Waiting for New Seasons
Maybe you’re waiting for a dream job or a particular opportunity. Perhaps you’re waiting for retirement or some other new season that is just around the corner. (Like my friend, Larry, who last I heard, has 4 years, 3 months & 22 days till retirement from the railroad!)

I’ve had times like that and it feels like I’m in an in-between season right now. But I’m trying to remember that I must not miss the opportunities and the people that are before me today. I must not miss today.

Seasons of Preparation
In one sense, all of our life is lived “in the meantime” while we wait for Jesus to come and take us home. And there are many days that we live between the now and the not yet. God uses times of waiting to prepare us for the next season. We see this over and over in the Bible. Moses was 40 years on the desert before leading the children of Israel out of captivity. Joseph, Esther, David and Paul all had seasons of preparation.

Even if we are in a time of waiting and preparation, we need to serve God today by doing our best today and ministering to the people God brings across our path today. We must not miss today. Even if waiting for a “tomorrow,” we need to be present today.

Foundation for the Future
I’m so glad God is with us “in the meantime.” And this now is every bit as important as our future. Maybe more so. Like Pastor Tommy Witt used to say, “Patient preparation means permanent power.” Today is our foundation for tomorrow.

So we must be patient. We must be faithful. We need to keep our eyes on the Lord and enjoy every bit of “the meantime.”

Is there a part of your life that is “in the meantime?” What do you need to focus on to be present today?

I knew from experience that if those symptoms continued, I would wind up with a debilitating migraine. This was not an option! Not only did I need to lead worship in 30 minutes, but I also needed to be able to frost 154 cupcakes right after church for a dear friend’s afternoon wedding!

Time to Pray

When the worship team and our pastor went in a Sunday school room to pray, they laid hands on me and prayed for healing. I started to feel better right away. The pain and tightness receded. Praise the Lord! As I stepped back into the circle and we continued to pray, the Lord showed me something else too.

I needed to look up. The tension was coming from looking down so much. I’d been baking for the wedding for two weeks, with lots of dipping and looking down for hours at a time. I had just been looking down towards my music stand in practice. My neck was saying, “Enough!”

Where Are We Looking?

In so many ways, we need to look up and when we look down too long, we find ourselves dealing with stress and pain. Where is our focus? Are we constantly looking down? Maybe part of our life is saying, “Enough! Look up!” It’s time to look up to the Lord.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help comes from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1,2). We need to get and keep our eyes on the Lord. He is our Help.

The Lord, Our Answer

He waits for us to look up and acknowledge Him. He wants to help us. He stands ready to answer our prayers, to comfort us or to heal us. He wants to intervene and to act on our behalf. He is always ready to show Himself strong and mighty in our lives.

So let’s look up and ask for His help!

What is taking your eyes off the Lord today?

The Best Stories

Our Dinners for Eight group is actually Dinners for Six and it’s been so enjoyable. It’s always fun to get to know people around the table. Food brings everyone together. We met at our house this month and I made Mexican Chicken Casserole. One couple brought a beautiful green salad and the other brought perfect Spanish rice. Then, I wanted them all to enjoy the amazing Black Forest Dessert. Yum!

But the very best part has been talking about the Lord and what He’s done in our lives. The very best stories are about how each of us came to know Jesus. And I love the question, “What has the Lord been speaking to your heart lately?”

The Best Fellowship

You know, it’s a funny thing, but if most of your life runs in Christian circles, you will find that people don’t actually ask that question. We can be guilty of missing the very best fellowship of all:  spiritual fellowship. Especially once you get to know the people in your church. Maybe you know how all your friends got saved and you know their testimonies.

That’s great, but what did Jesus tell you today? What did the Word speak to me yesterday? We need to encourage each other like this! We can speak life to each other. This should be a natural part of our conversation. It’s too weird how many Christians will get together, talk about situations in their life, but never brings God’s perspective into it.

The Best Question

We need to ask each other, “What did God say to your heart about this?” I think we’re afraid to put each other “on the spot” because we don’t always remember to ask God for His input on our situations! What if we ask that question and our friend stammers, “Well, I haven’t really prayed about it,” or worse yet, feels obligated to come up with a spiritual sounding answer, “Well, I know He wants me to trust Him”? If that happens, we just smooth it over with love. Yes, He does want us to trust Him, but what did He say about this? We need to hear from Him. We need to gracefully remind each other to ask Him.

