Even If You Don't.....When Prayer Surprises You

Have you ever felt yourself doing something you know does not come naturally?  Especially speaking in spiritual terms?  When there is no doubt that Holy Spirit has taken over and done something in and through you in a way that startles you.  You know, when you spin your head around and say "Where'd that come from?" It is here we can know we are being transformed more into His likeness; who He wants us to become.

This is how it happened.  A hurting situation arose. Knee-jerk reaction - pray.  As I prayed, I humbly asked God to do what I felt was His will (definitely my will) for the situation.  I poured out my concern, my hurt, my intercession, my advice. Then, out of the clear blue sky, these words came out of my mouth, "But even if you don't, we will still love you. Even if you don't, we will still serve you. Even if you don't, we will still trust you."  What??!?! It's not unusual for me to pray "God's will be done", but I've not prayed the above words.  Ever.  I was surprised because I knew I didn't come up with this on my own - and pleased because I knew immediately it was the transforming work of God in my life. Something I've been fervently praying for this pre-Easter season.  It's a good thing I was already on my knees because I might have fallen over. It excited me and I praised Him.

It's a Shadrach, Meschach and Ebednego prayer.  (Daniel 3:18) I've studied Daniel several times over the last 5 years or so; this Old Testament book fast becoming one of my favorites.  I think it's probably because I'm so drawn to disciplined, principled people who seem to be unflappable, unshakeable. (Likely because I am far from that but such a wannabe!) I marvel at how they live this way.  They know who they are and to Whom they belong. And they live out of this Truth. They don't let aggressive, critical people determine their mood.  They don't let situations out of their control control them in a negative way.  They pray. They trust God. They walk on.  Shouldn't all followers of Christ live this way - to lead the way for all those searching for answers, for Jesus?

Are you wondering how the prayer got answered?  Well, not exactly how I laid it out for Him and possibly not at all or maybe it's still to be determined if and how God will act.  But somehow that doesn't seem to matter because I am different. I'm not worried. I'm not imagining worst case scenarios or escape clauses (why do we always look for the nearest end to any difficult situation?).

Instead, I am at peace and am even smiling. It's an abiding peace that isn't fleeting.  It sticks.  In the end it doesn't really matter what happens. Because I've got God and more importantly, God's got me. I love the line in the song In Christ Alone, "Jesus commands my destiny".  I believe that's what Daniel's friends knew and clung to.  And it's what I'm learnin'.

P.S. Side lesson - Hide God's Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11). I haven't read those Daniel verses in quite a while but if we do our job, read it, God will bring it up when He wants to, for His purposes.  So cool.

Thank God for Little Girls...We've Got a Birthday in the House!

They say a baby changes everything.  All I wanted was a little girl that I could dress up in cute clothes and buy accessories for.....but we got so much more!!  Our family began to grow with two little boys, but we knew we wanted some pink too.  First she was bald, then her hair was curly, now she wants it straight. We've stepped on barrettes, ponies and nail polish all over the house...now makeup?  As I consider ages 4 to 12, I wonder how we survived. We were sure one of us wouldn't.  Have your heard the terms "strong willed child" and "drama queen"?  Phew. Those years were rough, but God answers prayers of desperate, out-of-strategies parents and now she is a great joy! So grateful He knew what He was doing in pairing us up even when we weren't so sure.  Our baby - our only girl - is 15 today.

Looking back through photos to post for you today to celebrate her life, so many memories came flooding back. It sure has been a ride. She's given us a run for our money that's for sure. But she's also brought the fun.....and random tears for no reason (the boys just don't get this)...to our family. Girls!! See for yourself.

See what I mean about dressing her up?

She's always looking for the next fun thing to do!

Blues Clues was all the rage!

She always knew how to comfort herself.  Saw this look all day long....everyday!

Take a look at that face.....she was a handful....or 2 or 3!

But oh so cute when she wanted to be

Eating out...always a favorite... SONIC anyone?

Always the Daddy's girl

She has lots of love to give

and brings the party wherever she goes

Now she looks so grown up...what on earth happened to our little girl?

How can one not worship as we consider Psalm 139:13-16 - birthday verses - "For you created me in my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.  I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."?

Today Scott and I thank God for allowing us to be a part of Ally Burtis's life and we celebrate God's plan for her and pray that she completes the good works and purpose God has created for her to do in her generation.

