crazy. When He says, he who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdome...we think that sounds bad, but perhaps it is just different. It is a different way of thinking and different isn't bad, it's just different.
So...I decided today that different isn't bad. I want embrace thinking different. To not be conformed to what everyone thinks I should do or be and be only what Christ wants. I have a NEW look today...and yes, it is on the outside, but it is the manifestation of what God is doing on the inside. Different isn't bad....different is the way Jesus thinks.
Pic posted...is the before....Last look at the old....
ALL FOR YOU

What are we doing with what we know?
About a year ago, my friend challenged me with that thought. Christy...you know a lot of stuff...how much of it is real, living, active? How much of it is just words? How much are you walking out?
At first I thought...I LIVE it. But then I began to evaluate my heart. I began to see that I thought I lived it, but I didn't. I began to see that there was a whole other thought to living this Christian walk...not just knowing the Word, but living it. Not just quoting it, but trusting it.
And not just the easy parts. So I chose to start reading to APPLY instead of reading to know. Studying to live instead of studying to teach.
And while I live far less than I know...as I have tried to apply, even a few things, it has radically wrecked my world, but revolutionized my walk with Christ. And for the first time...I can say-the surpassing value of KNOWING Christ is different than just knowing Scripture...it is alive and living.
ALL FOR YOU

new book website

http://authortree.com/comeawaychristyupton/Home
ALL FOR YOU

just for fun

So, my best friends car got shrink wrapped at church last night...it was a hoot. Game on.

ALL FOR YOU

cat woman

I think that I had perhaps one of the worst experiences of my life at the dentist office. And no…it wasn’t because of what happened in the dentist’s chair, nor because my children were acting crazy in the waiting room. Although, those two things alone could have made for a really bad day, it was the cat woman that tanked my afternoon. Yes, I said cat woman.
I was sitting in the waiting room of the dentist office, when the receptionist came out and began opening all the windows and the doors. She turned the ceiling fan on high and then sat down beside me. For a minute, I thought I might had forgotten to put on my deodorant. The young receptionist, quietly apologized and then began to prepare me for what was to come. She explained that there was a woman coming into the office that lived with 30 cats. She began to describe what was about to happen. I couldn’t imagine it being as bad as what she said, so I thanked her for the heads up and went back to reading my book while I waited.
A few minutes later, the cat woman entered the office. Doors and windows wide open, fan blowing and all of the staff in the office now wearing masks, I alone was left in the waiting room with the woman. What followed became one of the worst experiences of my life. The woman entered the office and sat down beside me and for the first few minutes, I was convinced that what the receptionist had described was an exaggerated story and that all would be well. But then….this smell wafted over towards me and I realized that the receptionist had not adequately prepared me. The smell that permeated the office was worse than any litter box, pet store or back alley I had ever encountered. It was as if the cats had urinated all over her for days on end and she had not bathed, laundered or even cared that she reeked. She sat casually on the sofa, reading her magazine as if she was the most normal person on the planet. Meanwhile, my eyes watered. My nose was burning. I wanted to cover my mouth and face. I was holding my breath for long stents and trying to breathe through my mouth. But that made me need to wipe my tongue off because the smell was so strong that I could taste it. I thought I might pass out from the smell and began to beg God to put me in the dentist chair-for that would be better than sitting in the stench.
The reception cracked her window and spoke to me through the hole to say that she would get me out of there shortly. Shortly, could not come soon enough. And the whole time, all I could think is how could this poor woman live in such a stench and not even realize it, care or know that she is causing such distress to others simply by her presence because of her smell.
While I was hugely critical of the cat woman, I had to stop and evaluate life for a second because of her. We may not reek like a litter box, however, we are all much like the cat woman. We walk into rooms and into people’s worlds and don’t even realize the stench we inflict on others because of how we have chosen to live. We are clueless that the things we love can sometimes cause a stench to our lives that affects those we are around. And yet, others can smell it, taste it and want to run from it because the stench of our lives is more than they can stand to be around. We all know people who reek in different areas. We even warn others to be prepared for the encounter, but nothing can prepare us for the stench of life all over another person. And I certainly don’t want to be the person carrying the stench.
I wanted to look at the cat woman and share with her that she was KILLING me and that while she might love her cats that her love was killing those around her because of the stench it created and that she needed to STOP it, bathe and launder. And then, I realized that we all have things that we love but that create such a stench in our lives. It could be our families, our entertainment, sports, careers-things we love, but instead of it creating a fragrant aroma in our lives, it has created a stench that is affecting others and killing those we are around. It would be anything that doesn’t make us love Jesus more.
The Word is clear that we are to be a fragrant aroma. So perhaps we ought to do a smell check and see how we are doing in this area.
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 2 Cor 2:14
ALL FOR YOU