Like Mandisa says with her latest CD title– “What is We Were Real?” (Awesome, must-have CD!) We need to get real with each other and encourage each other in our faith. We need to be pursuing our daily walk with Jesus, be in His Word and growing in Him. Then we need to share what we are learning, feeling and hearing from God with each other. The sharing of spiritual things—what God is presently saying and doing—brings such life!

So…what has God said to you lately?

A Thought from the Lord

There has been one wonderful thought that has come to me along the way, however. I was driving (I’m a mom of teens without wheels; I’m still always driving!) and I was thinking about how some of the present-day circumstances are really “pushing my buttons” from the past. These are the things people will never know or see. There’s no way they can realize some of their actions or comments are hitting such a deep nerve in my life. And sometimes, honestly, they wouldn’t care anyway.

Then I thought, “But God knows. He knows all the deep ramifications. No one else would really understand. But God was there. He knows. And that’s enough.”

There are times when the fact that God knows has to be enough. HE has to be enough. And He is. If we let Him be, He is.

Friends

Not that we shouldn’t reach out to our friends to share our hearts and ask for prayer. I have done that (specifically and intentionally—that counts as doing better for me!) We should do those things and God has given us to each other in the Body of Christ, especially for times like this. He wants us to … what? Love each other. I think He said that a time or two, particularly in the Gospel of John.

And yet, even with the support of friends, sometimes we can still feel alone. Like the Word says in Proverbs 14:10, “Each heart knows its own bitterness and no one else can share its joy.”

God Alone

Only God knows how we really feel. Everyone else has a window into our lives, but Jesus is actually in our lives. Better yet, He doesn’t just “know” how we feel in a detached or intellectual sense. He knows and cares and loves us. He is right with us. He hurts with us. He cries with us. And He is the One who can truly comfort us and give us peace. He is the One who can provide direction and strength. So, He is the One we can trust. He is the One we should turn to.

Because in all things we face in life, God really is Enough.

Our youth pastor just resigned, so as a group, they are going through a big change right now. Individually, they are all going through the many changes teenagers experience. Plus, I know some of their personal and family situations. The broken homes, the broken relationships, the broken hearts. Some are angry over things that have happened in the past. Some are angry about situations in the present. Several of them are graduating from high school this year-which is a good thing! We all face change, both negative and positive…over and over and over. It’s so important we learn how to deal with and truly process change.

Change? Do We Have To?

Change. Sigh! Not my favorite thing. I like familiar and comfortable so much more than the upheaval that some changes bring. The changes that come to our life as the result of someone else’s choices and decisions are often the hardest to get through, especially if the change is negative and out of our control.

We talked about the Five Stages of Grief—our natural responses to loss. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Sound heavy? A couple of the kids did a very funny skit for us, demonstrating these stages in a highly entertaining way. That helped.

Emotional Response, Chosen Response

Then we talked about the emotional response we all have versus the next response that we all choose. I told them there were two Very Important things to learn.

1.     Don’t get stuck in any of the stages!! I’ve done this before (Denial is my personal favorite) and it’s not a good idea. When you get stuck, you can’t move on into what God has for you.

2. Go to God. Go to Him, go to Him, go TO Him! Always move toward God and never away. Take our anger to Him and tell Him about it. He can handle it. AND He can help us. He wants to help us. He will comfort us and heal us and help us move through this cycle of loss.

When we’re having trouble accepting a change in our life, we need to ask God for help. He is more than willing. He is more than able. And what does He say to us?

What Does Jesus Say?

Come to Me.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Simple. Straight forward. Come. Jesus says, “Just come.” He will give us the peace we long for. He will softly wrap us in the comfort we need. He will listen to our ranting and raving and help us get the anger out so it can dissipate. We need to turn to Him. He is the One who can help us with all kinds of changes.

Is there a change that feels overwhelming in your life? Go to Him first and often.

Last month Amy Chua caused an uproar in the conversation of our country when her book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” came out. The Wall Street Journal excerpted a part of the book on Jan. 8, 2011 (see article here) just before the book was published and people were talking about this super-strict mom from coast to coast.

