The Choice

The following is one of my favorite excerpts from author Max Lucado's book, 'When God Whispers Your Name'. May your heart be blessed and challenged.

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. 


In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. 


For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is no that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I am free to choose. And so I choose.


I choose love...
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves. 


I choose joy...
I will my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of a lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.


I choose peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.


I choose patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one that took my place, I will invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank my God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage. 


I choose kindness...
I will be kind to the poor for the are alone. Kind to the rich for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind for such is how God has treated me. 


I choose goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness.


I choose faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home. 


I choose gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it only be in praise. If I clench my, fist may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.


I choose self control...
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self control.


Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when the day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
(When God Whispers Your Name. Max Lucado. P.73-75)


"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." 
Galatians 5: 22-24


May the heart of God be your pursuit today and these attributes be the result. Blessings. 
<><tce

passion and pursuit

Our first year of marriage was a bit rocky. My husband would agree. He was expecting sex, candles and lingerie on a regular basis, while I was expecting surprise getaways and romantic notes under my bed pillow. Suffice it to say, as frantic, tired and poor college students, we both came up a bit disappointed. Sure, as frantic, tired and poor dating college students, we somehow managed the romantic dates and sappy love notes, but now that we were Mr. and Mrs. marriage was going to be enough. But it wasn't.

There was a pursuit problem. I wasn't pursuing him and he wasn't pursuing me. I felt neglected and I missed the romance. He felt neglected and wondered why there was still tags on all the black lace hanging in the closet. Did we still love one another? Deeply. However, passion, pursuit and patience were lacking and as a result, we were floundering.

When I think of my walk with God, I think of it much like I do a marriage. For many, we are so focused on the 'experience' of becoming a Christian and saying the sinner's prayer and very little thought or even effort is put beyond that. While that is important, many fail to realize that it in itself is a single event. A wedding of enormous proportion is no more of a guarantee of happiness than a couple standing before a judge in a courtroom, simply because it is what comes after that will show the relationship for what it really is.

'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

"therefore, I will hope in Him."

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

to the soul who seeks Him.

It is good that one should wait quietly 

for the salvation of the Lord.'

Lamentations 3:22-26

The love of the Lord is not dependant on us--it is eternal. Nothing we could ever do or fail to do will change that. However, just as in a marriage, there is responsibility on our part. It is easy to feel as though we prayed and therefore God ought to act. When He fails to (immediately or favorably) we throw up our fist and say, "I thought you loved me! I am trying to pray just like you command and you are not responding!" The thing is, we approach God the way we approach our spouses--we have the consumer McDonald's approach: What can you do for me right now? Sure, we understand there is cost involved, we wouldn't expect to go to McD's and eat free, but we want it at minimal cost with minimal delay. 

And we wonder why our marriages and our walk with God are less than satisfying.

You see, God is faithful. The fact that the sun rose above the horizon this morning and you have breath in your lungs declares loudly that God is faithful. Sure, there may not be dollars in the bank or clean laundry in the closets, but there is breath in your lungs and light in your eyes. When our hearts are so enamored with God that we pursue Him and wait patiently for Him, it is then our hearts will truly be captivated by His goodness. When our hearts change from, "I prayed my prayer and attended the service, so now you should respond God" to "Oh God, my soul is hungry for you! Grant me grace that I may see your hand and presence in my life today Lord" our lives will dramatically change. 

My marriage radically changed when I stopped expecting my husband to bless me and I began to simply delight in his presence in my life. I started to realize that his presence alone was a blessing and my heart grew content in that. His response to my quiet pursuit of the beauty and simplicity of his presence changed my marriage as well as his response to me. God is the same way. While His love for you will never depend on your pursuit or love for Him, His response to you will. When our hearts are passionate about pursuing His presence in our lives and our portion is found in Him alone, hope will rise as His goodness is lavished upon us. As this week unfolds before you, may your heart wait patiently upon the Lord and find it's delight in His presence. 

Blessings to you dear friend...