jumper cables

You know that sick feeling you get when you climb into your car and turn the key, only to discover that the roar of the engine you were expecting was not going to happen? We have all had it happen at one time or another…a dead battery. I was at a local coffee shop and had been studying for several hours when I got ready to leave and found my car in just such a predicament. Something had sucked all the power from the battery and there wasn’t enough juice to make it turn over and go.
I had jumper cables in the back of the car, but just because I had cables didn’t mean I could fix the problem. I needed help. I needed another car to link my cables up to and to jump me off. So, I crossed the parking lot and approached an older couple that was leaving, asking them if they had time to help. He pulled up in his Lexus and proceeded to hook my cables up to his car and then to mine. I climbed into the car and turned the key….nothing. The gentleman climbed into his car, revved his engine and we let the cars sit for a minute. Then he told me to try again. I turned the key….nothing…and then, wait…a noise. So I turned again and the engine roared to life. Leaving the car running, the gentleman unhooked the cables. He spoke maybe 5 words the whole time, but was so gracious to help. I told him thank you and he loaded up and left. Problem solved.
Driving away from the coffee shop, I couldn’t help but be thankful for the linkage of jumper cables that got me moving again. And then it hit me…linkage is so important. There are days when all of us have dead batteries. When we are weary and worn, no go juice, no power and no ability to get going on our own. We are dead in the water. We might even have the right tools to fix that problem. A Bible or a book, prayer and a family or church that loves us. But in that moment, what we need is more than the right tool. We need help. We need another. We need to link up and draw strength, power and presence from another. We need to hook our cables up and rev the engine and allow the power from another to fill us up and to give us what we need to get back on the road again. We need to be jumped off.
It would be easy for us to draw the conclusion that we need to link up with Jesus, hook our cables to Him and let Him be our strength. That is the obvious conclusion to the story. AND it would be TRUE. We do need to be linked, to let Him be strong in our weakness. He is our ultimate power source and can rejuice us when we are dead. But I think in addition to that, we need another….I was so thankful for the guy who linked up. Certainly, Jesus has the power to start my car without anyone else. He could have answered my prayer and cranked it right up. But God chooses to use others in our lives…to create linkage and allow us to draw strength and power from another. One car linked to another allowed both to go. One person linked to another produces the power to move. When I am weak and can’t move because I am just dead from the journey thus far, Christ can certainly revive me and restore me. And yet, He chooses to do that through linkage. One life connected to another life to draw strength and power. How crazy would it seem for me to just stand in the parking lot and hold up my cables and say….Jesus, start my car…I have the tools. I believe. It would be pretty cool if He did that, but the truth is, Jesus chooses to use others.
ALL FOR YOU