While I certainly don’t agree with all of her tactics, I was amazed at the self-discipline she had, which she then imposed on her daughters. The story of her daughter, Lula, at the piano for hours while Amy forced her to practice a recital piece over and over struck me and has stayed with me. Know why?

Amazing Results

Because it worked. Tiger mom, Amy was ruthless and wouldn’t let Lulu get up from the piano. She wouldn’t let Lulu quit. (I would’ve given in hours before!) But the amazing thing is—after Lulu tried over and over to get her brain and her fingers to cooperate in playing separate melodies and rhythms—all of a sudden, she did it. It happened. She got it. Then, she wanted to play it over and over—because she could do it.

• Funny thing about practice. It yields results.
• Funny thing about perseverance. It pays off.

Some things in life take more than average effort. Some things take prolonged effort. There are time we won’t see results if we don’t push harder. Wait longer. Press through.

Time to Persevere

This reminds me of some verses in Hebrews that say, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a little while, ‘He who is coming will come and not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved” (Hebrews 10:35-39).

That’s right. We are not of those that shrink back. We are they that persevere. Whether it’s a project at work or prayer for a loved one, we need to press on and we need to press through. Sometimes the answer is right around the corner.

Press On

Spiritually, we need to be alert and on our guard. We need to push ourselves forward in our growth in Christ. We need to be challenged. We need to be in the Word. Whatever the battle is we face, we need to be strong and courageous and tenacious!

Because sometimes we just need to play it one more time…

What is it in your life that is calling on you to persevere right now?

PRAY about everything…

• Your home
• Your spouse
• Your kids
• Your job
• Your finances

Pray ABOUT everything…

• Your self: body, soul and spirit
• Your hopes
• Your fears
• Your concerns
• Your worries

Pray about EVERYTHING!

• Your friends
• Your church
• Your projects
• Your opportunities
• Your ministries

When we sit down to work or create or balance the checkbook, we need to take a moment and ask for God’s blessing, His guidance and His favor on every part of our life.

Prayer: the Path to Power

No wonder we are told to “Pray without ceasing” (I Thess. 5:17). There are many things to pray for in our lives, but we must remember the power of prayer. God is just waiting for us to ask. He is waiting for us to acknowledge Him and to ask for all He has for us.

Pray first. Everything goes better when we pray about and for it. Prayer shouldn’t be our last resort, but our first tool to success.

Do a Prayer Check—have I been thinking about that concern/child/job/opportunity or praying about it? (See a post on this here.) We can mull something over and over in our mind, but it’s not prayer until we turn our thoughts to God and invite Him into the process and ask for His help.

Trying to make a decision? Ask the questions, “What does God want me to do? What has God already told me to do?” That’s where we find our answers and the confidence of knowing we are in the center of God’s will.

Prayer: the Path to Peace

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6,7).

There is peace when we turn everything over to the Lord. No matter how big or small the situation looks, it is worthy of prayer and peace that “transcends all understanding” will be ours.

Let’s Pray

Join me in praying about EVERYTHING. (“Lord, please bless this blog. Please use it to touch the heart of each person that visits with Your love. Please let each one sense Your Presence and know that You are right him.”)

Remember to commit things to the Lord throughout the day. We need to ask for His help, His wisdom, His favor.

We must not get to running so fast that we forget the One who gave us the legs and the will to run.

What needs more prayer attention in your life today?

Love It!

Yep, I admit it. I like the hearts, the red and pink, the candy (Of course! Any excuse for chocolate will do) the cards, the flowers—I think we need to get into the jewelry aspect a little more—ha, ha!

February is often called the “month of love” and that reminds me right away of God’s love. The only reason we have love to give each other is because of the love God has given us. What could be better than a whole month where we remember and think about the love of God? At least the first half of the month, there’s no escaping the pink-hearted holiday.

Think About HIS Love

It may take a shift in focus, however, to have Valentine’s be a trigger to think on God’s love. The 14^th of February is more designed for celebrating romantic love between a man and woman. I remember in high school, feeling such longing to “have a Valentine.” I so wanted a “someone” that would be “all mine.” I never did have a Valentine in high school, but my very own Valentine was so worth the wait.