Things That Make Me Happy....White Trim and a Freshly Painted Room

Good morning friends!  I thought I'd begin a new "segment" here on the blog that I have a feeling I'll revisit from time to time....Things That Make Me Happy. 

When we moved into our new house we didn't realize how poorly many of the rooms had been painted - or maybe just how long ago they had.  Hiding behind the furniture was chipped paint, glops dried on the wall and other offenses.  Well, we finally got around to painting some of the bedrooms.  Probably because my slave, uh, I mean, son was home from college this week.  He's a good worker :)  So, this will mostly be a pictorial post today.  Hope you  like!

First, a little quirky thing you should know about me - one of my favorite things - white trim and molding.  It makes me happy.  It makes me think clean thoughts.  So you'll be able to see right away why I didn't spend much time in these rooms. Let's start with our room. The color of this room was so dingy and dark.  Depressing kind of with shades that blocked most of the light.  I never wanted to be in there - except to sleep.

YUCK - icky brown - notice the window trim

This is a bit of a departure for me, but I chose it because it's a happy color!

note the chipped paint and AWFUL brown molding...I hate brown molding

WHITE!  and lots of sanding

ewww....brown switchplates too

aaaahhhhh....so clean looking!

note the windows...not only dark brown trim, but heavy brown shades - that didn't come up!

This is my favorite!  White White White!  and the light shines through...happiness!



Now the WORST OFFENDER......our girl's room:

Can you believe these colors?  Dark orange, dark brown trim...YUCK!

WHITE windows and closet doors.  Now we all want to be in here!

Totally gross.  Depressing!

Beautiful!  Did you notice the trim...WHITE!  Clean!

Did I mention that the outlets and switches were painted over too?  We are starting to think an unsupervised child painted this room. I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to my husband who changed all the switches and outlets in both rooms to....you guessed it...white ones!  I'm practically giddy over it.  Yeah, I admit it...I've got issues.  I guess I just like change.  I love seeing order come to chaos and beauty from grossness.  I don't know if that's a word.  And my favorite...darkness to light.  Who wants to be in a dark, gloomy room when you can see light come streaming through?

These are overriding themes of the Bible.  Did you notice?  Jesus is into transformation.  He wants to transform our messiness into beauty.  And He can.  He will take our dirty sin and make our hearts white as snow.   He wants to bring light into our darkness.  And He can.  Don't try to keep anything hidden from Him.  It's not good for you anyway.  I realize life can be messy.  That's unavoidable.  But we can also experience an unblemished, clean, orderly life that shines light on everyone we meet.  This is what God wants for us and offers to each believer.  Why not invite some transformation into your life?  Or at the very least, your home, so it will remind you of what Jesus has done in your life.    You might be surprised at how much joy you experience. 

Friendship with God....Amazing!

Happy Saturday, friends. I read the quote below earlier in the  week and and can't stop thinking about it. So I guess I need to share it with someone I love.  So, here goes:  from My Utmost for His Highest:

"The Delights of His Friendship.  Genesis 18 brings out the delight of true friendship with God, as compared with simply feeling His presence occasionally in prayer.  This friendship means being so intimately in touch with God that you never even need to ask Him to show you His will.  It is evidence of a level of intimacy which confirms that you are nearing the final stage of your discipline in the life of faith.

When you have a right standing relationship with God, you have a life of freedom, liberty and delight; you are God's will.  And all of your commonsense decisions are actually His will for you, unless you sense a feeling of restraint brought on by a check in your spirit.  You are free to make decisions in the light of a perfect and delightful friendship with God, knowing that if your decisions are wrong He will lovingly produce that sense of restraint.  Once He does, you must stop immediately."

Wow - I totally love that.  The possibility that if I am so immersed in God, my commonsense everyday decisions are actually His will for me.  That is an amazing freedom.  Not to mention peace. And then trusting Him to bring the restraint when the common sense fails.

He called Abraham friend.  Jesus said we are no longer slaves, but friends of God.  I'm loving that today.  I hope it blesses you too :)

Come Sit Awhile.....

