Oh Death, where is your Sting?

Death, the great equalizer, the exhale of the pain and suffering on this earth, the final release.
Death, something we all must face, we all will meet, we all must accept whether we're ready or not. Death doesn't care about your age. It doesn't care about your money. It doesn't care how good of a person you were or what you did. "Deserving" death isn't even on the table for discussion and death doesn't play fairly.
But...
there is a hope, a hope that is so great, a hope that is so huge, a hope that is so marvelous, a hope that is a mystery, a hope that is victorious over death, a hope that is living, a hope that is a person who is real and whose love is so great it smashes and shatters and destroys the sting that death brings.

As I say goodbye to a coworker (we didn't work that closely together), dear friend (we really were not that close of friends), acquaintance (but we were more than acquaintances), sister (yes, I can rest on that, for she is a child of God and so am I), my own selfish preservation creeps up and words get stuck in my throat. "Was I kind enough?" No. "Did I always speak in love?" No. "Did she know my heart, did she know me? Did I take the time to know her?" No.
What do I do with that? Where do I turn with that? Is there forgiveness for that? Is there hope for even that?
Thankfully I can say, shout, whisper, scream, exclaim, "YES!"  I turn to the word of God, that we have heard from the beginning, that is living and true, and shines light in the darkness. The holy and precious word of God...the Bible. What does God's letter to us say?

How great is the Father's love for us? Oh how deep and wide, and long, and far is the love of God! His love is far reaching, never ending, never giving up, and even death simply cannot overcome His great plan for us, His great love for us, it cannot overcome Him, for He overcame it.

I am grateful and thankful that Christ came to conquer everything: our mistakes, our unkindness toward one another, our brokenness, our hopelessness, our darkest moments, our most righteous moments, our pride, our sicknesses, our death.

I am not ignoring the grief that comes with physical death and the sense of loss that comes when someone is not on this earth any longer. There is pain, their is sadness, their is grieving, and there should be.

I grieve for her dad, for he never got to walk her down the aisle.
I grieve for her mother, for a mother should not have to ever bury her child.
I grieve for her closest friends, as they will live with the absence of her laugh and her smile.
But I do not grieve for her, because as much as we want this world to hold our richest treasures, it can't and doesn't. And while the pain is real, there is not hopelessness!

I am thankful that my sister professed her love for Christ and her relationship with her Maker. For that reason, I can believe that we will meet again, and when we do, all the things that seemed important, or trivial, or great, or simple....all things...will pass away and we will unite together forever in a perfect place in a perfect body with a perfect love, and we will sing praises and we will feast, and we will rejoice with the One who has loved us perfectly.

She is with her Maker, she is with her Father, she is with her Groom, and she is with the One who loves her better and more fully than anything or anyone in this world can offer.

Christ came to conquer all and in Christ alone we have forgiveness, in Christ alone we have freedom, in Christ alone we have abundant life. He doesn't love me because of what I do, He doesn't love me because of what I am, He doesn't love me because of what I say. He doesn't love me because I love Him, He doesn't love me because of how I respond to Him, He just loves me, and I accept that, and want that, and need that, and I receive that.

I am loved because I am loved because I am loved.
She is loved because she is loved because she is loved.
We are loved because He is love because He is love because He is love.

"He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces." 

Isaiah 25: 8a

"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting?"

1 Corinthians 15:55

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." 

John 5:24

In loving memory of my sister, Michelle. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjog4uWUSnQ

Kickin' off the Dirt

I have been blessed to enter into a new job this year. I am still teaching, but in a place where I can actually teach the things I hold most true and dear to my life, but where I am not constantly looking for output and data to show my children are learning...but I can look at the growth of the entire child as a success. 

I am surrounded by people who speak truth into my life on a daily basis. Talk about life-giving and growth...it is unending and splendid and makes my heart sing. 

I have noticed that as I am trying to walk ever closer to my Maker, my Father, my Savior, my Friend...the enemy, the one who comes to steal our joy, is working even harder to bring me down. I believe in spiritual warfare and I can feel it around me and I can even hear it being whispered to me. 

I was giving example after example to a dear friend I teach with about how I feel attacked spiritually and how I am hearing whispers of lies everyday. She gave me a great example of the enemy and how he works. She said that if we stop paying attention even for just a moment, the enemy is right there, ready to kick dirt on our shoes. He loves to try and convince us we are no good, unloved, unworthy, and shamed. BUT...when we call out to Jesus or speak the name of Jesus, the enemy must flee. Because I am redeemed, He cannot remain. 

