Never Alone

Those who know Your name (who have experienced Your precious mercy) will put their confident trust in You, for You, LORD, have not abandoned those who seek You. – Psalm 9:10 (AMP)

Have you ever royally messed up a relationship?  Can you think of a time when, even unintentionally, your words or actions hurt someone’s feelings or sabotaged their day?  Once you realize how long it’s going to take to rebuild trust, the uphill climb can feel overwhelming. 

When my oldest daughter was in the third grade, I went hiking with a friend during the school day.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  Not for the great friendship or the beautiful weather, but instead for the gut-wrenching feeling I got when I realized, too late, that I had missed her scheduled parent-teacher conference.  While I had been enjoying a “Colorado blue day” in the mountains, my daughter had been sitting alone outside the principal’s office in tears, wondering why her mother had forgotten her.

My daughter, now seventeen, enjoys reminding me every once and a while of when I “abandoned” her at school.  The thought of her sitting alone waiting for me, questions forming and disappointment mounting, still makes me cringe and question my heart as a mother, almost as intensely as I did all those years ago.

How could I have been so absent minded and not looked at my calendar?  Why was I so selfish, hiking instead of being where I was supposed to be?  The ridicule rioting in my mind built up to the point where, finally, I sat down with my daughter and apologized from the bottom of my heart.  Simple words, “I’m so sorry,” spoken in love and truth, began to restore our relationship.

Aren’t you thankful that God never abandons us?    

God said “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5

God keeps His promises.  He is with us and for us… always.  We may not recognize His mercy in every moment, or hear His voice every day, but once we believe in His word and walk in His truths, our confidence grows and our trust increases.  We begin to rely on His promise and count on His presence.

Once you’ve accepted God as your Heavenly Father, then you know His name and He calls you by yours.  God woos you in specials ways, unique to your heart and mind.  God might play a specific song on the radio, right when you need to hear those lyrics, or He might cause you to open your Bible to a particular passage and remind you that you are not alone in this crisis. Or, God might use someone close to you to speak the words He desires your heart to hear.

One thing is for certain, your Heavenly Father will never abandon you.  He’s the only perfect parent in the world, just ask my daughter.  

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 it Simple

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” – John 10:14

Do you ever get accused of complicating things?  When was the last time someone told you to “keep it simple!”  To me, those words often sound more like criticism than advice.  

When I walk in the door at 7:45pm after a long day and my husband sees me pulling out pots and pans to start dinner, I often hear “Laura, let’s just keep it simple.” I really want to make a big pot of pasta with roasted vegetables, grilled chicken in a pesto cream sauce, but we both know that if I do, we won’t be eating until 9:15pm.  So instead, we pull out the leftovers (again)…keeping it simple.

We can also over-complicate our faith in Jesus.  By incorrectly believing that we need to spend forty minutes a day studying, memorizing the Psalms, contemplating the Trinity, and praying scripture, we forget that all Jesus really says is, “Come and follow me” (Matthew 4:19).

If we see Jesus as our good shepherd, this relationship simplifies our faith in Him. Think for a moment, what do sheep really need?

Sheep need to know their shepherd’s voice.  We get to know Jesus’ voice by inviting Him into our busy days.  Before your feet hit the ground in the morning, you can simply say, “Jesus lead me through this day. I will follow you.”  Then you can walk and talk with Him all day long.  When your 3pm alarm sounds, thank Jesus for being right there with you.  Spending every day life together is a simple and sure way of staying close to your good shepherd.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. – John 10:27

Sheep need daily protection.  The enemy sets up many distractions, detours, and dead ends trying to move you off God’s good path.  But if you stick close with your good shepherd and ask for His help, He will fend off the enemy and guide your steps around the traps.  

The LORD is my shepherd, He guides me along the right paths. – Psalm 23:3 

Lastly, sheep need food and rest.  The good shepherd knows what depletes you and what fills you up.  He leads you to be still in His presence and reminds you that He is your faithful provider.  Your soul is nurtured by remembering God’s good and His grace. 

The LORD is my shepherd, He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. – Psalm 23:2-3

The next time you’re tempted to complicate your faith in Jesus, just remember “keep it simple.”  Jesus is your good shepherd, simply follow 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

Thankful and Thriving

Give thanks with a grateful heart.  Give thanks to the Holy One.  Give Thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His son.  – Henry Smith songwriter 

I grew up in churches with stained glass windows, wooden pews, and hymnals.  As a child, I remember singing Henry Smith’s song, “Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart” many times.  The song reminds me of my mom’s father, Papa, because he was a gratitude kind of guy.  When Papa entered a room, light, joy, and gratitude were his constant companions.  His bright light lifted spirits within seconds. 