<><tce

Two is Better. Lessons from a home renovation

A few years ago the house across the street went up for sale. Like any normal people, we panicked. Up until now, it had been an elderly man living there who kept pretty well to himself and enjoyed fresh baked goods when we had some to share. Now it was anyone's guess. You never know what, or shall I say whom, you're going to get. It could be the man with seven large, loud outdoor dogs or an investor looking to establish a condominium community or trailer park. Either way, we kept a nervous eye on the driveway and were praying for a nice family. Shortly after it went up for sale, a husband and wife purchased the land and home, tore down the house and started a new construction. We eagerly introduced ourselves and what started as a brief conversation while swatting mosquitos and swapping introductory information has blossomed into one of our biggest blessings.

The other night, we were tearing out carpet while our children played in another room. It was about -25 degrees Fahrenheit outside and it was getting late quickly. There was a knock on the door and there was Grampa W, our blessed neighbor from across the street. He had in his hand two large scrapers and a smile on his face. We had no idea what a blessing he would be and didn't even think to ask for the help.

The fact is, two is better than one. We need each other. God did not create us to be alone. When God looked upon Adam, He said, "it is not good for man to be alone; I will make a helper fit for him." (Genesis 2:18) If you think about it and read the text carefully in Genesis 1, you will see that God is not a single unit either.

 'And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." ' (Genesis 1: 26a)

You see, before the creation of Adam, 'aloneness' had never existed (Dr. Del Tacket, The Truth Project). God Himself is a community (Father, Son and Holy Spirit--the Holy Trinity) which is why He was referring to Himself in plural form.  Until Adam, there had always been fellowship and when God looked upon Adam it was directly contrary to the very nature of God Himself. As a result, He created Eve, a help mate and partner for Adam.  To live a life of seclusion is directly contrary to the way we were made. 

The truth is, we need each other. God set within us the need for another and that need is real from the moment of birth until the moment of death. If you are staring a possible divorce in the face, bankruptcy, foreclosure, health issue, legal issue, big decision or just another day, don't weather it alone. Our enemy wants nothing more than to keep you isolated, quiet and detached because he hates you. He will swamp your mind with the lies that no one understands or cares or wants to care. He will fill your head with arrogant thoughts like, "I can do this on my own, I don't need anyone..." when in fact, your heart is longing for an ally. He will keep you wrapped in shame so thick that the fear of letting anyone in will cripple you into hiding and withdrawal. I know shame well. Independence, arrogance and isolation had been three companions of mine for too long. It was terrifying at first to admit weakness, to appear vulnerable and to confess the sin and shame that had kept me quiet for so long. The result? Freedom and friendship that I could have never dreamed of and an impact that I never thought possible. 

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

For if they fall, one will lift him up. 

But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. 

A cord of three strands is not easily broken." 

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12

"Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Galatians 6:2

<><tce

Celebrating without you...

Tomorrow is your birthday. It is hard to believe that it has been nearly four years since I last touched you...prayed with you...told you I loved you. Sometimes I have dreams about you and you are there, talking with me in that same manner you always had. I wake up smiling and thank God for your life. In some ways, twenty eight years was not enough, but in others, I knew you were ready to meet Jesus. There are moments that I still cry and it is mostly because I just miss you. I still laugh when I think of the tricks we played on Mom and I smile when I think of our last Christmas together. You would be so proud of your nephew...I tell him about you all the time, especially when he plays with Legos. Your life and your death have taught me so many things and for that I am deeply grateful. In Revelation 22:13 God says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." There are moments that my mind wanders back to those last days and I wish I could have been there...said something...done something. It is in those times that the Holy Spirit brings me back and gently says, "Tiffany, I was there. I was there the moment he was conceived, the moment he was born and I was there when he took his last breath on earth. I was there when he opened his eyes before my heavenly throne. I am the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega. Life begins and ends with me. I am holy and righteous in all I do and his length of days on earth were altogether good." I am thankful to have loved you. I am thankful to have been your little sister. I am thankful you loved Jesus the only way you knew how during your brief time on this earth. I eagerly await the day when I can again celebrate your birthday with you. Until then, know we are celebrating without you. I love you. I miss you.