hesitations

Have you ever known the right thing to do, but just chose NOT to do it? Wow, does that ever end badly! Why? Because for believers, the Word says that to know what is right to do and NOT do is sin. (James 4:17) So, by just knowing the right thing, if you choose not to do it, you separate yourself from God, His Presence and Power, His blessing, by simply not doing what you know you should. That would include a lot of laziness, complacency and an unwillingness to let go of what you know you should.
I have been sitting in a verse of Scripture today that is haunting my soul. It is in 1 Kings 18:21. It says “And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long {will} you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word.” I love the amplified version of this verse. It says, “How long will you halt and limp”. The people were confronted with a choice. And they did not answer a word. They would not choose. But in NOT choosing, they chose-to sin. They were lame followers.
For many of us, the Lord is asking the same question. You KNOW what is right to do. And to NOT do it is sin. So why do you hesitate? You will suffer the consequences of separation, discipline, a lack of blessing and Presence. Because you hesitate, you halt/stop, you limp around, instead of choosing to follow after me, it will end badly for you. You can’t possibly believe God is going to tolerate that. Furthermore, we think by NOT choosing that we can prolong our enjoyment where we are, what we are doing. Or perhaps avoid conflict, friction or persecution. However, the Word is clear. Hesitation is sin. Knowing what you are to do and not doing it is sin. Choosing to do nothing is sin.
So, why do we hesitate? Perhaps, we are asking God to DO it for us. But God will not do for us what He has commanded us to do. He will work, but He will not make the stand for us. He will convict, but He will not choose for you to determine in your heart to move forward no matter what. He will change hearts, but He will not move mountains that He has commanded you to climb. He will answer prayers, but He will not allow you to compromise by saying you are waiting on Him when you won’t make a stand for fear of the response of others.
We hesitate because we don’t want the friction in our world. We hesitate because we are not willing to stand for what we know to be of the Lord. We hesitate because we want Him to do it instead of us having to. We hesitate because it might cost us. We choose to sin…in our hesitation because we are afraid to choose, but in not choosing we sin.
So, what is HE saying? You know what is right….now do it. For anything else, just separates you from God. Don’t miss Him simply because you stood there. It won’t end well.


ALL FOR YOU

No Chains

Riding a bike is hard work, especially when the chain comes off. I have spent the last several months conditioning myself to be able to ride long distances on my bike. It has been precious time with the Lord to mount up on wings and to find myself plugged into His praises in my ears, to hear His voice and to just get into a rhythm and ride. I was doing just that on Tuesday of this week, when I got about a mile from my house and the chain fell off my bike. Now, I may ride a bike, but I know little about fixing a bike. So, I had a dilemma. I had to figure out what to do with this chain. My pedal had gotten caught in one of the links and I was going to have to get it untangled as well as determine how to get it back on the sprocket. (is that the right word? Not sure-perhaps it is called a derailer. I think that is it.) I pulled off to the side of the road and began to work on the chain. That is when it hit me. I was going to get greasy. And yes, I am a girl. Trying to fix a chain while attempting to keep my hands clean was not going to happen and I was not at all happy about the mess that was being made. I struggled with the chain, unleashing it from my pedal and then trying to get it back on track. I tugged and pulled, but it would not stretch. It was off and I didn’t know how to get it back on. Finally, I realized that pulled in the right direction, I could stretch it to get it back on track. Bike fixed, I loaded up to finish my ride, except now, my hands are really yucky. Too bad, I would have to ride with dirty hands.
It was then it hit me. A truth that I think I had somehow missed, yet was invaluable when it finally took root. It was a truth that though I have prayed for to be a reality in my life that I had not seen. My eyes had been waxed over to its pertinent application.
For months, I have been praying for freedom from the chains that bind me-us. I have been crying out to God to strip anything that would keep me from my journey with Him and would allow me to go in a direction that was not of Him. But when He strips the chains that bind us, it may not be a pretty sight. Sometimes, I think we think that when the chains come off there will be this beautiful freedom and no dirt or grime, grease or stains. But instead, when the chains come off, there is often a mess. Stains from what has been and work to be done to get back on track. And when we reach down with our hands to free the chain or set things right, we are going to get dirty. The question is not will Jesus us free us from our Chains. Most certainly, He will. The question is are we willing to get our hands dirty in the process and do the work. We can sing about our Chains being gone, but what do we do then? We get our hands dirty and then we get back on the bike and ride in the direction of freedom.