It is my heart's desire that truth would continue to penetrate my soul, my life, my existence...and that I would continue to keep my eyes on Jesus and learn to hear my Maker's words that bring life and light into this dark world. 

The great thing about it all though...even when he kicks dirt on my shoes...it will remain for only but a moment, because I have been redeemed and am forever made pure. Oh to be a child of the King, there is no greater thing to be. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57tnsby_4kk

A Bountiful Harvest

Oh...this needs to be short because I have dinner on the stove and a lot to do tonight, but I have to get this out while it is fresh and before I get tied up again and forget to post...this post just can't be forgotten.

Let me say, this is not a post to brag on myself...for I am nothing, this isn't about something I did...because I can't do anything worthy of praise...but this is all about how awesome is the God I serve!

The verse that is to be woven into my curriculum this nine weeks at school is James 2:15-16. It states: If a brother or sister is poorly clothes and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things they needed for the body, what good is that?"

My class and I have discussed this verse at length and even participated in projects to bring the verse to life...oh how funny to think that I could bring to life a verse...God brings to life His living word!

I was leaving Kroger this afternoon. As I neared the stop sign at the edge of the parking lot I saw a girl standing on the corner holding a sign. We have all seen the signs...we all know what they say: "homeless, need money for food, anything will help..." Of course I took a deep breath, felt a little knot in my stomach and began wondering "okay...what do I do?"
I have seen so many people holding signs...and I never know exactly how to help because I never know the exact story...maybe it's not for me to know. As I drove past her, I almost didn't make eye contact (Let's face it, isn't it easier to ignore the person begging if you don't look into their eyes?) but then I did. I saw her smile, and then my eyes drifted to her belly...she was pregnant, that was one thing about her situation I could be certain.

I pulled out of the lot, and thought "What can I do?" That is when He spoke. I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me and remind me of James 2:15. Oh...okay...

I pulled into the closest and next lot and parked the car. I began to pray. My prayer went something like this..."Lord, I know I need to help her, I know your word teaches this...but how? I cannot give her money, I can't afford to give her money right now and I don't have any cash even if I could...how do you want me to help her? What if she isn't safe? What if this is a scam? I need you to help me help her."

I've been helping out with one of the pregnancy centers here in the area so my plan was to give her the phone number. "Okay Lord, that is a good plan...if I can't give her money I can at least give her a number to call for help." That is where (I thought) the plan ended...but that wouldn't be much of a God story.

I looked up the phone number on my phone, dug around for a pen in my purse, then opened up the console to get a notepad...as I opened it up, there, displayed right in-between the mess of my console, was a Publix gift-card.
I gasped.

Let me say, I don't shop at Publix much, I am still a Kroger girl...trying to convert...but I definitely have never bought a Publix gift-card in my life. "Really Lord?? Really?"
Also, let me say, I know my gift-cards and where I keep them...I also know what is in my console...I have never seen that card before. It was still in the packaging, it was brand-new, never used.

I called my husband to make sure he didn't put it in there...he didn't have the slightest idea what I was talking about. Not only was this card mysteriously placed in my car...it was even the correct season. It had pumpkins and apples on it, and at the top it read "For a plentiful season"

It will be a plentiful season alright, especially for the girl because she is about to bring into the world a precious baby boy. After I got over being choked up (why do I let God catch me off guard...I know He is amazing...) I prayed over the card, and took it to her. She is from Romania, she is 20 years old, she has been living in her van, and her due-date...was YESTERDAY!

She said she was a Christian and she appreciated my help and that God had provided for her.

There is more to the story...if you want to know more I will gladly tell you, but I want to stop the post here...because this is again not a story about me or even her...but about how God provides for His children and how He gives us opportunity to live out His word...if we will listen for His voice.

I am not saying to go give all your money away or to even give anything to the man or woman holding the dirty signs on the street corner....but I must share, no shout, about His goodness and His greatness and the far reach of His love!

Here is a picture of the card....could the message have been any more perfectly timed? 

How can I keep...

from... Singing, Praising, Shouting, Exclaiming, Proclaiming....God's GLORY?

Oh how great God is. He was and is and will be!

When I look at the blinding sunrise, when I see the beauty of a created world all around me my heart sings for joy at how great God is!

I will sing of His glory now and I will sing of it forever. How can I not? How can I not proclaim the goodness and greatness of God? He has shown me Himself, He has revealed to me how He loves me, and how He has made a way for me to have relationship with Him now and forever. A perfect and holy God...the one who created me, loved me from the beginning, and loves me now, He wants to be with me? Oh how great that I didn't choose him first, but He chose me! He loved me (past-tense) when I was still running from Him, He loved me, I am His beloved!