<><tce

Where's my belt? Lessons from a home renovation

Jon: "Babe, have you seen my belt?"
Me: "Umm...no. Where did you last see it?" (a perfectly legitimate question by the way)
Jon: "Well..." Thinks for a minute while looking around, "it was in a box on the floor in the living room."
Me: Looking around, making my 'ugly face', "really...a box on the floor huh? That really narrows it down."
Jon: "Perhaps I will just wear different pants."
Me: "Yeah. Good plan."

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but truthfully, trying to capture the chaos in this photograph is like trying to capture the intense beauty of a sunset over the Grand Canyon with an old school Polaroid camera. Every corner of my home is in a state of unrest. There are boxes and baskets everywhere. Sheets of Sheetrock and rolls of carpet have become fixtures in the common living spaces while our bed is tucked away neatly in a corner of the living room (behind the lovely entertainment stand that has become a toy/book shelf). Our piano and dresser have become part of the dining room decor while the future half bathroom has become more of a utility closet. Some days I can easily remember that this is all temporary while other days I swear I need a padded room. Those days seem to be more and more common.

I have to say that at moments, this is what my heart and head look like as well. I feel as though my emotions are askew and my relationships are far from what they should be. Where there should be harmony there is discord. Where laughter ought to be, most days you will find frustration and disappointment. It is easy for finances to be mismanaged, time to be of short supply and the toilet is always dirty. There are times when it feels as though it doesn't matter how hard you try, you'll still come up a day late and a dollar short.

As I was spending time in God's Word there were a couple of verses that spoke truth to my heart. As I sat amidst the mess and chaos feeling as though my very walls were closing in on me, the words of Apostle Paul and the Prophet Isaiah encouraged my weary heart.

"So we do not lose heart. 

Though our outer nature is wasting away,

our inner nature is being renewed day by day.

For this slight and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory

beyond all comparison,

as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

For the things that are seen are transient,

but the things that are unseen are eternal."

2 Corinthians 4: 16-18

"You [God] will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, 

because they trust in You."

Isaiah 26: 3

"And I am sure of this,

that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion

at the day of Jesus Christ." 

Philippians 1: 6

With tears in my eyes I looked around and thanked God for what He was doing in my heart. I am thankful for His faithful instruction and His correction, even though it hurts sometimes. I am thankful that this is temporary--everything on earth is temporary. Not only is there an end to my chaos, there is an ultimate end to the chaos and strife of earth. I am thankful that although I want the end result now, I am reminded that God still has work to do. As the Master Carpenter, He loves me the way I am but He refuses to leave me that way. When I am weary you can remind me that He is faithful, all of this is temporary and just like my home renovation, His work in my heart will one day be complete. In the meantime, I will stay in God's Word, do my best to encourage others and perhaps I will try to help my husband find his belt. 

<><tce

my monday morning prayer

The week is in front of me, unopened and undefiled. I don't know what you have in store for me Lord, but I pray that You would be glorified. I pray that I would take joy in trial (James 1), remain steadfast in all things and that even in joy and plenty, my heart would remain set on you. As the things of earth seek to enrapture my heart, may my heart and mind be stayed on you. Reveal to me the pockets of sin that keep my heart from true companionship with you and may the work of my hands bring you praise and glory. I pray that regardless of the joy or tragedy, success or failure, normal and mundane that await me this week, that evidences of you would be apparent to all as your presence is experienced and your faithfulness is revealed. May others see you through my life this week and be encouraged by your unmerited kindness to this wayward and sinful woman. As a result, may their hearts be drawn to yours and may your spirit guide and direct us as we seek to live lives of obedience and conviction. Father, grant me the peace to accept the things of life that I can not change, the courage and conviction to change the things I can, and the heavenly wisdom to discern between the two. May my love for you grow this week and as a result may my love for others grow as well. 
Thank you for the promise of your presence (Psalm 139) in all things and at all times. I love you; thank you for loving me and thank you for saving me. 
Glorify yourself in and through me on this blessed Monday and through this week.
Amen
<><tce

The Weekend Dilema

I don't know about you, but for me Christmas comes nearly every week. Most weeks, Friday is as anticipated as the holy holiday is in my house. We know that Daddy doesn't have to work on Saturday and we can enjoy the family time that is ever so elusive during the bustle of the week, and we eat good food. However, with as much as we anticipate the weekend, there comes with it a certain expectation of rest and productivity. If we are not careful, these expectations can either create hope or dread.