ALL FOR YOU

Lent traps

Have you ever had someone leave paper in their pants pocket and you didn’t realize it until after you washed them? Yeah….well, that is a NIGHTMARE. And I have had one of those this week. Someone in my family-all who seem to think it is someone else-left paper in their pocket and then I sent the pants through the wash. When I lifted the lid to the washer, I knew immediately that there was a problem because there were shreds of paper everywhere. I decided to try and wash the load a second time and then a third, trying to help get rid of some of the paper. After the third wash, I loaded the laundry into the dryer and purposed to pay close attention to the lent trap, thinking it would catch the rest of the paper. I cleaned the trap three times, pulling out wads of paper shreds and feeling pretty good about salvaging the laundry-that is until I realized I burnt up the dryer. (Praise the Lord, I didn’t burn the house down!) Somehow some of the lent got trapped in the tubing and wasn’t letting it vent properly, the result of which was that the dryer was working but not drying. What a mess. Laundry covered in paper, dryer not working and all because someone left something hidden in their pockets.
Isn’t that just like life? Because we don’t deal with what is on the inside, hidden, eventually there is a mess that comes to the surface. Perhaps, it is while we are trying to clean up or wash, that everything comes to light and shreds of what was hidden are laid out everywhere. Our intentions may have even been good-to get clean, but because we didn’t deal with what lies beneath, the coming out is a mess. And then when we try to clean it up, because it wasn’t dealt with properly, the heat is turned up and it burns out what we never intended to be broken. Somehow, we just figured it would all come out in the wash or the lent trap would catch it and it would be no big deal, but instead, a bigger mess is made and what was hidden is now revealed.
Perhaps life looks like my laundry. Shreds of sin that were hidden beneath the surface now apparent in the cleansing process because we chose to hide instead of deal. And in the meantime, when the heat was turned up, other things were broken as well. Could it be that we could have avoided the whole mess if we had just dealt with what was hidden within? A lent trap is not enough, we have to remove the sin that so easily entangles us and makes a mess. So quit hiding and empty your pockets-lay it all on the table and decide to come clean so that the washing is pure and not a bigger mess.

ALL FOR YOU

tiki torches

While on the women's retreat this past weekend, we shared a time of worship on the beach. I had prayed long and hard about how to present Jesus and to allow the women to worship Him in a fresh new way, while partaking of the elements of worship that we celebrate regularly. Because I am a crafter of environment, I had asked the Lord to make me creative and to show me exactly how everything needed to play out.
We were going to the beach after dinner. It would be dark. I had planned to light tiki torches on the beach to give us light. While I had the torches, the difficulty was finding the drop in oil that would be needed. I found one. So, I had one torch and one lantern-it would have to do. I chose to spread a quilt in an area of the beach up near the dunes. The women were going to bring chairs to sit around the blanket and I had planned to give them space to wander on the beach and pray. Then, we would come back to worship together to worship.
We had left dinner early to go and craft the set up and said we would text when we were ready so the women would know when to come down. I staked the torch and looked for the lighter. We tried and tried to flick the bic, but we couldn't get the lighter to come on. After much laughter about our inadequacy with the lighter, I finally got it to light, only to be unable to get the torch to light. Now, this would be a problem. We only have ONE torch. Realizing we had not pulled the wick out, I reached up and pulled on the wick. Not a smart move on my part. It was hot from trying to light it. And now my fingers were on fire and I couldn't get the lighter to light again because it hurt my fingers.
I was beginning to think that this wasn't going so well and that I might need another plan, when it finally lit. Flame on, lid on, torch in the ground, I made my way to the waters edge to pray and set my heart for what was to come. I had squatted down to pray, closed my eyes and just breathe for a minute. The waves were nipping at my toes and it was pitch dark, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a bright light making its way towards the water. I turned slightly to look and realized it was my torch. My friend was caring the torch and making her way towards the water, which baffled me because I had already staked it in the ground. Why would she be walking around with it? Was she looking for something?
Then I realized, the reason she was making her way to the water was because the torch was on fire. No...not the canister, the bamboo and all of it was one huge flame. She was quietly and calmly making her way to the shore. I jumped to my feet and went to toss water on the torch. She quickly reminded me this was the only one we had and to just put out the wood that was on fire and leave the canister burning. I was freaking out. We got the fire put out and couldn't help but crack up laughing. Our one torch was burnt on the outside and was no pretty sight to look at. But, we had managed to save it quick enough that it would still burn. We staked it again and went for the second round. Hoping it would not catch on fire again.
While we almost lost our torch, we still got the light we needed. Just a little less tiki to it. The excess had been burned away, but it still held the light so others could see to find their way.
Much like our lives, the Lord often has to burn off the excess. At first that seems dangerous and wrong. We feel exposed and unprotected. However, it is often necessary, so that the flame can burn free and clear. So, Jesus comes in and burns away some of the tiki so that the flame can burn brighter.
The funny thing is that not one of the women realized that the torch had been through the fire, for its flame did exactly what it is supposed to do. It lit the way. And it is true for us. While we might feel exposed and unprotected, no one really even notices that because the flame of Christ is now burning so clear, that is all they can see. So perhaps and burnt up tiki torch is not a bad thing if it means the Light shines brighter as a result. And maybe a life with the excess burnt away isn't so bad either, if it means Jesus is seen more glorious as a result.
ALL FOR YOU

