Charleston

This is a serious subject and the photo may seem out of place. But, I was talking to God about this senseless loss of precious lives and He sent this butterfly to me. In a small way, it gave me hope.

I thought about not writing anything concerning the devastating tragedy in Charleston.  It was because I was at a loss for words and too troubled to begin to form any meaningful thoughts.  And, also, because I feel so helpless to say anything that will change what is happening.

But, I have a few things to say, and some of them may seem harsh.

I will not pretend that I have all the answers as to why this heinous crime was committed, but I do have some answers.  Let me preface what I'm about to say with the statement that I don't know anything about the man who committed this crime, nor do I know his family, but...

Here is what I do know. Children are not born with hate in their hearts. Our loving Father created us for Love, and I believe we all start out with love embedded in our spirits. However, the enemy will use every opportunity to destroy that beautiful love that is implanted in us.  He will use the world, deception, our own brokenness, and every other thing he can get his "hands" on to turn us against one another and try to replace our loving spirits with hate and evil. It is our responsibility to fight this evil whenever and wherever we see it.  

Parents are often (not always) the ones who teach prejudice and hatred to their children. SHAME on those who teach their children to hate others because of the color of their skin, or the accent of their speech, or the place they worship God.  If you are telling racial jokes, calling people of other races disparaging names, categorizing people simply due to their color or their nationality, or using any language that doesn't reflect the undeniable fact that God loves ALL mankind, then YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!

It breaks my heart to think that most people in this country call themselves Christians, and yet they degrade other people with their speech and their actions. WWJD!  Remember that?  What would Jesus do?  What would Jesus say to us right now? I shutter to think how broken hearted He is right now seeing how we treat one another.

Parents - teach your children that God loves ALL people.  Just like the song "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight."  Teach your children not by telling them.  Teach your children by your example.  Show them that you love people who don't look like you by being inclusive, by using loving words to all people, by NOT accepting hateful speech, hateful music, hateful actions around you. Reach out in love to those who may be on the fringes, and let your children see this.

Friends - I have been guilty of laughing at a racial joke. I have been guilty of worse. We all have. Even my African American friends have done this. It is time that all of us TAKE A STAND!  No more hate speech. Not even joking. Period. That is what we can do. It begins with you and me. 

I vow to set an example of God's love for all people by my speech and my actions.  I will not promote or tolerate the enemy's agenda by putting other people down.  If a friend or someone I know decides to live with hate or promote racism with their words or actions, I will take action. I will call them out. I will let them know it is unacceptable and evil. I WILL TAKE A STAND!

Together, we can teach one another and the next generation that #AllLivesMatter.  Will you join me?

Jesus' commandment was simple.

#loveGodlovepeople

A Revelation In The Valley

Often I will "come across" Scripture that I was not looking for, and when that happens God is usually trying to reveal something to me. 

Today, I picked up my phone and it opened the Bible app without me touching the icon (I can take a hint Lord :)).  It opened to Mark 8, so I read through the chapter trying to see what God was saying to me. Beginning at verse 14 we learn that as the disciples are leaving by boat with Jesus, they realize they have only brought one loaf of bread for the journey. Now, mind you, this is after Jesus performed 2 separate miracles feeding 4 thousand, then 5 thousand people with only a few loaves of bread.  Yet, here they are, eye-witnesses to those very miracles and they are right back to worrying about food when the Son of God is right there in the boat with them!!

Oh my goodness! There are some BIG lessons here, aren't there?  

The first thing that slaps me in the face is how quick we humans are to doubt and to forget the greatness of the God who created us. How many times does He have to prove His trustworthiness before that is the first thing we think about when we are in crisis?  How many times has He rescued us from the darkness of our own sins?  How many times must we witness His love before we truly believe that He is always out for our good?

He is standing in our midst and we fail to recognize the God of all creation.

Jesus says, "Don't you grasp what has happened? Don't you understand? Are your hearts so resistant to what God is doing? Don't you have eyes? Why don't you see? Don't you have ears?  Why don't you hear? Don't you remember?"  I can almost see the look of exasperation on Jesus' face.

