Month: July 2017

Deciding What to Wear

Posted on by Paula

Deciding what to wear each day can be a bit of a challenge for me, and you never know what I might look like. I love to wear dresses, but sometimes I want to wear my comfy pants. Sometimes I dress professional; other times, my style is pretty loud and eccentric. I have days that I receive compliments, but I also have days when my daughter looks at me, shakes her head and firmly advises, “No!” If my outfit is pink, flowery, polka dotted or lacy, I will probably be sweet that day. If I’m wearing black my attitude might not be quite as pleasant. Black could mean that I’m mourning over a person or situation, but it could also mean that I need to feel brave, confident or powerful for something I’m getting ready to face. If I’ve been having a rough time and wish I could stay at home, I will probably choose clothes that are as close as I can get to pajamas. My beachy attire might mean that I’m in a great mood, but it could also mean that while my body is trapped in the real world, my mind is trying to escape to the ocean. Sometimes my clothes don’t match. If I feel like wearing my striped pants with my printed blouse or my hot pink cheetah print slippers with my lime green t-shirt and jeggings, then that is what I’m going to wear. I might wear sequins and glitter one day, classic black another and my paisley palazzo pants with a hot pink tank top the next. The way I dress generally reflects how I feel on any particular day, but there are also days that I dress the opposite of how I feel in an effort to hide or lift my mood. You just never know what to expect.

There is however, something very important that I strive to put on every single day. No matter what my mood is or how I feel, putting on my spiritual attire is a must. When I pray each the morning, I ask God to dress me in the full armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18. It sounds something like this,

Dear Heavenly Father, please clothe me and my family in the full armor of God so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes. Let us stand firm with the belt of truth buckled tightly around our waists to keep us aligned with your truth. Let us keep the breastplate of righteousness in place to guard our hearts from evil. Let our feet be fitted with readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace. Help us live out the Gospel so that others can see the transformation you are making in our lives. May we be ready to share the Gospel with those around us. Let us take up the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Shield us from fear and doubt. Strengthen our faith and make us like the tree in Jeremiah, planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. Give us faith that moves mountains. Let us wear the helmet of salvation, remembering that our salvation comes not because of anything we do but only through Jesus. Let us not take for granted the sacrifice that Jesus made for us when He died on the cross, but just as Jesus laid down his life for us, I pray that we would lay down our lives for him. Help us to be mighty ambassadors for Christ and children who please you and bring you glory. Keep the sword of the Spirit sharp in our possession so that we can wipe out all of Satan’s lies with your truth. Fill our minds with your truth to give us wisdom and discernment. Flood our hearts with truth to give us peace. Keep your truth on the tip of our tongues, ready to bring healing to those who need it. Lead us not into temptation. Let us remember that you are always with us and that the battle belongs to you. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

When I pray this, I visualize God clothing me with that armor, and I prepare myself for whatever I will face that day. His words of truth soak into my mind and strengthen my spirit. I am reminded that we are in a spiritual battle and that I need to keep my eyes open to see what God is doing around me and so that I can also be alert when Satan tries to distract and discourage me. It reminds me that I belong to the One who has been given all power and authority in heaven and on earth and that he has provided me with all that I need to overcome the evil one. When I put on the full armor of God, I can be confident that I am secure for battle and that I am able to stand against the devil’s schemes.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV)

Be Alert for What Lies in Wait

Posted on by Paula

While spending a week in Florida, my daughter Jessica, daughter-in-law Cassie and I decided to get up early each morning for a run/walk before it got too hot. I was enjoying the different scenery and taking occasional photos of things that could be seen on a walk in Florida that couldn’t be seen on a walk in Illinois.

Cassie had warned me not to look too hard and told me that when she runs alone down there, she prays that she won’t see anything scary. It is a different place down there for sure, but the nice, wide sidewalk running along A1A gave me a sense of security.

The different scenery was intriguing and kept my attention as we ventured along. I saw a crab that had gotten hit while trying to cross the road. I enjoyed watching white ibises walking along the shrubbery. I found the ones roosted on the telephone wires to be quite comical; that is definitely not something to be seen in Illinois. I fell in love with the gorgeous trees that are so different that what grows here, the tropical plants that grow in the trees and especially the huge rubber tree plant that puts the little ones found in offices back home to shame. Instead of our ordinary dandelions, daisy-like yellow flowers threatened to take over the grass. The coconut lying on the ground was a nice find. However, the garden hose in the brush was not so nice when it turned out to be the fastest black snake that I have ever seen. I screamed as it slithered away at lightning speed, and the girls moved me to the middle of the sidewalk. There was also a lizard plague. I have seen a lot of lizards down there but I have never encountered the hundreds of lizards that formed a constant stream running across the path in front of us. Cassie felt sad for the one she was unable to avoid. I would have been grossed out for sure had I been the unfortunate one to land on it, but I can’t say that I would have been sad. I’m pretty much anti-reptile which meant that I also did not appreciate the 2nd lightning fast black snake in the brush on the way home.