I believe if Papa were still on this earth, His phone would ring out every day with the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call.  He’d tell everyone he knew about his granddaughter walking in his grateful footsteps.  (“It certainly took her a long time to discover the greatness of gratitude,” he might think to himself, correctly, “but now she’s sold on its life changing power.”)

Have you discovered how giving God thanks everyday can and will ignite your faith and change your world?  Are you surprised when thankfulness reduces worry and increases trust?  Are you amazed that such a simple act has the power to realign your heart and mind with your Savior?  

When you give God thanks…

• God’s awesome presence surrounds you.

• God’s power awakens within you.

• God’s great plans come alive for you. 

Psalm 7:17 reminds us to give thanks to the LORD because of his goodness and righteousness.  We are to sing praises to the LORD Most High.  By giving God thanks, our daily lives become a song of praise that is pleasing to Him.  

What’s the chorus of your life song?  Could it be “Give thanks with a grateful heart.  Give thanks to the Holy One.  Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His son”?

No matter what’s going on in your life, you can choose to be thankful.  Count your blessings and count on God’s steadfast goodness and love. Wake up and see how thanksgiving awakens your spirit to thrive one day at a time. 

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

Powerfully Changed in His Presence

Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. – Psalm 105:4

I cannot explain to you why, as girl who grew up in the Midwest, I love food from all over the world.  Given a choice between chicken pot pie and Panang Curry, I’ll take the spice every time… and can you make that extra hot, please?

What about you?  Would you take meatloaf over Mexican, or chicken pot over Chinese?  Do your taste buds match where you grew up or, like me, are you surprised by your favorite flavors?  We don’t get to pick how savory or spicy we like our food.  We also don’t get to choose the rate of our metabolism, our height, the length of our fingers, or the size of our feet. (Darn it)

While we can’t change many things about ourselves, there are some we absolutely can. 

Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us.  God uses His Spirit to reshape, mold, and transform us into the likeness of His Son, Jesus.  We are all unique masterpieces in God’s eyes, so He uses many different techniques to change us.  

While studying all the miracles of Jesus, I noticed that He didn’t have only one trick up His sleeve.  He didn’t always rub mud soaked in saliva on everyone who needed healing.  To one paralyzed man Jesus said, “Get up and take your mat,” while with another, He forgave his sins first and then healed his legs.  Jesus told one adulteress to go and get her husband, but to another, He simply said “Go and sin no more.” To transform Zacchaeus’ heart, Jesus simply ate a meal beside him in his home. To transform Peter’s heart, though, Jesus gave him the massive assignment of building and being the “rock” of His church. 

Jesus used different techniques to heal, renew, and transform the people He met.  He does the same with us.  

Jesus may tell you to sell all you have and follow Him, as He did to the rich young ruler in the Book of Mark.  Or, as with the brothers in a boat running the family fishing business, He might reveal to you that it’s time to change careers. Jesus might ask you tough questions like “Do you want to get well?” as He did with the man who had laid by a pool for thirty-eight years.  

The way Jesus prompts, moves, or changes you will be unique to you because He knows you so well and has great plans for you.

The one consistency we can count on is, every healing or transformation you experience will include Jesus’ presence.  

Are you willing to go to Jesus with whatever needs to change in your life?  There is incredible power in Jesus’ presence.  His touch transforms, His words heal wounds, and His closeness changes us. 

The very first action you can take when you want to make a change is draw close to Jesus.  He promises to draw close to you in return (James 4:8). Let your 3pm Wake Up Call remind you to step into Jesus’s presence every day and ask Him for the change you need to happen through His strength.  

There in His presence, hand Him what is broken, hurting, or in desperate need of change.  By seeking His presence, you will ignite a chain of unique events that will cause His touch to be felt, His voice to be heard, and His healing to happen.  And when you know God’s Spirit is at work transforming you into Jesus’ likeness, there is only one response to proclaim: “Thank you LORD!” 

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 Light

Jesus spoke to the people, He said, “I AM the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

Have you ever noticed that when you walk into a grocery store there are unbelievable sales everywhere?  Pineapples are only ninety-nine cents each?  Incredible!  Chocolate brownies are half off!  Before you even look at your grocery list, pineapples and brownies have miraculously landed your shopping cart.  This happens to me all the time.

Each and every day we are being enticed to spend our money, time, and effort in hundreds of different ways.  Commercials constantly stream over radio, TV, phone, and computers.  We think we’re tuning all these distractions out, but are we really?  Is their influence be greater than we realize?