Forgive me Lord when your grace is right in front of me and I fail to see it.  Forgive me sweet Jesus when I limit your power by my own doubt.  Forgive me Father for my human failures.  

I may be in the valley of darkness at this moment, but I shall remain faithful to the One who has proved Himself over and over and over again.  He is incapable of failing me.  Did you hear that?  God is INCAPABLE OF FAILING US!  It is not in His DNA (okay, I admit I don't know if He even has DNA, but you get the meaning).

I have failed Him countless times.  Sometimes, it is even the same sin over and over. But, He will NEVER fail me.  

He will hold my hand, whisper to my heart, reveal His goodness and mercy, and pull me from the valley to the mountaintop once again. I trust my God in the midst of doubt, and pain, and struggle.  He isn't letting go of me, and I refuse to let go of Him.

He is worthy.  I trust Him.

Be love and be blessed, 

Crying To God In Winter

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about seasons.  Despite what many Northerners believe, we do have changing seasons here in Texas.  I love the changes, but I do have my favorite times of the year.

Summer is my favorite season by far.  That may sound strange since summers in Texas can bring brutal temperatures and ungodly humidity.  But, there is something magical about summer.

Walking outside in the early morning in a tshirt, shorts and flip flops makes me feel unencumbered. And, the warm sun on my face feels like love upon my skin.  You know how love makes you feel warm all over?  On those warm summer mornings sitting on the porch, looking at the way the sun reflects on the lake like millions of diamonds sparkling brightly, I feel close to God.

Our bald eagle sightings are far more frequent in summer than any other time of year. God speaks to me through these majestic birds, as well as the hawks that live near us.  When I am blessed to spot an eagle flying over the lake looking for an aquatic meal, I hear God speaking to my heart. I feel His presence and His love for me, personally.  I'm convinced He is sending me love letters in the form of these birds that I love, and in many other ways through his earthly creations.

Now that I'm writing these thoughts, I realize the true reason I love summer more than any other time of year.  It is because I feel God's love and His spirit so much more powerfully when I'm spending time experiencing nature and the incredible creatures around us.

But, I've been thinking more about winter these days.  Not so much the season of winter that is upon us, but the seasons of winter in our lives.  To be sure, we all experience winter. It's a time of bleakness, uncomfortable cold, and sometimes utter darkness.  I've survived many a winter in my life.  Times of despair.  Times of hopelessness.  Times of hunger.

In the midst of these cold seasons of life, when I've felt I could not go on one more day, when winter had taken a heavy toll upon my soul, I inevitably reach for Jesus, in desperation, asking for answers, begging for the pain to stop, questioning why a loving God would allow me to suffer so.

He doesn't always bring me the answers I seek, or lift the pain with the snap of His fingers, but when I finally turn to God in my suffering, I find solace.  I find comfort.  I find He is and always was there. And, in time, I find joy again.

Because we live in an imperfect world, winter will visit us again and again.  Sometimes it is mild and spring arrives so quickly we hardly notice that we experienced a darker time and our challenges are easily forgotten. Other times the harshness of our winter threatens to overwhelm us to the point of annihilation, and in those moments we have no choice but to cry out to God for help.  There is nowhere else to turn, and if we don't cry out we will surely die.

Your might isn’t in numbers, and your power isn’t in the strength of a human being. But you are the God of the humble. You are a helper of the underdog, defender of the weak, protector of those who despair, savior of those without hope. - Judith 9:11

More winters are coming.  A harsh one is on the horizon.  Lord, I need you now. Sweet Jesus, thank you for suffering for me so that I can remember the hope I have during the terrible winters.  A hope of everlasting life, a joy so complete that it will banish all winters into oblivion.  Thank you that I can find joy even in winter, knowing that summer is coming.

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will fly up on wings like eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary. - Isaiah 40:31

Be love and be blessed,