A Champion's Hope

Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. – Isaiah 40:30-31

This Memorial Day Weekend, our youngest teenage daughter played in a soccer tournament near Denver.  Instead of attending BBQs, fun runs, outdoor festivals, and Sunday Church service, we, along with hundreds of other families cheered from the sidelines, hoping for a championship trophy.  My husband keeps saying that “it’s just youth soccer,” but his furrowed brow and restless pacing tell me he doesn’t really believe that.

Soccer cleats of all sizes were in constant motion over the thirty or so fields in the sprawling complex.  The little ones make me smile. Their uniforms hang down past their tiny knees as they trip over the ball and tumble over one another.  For these kids, the half-time snack is the highlight of the game.  

That all changes by the time they reach their teens.  They now play at top speed with a laser sharp focus.  With an almost desperate intensity, parents and coaches yell from the sidelines, erupting with every goal, foul, and missed call by the referees. 

When the final whistle blows, one team walks away as the champions, while the other drives home with their dreams deflated, wondering why second place feels like a million miles away from first.  

I wonder what God thinks of all this.  As He oversees all our daily activities, I picture Him much like a mellower version of the parents and coaches on the sidelines. He’s cheering each one of us on, day after day.  When we grow tired and weary, He’s there to renew our strength, when we place our hope in Him.  

Placing our HOPE in God can be as simple as… 

• Remembering to thank Him for the beautiful weather or our healthy bodies.
• Believing in His available strength, even in the midst of life’s huge distractions.  
• Trusting His good plans for our lives whether we win or lose the game.

Yes, our strength will be renewed when we listen to God’s voice above the crowd.  His voice will remind us that Jesus endured great opposition, defeated the grave and rose victoriously.  Jesus won, therefore we win.  So don’t lose heart or grow weary (Hebrews 12:3).  When we place our faith and hope in Jesus, there’s no second place, you win the grand prize: eternal life in heaven and abundant life on earth. 

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Memorial Day

“Amazing grace!  How sweet the sound.  That saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost, but now I’m found.  Was blind, but now I see.” – Amazing Grace, verse 1

Think about how many generations the song Amazing Grace has touched.  I remember my grandfather belting it out in a small country church when I was a little girl.  I remember my youth group singing it in high school, and I sang it yesterday, alongside people from ages five to ninety five, at my dear friend Jane’s Memorial Service.

How do you remember the loved ones no longer with us?  How do their teachings, sacrifices, values, and beliefs live on through you?  Today is a day to remember and share how their lives have changed yours.

My grandfather fought for our great nation in WWII.  When I was young, I remember once rummaging through a dresser drawer in his guest room. Moving aside some socks, I came across several brass shell casings he had saved from his combat days. They felt cold in my palm as I carried them into the living room.  When I uncurled my fingers and asked my Grandfather why he had them, he grew quiet, telling me only to put them back and stop “snooping around.” 

I was reminded about those bullets the other day when a decal in the rear window of a large SUV caught my eye.  I think I was surprised because I’ve been so conditioned to seeing names of colleges or “my kid is an honor student” stickers.  His simply read “COMBAT VETERAN”.

I’ll never know what it’s like to wear a United States military uniform, what it feels like to be deployed overseas, carry a weapon into combat, and put my life on the line.  But the driver of that SUV knew, first hand.  I tried to imagine what his life must have been like.  Picturing him fighting for strangers back home, I was humbled by his sacrifice.

“Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come.  ‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far.  And grace will lead me home.” – Amazing Grace, verse 3

These lyrics likely have a much deeper meaning to the man behind the wheel of the SUV, and to the families of the combat veterans who never returned.  Their legacy lives on when we take the time to remember and share their stories.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

The Ties That Bind

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. – Hebrews 12:1

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God sent you an email once and awhile titled: Your Purpose?  You’d simply open it up and see what His next steps are for you.  Well, He does, sort of.  He just doesn’t send the message over WiFi. 

Instead, God communicates with us several different ways.

• In the Bible, God gives us His word.  It’s an owner’s manual of sorts, filled with truths that keep us on the right path. 

• He also gives us other people.  Their life experiences and wisdom can point us in the right direction… if we’re brave enough to ask them for help.  

• God also speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.  A thought pops into your mind out of nowhere and you know He’s leading you in a different direction.  

• Or sometimes, when all else fails, God just says “no” and shuts the doors you thought were wide open. You have no choice but to change direction.  