He is everywhere...He is in the sunrise, the shooting stars, the rushing winds, the laughter of children, the ripples of a tide, the mighty waves of the sea, the dew in early morning, the crisp fall air, but most of all...He is in me! He is in my heart and His love is good and great and never-ending and never-stopping! Oh when I feel Him in my soul, when I hear Him whisper to me, when I feel His love bubbling up inside of me, how can I keep my soul from singing of His greatness and His glory?

How great God is and greatly to be Praised! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3wa89TU3WU

I am currently loving this song!

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

Psalm 145:3

An Embrace, A breath, A sigh

Since the canyon was grand, and I think I might have left a tiny piece of my heart there, I think it is fine to write a second post on it...

Our last night in the canyon there was a terrible or incredible (however you want to look at it) storm. Let me say that our guides said over and over that it "never" rains in the canyon...for any of us on the trip, that is hard to believe...because it rained the majority of the trip. Whether we were being drenched in the rapids, misted by sprinkles of rain, or just saturated with a down pour, we stayed wet most of the trip.

As I mentioned before, we talked a lot about the global flood during our trip. We talked about how it was powerful, catastrophic, and world changing...literally, it left behind this great and grand canyon.

As we discussed the flood we also discussed the brave few who followed God's command to enter into the Ark and receive salvation from the powerful waters. Noah...ever heard of him? I am sure you have. When I think about Noah's ark, I always think about the puzzle I had when I was a child. It was a colorful and fun scene filled with lots of animals (2 of a kind of course) entering into the archway of the Ark. I can vividly remember Noah in the picture as well as a few raindrops, dark clouds, and a rainbow that went from top corner to top corner in the puzzle. I loved that puzzle....while somewhat accurate, I am certain now that it was not entirely like that...

When I learned of the bible story as a child, what I remember most is Noah's faithfulness to follow God's command and build this giant boat and fill it with animals and his family. I remember learning that he had probably never seen rain and didn't know what to expect, just that he blindly followed God's word. I learned that the people who didn't listen to Noah and believe that a flood was coming perished. I learned that after the flood, God put a rainbow, turned upward toward himself, in the sky to signify His promise to never flood the entire earth again...that was the story I learned...sound familiar? I still believe all of those events to be biblical and true, but now, after experience this trip, my heart is gripped for the others in that story...the ones who were not the main characters...the ones who perished.

Like I said, our last night in the canyon a great storm came upon us. It was in the middle of the night and there was no sleeping through it. It was loud and it rained hard...really really hard. As if the rain alone didn't wake us all, the thunder and lightening really put on a show. As the thunder boomed and the lightening bounced around the canyon walls I became a little frightened. Did I mention we were in little tents on the bank of the mighty river? My mind began to race....I could see the water levels rising or worse, our metal framed nylon tent being struck by lightening. I remember looking out the mesh window of our tent thinking "we have no control over this..." I began to pray for our safety. I prayed that God would protect us and keep the water level down and the lightening far away. At one point I looked over and Chris was awake too. I reached across the tent and grabbed his hand. I kept praying and telling myself "it will all be over in a while, when morning comes, this storm will have passed over us."

Guess what?? It did. The storm will always pass over those who are in God's embrace. But for the first time in forever, God reminded me of the people in the great flood and how it didn't pass them by. I thought about how scared I was and wondered if that is how they felt. I am sure it was. I had a sense of relief thinking that the storm would pass, but did they? Maybe at first...when the waters started to rise, maybe they too thought it would pass. At what point did that change for them? When did they start to think "what if this doesn't stop?" At what point did they become fearful and realize the waters would keep rising, the storm wouldn't cease? At what point did they realize that the storm would take their life? I get chill bumps just thinking about it. I think about Noah and his great faith. Was he ever scared? Not for himself maybe, but for those he cared about around him? Could he hear their cries, their pleas? What about when the waves picked up and the storm was at its worst? Was he scared then? He didn't know how long he would be upon the rough seas...did he cry out "how long of Lord?"...I don't know...maybe.

I think back to the beauty of the clear skies after the storm in the canyon. God said he would never again flood the entire earth. He said that a second judgement would come but not by water. He even took a bow, turned it toward himself, as a promise that He would make a way for His chosen ones, for His children...and oh how He came through on that promise. I am so thankful that He didn't leave it up to me to save myself or find my own way, but He made the way, through Christ, for us.
Even if the waters of the river had risen and our situation turned dangerous, I would have been scared for sure, but because I am covered by Christ, death has forever lost its victory over me....praise God!