As we look ahead to the weekend with great aniticipation or a bit of dread, I want to encourage your hear with Paul's words in Ephesians 5:

"Look carefully then how you walk,

not as unwise but as wise,

making the best use of time, because the days are evil.

Therefore, do not be foolish,

but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not get drunk on wine,

for this is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

addressing one another in psalms and hymns

and spiritual songs, singing and making melody 

to the Lord with all your heart,

giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."

(vv 15-21)

As we approach another weekend, I pray that we will consider what the will of God is for our lives. For many, the will of God is more like an abstract plan that we will never completely understand or even attain. We think of it the way we think of our soul mate--that special someone that is floating around out there and if we are lucky, we may just cross paths. 

I must say that I strongly disagree (I don't believe in soul mates either, but I'll save that for my Valentine's Day post ;) because as we spend time in God's Word, we see that God did not just give us a command without any direction. If we read, we will see that God does indeed give us direction. 

1.) 'look carefully then how you walk' (v 15). This implies action. We are not stagnant, immobile or unproductive. We are moving forward, even if we are in a state of rest. We are being deliberate and intentional. 

2.) 'making the best use of time because the days are evil' (v 16). Time is like money, it is fluid and is always moving. If we don't manage it, budget it and plan it, it will slip through our fingers like a grain of sand. We need to recognize the fact that our days are numbered and the evil that swirls around us needs to remind us that we are indeed mortal men. We will come to the day when we will behold the face of our Creator. For some that may be just moments or days from now, while others may have decades left. When is irrelevant, what is important is how we are preparing our souls for that day. Just as a bride plans for and prepares herself for her wedding day, so we too ought to plan and anticipate that day. How we manage our time will not only give us a better quality of life, but will serve to prepare our hearts to meet Jesus. 

3.) 'Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of God is.' (v 17). That's right--it is possible to understand God's will is! As we spend time in God's Word and our ability to understand and desire God's will will grow and develop. We don't have wander aimlessly through life squandering our time and talents in a feverish attempt to make something out of our lives. Rather, we can strive to live lives of purpose, surround ourselves with godly people and spend time in God's Word. 

4.) 'do not get drunk on wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit...' (v18). Let's remember that Jesus Himself was invited to a wedding (John 2) which gives us the understanding that He was a fun guy. They didn't invite Him for His miraculous abilities, because He had yet to perform any. They simply invited Him because they desired His company. Jesus was the embodiment of holiness and He was fun! Being a Christian and following a life that is patterned after His does not mean wearing floor length skirts, praying 23 hours a day and only leaving the house for church meetings. While we do live by Biblical conviction, Jesus Christ has come that we may have life abundantly . Drunkenness and the foolishness that walks with that lifestyle does not produce the fruit and fulfillment in our lives that God desires. God gives us guidelines to live by, not to withhold good from us, but to care for and protect us. When we stay within these guidelines, our lives will be more fulfilling than any beverage or buzz could provide.

5.) 'addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.' (vv19-2) Does  this mean that we need to go around chanting and quoting proverbs as we address one another? No. This simply means that our speech ought to reflect that of Christ. We have a large affect on others through the way we talk, and our talk needs to be edifying the way God's word is. Thankfulness is critical and ought to be woven through our lives and relationships that the scarlet thread that binds. As we live with a heart of gratitude, God will be exalted, people will be encouraged and our time on earth will be greatly different. As we seek to submit to one another, putting their needs above our own, we will stand amazed at the unity and love that will result. 

Oh God that you would lead us this weekend. I pray that you would provide us with a time of fellowship with other believers and that we would come away refreshed and encouraged. I pray dear Lord that we would have heart set on You and that we would have a renewed understanding of Your will for our lives. I pray that you would bless our hearts with productivity, rest and refreshment. Thank you Jesus for Your Word. May we hunger and thirst for it as we do nourishment for our physical bodies. 

I love you Jesus.

Tiffany

If you are anything like me, you go into your weekends with great expectations of rest and productivity. I always find myself Sunday night wondering where the weekend went and how it seemed to slip through my fingers like a grain of sand.