Life is a journey that requires faith, hope, and trust.

Even when we walk faithfully, though, bad habits or negative attitudes can still trip us up.  Say for example, you see yourself as overweight and unattractive.  Every mirror you walk by, every billboard you see, every jogger that passes by reinforces this self-criticism.  Our negative thoughts are like a cord binding our feet together.  As we attempt to move ahead, the cord wraps tighter and tighter until we’re stopped in our tracks, or fall flat on our face. 

The only way to cut these cords is to go to Jesus.  Give whatever is holding you back to Him.  He promises to set you free.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. – John 8:36

It is only when you’re untangled that you can run your race of faith with perseverance and purpose.  This is God’s great plan for your life.  What do you need to let go of and hand over to Jesus?  Nothing stops you from taking that next step of faith when you place your hope and trust in the One who sets you free.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Graduation Celebration

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstance; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

  

This weekend, we are celebrating our youngest child’s 8^th grade graduation. Thankfully, we made it through middle school for the third and final time.  We’ll be joining thousands of families around the country to rejoice in past achievements and new beginnings.

It’s easy to rejoice and give God thanks and praise when our child graduates at the top of the class, when a spouse gets a promotion, or a friend announces her engagement.  But how do we “rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances” when we’re facing sorrowful situations, like when they drop out of school, we don’t get the job, or he breaks up for good?

This time last year, at least according to the calendar, I was supposed to be the mother buying the balloons and decorating the graduation cake.  But I wasn’t. From my son’s first day of school, I’d imagined him walking across the stage to receive his high school diploma, with teachers and students cheering, many in awe of his great achievements. When he just barely graduated from high school and refused to go to college, those dreams went up in smoke.

When disappointment dawns and dreams are dashed, we can still find joy in the arms of Jesus, who mourns with those who mourn.  In the months leading up to graduation, I cried out to God in sadness and despair, pleading “please just let him finish!”  I relied on God’s strength to see me through, day by day, because I was too weak to move forward on my own.  God never failed to come close to my broken heart.  His loving presence began to break through the disappointment, embarrassment, and pain.  And His light started to shine in areas I’d never imagined.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD.  Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  I had prayed these words from Jeremiah 29:11 over my son since he was in the 6^th grade and we were searching for the best middle school placement.  For seven years, this had been my prayer verse for him.  I never stopped believing God was able to keep his promise. 

One year later, I can clearly see God’s hand at work and recognize some of the good plans He has for my son’s life.  Though his path will probably never wind through a college campus, he recently graduated from a computer programing academy with a wealth of new knowledge and maturity.  

Through it all, I have learned truths about God that I might not have, had I dropped him off at college last fall. Truths like:

• God can be trusted because He loves our loved ones even more than we do.

• God can use our disappointments to draw us closer to Him than we’ve ever been before.

• God can heal our hurts and equip us to help others.

So during this season of graduations and celebrations, let’s rejoice always and give God thanks and praise because His love never ends, His strength is always available, and His plans are good and full of hope.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Step By Step

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. – Hebrews 13:8

If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s change.  Update that software, take a detour, start the new class, pay the increase, put on another layer, or say goodbye. 

We can’t stop our kids from growing up, we can’t control the weather, and we can’t take back what we just said.  But how we face changes significantly impacts our hearts and our relationship with God.

Just last week, wearing short sleeves and sandals in the 70 degree Colorado sunshine, I headed out of Boulder with the windows rolled down and the music blasting.  I sang my way up the St. Vrain river canyon until I reached the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park.  I quickly dropped the luggage off in my little cabin and rushed back to the main lodge to attend my first writer’s workshop.

Like the teacher’s pet, I sat up straight in the front row, recording my instructor’s every word in my new notebook. I smiled and nodded in agreement when she looked my way, and shot my hand up in the air when she asked a question. By the end of the class, the woman next to me finally turned and stared.  As if caught in the act, I laughed, “I’m so excited to be here!” Her wry smile and slight nod told me that she agreed.

I couldn’t contain my joy because I felt like a weatherman reporting from the eye of a hurricane.  I was spending four days with “my people:” bloggers, writers, agents, editors, and speakers.  I couldn’t wait to meet all 250 of them and become fast friends.