Last summer, our boys spent 9 weeks on Word of Life Island together - about 3 hours from our home.  63 days, 62 nights not sleeping under our roof - count 'em. We got to see them about 3 times enduring tolerable interludes in between.  When we would visit, naturally there would be hugs all around.  But I noticed at the last visit, the beginning of the end of the summer (we would be staying to camp for the week) when we would take them home, the hugs were different.  The boys held on longer (so did their mama) and I even remember a whisper eeking out of my mouth into their ears "yessssss". What made the difference?

I'm camping in the Gospel of John as I prepare my heart for Easter.  Today I spent some time in chapter 15.  I love the picture Jesus paints here of the vine and branches.  The word abide - it means "to remain, continue, stay; to have one's abode, dwell, reside; or continue in a particular condition, attitude, or relationship."  Jesus said, "Remain in Me and I will remain in you." (John 15:4) He taught remaining and abiding in His presence, not commanding them to be fruitful.  Interesting.  And yet I find myself so often running from activity to activity in hopes of being fruitful for the kingdom.  That's easy for a list-making, Type A personality such as myself.  We've come up with our own requirements for finding God's favor.  And usually it involves a lot of doing, a lot of activity, a full calendar. Is this true or is it just me?  Sometimes we just don't get Jesus.

That's not wrong, but Jesus makes it clear here that He wants me to sit down and spend some time with Him - the more the better - and OFTEN - then He will bring the fruit. 

I heard it said once that in our busyness, we tend to get up and going in the morning and give Jesus a quick hug and kiss through a quick prayer asking Him to bless our day and then we're out the door.  We leave Him sitting there near our favorite chair - wishing we'd stay awhile.  To remain.  To abide. To grow intimately in our knowledge of Him.

The abiding hug.  That's the kind of hug I want to give God.  The one that says, "I have time for you.  I'm sticking around awhile."  And that's the kind of hugs I received from my boys that day last summer.  They were abiding hugs.  The boys knew they were coming home.  We weren't just going to spend a few hours together and then part ways again.  We were going to be together for awhile.  Abiding.  And it felt so good.



How much more should this time and attention be given to God and my relationship with Him?

Confessions of an overeating shopaholic self-indulgent woman in desperate pursuit of God's holiness

Hey friends, I hope you're doing well today.  All this sunny warm weather makes me long for Spring...and Easter.  I've got a few things on my mind today.  I don't know about you - but I sort of over-do most everything in my life.  If a little is good, more is better, right?  This can be so easy and very fun when eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet, finding a jam-packed clearance section in my favorite store or going overboard (kind of) redecorating my house for every season.  To put it bluntly, I'm an overeating, shopaholic, seasonally-driven home decorator.  As my kids would say, "I go hard."

 Like the pic above...I could eat that whole party mix (well, leaving the pretzels at the bottom, of course!) or like here where I'm making a cake and touching up the living room paint before company arrives - doesn't everyone do that??

The question needs to be asked, "When is enough, enough?"  Indulgence is not always our friend.

I read and have been re-reading this quote daily for a little bit now.  "Each day God can be the perfect portion of everything we need - every longing we have, every desperate desire our souls cry out for. God will be our portion."

I believe it is based on these verses:  Lamentations 3:24 "The LORD is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him." and  Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Sometimes exercising the discipline of fasting can bring my portion control issues into the spotlight. Just like when you're a kid and your parents say you can't have something or aren't allowed to do something you want to do...what happens?  You want it more than ever!!  I find in adulthood this hasn't changed this much unfortunately.

When I attempt to set up boundaries for a spiritual purpose - my weaknesses are suddenly thrust into the spotlight. This makes me ultra thankful that God has already provided a way of escape for the many areas where I'm tempted to overindulge.  (1 Cor. 10:13)  The LORD is my portion.  He is enough.  He is more than enough.  When I fill up all my desires with Him, I can resist the counterfeits.

I like how Lysa Terkeurst words it, "Making the connection between my daily disciplines with food (or shopping, etc - add your guilty pleasure here) and my desire to pursue holiness is crucial.  Holiness doesn't just deal with my spiritual life; it very much deals with my physical life as well.

It is good for God's people to be put in a place of longing so they feel a slight desperation.  Only then can we be empty enough and open enough to discover the holiness we were made for.  When we are stuffed full of other things and never allow ourselves to be in a place of longing, we don't recognize the deeper spiritual battle going on.