I believe it’s easy for us to fall asleep in our faith and become oblivious to who or what is actually enticing us and luring us away from Jesus’ light.  Before we know it, we wake up and find ourselves surrounded by darkness.

Play these scenarios out in your mind… How do you picture each one ending?

• A woman whose husband travels frequently misses him greatly.  At night when her loneliness is painful, she jumps on Facebook to chat with an old boyfriend whose wife died recently.  Their friendship is rekindled by supporting each other through their loss and pain.  Of course they should stay at the same hotel for their high school reunion. 

• She’s been working so hard at her stressful job.  The hours are long and draining.  At night she just wants to relax and unwind before bed.  Of course a few glasses of wine will help her find peace and rest.  It works!  Wine becomes her new best friend.  She invites co-workers to Happy Hours during the week, attends parties on the weekend, and keeps a few bottles in her trunk just in case.

• Her New Year’s Resolution is to lose ten pounds.  She shops smart, eats healthy, and exercises daily.  Just like that, ten pounds vanishes and the positive comments multiply.  She looks in the mirror and sees another ten pounds that can go.  Of course she should ramp up her exercise and eat even less. Like magic, she loses more weight!  The voice in her head telling her to lose even more gets louder and louder.

How do these stories unfold?  In my mind, I see tragic endings and the enemy rejoicing. All three scenarios had two key words used to entice and lure her away: “of course.”  That’s what the enemy does.  He takes our deepest desires, twists them with his lies, and lures us into his darkness.  

But Jesus, who is the Light of the World, wants to shine His light into our lives and lead us into God’s truth.  

• Jesus wants to comfort us when we’re lonely. The enemy tempts us to ruin relationships and destroy families. 

• Jesus wants us to find peace and rest in His presence.  The enemy tempts us to tangle ourselves up in addictions.

• Jesus wants us to find our true identity as His beloved.  The enemy tempts us by telling us we’re not enough and not worthy of unconditional love.  

God promises that if we follow Jesus, we will not walk in darkness.  Let God’s truths be a guiding light to your path.  Step by step follow the Light of the World and you will shine bright, bringing great glory to God as you stay the course and resist the “of course” lies.  

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

Share Your JOYS and ACHES

Jesus wept. – John 11:35

In a recent Bible study, I asked a group of fifty women, from their mid-twenties to early eighties to write down, on one half of a heart-shaped piece of paper, one or two things that filled their hearts with JOY.  On the other side of the heart, I asked them to write down a current heart ACHE.

Now it’s your turn.  What brings you JOY?  What causes your heart to ACHE?  

When I later sat down to read the hearts I’d collected, my own heart was overwhelmed with both thanksgiving and grief.  I thanked God for their abundant joys, then cried out to Him for the deep aches of these beautiful women.

I was deeply moved by the pain they openly expressed.  When I sorted their joys and aches into categories, it quickly became apparent that the most common cause of both their greatest joys and deepest aches were their closest relationships.  (With more than 75% of these coming from their families.) 

·      We love our spouse and JOY abounds after thirty years of faithfulness.  But when we lose our spouse to death or another woman, the ACHE in our hearts almost unravels us. 

·      We receive so much JOY from raising our children or grandchildren.  But when bad influences steal their innocence or drugs rob them of God’s plan for their lives, we ACHE from shattered dreams.

·      We adore our family celebrations and vacations when JOY is shared.  But when cancer comes or dementia debilitates, we ACHE with what the future holds.

As I read the joys and aches of these women who I adore, I wept.  As the tears fell, I remembered the shortest verse of the Bible, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).  I could see Jesus sitting with Mary and Martha whom He loved like family.  The sisters mourned for their brother Lazarus.  Jesus was moved by their heartache and wept with them.

I believe that when we weep, Jesus weeps with us, as He did with Mary and Martha.  Let that reality wash over and comfort you.  Yes, you can be comforted by Jesus’ closeness when your heartaches start unraveling you, when your dreams are shattered, or when the future looks desperately dark.

Jesus was fully man while here on earth so He understands our joys and our aches and, as God, He rejoices with us when our hearts are full of JOY and He weeps with us when our hearts ACHE.  Jesus was and is our Savior. After weeping with Mary and Martha, He looked up to God, thanked His Father in Heaven, then raised Lazarus from the dead.

Like the sisters, we can thank Jesus that He alone can save us, give us eternal life, and comfort us every day. 