When the first night ended after 9pm, I bounded out the auditorium doors and was instantly shocked by the feeling of my sandaled feet stepping into something like an ice bath.  SNOW!  I picked up the pace and, squinting to keep out the blowing flakes, noticed some high-school students on a retreat engaged in a fierce snowball fight.  They were sure embracing change just fine. This sharply contrasted with the nearby couple scrapping snow off their car and loudly complaining about their trip being ruined. I quickly escaped the family feud and drove to my cabin.

At first light, I opened the curtains to more than two feet of snow covering everything. No sidewalks or roads were plowed.  I looked down at my phone, no service.  I switched on the light, no power.  I looked at the thermostat, no heat.  I raced to the kitchen… thank you God… I had coffee!  The timer must have brewed a pot before the power failed.  Wrapped in a blanket, I could feel the temperature in the cabin dropping as I quickly drank the hot coffee.  I thanked God that although change abounds, He remains the same.

Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow.  We can count on His presence every time we call upon His name.  And thankfully, we can rely on His guidance through unexpected storms.

For the next two days I trekked from my cabin to the conference hall and back through two, then three, and finally almost four feet of snow.  (Driving was out of the question).  Trudging through waist high, heavy snow should become the next trendy workout, because boy do you sweat.  I was extremely thankful for a pair of waterproof running pants I’d tossed into my suitcase at the last minute. I was equally thankful for the praise music blasting from my phone as I took each snowy step with purpose.

When the conference ended and my car had finally been dug out, I drove out under the wooden sign that reads: Happy Trails To You!  Ha! Yes, my trails back and forth through the heavy snow had been a lot of work, but they had also been good for my relationship with God.  Step by step we trekked together and therefore joy abounded.

In a world that changes overnight, aren’t you thankful God never does? 

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 

3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Step Near Fear

The prudent (wise) see danger and take refuge, but the simple (foolish) keep going and suffer for it. – Proverbs 27:12 

This is the time of the year in Colorado when, if you’re not careful, you can get a serious sunburn.  It might still be spring, but when you’re outside at over a mile high, the sun can be a scorcher.  

Call me a rebel, but with the blazing sun bright and right over my head, I took the dog for a jog without proper (any) sun protection.  Off we plodded, up the dirt road, around the bend, and down the hill.  Something up ahead in the middle of the road caught my attention.  It looked a branch blown that had been blown down by last night’s winds.  Wait a minute… branches don’t move!

I kept running ahead, getting closer and closer, until my brain caught up with my feet and I realized that the branch was in fact a snake. A SNAKE!  I screeched to a halt, grabbed the dog, and did what most people do when they see wildlife in Colorado; I pulled out my camera, zoomed in, and took an action shot. (Not a selfie, although I thought about it.)

For crying out loud, this snake was HUGE.  It belonged in the Denver Zoo.  Coiled up, this beast would have easily fit in a large pizza box. (If I were cool, like my kids, I would have immediately posted the pic on Instagram.) 

As the snake raised its tail and shook it back and forth, my heart raced.  My feet soon followed, and I grabbed the dog and ran back home.  Picking up the pace, I imagined the snake’s deadly strike to my heel coming at any second.  

I took a shortcut home through the woods and, on arrival, shouted for my husband to get in the car.  We needed better pictures for the blog...  When we got there, the snake was still in the middle of the dirt road.  My husband got out and walked to within a few feet of it.  Repeatedly yelling “that’s too close!” I was wondering how in the world would I explain to our children that their dad had been killed by a snake because we needed a picture for the blog post.

Then the weirdest thing happened. While my mind jumped ahead, cancelling summer plans and planning his funeral, he turned around laughing.  As he approached the car, he burst out, “That’s not a rattlesnake.  Those are two bull snakes mating.  (He used a different word… but not THAT one.)  

I saw fear and death.  He saw sex in the sun!  My feet fled.  His moved closer to get a better look.  Chalk another one up to…things aren’t always as they appear.

When your feet take you to places where fear’s alarm sounds, do you flee or stand your ground?  Do you walk past the danger signs, or do you survey the scene and ask yourself “what’s the wise thing to do?” Too many times to count, my foolish feet have lead me down paths that eventually brought on a heap of suffering.

Andy Stanley, the lead pastor at North Point Church in Atlanta, recently shared in his sermon series, Pack Your Bags, a prayer his family has been praying for over twenty-five years. It goes like this:

Heavenly Father,

Help us see trouble coming long before it gets here.

Then give us the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it.