As I walk the rough waters of this life, and when the seas may rise, I pray for the faith of Noah. I pray for faith to walk humbly and fearfully with my great God, never forgetting his holiness and might...I thank God He has made a way of salvation for me. I can walk knowing that in any storm, a good and sovereign God holds me in his tight embrace, never letting me go, and I can take a deep breath and let out an eternal sigh of relief.

Oh to be a child of God...there is no greater thing to be. 

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters; I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, you Savior."          Isaiah 43: 2-3

"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 

1 Corinthians 15:55

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw

I love this song...favorite line "your grace abounds in deepest waters, your sovereign hand will be my guide." 

*This is not my picture, I can't take credit...although there was a rainbow that night, my picture just didn't do it justice.

Oh How Great

First off, this post will simply not do justice to what my eyes have seen and my heart has felt...

Chirs and I just got back from a rafting trip to the Grand Canyon. Pretty cool right? That is what I thought going into the trip...how fun it would be to raft the great Colorado River and see the sights...now that I am back, fun just doesn't cut it.....let's try humbling, breathtaking, in awe, a foretaste, powerful, mighty, assurance, redeemed, promised, and of course great!

The trip? How was the trip?  Besides rocky and really wet, it was all of the words mentioned. I mean, what isn't great about rafting class VIII rapids, hiking into side canyons and discovering beautiful waterfalls, seeing hot bubbling springs grip the edge of the canyon wall without spilling over into the river, dozens of types of desert life, a bird's eye view of the canyon in a helicopter, camping alongside the river, the constant sound of the river to fall asleep to?...Yes this trip was great, oh but none of those things even compare to how great God is and how I saw His power in the canyon.

The canyon is huge, no, enormous! The walls just go up and up and up some more. I must admit I went on this trip knowing very little about the canyon and how it was formed. I knew God created it, because I believe He created all things....but I just thought He created it at the same time as the rest of the world, and that the great global flood left it's mark in the canyon.

I saw evidence upon evidence that proved to me that the great global flood actually carved and created the canyon in a mighty way. I believe this to be true, not because someone who had a large vocabulary and who could talk rocks all day long said this was so, but because I saw the evidence for myself...I saw the science behind it and it made sense.

That however isn't what I really want to write about...what I want to write about is what this means for me. So what? So the global flood cut a canyon...what does this really mean for me? It means a lot.

The global flood was God's judgement on the wickedness of the world. The few that chose to follow God's command and enter into the Ark were saved, and those who didn't...they perished in the great waters.

If the Grand Canyon was formed by the judgement waters of God, then the canyon would be a scar from God's judgement.
If the Grand Canyon is but a scar from God's judgement, with all of it's beauty, wonder, and amazement, then how glorious will our eternity be? How great will that place of perfection be? Just like God made a way for those during the flood to be saved from the waters, He has made a way for you and me, will you be there to enjoy God forever?

So you see, this was much more than a fun trip. This, for me, was just a glimpse of what is to come, a small foretaste of the beauty that awaits us all who have been redeemed through Christ!

As I try and debrief from the trip, my eagerness and excitement for Heaven is growing and my soul can't keep from singing...                                
                                                                  How Great Thou Art!

"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

    his greatness no one can fathom."    Psalm 145:3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc0QVWzCv9k

I'd like to thank Russ Miller for helping connect the dots for me...it was his brilliant words that help me realize this place is a scar left over from the judgement of God.

A Hope and a Wish

What is your great wish? What do you hope for? What do you hope for your family, your friends, your children, for those close to you, and even for yourself? Health? A lifetime of happiness? Security? Yes, me too, those are all good things, happy things, fine things to wish for. 

I often hear (and even say myself) "I wish you all the happiness in the world" or "I hope for a lifetime of happiness for you, you deserve it!" I am pretty sure I have written that many times in an engagement or wedding card. But when you dig deeper, think a little harder, is there something more? Something more to wish for, a greater hope to have than just "happiness."