Satan wants to keep us distracted by chasing one temporary filling after another.  God wants us to step back and let the emptying process have its way until we start desiring a holier approach to life."*

As we are nearing Easter, consider that Christ emptied Himself for us, gave up everything, to call out a people of His own to display His holiness. How does my appetite for the world and all it has to offer compare with my appetite for God and His holiness?  Is there something I can empty out of my life so that He can fill it with more of Himself? What would happen if everyday I started out with the prayer, "Lord, be my portion today.  Fill me with the good things you have provided for me - and help me turn down any offer that keeps me from depending on you to fulfill my every desire."?

Ann Voskamp writes, "Why feed the flesh and fast the soul – instead of fasting the flesh and feasting the soul – and on God? I’m a soul, not a body, and a soul can starve to death when it feasts only on this world.  When the ache of our soul craves communion with our Savior more than consuming more stuff, our realest self – not our bodies, but our souls — feast on joy.  And God is satisfied."**

"Crave means to long for; want greatly; desire eagerly.  Pursuing holiness means God is the only One we should long for; want greatly; desire greatly.  The Only One worthy of our worship."*  I want to crave God more than I crave any other thing, person, emotional need, don't you?  He is enough.  He is more than enough.  He is the perfect portion of everything we need.  Let's overindulge on the things of the Spirit.  Truly, they are the only things that really matter.

*quotes from Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst
**from Ann Voskamp's blog www.aholyexperience.com

The Spirit vs. the Flesh - Who's Winning?

Ever feel like you're at war within yourself?  I've been feeling it these past few days in particular.  I know it's a spiritual battle.  But how I fight or position myself for victory is the real question.  These are some things I've realized about myself:

When the Spirit is in charge...this is what you see in my life:

• love, forgiveness, faith, selflessness, humility, self-control, kindness, purity

When the flesh is on top....this is what you see in my life:

• pride, resentment, fear, self-centeredness, bitterness, indulgence, arrogance, jealousy

Don't skip over that too quickly.  It's such a simple litmus test as to whether or not we are walking in the Spirit.  There are three parts of me that are duking it out.  My spirit, soul and body are always active - but which one is in control?

Spirit

• Our inmost part
• God centered essence where Christ abides
• Only can be given/awakened by God
• God connects w/my spirit 

Soul

• Where my feelings camp out
• Conscience, emotions, personality and will
• Can be transformed by the renewing of my mind 

Body

• Where spirit and soul reside
• Physical state, no mind of its own
• God does not connect with my flesh

In order to walk in the Spirit (exhibiting fruits), we need to put Him in the leadership role and let our feelings (soul) provide the joy, laughter and sense of calm that accompanies a life lived by God's plan.  When the flesh starts screaming "Give me what I want!", my spirit must tell the flesh to "Sit down. You don't get everything you want.  I'm in charge here!"

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."  Gal. 5:16

*Whether we are on the path toward victory or defeat is determined by the very next choice we make."*  I for one am sick of defeat.  I want victory.  I want the spirit to win over the flesh more often than it does.  This verse always motivates me:  "Everything is permissible for me, but  not everything is beneficial.  I will not be mastered by anything."  1 Cor. 6:12  Do you know how many areas of our lives that should speak to?  Give it some thought as you consider the fruits listed in the beginning of this post.  And then ask yourself some questions...Which ones are being seen in your life?  Who's winning your war?  The Spirit or the flesh?  What will your next choice lead you toward?

Let's get on that road to victory together and give hope to others!  "Since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."  2 Cor. 7:1

*Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst

New Life Springs Forth

 For a winter lover such as myself, I must say these last few months have been rather disappointing.  I love a good snowstorm, or two or three or four.  But I'm losing hope that it will happen for us in 2012.
 Instead, this is what I've been looking at most of the winter outside of our house.

Just this....lots of brown.  Until yesterday when we got a random 50+ degree day here in Johnson City

And I saw these little guys sticking through the ground.  So I searched for more......

and found all of these!  So exciting!  But they are too early. Clearly there is underground confusion due to the lack of a frozen white winter blanket.

Even better....COLOR! 

Dig under the leaves a little and wow, surprise!!!

Not this.....now that's a snowbank!!.....

When I saw this one, I knew that Spring is on the way.  The earth has laid dry and barren and hibernating all winter....but it's almost over and right around the corner new life will spring up all around us.  Immediately, I thought of Jesus' resurrection.  What a day that must have been!  For 3 days life for those who knew Him was full of death and darkness, but in the morning of the 3rd day...LIFE and LIGHT!  Jesus said in John 10, "I have come that they may have life and live it to the full."  Probably my favorite thing about Easter is celebrating that new life that Jesus rose to give us. 