So simple, yet so wise.  I sure wish I had prayed that prayer before my run in with a snake (or snakes) sunning and loving themselves in the road.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 

3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Lesson #2 From Heaven

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

My sweet friend Jane passed away a few weeks ago but her life lives on as we learn from her wisdom.  She was a modern day woman of faith whose sincere trust in God made her paths straight even when the valleys were deep and the storms long.

Lesson #2 – Trust God even when life doesn’t work out like you hoped or planned. 

Jane and I became friends when she was in her late seventies.  More than thirty years separate us in age but I have a strong feeling God had planned for us to meet at Ascent Church in Louisville, CO so many years ago.  (If you missed Lesson #1, go back and learn how God uniquely intertwined my college journey with Jane’s. It’s quite amazing!)

I thank God all the time that He has placed “Wise Ones” in my life.  These people have walked with Jesus many more years than I and frequently guide my spiritual journey.  A question I love to ask them is, What have you learned about faith in God along the way?

When I asked Jane this question, she answered with one word, TRUST.  Yes, I could see Jane’s steadfast trust in God even while she lived in chronic pain as cancer consumed her body. I had to know more.  How had her trust in God been built up over the years?

Jane laughed as if I was asking for a secret family recipe.  She simply explained that when it came to pain and loss, this was certainly not her first rodeo. She had already battled cancer three times before.  She had also experienced deep rejection, hurt, and despair.  

Jane was first diagnosed with cancer in her late forties. Several surgeries later, when her medical team suggested chemotherapy, Jane declined and asked God, her “Great Physician” to heal her body completely.  Jane walked by faith and trusted God’s still small voice when He said no chemicals were needed.  Thankfully, He was right! 

The joy of this victory was short lived, though, because soon after, her life exploded when her husband walked out.  Divorce papers in hand and raising two children alone, she cried out to God for His help, strength, courage, and plans. With her hopes and dreams burned up, she invited God to sit beside her in the ashes.

Instead of asking, “Why me?” Jane asked, “What are you teaching me?  How can I learn to trust you more now?”  Jane’s broken heart drew closer to God during those dark days.  She asked God to guide her through the mess and relied on His daily presence and provisions.  Sure enough, her trust in God grew.

So many tragic events could have left Jane’s heart bitter, resentful, angry, and fearful.  Instead she chose to trust God and kept walking with Jesus, through the storms, the sadness and the loss.  Her faith and trust allowed God to create a beautiful life.

God promises to comfort all who mourn, provide for those who grieve, and bestow a crown of beauty on us instead of ashes (Isaiah 61:3).  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 

3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Lesson #1 From Heaven

The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. – James 3:17 

I hate to say it, but the longer I live, the more Heaven gets crowded with people I know and love. 

When my grandparents passed away in their seventies, I thought they were so old.  Back when I was in my twenties, anyone over sixty was OLD. I thought it was sad, but ok if they died, because they’d lived a long life.  (I bet many of you want to throw something at me right now... just hold on.) 

Now that I’m in my late forties, sixty and seventy year olds seem to be in the prime of their life, way too young to die.  Isn’t it amazing how much our perspective changes the older we become?

Just recently, my sweet friend Jane went to heaven to meet Jesus.  She was more than ready for a new body, since hers had been consumed by cancer.  Before sickness struck, Jane was full of positive energy and a contagious enthusiasm for life.  In her late seventies, she played Pickleball, taught Sunday School, and mentored young women in our Bible Study.  It was difficult to schedule lunch with Jane because her calendar was packed with friends, family, and volunteering.

But boy did cancer ever change that.  Radiation caused burning pain and chemo-therapy ravaged her whole body.  Once she realized that she was soon going to lose her battle, she simply said she’d fought the good fight of faith and wanted to go to heaven as quickly as possible.  God sure listened to Jane’s prayers.  Instead of living the three months that her doctors had predicted, she was only with us for seventeen more days.

When Jane passed, I realized that she’d modeled, every day, what it looks like to walk in peace with Jesus during sickness and in health.  I made a list of all the things her faithful life had taught me. I’m sharing a few Jane lessons with you in hopes her faith can inspire you to live your life in peace while you trust, love, and follow Jesus. 

Lesson #1 – God’s hand has always been at work in your life. 