I thought about this the other day as I heard a song, a song I have heard many times before, and love more and more every time I hear it. I thought about well wishes....do they ever come true, like completely come true forever? I am wishing people happily-ever-afters, but do those exist? I am not denying that there are moments, days, weeks, even years maybe of happiness for people, but when I look around this broken world what I see are people who have been hurt by others, broken by sin and selfishness, drowning in a sea of their own choices, living in a way that feels defeated, conquered, and I ask why? I am not asking why are there hurting people or why are bad things happening to "good" people. I know that answer...because we live in a fallen world...a world where sin has entered in and effects us all, and I mean ALL. I am asking "why" do I wish happily-ever-afters if they can't really be obtained? Is it because I don't know what else to say? Is it because I really am hoping, despite that it never happens, that a friend of mine will actually go through an entire life without hurt or pain? Maybe it's because I watched too many Disney movies growing up...and all of those princesses had happy endings....or so it seemed. 

Speaking of those princesses, the movie always stops right as she catches her prince...it never goes beyond that. Do those princesses ever get sick, cry, or die?? Of course not...because it is fantasy. 

It is not my attempt in this post to compare how our lives will never measure up to those of a Disney princess...that would be somewhat depressing. It is however my attempt to remind, reveal, challenge, or even share how though our lives on earth will always have pain and suffering, we can have that happy ending...that forever love...that complete bliss...through Jesus. When I think about what my wish or hope really is for those closest to me...it is not for a life-time of happiness, but for a foreverness. My hope is that you will live forever...

Not forever in a fairy tale or in this world...oh no, but forever  in a perfect world with The Prince, The One who loves you more than you love yourself. My hope is that even though no one actually deserves it, we would live forever with our Creator. 

I do not wish for you a set of rules, I do not wish for you a new or old religion, I do not wish for you to clean yourself up or for you to "get it together." I wish for you a relationship with Jesus...because Jesus isn't a set of rules, Jesus isn't good behavior or behavior modification, Jesus isn't a religion, He is a person, and He is the greatest hope anyone could wish for. 

It is my greatest wish, my greatest hope in life, that we share forever together!  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8UXgTprJGY

BOUND!

"Jesus loves the little children...all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus love the little children of the world." 

Ring a bell?? When I think of the songs I learned as a small child, this one always comes to mind...and oh how true it is, Jesus does love the children of the world, he sure loves His children! Are you a child of God, are you one of His children?  Let me ask it another way, a way that the Lord so clearly refreshed in my mind recently. Are you bound for His kingdom, are you bound for His promised land? 

I was recently spending cherished times at the beach with my family...actually we were blessed to spend 2 weeks with both families...that doesn't happen often. While at the beach with Chris' family, we encountered many comical, exciting, restful, emotional, and well...just wonderful moments. Oh there were many favorite memories...but one keeps coming up over and over in my mind...so I am going to say this is my favorite memory. The funny thing is, it came out of nowhere, and as fast as it happened, it was over...quick as it might have been, I will never forget it...

William, my 2 and a half year old nephew, was singing favorite hymns with his thoughtful, more talkative, partner in crime...aka, older brother. We were all enjoying sitting around the dinner table and out of the mouths of those two babes came the song "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand." Not really the hymn I was singing at their age...but non the less they knew it and were singing it. Weston (older brother) was singing it pretty much verse by verse...and William chimed in mostly on the chorus. "I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the promised land!" However, what was actually coming out of Williams mouth was "BOUND, BOUND, PROMISED LAND"...and it was more of a scream than song...but to William, he was singing about the promised land! 

I looked in awe at those two precious boys singing about being bound for God's kingdom and tears actually came to my eyes. I looked at William...food smeared from one end to the other, sticky, loud, banging his fists as he screamed about being bound for an eternity with Jesus and it struck me...yes he is bound for heaven...as are all of us who are in relationship with Christ. He is bound and doesn't even know it yet! As I watched him sing, totally unaware of his audience, I wondered if this is sometimes how God sees even me, his "grown-up" (ha!) child... Does He look at me, covered in all my messiness, with my loud and childish behavior and say "she is mine!"? (Praise God He does!)  And to think, just as William is bound and doesn't even know it...I was bound for Heaven before I had any idea of Christ...Jesus loved me, died for me, washed me clean, while I was a sinner!

How precious and gentle the reminder for me that even when I am a mess and have nothing to offer Jesus, I am still His child! I am forever in God's hand, forever God's child, and one day I will rest in that beautiful home and in that promised land! 

Only God could use the broken chorus of a little toddler's song to remind me of His love for me and I thank God that He has chosen to save me....this messy, loud, and rebellious child that I am

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

                                                                                           Romans 5:8

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." 

                                                                                           1 John 3: 1

Here is a link to the song...in case you want to listen and bask in thought of how glorious that day will be! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J2hXjflmuw

And here is a face that is squeezable beyond measure...precious William