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating our sweetheart and our God-honoring romantic relationship. God wants us to celebrate each other and the mate He brought into our life. That’s His plan. This wonderful love was His idea!

Falling in Love with Him…

But let’s remember that our capacity to love, our true understanding of love, any freedom we have in love all comes from God, for “God is love.” He is the Originator, the Author of Love.

During this month of love, as we celebrate the love in our life, let’s take the opportunity to fall in love with God all over again as we remember His goodness, His faithfulness, His caring, His sacrifice—His tremendous, overwhelming, down-through-the-ages-and-still-for-today—LOVE for us!

What are some things you can point to in your life that make you feel loved by God?

(Check the comments. I’m going to answer this question first this time!)

In those moments, it’s important to have a good grip on the fact that—God Has a Plan. He has a plan for you and He has a plan for me. And we know it’s a good plan because His Word tells us so. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” Jeremiah 29:11.

Can’t See His Plan

Pastor Weaver used to say, “God knows what’s going on, but He’s not tellin’.” That still makes me smile. Of course, sometimes if we ask Him and sit still long enough to listen, He will tell us. Other times He is silent, but we can still trust Him.

I remember driving to work one morning after taking three kids into our home whose father was abusing them and asking the Lord, “What are You doing?” He quickly replied to my spirit, “Answering your prayer.” What? I didn’t pray for this.

What Did I Pray?

Oh, but wait. I did pray for God to bring into our home whatever children He had for us. I did make my life available to God for His plans and purposes. I had been praying out of Matt. 25 about feeding the hungry and clothing the needy, and out of James about helping the widows and orphans. I didn’t pray for the kids to be neglected by their dad any more than God wanted that to happen, but I did pray to be used by God however He saw fit. And He saw fit to have us in the right place at the right time to be a home and a haven for these three precious kids and to ultimately be their parents.

Do we listen to the words we pray and the songs we sing? I surrender all…Jesus, I believe in You and I would go to the ends of the earth…Take me, make me, mold me, use me…

Are We Truly Surrendered?

God is listening. He takes us at our word. Sometimes His answer to our prayer looks different than we pictured, but His plan is perfect. We can always trust His plan. It’s always a good plan. It’s always bigger and more fulfilling than anything we could dream up.

God has a plan for this year, for this month, for this week, for today. We need to invite Him to work in our lives and make ourselves available for His surprising ways. Then, when things look topsy-turvy, ask Him what’s taking place.

The answer will probably be—His perfect plan is taking place.

Is there something in your life that looks crazy right now? Tell me about it–so I can pray for you and encourage you to trust Him!

Prayers Needed

Our friend, Kathee Tomasello, had a stroke on Dec. 10, 2010. She lives in Morgan Hill, CA, has since come home and is recovering, but she is going through a lot of physical therapy. She has recovered some mobility on her right side, but her speech is still mostly “yes” or “no,” with the occasional full phrase randomly thrown in. Kathee needs our prayers.

Another dear lady, Joanne Heim, who I have only “met” through a prayer request from my friend, Kim, had a stoke on Jan. 12th and is still in the hospital. She is in Denver, CO, and is in an induced coma to bring down the pressure in her brain. It’s coming down, but Joanne and her family also need immediate prayer support. Joanne is a wife and mom, an author and speaker. You can keep updated on her condition through her blog, The Simple Wife.

Please join me in praying for these ladies today and in the days to come.

Give the Gift of Intercession

We know that God answers prayer and intercession is such an important part of our Christian walk. To intercede is to act on behalf of another. We need to intercede with God–to plead with Him on behalf of someone else–especially when that someone cannot pray for herself right now.

As we come before the Lord and ask for His healing for these two sisters in Christ, let’s remember to pray about all our concerns. Let’s remember to pray first. Let’s move everything from the “worry list” to the “prayer list.” We see much better results that way. Nothing ever came from the worry list. Miracles come from the prayer list!

Trust Him

God has a good plan for each of these families, just like He has a good plan for you and for me. If that good plan is hard to see right now, we continue to trust. God is good. He is faithful. He has not forgotten us. He has everything under control and He is working things out. Trust Him. That’s our best plan.

What do you need to trust Him with and pray about today?