While Jane and I sat in her sunny living room, she shared with me how exhausted the chemotherapy made her feel.  I joked that now with her slower pace of life, I could pop over to her house on Sunday afternoons and be sure to find her home, not gardening, playing Pickleball, or helping someone else.  

Even though Jane was constantly exhausted and in pain, she exuded the peace of God.  I relaxed in her presence and asked her questions about her childhood, college years, and family life.  I desired to gain wisdom from this faithful woman who’d walked with Jesus thirty more years than I had.  

While sitting in Colorado on Jane’s couch, she began to share her fondest college memories with me.  Her fun and lively stories took place at the University of Vermont.  My eyes widened, I went to UVM too!  Quickly we concluded that we’d both graduated from the same school of education and had taken our core classes in the same buildings.  Amazing!

Then Jane shared with me that she still kept in touch with several of her Alpha Chi Omega sorority sisters from UVM. Me too!  We laughed out loud.  We weren’t just sisters in Christ, we were also sorority sisters.

I asked Jane if she’d ever lived in the sorority house.  Yes, indeed she had!  Her bedroom had been the triple on the second floor.  Mine too! 

Unbelievable!  Though thirty-two years apart, we’d both gone to the same University, gotten the same degree, pledged the same sorority, and lived in the same bedroom.  God’s hand had certainly been at work knitting our lives together many years before we’d meet.

Can you recognize how God’s hand has guided you along your path?  He has moved you from one school to another, in and out of relationships, away from danger, and to where you are today. Think of all the people God has strategically placed in your life.  Amazing!

As we look back on our lives, we can be thankful that God’s hand has been always been at work, moving us along step by step, even when we had no idea He was even there.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Victory

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. – Romans 8:37

On the competitiveness scale, from one to ten, where would you place yourself?

While playing a card game called “VICTORY” this week in Bible Study, I watched grown women grab, shout, and throw themselves across the table.  Like “spoons,” the game of Victory involves handing out cards until the moment when all the players lunge at once for some rocks in the middle of the table.  There is one less rock than there are women, so each round ends with one woman wondering what happened, while the others laugh and shout “Victory.”       

This was a fun way to begin great conversations about what if feels like to be one left out, rejected, or uninvited, which are the key concepts we’re tackling in Lysa TerKeurst’s latest book, Uninvited.

This crazy-busy month, groups of woman are gathering together to wrestle with the reality of rejection.  We’ve come to the conclusion that while rejection is a part of life, being rejected doesn’t have to define us or hold us back from living loved by God.

Would you agree that what we pay attention to monopolizes our minds and eventually ripples down into our hearts?  When our hearts are focused on rejection, we’re often left feeling like a victim.  What if we decided instead to fix our minds on being the victors, rather than victims? 

God has given us victory over sin through our faith in Jesus (1 Cor. 15:57). He also promises that nothing can separate us from His love.  Even when others reject us, forget us, or leave us behind, God’s love is steadfast and unwavering.  God sees us as victorious, so why do we tend to see ourselves as victims who’ve been rejected?

Life is like the card game.  After you lose one round, you have the choice to get back in there and keep playing or sit and wallow in your loss.  The women who got back in there focused much more on the rocks in the middle then on the cards in their hands. 

Jesus is our Rock.  As the waves of rejection wash over us, He steadies our hearts and minds.  If we give Him our hurt and ask Him to heal us, He will help us move forward.  It’s amazing what can happen in our lives if we place our rejections in God’s hands!

Years ago, when a ministry I was leading in a church was cancelled, my heart was overwhelmed with rejection.  It took a while, but in time God healed and moved me forward into forgiving the person who made the decision.  God eventually nudged me to visit her office.  It still took me a few days after that to muster up the courage to go, but when I did, I parked along the street and climbed the stairs to her office, with flowers and a card in hand.

Wouldn’t you know it?  It was her day off.  Deflated and asking God why I was so nervousness for nothing, I ventured back to my car.  There on the sidewalk, I found a man sorting through his suitcase in search of something.  When he looked up and our eyes locked, I smiled and said hello.  He began a conversation about how sunny in was in Colorado.  In Seattle, he hadn’t needed sunglasses but here they were essential.  As I unlocked my car, still chatting with the man I now knew as Sam, I felt prompted to open my glove compartment and look for a pair of sunglasses.  Sure enough, a brand new pair I have no recollection of purchasing was right on top.  As I handed them over, he asked what I was doing at the church.  I told him I was bringing flowers to a “friend” and that I use to run a ministry there.