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

Seek & Find

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13

Do you remember playing Hide & Seek when you were a child?  I vividly remember the entire floorplan of my grandparents’ house in Tipton, Indiana because when all the cousins came together for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I searched every inch of that old house looking for the very best hiding spot.  Our version of Hide & Seek was called, “Big B” because we always made our oldest cousin, Brad be the seeker first.

We might think playing Hide & Seek is only for children.  But if we really think about it, haven’t we been playing a form of this game our whole lives?  Do we search for the perfect school or job believing it will secure our future?  Do we pursue a particular position in hopes it will satisfy our desire for power?  Do we constantly seek other people’s approval to gain a deeper sense of belonging?  

What if God designed us to be seekers because He wants us to seek Him, instead of positions, power, or people?

The prophet Jeremiah clearly communicates how we are to seek God.  He writes in Jeremiah 29:12-14, “You will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me will all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the LORD.”

Through this passage, we discover our part to play in God’s promise.  We are to seek, come close, and pray.  When we do, God promises to listen and be found by us.  When I was trying to picture in my mind what seeking looks and sounds like, it was helpful to learn its definition.  To seek means to search or pursue.  It is to make an effort to find, or an attempt to discover.

Just like the seeker in the game Hide & Seek, seeking God is active.  We have to make a strategy and then work the plan.  We take our desire to find God and put it into action.  We carve out time to read His Word.  We learn more about Him from listening to sermons or asking others who know Him intimately hard questions.  We pray at 3pm and invite God into our busy days.  We talk to Him at different times of the day and night.  We worship Him with songs and praises.  And we thank Him in all circumstances.   

How do you actively seek God, besides Waking Up to Him every day at 3pm?  Each day holds endless possibilities to pursue God.  What is your strategy to seek Him?  God promises that when we do our part and seek Him, He will be found by us.  Once we find God, then we can live closely and love intimately.  

Instead of Hide & Seek, God plays Seek & Find with us.  

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

Woman at the Well

Jesus asked the woman at the well, “Will you give me a drink?” – John 4:7

A wonderful group of women at my church are studying the seven I AM statements of Jesus.  We are following Lysa TerKeurst’s Bible Study, Finding I Am.  Lysa is a dynamic teacher and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries.  She traveled to the Holy Land of Israel seven times to research, write and film our study.  If you’re seeking to know Jesus more, join us on this journey. You can order the study guide and DVDs from Lifeway online.

I can’t wait to see the Holy Land up close one day.  I dream of walking where Jesus walked.  I long to see how big the Sea of Galilee is from the water’s edge. I imagine the mountains to be bigger than mine in Colorado, and the fields to be green and lush, dotted with peacefully grazing sheep.  In my mind’s eye, I see Jesus standing with the woman at Jacob’s well, pouring out His kindness and elaborate love.  A love like she’d never experienced, even after six husbands.

Let’s look into that dramatic afternoon at the well (John 4:1-26) and collect some incredible truths about Jesus:

• Jesus came for ALL people.  Most Jewish men would have walked around the country of Samaria, where this woman was, because the people living there were considered “half breeds.” They had abandoned their Jewish heritage by intermarrying with the Samaritans, so they were rejected and hated by many Jews.  But not by Jesus.
• Jesus stepped over every boundary. Jewish men did not speak to women, let alone a non-Jewish woman.  Jesus looked the woman at the well straight in eyes and asked her for a drink of water.
• Jesus knew her sin and loved her anyway. When Jesus asked the woman at the well to go get her husband, He knew full well she was entangled in sexual sin. It was obvious, she had traveled to the well in the heat of mid-day to avoid other women’s whispers. 
• Jesus shared His true identity with an outcast.  Jesus revealed to the woman at the well that He was the long awaited Messiah.  The One speaking to her was the great I AM in flesh. 
• Jesus used a shameful woman’s testimony to save many others.  The woman at the well walked there ashamed.  But after meeting Jesus face to face, she left renewed, full of boldness and faith.  She ran back to her village and told others to “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?”

Jesus stepped over cultural barriers, spoke the truth to a sinful woman, and used her story to save lives.  He wants to do the same with you.  You can know that:

Jesus came for you. You are never too far from Jesus that He can’t reach out and touch you or speak to you.  

Jesus loves you.  No matter you’d done or become, Jesus’ love is unconditional and unfailing.  

Jesus will use your story for good.  Jesus can take your biggest messes and mistakes and turn them around to positively impact people and change lives.

The big question is: Will you allow the great I AM to meet you right where you are, love you completely, and use your story for His glory? 

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