Quote of the Day:
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.~William James

Happy

Today I am happy... today I'm not just choosing joy, I feel it.
In part the 8 hours of sleep sure didn't hurt,
nor does this delicious weather,
or the wink of the weekend,
and the hope of fall.

But today I'm happy, just because I'm alive and soooo very blessed beyond dreams and content, really content with life.

My sweet daughter (although the last few days have been miserable, rebellious toddler times) has learned the word "happy," thanks to the efforts of her grandparents. One afternoon while I was getting a haircut, she just decided to make the word work out of her mouth. It's the cutest version of the word I've ever heard. And when she says, "happy," which sounds a little closer to "hoppy," I grin and sometimes laugh (especially if she repeats it 10 times).

And I wonder...

Does God smile and laugh when we choose to just say, "God, I'm happy. Thank you"? I wouldn't doubt it. For when we choose an attitude of gratitude and walk in joy surely the Father smiles and says, "Yes, I don't want you to be grouchy, rebellious, and miserable. Thank you for choosing my attitude."

So if you're happy and you know it, then let your face surely show it. And let Him know it too.

Thankful Thursday

My heart is reluctant at gratitude. Due to my tendency to be critical and pessimistic, I wrongly focus on the negative in most cases and get sinful tunnel vision. This morning was no different. After taking two hours to go to sleep last night, I managed about 5 or 6 hours of sleep before Maddie woke up crying again. Although this amount is high for most young mothers, being pregnant, I feel like I'm always exhausted and irritable, and then I get even more frustrated when my body is tired and I just lay awake, demanding myself to go to sleep. Part of my irritability is due to an utter lack of quiet time for myself--my own fault, I realize full well. So, this more I really had to "work" and "practice" thankfulness. I just went down the alphabet (as corny as it sounds) to focus my mind and get my heart into a more open and beautiful state. Here's my list; perhaps you need to form your own today.

Aroma therapy
Bed
Christ's work
Dreams
Eggs
Flowers
God's grace
Hope
Ice cream pie
Jesus
King of kings
Laughter
Music
Newness
Opportunities
Peace
Quiet
Regent University (my wonderful job!)
Summer breaks
Tides
Umbrellas
Victories
Water
Yams
Zippers

a good reminder

Can you hear me, God,
When the thunder crashes?
Can you hear me, God,
When the lightning flashes?
Can you hear me, God,
When my heart beats fast?
Can you hear me, God,
When the storm is past?

God answers:
I am right beside you.
I am always here.
In the stormy weather,
I am always near.
Can you hear me speaking?
Listen as I say,
I am always with you,
Each and every day.


Taken from my daughter's Read and Learn Book of Prayers

Joy as Strength

Perhaps you remember the childhood song (if you were raised Baptist like I was), The Joy of the Lord is my Strength--a catchy little song meant to be sung enthusiastically. However, as a kid, I didn't grasp the concept. Like other ideas, "His grace is sufficient," the words were tag lines to me as a Christian but their meanings were lost on me.

Sadly, I still struggle with these concepts. I understand more fully what they mean, but my heart takes much longer to flesh it out.

I was reading again in the devotional book, Grace: an invitation to a way of life, and came across these truths regarding our delight in God. Ortberg states that what often keeps us from joy is "a preoccupation with myself and my own little agenda. Joylessness is a serious sin." But it is our strength (Neh. 8:10) and our armor against the weary world. "We have badly underestimated the necessity of joy."

Joy isn't easy, but it's essential to our faith. Without it, our worldly perspective fumbles from the eternal. Without it, our witness to Christ's goodness and power are diminished. Without it, we wait and lose out on life. We can't wait for our circumstances to dictate our emotional response. We must experience joy now, in spite of whatever assaults are coming our way.

I thought the spiritual exercise was practical and meaningful. We must remember that God prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. Not after he deconstructs all our problems. Not after our lives are "in order." Not after we feel ready.


Here are a few ideas to enjoy life with your gracious Shepherd:
*When you sit down for a meal, imagine your Shepherd preparing the table for you. Slow down, enjoy the gift of food in his presence.
*Plan a celebratory evening with your small group or family--delight in God's goodness together.
*Pursue a favorite activity this week. Try to consciously engage in it with the Lord as your companion.
*Be particularly aware of little joys as you go about your day. (Relational moments, meaningful accomplishments, scenic beauty, laughter).
*When you worship with the body this week, express your joy directly to God for the ordinary and extraordinary ways he has made your "cup overflow."
*When irritations and frustrations arise, resolve in your mind that you will choose joy. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Thankful Thursday

* walking weather
* precious time with my girl
* the start of school
* peaches and grapes
* pool time
* air conditioning
* a good book
* a comfortable bed
* iced tea
* freedom from tragedy
* no cell phone (yes...I am thankful for that) :)
* instrumental music
* heart-to-heart conversations with friends

Seizing the Moment

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.

~Psalm 23:1-3a

How would our lives be different if we really believed and practiced these verses? God's shepherding heart and gentle grace surround us on every front, but all too often, we're too used to rushing through life that we fail to notice it.