I hope some things in me have died and  been buried over the cold, dark winter and God will bring forth something new and beautiful and full of light and life. "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"  Is. 43:18,19  That's something to celebrate!

"This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 2 Tim. 1:9b, 10

Antipasto Pizza Pie

For any of my friends who are doing the Daniel Fast or just would like to make a healthy meal for yourself and family.  This is a good one!

Antipasto Pizza Pie

Crust
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup oat* or whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Sauce
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Toppings
1/4 cup chopped canned artichokes, drained
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Mix rice, olive oil, flour, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large bowl.  Stir well.  Rub bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate w/olive oil.  Press rice evenly over bottom and up about 1 inch along sides to make the crust.  Bake 8-10 min (I baked longer) until rice is lightly browned.  Combine tomato sauce, basil, oregano, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl.  Spread over crust, and top with toppings.  Sprinkle parsley over all.  Bake 10 min.  Let pie rest 5 minutes so slices stay intact when you serve them.

I also put kalamata olives, green onions and banana peppers on it too.

*Make your own oat flour by placing old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender and process until fine (1 cup oats will yield 3/4 cups ground oats)

Sacred Echoes

I always know that God is trying to say something to me when it comes at me in several different ways, at different times.  Margaret Feinberg calls it the sacred echo.  "The moments when God speaks the same message to my heart again and again.  It's when throughout relationships, daily life, and study the same scripturally sound idea or phrase or word will keep reappearing until I can no longer avoid its presence."*

Tonight in the communion service, we were considering the suffering that Jesus endured on the cross on our behalf.  Scott talked about how we tend to try and avoid all suffering in our lives.  We would like our path to be void of pain.  Often we even pray that way.  Now, I don't think there's anything wrong with that and pray similar prayers often - especially on behalf of my family, emphasis on our kids but could we be missing something?

Just before the service and just after, and also this morning, and most every time we go into our new church, someone sweetly tells me that they are praying for our kids and their transition to a new school.  It's really overwhelming and I'm so thankful for it.  No wonder the transition has been smooth so far. (I should mention here, too, that I know lots of our Syracuse friends are praying for the kids too and we are equally grateful.)

Soon I had a flashback in my mind of a report by one of my favorite missionary's some years ago.  She told of the persecution of Christians in many parts of the world.  I'll never forget when she said, "They don't want you to pray for the persecution/suffering to stop, but rather that they will have the strength to endure and glorify God through it."  Wow.  That blew me away.  Which would my prayer be for myself....or my kids?

What I've been told and what I think others are praying for our kids is that they can handle transitioning from a small private Christian school to a larger, public school.  We pray that they will make the "right" friends.  I pray that the enemy will protect them from any who might draw them away from their faith.  That they will be the influencers, not the influenced.  I pray that they will stand out and live differently, in a contagious kind of way that will give them the opportunity to share Christ...and that they will. And that their mother will not be a woman ruled by fear and worry.

But as I take the bread and the wine, thoughts collide.  I think of what Paul teaches in Phil. 3:10, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death..."

And Timothy in 2 Tim. 1:8, "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.  But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God."

And Paul in Romans 8:17, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory....because our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

I consider in observing the Lord's Supper, that we are celebrating Christ's suffering on our behalf and the privilege it is to take up our own suffering (that He chooses - we certainly don't go out and look for it!) on His behalf - so that His Glory will be revealed in us.  What an awesome thought that through suffering we share in His glory and we can know Him...and become like Him.  So, why pray that He will omit all suffering from our lives?  Why not pray that He will help us stand up under it?  Endure?

I believe I'll be adding a little more to my protective mama bear prayers in the morning...and every morning following.

*from The Sacred Echo by Margaret Feinberg

Newness

Just a thought...

Before Easter....Why pray?

Because what we do consistently will form us

.....Why fast?

To let go of more of the world
To lay more hold of God

He promises, "I am making you a new creation, old things passing away and all things becoming new."*

So I wonder....

If we take time to pray and to fast.....what newness will emerge in my life (and yours) by Easter?

*2 Cor. 5:17