The very worst experience on our run brought a whole new meaning to the childhood phrase, “Don’t step on the crack….” I was thankful that I had paused to take a picture as the girls continued ahead. I was snapping away, trying to get just the right angle when I heard them call back to me, “Just stay there! Stay there!” Apparently, a snake had been lying in the crack of the sidewalk and jumped out as Cassie stepped over the crack. It was much smaller than the black snakes we had seen, but a frightening surprise nonetheless. We had to caution Jessica, who loves to handle snakes, to leave it alone. Although we are pretty sure it was not a poisonous snake, it did hiss and rattle its tail quite a while before it finally decided to slither away into the grass. After three snakes in just one 50 minute walk, I decided that maybe the scenery on a walk in Illinois was a little less frightening than a walk in Florida. We definitely watched for the cracks a little better after that.

You know, I really don’t like snakes. In fact, I’m pretty scared of them. However, there is one snake that is the most dangerous of all. Yet, I’m not afraid of that one. The bible refers to Satan as a serpent. Revelation 12:9 says, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 20:2 makes the reference as well, and of course, Satan is overcome for eternity in Revelation when Jesus returns. These verses in Revelation point back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3 when the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve, and she and Adam gave into the temptation to eat fruit from the tree that God forbid them to eat from.

Just as Satan was there to deceive and tempt them in the garden, he is still here deceiving us and tempting us today. “You’re problems are too big…. Nobody cares about you…. Go ahead and indulge…. Give in; you’re too weak to overcome…. Have another drink…. Gratify yourself…. You’re worthless…. You can never be good enough…. It’s just a little lie…. You deserve it…. Go ahead and cheat…. Give up…. If God loves you, why is he allowing this to happen to you?…” Satan is a smooth talker who is full of deceit. He wants you to believe that you know better than God, that following Jesus is too hard and that doing things your own way is way more fun than abiding by God’s rules. He wants you to believe that freedom is walking away from God when true freedom is found in Christ.

Just like the snake jumping up out of the crack as the girls passed by, Satan is waiting to pop up when you least expect it. He’s hiding in the crevice, waiting to catch you by surprise, ready to pounce and attack. He’s evil and powerful, but you don’t have to be afraid because if you are a child of God, then “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The Holy Spirit who dwells in you is more powerful than the devil who lurks in the darkness.

Satan is a liar. There is no problem too big for God. You are dearly loved. You don’t need to cheat. Drowning your problems out with drugs, alcohol, food, gambling or anything other than God will not give you lasting peace. When you are tempted, God will provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Freedom is in Christ. There is nothing he won’t forgive. Nothing is impossible with him. His power is made perfect in our weakness. He loves you with an everlasting love and no one can snatch you out of the Father’s hand. If you belong to Jesus, Satan has no authority over you. Though he is waiting to attack, you have the power to overcome. The victory is ours in Christ. Don’t be afraid. Be alert. Be victorious.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. ~1 Peter 5:8-11

A Time to Give Back

Posted on by Paula

I started digging into 1 Samuel again this week. The story of Hannah in chapters one and two is such a beautiful story, and it was also helpful to me in overcoming my selfishness/self-centeredness when God called my son to take a job over a thousand miles away last year. It was a time to give back to God what he had entrusted for a season.

Hanna had not been able to conceive. She wept bitterly as she prayed to God asking for a child. She promised that if God would give her a son, she would give him to the Lord all the days of his life.

God remembered Hannah, and she conceived and bore a son who she called Samuel which means “heard of God.” When Samuel was weaned, Hannah kept her vow to the Lord. She took Samuel to the temple, made a sacrifice to God and left her son with the priest. Then she prayed a prayer of praise and worship.

Hannah had waited so long to become a mother. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for her to follow through with her promise after bonding with her little bundle of joy, but she kept her word. Now if Hannah, who had been childless, was able to see that her son was a gift from God and was able to praise God as she gave her son to be used by him all his life, shouldn’t I be able to give my son who I enjoyed for 22 years, over to God to be used by him the rest of his life? After all, I may have carried my son for nine months in my body, but it is God who knit him together in my womb (Psalm 139:13). I may have had plans for my son’s future, but all the days ordained for him were written in God’s book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). I may have cared for my son and raised him to follow Gods ways, but God who began a good work in him is the one who will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Children are a gift from the Lord, and I have received many blessings through the experience of raising four of them. I am thankful that God trusted me to take care of them when they were too small to take care of themselves, but ultimately, they were created by God to bring glory to him. I have found joy in nurturing them & encouraging them to become the people that God intended. However, their true purpose is found in God alone.