He jumped to the conclusion that I was a minister.  Sam shared that today was his 50^th birthday, and that he felt like it would be the perfect day to accept God’s love for the first time.  He looked at me and asked if I’d pray for him so he could invite Jesus into his heart and life.  With one hand on his arm and staring into his new sunglasses, I prayed for Sam’s salvation.  I then knew so clearly why God had healed my heart and directed me to forgive her.  I needed to be there, on that day, for a very important assignment.

After Sam and I prayed, I wasn’t the victim of rejection anymore, I was loved by God and given the awesome privilege of leading another soul into God’s family.  We were both made victorious that day.

Only God can take our rejections and bring redemption.  Only God can restore our hearts and use our hurts to help others.  Only God can ignite our souls to live loved and victorious.  Only God!

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 
3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

May Madness

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”. – John 15:5

When asked to name the busiest month of the year, many people think first of December and its Christmas-party-packed, relative-visiting, year-ending madness.

Lately, though, I’ve come to believe that the month of May is actually much worse.  With school and spring sports wrapping up, teachers assign final projects, teams compete for championships (while holding tryouts for next season), and every activity has a banquet or graduation party that seems to overlap.  With the change of season comes spring cleaning (and recurring storms mean a constant trail of mud), and planning summer vacations means rearranging schedules, purchasing plane tickets, and booking babysitters.  I don’t know about you, but I find myself falling into bed exhausted most nights in May.

I also find that being overbooked day after day sends my stress level through the roof.

I was reminded recently that Jesus modeled a lifestyle that flies in the face of our present day “normal.”  Jesus got up early and spent long lengths of time in God’s presence, praying and listening to the Lord.  He dwelled with His disciples and taught them God’s truths.  He also walked peacefully through even the most difficult of territories. 

Don’t we tend to do just the opposite?  We hit the ground running in the morning, forget to pray, text our friends that we’ll be late, speed through yellow lights, and sprint from one appointment to the next.  We don’t have time for God or loved ones because we’re too busy managing our stuff and stuffing our calendars with activities.  But at the end of the day, aren’t we left feeling isolated and longing for something more meaningful than just a busy life?

Last week, a friend and I went hiking on a new trail.  During our entire ten year friendship, we have never spent more than an hour walking and talking alone in the wilderness together.  After we parted ways, I still felt close to her.  I realized we hadn’t been checking our phones, accomplishing tasks, or making a “To Do” list.  We’d just been enjoying each other’s presence and enriching our friendship. 

Jesus wants us to do the same with Him, to walk with Him, talk with Him, and stay close in our friendship.  In John 15, Jesus tells us that when we remain close to Him, we will bear much fruit.  The fruit Jesus is talking about is what makes our lives wonderful: love, peace, patience, joy, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. 

Jesus knew busyness would be an obstacle to us bearing much fruit. 

• Instead of loving and being patient with our kids, we scream “Hurry up, get in the car!  We’re late!” 
• Instead of walking in peace and kindness, we honk at the person in front of us and criticize the grocery because their check-out lines are way too slow. 
• Instead of gentleness and self-control, we overstuff our agendas and down more caffeine to keep going. 

Instead of allowing the busyness of May to drive you mad, what it you made some decisions that aligned with Jesus’ slower pace of life?  What if you decided to rest with God, dwell with others, and walk in peace? What if you gave yourself permission to enjoy this month, the second half at least?

Here are three Real Life Application Questions to ask yourself…

• How can I rest more so I can live my “best life”, a life that bears much fruit?
• How can I spend the first moments of my day praying and listening to God?
• How can I change my calendar to prioritize bearing fruit instead of being busy?

Let’s do it!  Postpone the planting, leave the house a mess, decline an invitation, come home early, go to lunch with a friend, listen well, put your phone away, be present, thank God for His love, bear much fruit.  Instead of going absolutely mad in May, let’s enjoy it… on purpose!

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Here is My Heart, Lord

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident!  I will sing praises to You! – Psalm 57:7 

Isn’t it annoying when a song gets stuck in your head?  There’s actually a word for it: earworm. Lyrics like “We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine” playing over and over as you try to go about your day.  Or even worse, while you’re trying to get to sleep.

A couple nights ago, I woke up several times with these lyrics playing in my mind:

Here’s my heart Lord.  

Here’s my heart Lord. 