awls....

Recently, I had to make a trip to Lowe’s to pick up a tool that I needed for an illustration I was working on. The problem is that I am a woman. And a woman in Lowe’s is lost. I had NO CLUE where to look for this tool. Apparently, that was obvious for one of the employees approached and said that it looked like I was confused and asked if he could help me. This is where the fun began.
I said, “yes, you can. I am looking for an awl.” He laughed, smiled and said, “well, mam, this store is full of crap, you can’t have it all.” (don’t take offense…it is what HE said.) I smiled and said that I didn’t want everything in store. I want an Awl and asked if he knew where they were located. He quickly began to walk me over to where some tools were located and show me where one kind of awl was. I looked at it for a minute and said “is this the only one you have?”
Well, that sparked a conversation between the two of us. He wanted to know what I needed the awl for. I told him I needed it for an illustration. He asked me if I was an artist and began to walk me to where some different awls were. I squatted down to look at the tools and looked up at him and said, “no, I am not an artist. Actually, I am a Bible teacher.” His eyes got real big and he asked why I needed an Awl to teach the Bible.
I had been waiting for him to ask and so I quickly began to explain that I was going to teach on what it meant to be a bondslave and asked him if he knew what that meant. He said no. Over the next few minutes I began to describe how in the days of Christ that a bondslave was a slave that had been freed, but understood that life enslaved to his master was better than life free. So the slave would willingly choose to enslave himself to the master, giving up his freedom because he knew that life was better enslaved. I shared with the man that when a slave made that choice, that they were marked with a sign, so that everyone would know the choice the slave had made-to freely enslave himself to his master. The mark that they would make was that they would take the slaves earlobe and put it against a doorpost and drive the awl through it, piercing the ear and marking the slave.
The guy was apparently intrigued, because then he asked if I was going to do that to someone. I laughed and said that would be a quick way to shrink a church, so no. But that I was going to talk about how the Lord marks those who are His, those who choose to enslave themselves because they know that Life following the Lord is better than life doing as you please. I shared with Him that I was a bondslave, enslaved to the Lord because life with Him is just better.
The man had been listening and was somewhat embarrassed for his earlier comment. He said, “that’s cool. By the way, I am sorry for saying crap earlier. I didn’t mean to offend you.” I responded by saying he didn’t offend me. He began talking about church people and I stopped him dead in his tracks and said, “I am sure you have met lots of people who would be offended and perhaps even say something to you about it. But sir, I am not really interested in talking about a religion with you, but instead that you would realize that there is more. Not a religion but a relationship with Jesus where you fall in love and He changes you. Not because of rules, but because you want to please Him.” We were walking to the check out by this time and he just stopped right in the middle of the aisle and said, “no religion, just a relationship. I think I might like and can agree with that.” I just smiled and said, “loving Jesus changes you, because being His slave is better than free.”
He told me to have a nice day and I smiled and walked away.
There are so many people who are turned off to our religious ways. And yet, there are so many who are hungry for people who are different because of a relationship with Him. I guess the question today, is which one are you? Have you become His bondslave? Are you tied up in religious activities and rules, missing Jesus along the way and turning people off to Him as well? Maybe it is time we put our ear to the door and become His slave AND begin to let go of our religion and engage in a relationship with Jesus that changes you and others begin to want.
ALL FOR YOU