John Ortberg puts it this way:

The practice of noticing is a skill. It involves learning to pay attention to gifts that we otherwise take for granted. Stop for a moment and try it. The breath you just took, the way your eyes are reading these words, the working of your mind to understand and learn--notice them. They are not accidents. Nor are they entitlements. They are gracious gifts. And what's even more amazing is that their Giver is lovingly present with you even as you are experiencing them.

The sight of a garden blooming in a riot of color, a cold glass of water on a hot afternoon, an encouraging word from a coworker, a warm blanket on a chilly night, the taste of your favorite food, a long conversation with a good friend. All ordinary, but all grace nonetheless. Train yourself to notice, to pay attention, to become absorbed in the grace of your Shepherd.

Just as we must learn to see Jesus' ordinary gifts of grace, we must learn to seize his ordinary moments of grace--moments that the Shepherd would like to use to replenish and refuel us.

A lunchtime walk, a moment of solitude in the car or on the train, the still of the house when the baby is napping, sitting with a glass of iced tea in the backyard. Each can be transformed into a personal and private time of "green pastures and still waters" if you have the eyes to see and the willpower to slow down. Your Shepherd has provided everything necessary to transform your rushed soul into a restored one. But he won't force you to turn aside. He won't tackle you to get you to lie down. The choice is yours.

---Grace: an invitation to a way of life

Seasons

This morning, I managed to actually get outside and do a full walk before lunch. Up to this point, the oppressive summer inferno has secluded me indoors and I've not had the desire to walk at 5:30 am or 9:30 pm. But I was so relieved to have a little break and reminded myself that this stage is only a season. Look what we have to anticipate (and it will come, it always does):

Closets

Closets often hold negative connotations. Back "in the day," a water closet was actually where you did your business. Skeletons are said to hide there (deeper family secrets and such) and coming out of the closet refers to choosing the homosexual lifestyle.

We cram our junk in there, our dirty laundry, and our old boxes of memories.

Yes, poor closets just don't get much positive attention.

But when I think of a closet, I remember something more, something mysterious and cozy and comforting. Growing up in our house outside St. Louis, there was a large hall closet that had hinged doors. One side was perpendicular to the wall, but the other side of the closet cut back at an angle, leaving a little triangular nook to hide in. Zach and I would take a pillow or blanket and maybe a flashlight, crawl under our dad's suits and huddle back in that corner. It was quiet, peaceful, and protective. I never felt afraid or paranoid about what other creatures (said... spiders?) might be resting back there too. It was just a place to get away for a little while--to feel nestled.

And sometimes I desire that escape still. I want to crawl back in a corner of the closet, nestled by pillows and just rest and breath and feel the quiet calm. I see that same urge blossom in my daughter as she crawls back into her closet and plays with a doll and I wonder where it comes from. Why we build tents and huddle under tables and crawl into closets.

Surely it comes from a deeper understanding that we are not as independent and powerful as we sometimes convince ourselves we are. We want to know we can hide, we can feel safe and surrounded--protected.

Ultimately that protection doesn't come from a material surrounding. Although a home can shelter us, it can't guarantee whole protection. Only One can do that, and it must be done from the inside-out, not the outside-in.

For me, (as funny as it sounds), Christ is my closet. When I feel overwhelmed, need some quiet space, or just want to feel sheltered, He's the only one that fully surrounds me. I know he's safe; I know I can rest in Him.

The Secret of Loving

Confession time: I struggle with many sins. I'm far from the poster-child Christian, even though some claim that I just seem to "have it all together." Really? Are you looking? ;)

My deepest sin fleshes itself in the skin of fear and anxiety (more widely acceptable sins in the Christian arena than that of others). Deeper still lies the bones and muscles of a lack of trust in God's intervention and goodness.

Recently, I've wrestled with bitterness and resentment and yes, even unforgiveness--shameful, dirty and eroding sins to my spirit. I hated that they were there but I felt justified in holding to them; it felt... well... just.

A few days back I was flipping through Josh McDowell's The Secret of Loving, looking for a quote on a totally unrelated topic and I came across a chapter simply titled "Learn to Forgive." That sounds easy. The chapter chews off more than it can adequately flesh out, but it gave me much to ponder. McDowell talks about what forgiveness is and what it isn't and why we struggle to forgive. For me, much of my lack of mercy involves a decrepit understanding of God's grace (and my acceptance of it) over my own life, and then the little zinger. Another reason he posted was "Fear" (insecurity):

"When you forgive someone, you make yourself vulnerable. You might not forgive

another person because you have been burned before and you are afraid of being hurt

again. This is where the health of your own self-image comes in. Until you see yourself as God sees you--no more and no less--you will not be willing to lay yourself open. But, when

you offer to heal the relationship, you have acted rightly in the sight of God,

whether that person accepts of rejects your offer" (143).

The Bible doesn't mince words when it comes to forgiveness. We are do offer it, whether the person is "worthy" of it of not. But we can't do it alone. It does require the Holy Spirit's strength and love through us.