Here’s my heart Lord.  

Speak what is true.

I remember thinking I’d better write them down because maybe God is trying to tell me something, but sleep won out and I never got up.

Later that day, while reading about David’s heart crying out to God in the Bible, I heard the lyrics again in my mind.  I rushed to the computer and Googled Here’s My Heart Lord.  I also searched Bible Gateway to find out how often the word heart is mentioned in the Bible.  (Isn’t it amazing how much information we can discover online in a matter of a few seconds?)

Among other things, I learned that Lauren Daigle has the song Here’s My Heart on her latest album, and that our “hearts” are mentioned over seven hundred times in the Bible. Wow, our hearts must be incredibly important to God!  In the interest of time, I decided to look more closely at the lyrics of the song and leave the 700 verses for later.

While listening to the song, I was reminded who I AM in God’s eyes and who Jesus is to me.  Let these truths from the song sink into your soul:

• Truths about YOU – You are found by God, His child, deeply loved, made pure by Jesus’ blood, given life, every breath, healed, and set free.

• Truths about JESUS – He is strong, secure, and alive in you.  He is enduring, good, always true, the light breaking through, more than enough, with you, loving, giver of hope, your everything.  

The song ends with one word exchanged from the original chorus.  It’s only a single word, but it makes a world of difference.  It’s actually a pretty profound faith twist. The song ends with:

Here’s my life Lord.

Here’s my life Lord.

Here’s my life Lord.

Speak what is true.

Did you catch the change?  The singer moves from giving God her heart, to giving God her life.  In our faith journeys, we often start out giving God our hearts and accepting His unconditional love.  Then as our faith in Jesus grows, influencing how we think, feel and act, God eventually asks us for our life.

I remember exactly where I was when God asked me to surrender my life to Him. I was jogging along the Boulder Creek Path years ago.  When my 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call sounded on my phone, I looked up and began thanking God for what was good in my life.  Then I invited Him into some of the messes that were ongoing in my life.  That’s when I knew it.  God wanted more than my heart and the parts I’d invited Him into.  He wanted my whole life.

God wants to be invited into all the areas of your life: your relationships, marriage, parenting, finances, friendships, habits, hobbies, career plans, character, every area of life. 

I’ve never been a fan of the word surrender because it conjures up thoughts of weakness, and defeat.  But the surrender God wants from you is different.  Once you give God your life, His strength lives in you.  He leads and you follow.  Your feet walk in peace towards God’s purposes and plans for you. He’s plans are even better than the ones you could have made for yourself.  

Will you give God both your heart and your life?  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Follow the Recipe

The LORD says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” – Jeremiah 31:3

Have you ever enjoyed a wonderful meal at a friend’s house and asked for the recipe? 

I don’t know about you, but I’m thankful for others’ recipes because I’m not a naturally  good cook.  I learned how to bake chicken from the Barefoot Contessa and have finally  been able to make a decent lasagna thanks to the Pioneer Woman.  Recipes have saved me!

At my wedding shower, each person was asked to bring and share a well-loved recipe.  Almost twenty-five years later, I still use that priceless collection in my kitchen. The next wedding shower I plan, instead of requesting recipes for food, I’ll ask successfully married couples for their recipes for a Long Lasting LOVE Relationship.  

What would make your top ten list of the most important ingredients in a Long Lasting Love Relationship?  I recently asked a group of women that exact question.  Here’s what they said. 

Recipe for a Long Lasting Love Relationship

1. Quality Time
2. Commitment
3. Faithfulness
4. Honesty
5. Trust
6. Compassion/Understanding
7. Patience
8. Kindness
9. Selflessness
10. Forgiveness

What would you keep, add, or delete from the list to personalize it?

Now, what if we changed the question a bit, asking instead for the key ingredients to a close relationship with God?  

Wouldn’t the recipe be the same?  In order to grow closer to God, don’t we need to spend quality time with Him?  Don’t we need to be fully committed and faithful to carve out time in our busy lives for Him?  Isn’t our relationship enhanced when we’re honest with God and trust Him more?  And don’t we grow closer to God when our understanding of Him increases? Then, God takes care of the rest of the list.   As we know God personally and intimately, he’ll transform us into the likeness of His son Jesus.  We’ll shine with Jesus’ compassion, kindness, selflessness and forgiveness.  