skimming the surface

I was sitting by the pool this week, watching the leaves begin to fall and thinking that I needed to get up and skim the top of the pool. Leaves were floating along the surface and a few were being caught in the skimmer basket. But for the most part, if we don’t skim it, they will eventually collect and rot at the bottom of the pool. And then the chore is even harder. What could be avoided in 10 minutes of skimming, now has become a big job because we have to vacuum, which takes at least an hour.
And yet, even though I was thinking this through…that we should skim so we don’t have stuff collect down deep….I just sat there. I couldn’t make myself get up. I just enjoyed the cool breeze, watching the leaves fall and the heat of the sun tanning my skin. Basically, I was LAZY. I knew the right thing to do, but was too lazy to do it, and so now we have a pile of stuff at the bottom of the pool that has to be taken care of.
I laugh at my laziness and how it creates more work. In the pool, I guess it isn’t quite so big a issue, but the real deal is that we do the same thing in our lives. We sit in our lazy boys and see all that needs to be done and instead of engaging and doing it, we kick back until the job gets so big that it is overwhelming. This is also true of our spiritual journeys. We know the right things to do. If we would simply get up and do the everyday small tasks, then we would avoid the mess that gets down deep.
For instance, if we would discipline ourselves to be in the Word, pray without ceasing, take time away and evaluate, we could skim the surface daily. By doing the daily work of skimming the surface, we can then keep the issues from getting deep into our lives and making it more difficult to clean up. By skimming the surface daily, we avoid a mess down deep.
Now, don’t mistake this for merely skimming. Skimming doesn’t mean we gloss over or don’t do the deep seeded work that is needed. It doesn’t mean we won’t have to work on what lies beneath in the deep. It just means that perhaps it won’t be quite such a mess, won’t take so long and won’t be rotten because daily work has taken place. Skimming is hard work too. You have to choose to get up and do the daily work. You can’t wait to do the work. It requires discipline. It also means that you have to pay attention to what is on the surface and evaluate everyday. It means not letting anything just float along. It means being intentional to pay attention to what is going on and to deal immediately so it doesn’t get down deep and be a bigger issue.
So, how are we doing? Done any skimming lately? Or are you just sitting in your chair watching the stuff on the surface that needs to be dealt with but choosing to do nothing? Do you see that big pile down deep that needs to be dealt with, it is only going to get bigger if you don’t skim? Perhaps you need to run the vacuum and then choose to skim daily so that the work isn’t so overwhelming along the way.
Or perhaps you can keep doing things the way you have been…how’s that working for you? But sooner or later, you do have to get out of the chair. What you have to deal with is determined by the choices you make.
ALL FOR YOU

stand guard

Saturday, I was sitting at my desk working on some stuff at the computer when my husband called from the backyard, saying that he needed some help for a few minutes. I quickly left my office and made my way to the backyard, where he was waiting on me. I had assumed he needed some help with the blower, holding the cord so that he wouldn’t drop it in the pool. (that is a whole other devotional thought!) I stepped out the sliding glass door and he said, “I need you to help me for a minute. Will you watch THAT while I go get something to take care of it.”
Immediately, I squeeled like a girl and jumped onto the lounge chair and began to inform him that what he was pointing to was a snake. To which he agreed and said that he knew that already, but asked me to make sure it didn’t move. Yeah right! I was standing in a chair and I would watch it, but I was not going to keep it from moving. In fact, if it did, I would be climbing on the gazebo to get away.
The snake was basking in the sun and enjoying the heat. Partially hidden behind the pool chemicals, I really had no idea how big the snake was. Jim went to get some tools to take care of the snake, while I stood there screaming for him to hurry up. He returned with a hoe and some other thing I don’t know the name of. I was wondering where the shovel was. Waiting on Jim to chop the snakes head off and be done with it, you can’t imagine my surprise when he reached to pick up with the thing I don’t know the name of and then you can’t imagine my irritation when it slithered off that thing and under my pool deck. Not really the plan.
Now, Jim wants me to help him lift the deck so he can look for it. I am thinking, no way! Not getting out of the chair. He lifted one end of the deck and yelled for me to move something under it to hold it up. Frustrated, I leapt from the chair, moved the toy box and quickly jumped back on my perch. Then, Jim looked at me and said, “do you see it.” I am thinking…not looking for it.
We still don’t know where that snake is, which creeps me out a good bit. But it has also made me very aware of how we treat the enemy of our souls like this snake. We stand on a chair and watch, afraid and not wanting to admit that he is lurking. Or perhaps we get bold enough to try to deal, but instead of just killing the enemy dead in it’s tracks, we try moving him around, when we should have just crushed his head. And then we lose track of where he is and don’t have any idea where he will pop up next. All which could be avoided with a big shovel across the back of the head.
The great news is that Jesus did that on the cross. He crushed the head of that nasty serpent. Jesus overcame all that we fear and all that lurks in hidden places to attack. We need not fear what has already been taken care of. Yet, I find myself, still standing on the chair at times.
Maybe it is time to remember that the enemy has lost and we are overcomers in Christ Jesus. Maybe we need to remember that we are victorious and we don’t need to stand in chairs afraid, but rejoice in a Messiah that took care of the serpent. Maybe we need to remember that Jesus didn’t just move satan out of the way, but destroyed all power of sin, death and the grave.
So, while the snake at my house has yet to be found, the enemy of my soul is breathing his last, because HE HAS OVERCOME.
ALL FOR YOU

Socks

Don't you just hate washing socks? What is it about the washing machine, the dryer or perhaps the dirty clothes basket that seems to eat socks? In my laundry room, I have a bucket full of socks that have no match. Somewhere along the way, the other half was lost. What was meant to be two is now one. What was intended to be a matched set now is alone. What was supposed to work together doesn't work at all and is on a shelf because half is missing.

Much like socks, God designed us to work in pairs. Our first thought when I say that is probably marriage. Isn't marriage awesome? Okay....well, some of you didn't get so thrilled about that thought...lol. However, marriage is awesome. It is ordained by God for a purpose. What is that purpose? To be fruitful and multiply. For the man to be the picture of Christ laying down all that He is so that His bride is all she is meant to be in Christ. Much like my washer eating my socks, the world wants to separate our marriages. Divorce is rampant and when two that have become one are separated it causes all sorts of problems-like socks that don't match and only being one instead of two.

God also ordained that there be a matched set in discipleship. In fact, His Word is very clear to say that when He sent followers out, He sent ALL of them in pairs. He intends for everyone to have an "AND". Someone that goes with them. Like, Paul and Barnabas. David and Jonathon. Ruth and Naomi. Men with men and women with women. Not something weird.....but they are matched sets-ordained by God. Go ahead...check it out for yourself. It is God's plan in the Word. What is their purpose? To hold one another accountable and to go out and spread the Word. To grow one another in Christ because the journey was not made to be alone. To encounter Christ daily together and then to share those encounters so others would want them. Why didn't He send them alone? Because God knows that one sock is much good...you have to have a pair for it to be of use. But much like our marriages, the world and even the church tries to promote journeys apart instead of together. Independence instead of dependence is what is advocated. And by staying apart from your match, you are just like a sock without it's other half....not as much good. God's plan is for you to have a matching sock in marriage, but also in discipleship.

I was standing at my washer, thinking I sure wish I knew where all the matches to these socks were when the Lord reminded me....Two are better than one. I never created you to be alone. In fact, it is not good for man to be alone. You need your match. In marriage and in discipleship. I created both and I ordained both with a purpose and a match. To walk any other way...is like trying to wear only one sock. So where is your other sock?
ALL FOR YOU