Just as God had a plan for Samuel to become a mighty leader, judge and prophet that would touch many lives for eternity, God had a plan for my son to touch many lives 1000 miles from home. He has a plan for each one of our children and each one of us, but we must be willing to give our lives to him and to give our children’s lives to him as well.

For more details on how this season of letting go and giving back has made an impact on my life, check out “Do You Love Me More? Part 1” and “Do You Love Me More? Part 2.” God is good!

A Time of Rest

Posted on by Paula

“I started sorting things out with God and getting serious about some of the things He’d been putting on my heart over the past several years. Most of those things boil down to taking care of myself. The problem is, I have always tried to cram way more things into my day than I have time for. So, taking care of myself wasn’t the priority. However, if the Holy Spirit dwells in my body and I am to offer my body as a living sacrifice, I need to take care of it.” I wrote those words in my very first blog post, “A Season of Gray Hairs and Discipline.”

Beginning January 1 this year, I had made it a priority to take care of myself and find balance. I was tired of my mess and was ready to get serious about the things that God had been convicting me about for far too long. I’d been doing really well with my endeavor, but at the 6 month point my balance was a little off again, and I wasn’t sure how to fix it. A few things in life changed (as they always do) and my routine needed to adapt to these changes as well. However, I was so caught up in “staying afloat” that I couldn’t find time to figure out a solution.

Luckily, we were scheduled to leave for vacation at the end of June, but things got worse the week before with all the preparations that needed taken care of.  In order to take my break, I had to not only keep up with my day-to-day responsibilities, but also work ahead to take care of bills and such that would need my attention before we returned. I got up early each morning to take care of a few things, used my lunch break for errands and laundry and then came home from the office to take care of more responsibilities, finally going to bed late.

I had been looking forward to hiding away, resting and letting God unclutter my mind and untangle my heart. Every year, my family plans an escape where we can shut everything out for a week. I was so ready to for a reset and could hardly wait to reach our destination and sort things out with God.

Our drive should have taken about 14 hours but took over 18 due to traffic. I slept almost the entire drive and also slept through the night. I was even more tired than I thought.

I had a lovely, relaxing week away. I enjoyed early morning walks/runs with my girls followed by coffee and Bible study under the coconut trees with God. I listened to the tide rolling in and out and the birds singing in the trees. I basked in the warm sun and gentle ocean breeze. I walked along the shore, searched for seashells and delighted in the hot sand under my feet. I was entertained by the little crabs that scurried about and by the manatee that I followed for about a mile before it disappeared.

Sometimes I’d think, sometimes I’d pray and sometimes I’d let the roar of the ocean drown everything out. No worries. No problem solving. Simply enjoying the peace and resting.

Because of God’s perfect timing, I found myself in the book of Judges on vacation. God’s people seemed to be caught in a vicious cycle. They would follow God and receive his blessing, but then they would stray. They’d forget the great things God had done, but God wouldn’t forget his covenant with them. Because he loved them, he would discipline them so they would return to him and obey.

So, there I was at a point in my life when I had “forgotten” my strong commitment to get serious and obey what God had been putting on my heart for so long. I was still seeking God each day, but at the same time, I was neglecting to fix the things that were throwing me off the track he had put me on. When we start to veer just a little bit, we are in a dangerous place because if we continue to veer, we will be pulled farther and farther from where God wants us to be. Thankfully, God was waiting with his love, mercy and grace, ready to help me get back on track. I just needed to stop and get away from the noise a while so that I could see the root of the problem and nip it in the bud.

During my break, God pointed out to me a few different things that I needed to address. As funny as it may seem, I realized once again that my biggest problem was not getting enough rest. It seems that when I have a lot I want to accomplish, I should tackle the list and conquer as much as possible each day to get things done. However, not getting enough rest was really throwing my life out of balance, and unfortunately the things that were getting pushed aside were the most important.

As we were driving home, a Third Day song started playing,

“How many times have I turned away?

The number is the same as the sand on the shore

But every time You’ve taken me back

And now, I pray You do it once more

Please, take from me my life

When I don’t have the strength

To give it away to You

Please, take from me my life

When I don’t have the strength

To give it away to You, Jesus.”

 My turning away has gotten less and less over the years, but I want to be at the point where I never turn away. I want to be 100% obedient. Not my will but his will.

So here I am, back to reality. The pace must pick up again, and I will be pulled in several directions. The messages about problems that need dealt with are waiting. The refrigerator is empty. The bills and laundry are accumulating again. But, I am refreshed. My focus is where it needs to be. I am at peace. God is faithful, and is ready to woo me back if I start to get off track.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Amen!

Thank You God, for Mercy, Peace and Drano

Posted on by Paula

I don’t understand how it happened. It was one of those “Mondays” disguised as a Tuesday. I was in the middle of my typical morning rush to get ready for work when all of a sudden, I saw black smoke rising in front of me. Instead of putting my eyeshadow compact back into my makeup basket, I had somehow dropped it into the 3-wick candle that was burning behind it. All I could think was that I needed to quickly put the decent sized flame out as fast as possible. In my moment of panic, I tipped the candle upside down so that the compact would fall into the sink. I wasn’t even thinking about all the melted wax until I realized it was spilling into the sink…and down the drain as the compact fell! How could I have done that?! I frantically wiped what I could out of the sink and then ran to the other room to grab a bottle of Drano. I poured the drain opener into the sink and waited for over 20 minutes, but it did not go down the drain. I boiled hot water and poured it into the sink as well. Steam rose into the air, but so did the liquid in the sink. I finally had to say a prayer, draw a line to mark the level in the sink, shut the bathroom door and ask my daughter to check on it later to see if the level of Drano and water was falling. I left for work thinking that this would be the last straw; my husband would surely kill me over this one. My daughter later texted me that the sink had finally drained, and I truly meant my reply of “Praise the Lord!!!” I still had some wax in the sink to wipe out when I got home, but the sink was functioning properly. What a relief!

Yesterday morning, I was rushing to leave for church and got there just as worship was starting. I started singing along, “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee. How great thou art. How great thou art.” Then, the worship team led me into one of my favorites, “God, I run into your arms, unashamed because of mercy. I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You…. You are Beautiful… You are Wonderful… You are Glorious… Oh God, there is no one more Beautiful…” The words of every song that morning spoke truth into my soul, and tears trickled down my face as I sang along.

I hadn’t realized all the trivial things that had caused me stress and annoyance over the past week or so. I had been caught in a rush with too much to do. I was trying to organize 2 major events that involved coordinating multiple families with too many busy schedules as well trying to tie up several loose ends both in the office and at home so I could take a break over the upcoming holiday. I had been praying and thinking over the weekend before about a difficult decision I needed to make. Monday morning, I burned my arm really bad on a hot iron. (It’s still oozing!) A couple of hours later, I had to finalize my decision I’d been praying about, and though I had finally reached peace in it all, it was a very difficult decision nonetheless. That evening, I found out that someone very dear to my heart was undergoing testing for some serious health issues. Tuesday was the “flaming eye shadow/wax down the drain” incident. (That’s quite enough stress for one day!) Wednesday, I battled a wasp nest in my doorway (Ok. The wasp issue really wasn’t that dreadful, but let’s throw it in.) That was also the day that my temporary crown fell out which meant that Thursday, I had to take time out to go back to the dentist for another temporary crown. I was thankful that the dentist squeezed me in, but “ain’t nobody got time for that” when their to do list is already way too long. Friday, I found out that the test results for the sweet young lady I’d been praying for weren’t what we had hoped. It was also a day of arguments caused by misunderstandings and exhausted people and a tense schedule.

Now, none of those things were really that bad. However, when a woman is intent on staying on task, running at a very fast pace, cramming too much in and shrugging off the physical rest that the Good Lord is calling her to, she may not even realize what’s happening inside. I knew I needed more time in prayer that week. I knew I needed more time in God’s word. I knew I needed more rest. Yet, I stayed in turbo mode whispering those little “breath prayers,” reading a minimal amount of Scripture and getting by on little sleep. So, by Sunday, my soul was desperately longing for rest and the peace that can only come through Jesus.

My heart resonated with the words on the screen during worship. God is so great! He is so beautiful, wonderful and glorious! I ran into His arms, unashamed because of mercy, and I was overwhelmed by Him. I thought about the past week and a half. I had known that something wasn’t right, but I kept chugging along. Meanwhile, there were burdens on my heart that I hadn’t even realized were there. My soul was longing for time at His feet, but I kept ignoring my need and running around, a woman on a mission. However, it was the wrong mission. I drowned out the longing more and more while the busyness of life stole more and more of my peace with God. Shifting my focus back solely on how great God is changed everything, and peace washed through my entire being just like the Drano and hot water washing through the stopped-up drain.

I know that I can’t let the busyness of life get in the way, but that is exactly what occurred. And again, “I don’t understand how it happened.” I am thankful though, for a God I can run to, unashamed because of his mercy, his grace and his love. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit who guides me back where I need to be. I am thankful for the peace that washes over me because of the blood of Jesus. And I am thankful that Drano and hot water cut through the solidified wax in my drain….

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’

‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” ~Luke 10:38-42 NIV

Determined to continue choosing what is better. Thankful for mercy when I fall.