It’s common to intentionally focus on building relationships with our spouses, children or friends.  But how often do we intentionally focus on our relationship with God?  If you look at it through the lens of LOVE, believing that God’s is everlasting, then it won’t be hard to follow the recipe.  You’ll make a love like no other.  A love that lasts forever.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Keep Pedaling

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. – Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)

Wouldn’t you know it, the night before Prom, an unexpected spring storm trapped our cars in the driveway under a foot and a half of heavy, wet snow.  With my husband out of town, the only way my daughter was going to make it to Prom was if her brother could plow her out in time.  

As I watched my grown son hook up the plow to the truck and go to work moving snow and ice from the driveway and down our mountain road, I flashed back to an autumn day, many years ago, when I taught him how to ride a bicycle without training wheels.

With my right hand, I held onto the seat of his little two-wheeler.  I steadied the bike as he hopped on.  Then I ran alongside him as he peddled faster and faster.  I shouted encouragement. “You’ve got this!  Great job!  Keep pedaling!”  Eventually, my legs couldn’t keep up so I let go of the bike.  Away he rode, all by himself down the street.  Smiling and laughing I yelled, “Yippee, you did it!” 

How exciting, my son had trusted me to teach him how to ride a bike!

Think about how often God is saying to you “Trust me, I can help you.”  Every day you are given many opportunities to trust God.  One of the most important questions you will be asked in life is “Will you trust God when….?”

Imagine yourself in these different scenarios.  Be honest and ask yourself...  

Will you trust God when…

• Your prayers aren’t being answered and the waiting is long?
• God seems silent, distant, or simply says NO?
• You did the right thing, but lost the job anyways?

Will you trust God when…

• Computers crash, flights are delayed, the wedding is canceled?

• Money is tight, bills are piling up, and bank accounts are depleting?
• The medical report reads cancer, the lab results don’t make sense?

Will you trust God when…

• Relationships are rocky, your marriage is a mess?

• A car crashes, money is stolen, divorce papers are signed?
• Your child makes terrible choices, your family is in crisis?

Trusting God with all your heart when your world is turned upside down is one of the hardest tests of faith we Christians face. 

Some people walk away from God when the going gets tough.  Some try to take control and fend for themselves.  And some trust God completely, leaning into His strength and listening to His voice, waiting to be lead out of chaotic circumstances.  

Let’s work to trust God completely, from the bottom of our hearts. He will show us how to stay upright and keep on track with the plans He has for us.

You can do it!  Keep pedaling on the road of faith, and believe you will be shouting for joy and thanking God that you made it through… by trusting Him.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

No Escaping God's Love

Sing, shout aloud…be glad and rejoice with all your heart.  The LORD your God is with. He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. – Zephaniah 3:14, 17

Imagine being locked in a small square room with no windows, and you’ve only got one hour to escape.  Clues to opening the door to freedom are all around you. Your mind races to figure out how to put them together, but you don’t even know where to start. Stay calm you tell yourself.  Stop looking at the clock, look around, and think clearly.  Believe that there is a way out.

Though it sounds like a nightmare, it was actually my youngest daughter’s 14^th birthday party.  Yes, my family of five had actually paid money to be locked in a room with rock walls, a dirt floor, and one toilet.  We had sixty minutes to escape the space using clues, we discovered around us.  Thankfully, our teenagers were really good at collecting clues and connecting dots.  I mostly watched nervously, constantly checking the time, and repeatedly amazed at how well our kids, ages 19, 17 and 14 worked as a team to solve the mystery and unlock the door. 

Freed from the dungeon and out in the sunlight, I sung their praises and complimented each on how they had contributed to the success of our mission.  Their determination, positive attitudes, and collaboration made me so proud as a parent.  Later, while walking back to the car, I was struck by a thought: God must be so proud of His children when we work together to accomplish the missions He gives to us.

In the third chapter of Zephaniah, we get a glimpse of how pleased and involved God is with His children.  We see God’s loving character clearly as our father who is:

·         Always available

·         Mighty to save

·         Delighting over us

·         Quieting our hearts with His love

·         Rejoicing over us

·         Singing our praises

There is no love like God’s love. 

No one will love YOU as much as God does.  God loves you unconditionally on your good days and your bad.  No matter what you do, God will never love you more than He does right now.  He longs for you to know His mighty love that saves, forgives, and redeems.

Thankfully you can’t escape God’s love. You can rely on it and live each day knowing you are completely loved. 

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement