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Just Passing Through

Posted in GOD, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #jesusenteredjericho, #justpassingthrough, #redemptioncomestoyou, #zaccheaus on February 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »

JustPassingThrough_Archive

There is a story of Jesus, just passing through a town one day, and an extraordinary turn of events occurred.

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through” (Luke 19:1), is how the story begins.

“Just passing though.”

No plans to stop, to folks to meet, no sights to see … just passing through.

I love the start of this story, because it is relaxed, it sounds like a carefree day.

I also love the start of this story because when I think of Jericho, my mind wanders to the Old Testament book of Joshua, and how that chapter opens is quite a contrast:

“Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.” (Joshua 6:1)

“No one when out and no one came in.”

The doors were locked, those who we in, stayed in … those who were out, stayed out.

All because of the Israelites … the Jews who threatened the safety of the city (and hey, when Joshua blew his trumpet, after he and the soldiers marched around it … well, the Israelites did kinda crush Jericho).

And who is “just passing through” all these years later, but Jesus … king of the Jews. Just passing through …

It doesn’t take one long, as we read and study about the life of Jesus, to know that he may have been just passing through, according to Luke, but Jesus never did anything without purpose.

For his purpose was always redemption.

And on this day, redemption was in his heart for Zacchaeus, the dreaded tax collector.

I love that Jesus is just passing through this city that was once locked to keep the Jews out, and he meets up with Zaccheaus, the Jewish tax collector who was well known for ripping people off, in the name of the Roman Empire (basically, he was working for the other team … imagine Tom Brady dropping his Patriots and signing with the Eagles, days before the Super Bowl … I believe that would make him (Brady and Zaccheaus) a traitor).

Though Jesus may have been just passing through the whole of Jericho was out to see this man, named Jesus, who they had heard was coming their way.

You see, his reputation had reached Jericho before his sandals ever touched that ground.

So, Zaccheaus, the rich Jewish tax collector for Rome (traitor), climbed up a tree to see this Jewish king, teacher, rabbi. He had to climb up a tree because he was short … one might say (and, perhaps, he would agree) that he was not only short in stature, but short sighted as well, when he chose to collect taxes for Rome, for though he acquired wealth, he lost community, birthright and belonging.

For Zaccheaus to choose such a job would set him apart from his people … by his association with Rome, his wealth and his greed.

Zaccheaus wanted to see this Jesus, perhaps because he knew that he was, by cultural connection, his redemption too … for we are all just passing through.

“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today”” (v. 5)

When he reached the spot … so much for just passing through!

Jesus (king of the Jews),

went to Jericho (a city once locked to keep the Jews out),

to see Zaccheaus (rejected by his people, the Jews, for working with the enemy),

to remind Zaccheaus that he was a descendent or son of Abraham (the Father of the Jews) …

“for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (v. 10)

Redemption, through Jesus, came to Zaccheaus

And he comes for you and I too.

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Please Shine Down on Me

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #hebrews12, #jesusisthelight, #monsoonseason, #pleaseshinedownonme, #turnyoureyestoesus, #wetcoastwinter, #whenitsdarkanddreary, #winter on February 1, 2018| Leave a Comment »

sun

It is dark.
It is wet.
The outer seeps in to the inner … the dark and twisties.

In the Pacific Northwest it is simply called winter. A season that can last from a relieving of a dusty summer sprinkling in October, until an eye-rolling, from under the covers, downpour in February (or June, depending on the year).

As of January 29, our area saw 204mm of rain (over 8 inches). As a comparative, all of January, 2017, the total was 98mm.

Do I hear the choir singing “rain, rain go away”?

After almost twenty-two years of calling this coast home, I still have not acclimatized to this season that I call the winter of our souls.

In January I start to get impatient, and (not so wisely) begin to take note of the hours of sunshine each day. As I scan weekly forecasts, for the last line, they usually look quite similar to the one below:

Screen Shot 2018-01-28 at 8.20.15 AM

It is a rare day that provides the hope that this coming Sunday forecasts (unless, of course it has changed). Truly, the norm is, as the rest of the week indicates, with one or two hours being the norm (I always pray that they fall on my way to work, and home again).

As with others, who prefer their precipitation white and fluffy … and bright, it takes a very deliberate effort to not fall victim to the dark. To not allow it inside our minds and souls.

It is like with the very deliberate effort it takes to not fall victim to sin.

Going back to Hebrews 12 (The Message), we are given a focus for the the race, which is life (v. 2-3):

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!“

When the rains fall, when the skies are dark and there is so little light in whatever our dark, dark winter may represent, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, for he is our light and encouragement.

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Like a Tree

Posted in GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #helovesyou, #iliftmyeyesup, #likeatree, #lookatthetrees, #lookup, #relyonhim on January 30, 2018| Leave a Comment »

oak-tree-looking-up
I felt the tension rising through my body, mind and soul. Not bad news, but not desired news. I felt the questions, the fear … truly unknowns are dire for one whose imagination can reach to far darker corners than bad news itself.

Then, as though I was created to do so, I lifted my eyes …

The trees in the distance, one to two hundred feet tall, swaying only slightly in the wind.

Then the voice, that still, small voice, never audible, except to my heart

never present, except when I least expect it

except when I most need it …

look at those trees,
the wind has little power.
They stand
despite the years of flood,
the years of drought.
I’ve got this …

It is so easy to forget just how much God loves us, just how much he cares about the big and small details of our lives.

For me (and probably most of us), the problem is that I forget to listen. It is so easy to forget that he speaks to us … through his Word, through his people, through his creation. It is just so easy to forget … him.

I need to remember him, I need to rely and trust on him … he who made me … you know, like a tree.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8

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What An Exam Does Not Indicate

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #examstress, #examtime, #marksarenotwhoyouare, #marksarenotworth, #youaremore, #yourvaluecomesfromgod on January 28, 2018| Leave a Comment »

exam

As the semester was coming to mid-January, I could see the stress and worry creeping into the faces and body language of so many high school students.

Wide-eyed, full of questions …
or stone silent.

Looking for reviews, study notes …
or affirmation.

Totally unaware of how to study …
or already immersed in it for weeks.

Last week I was reminded, yet again, of something that is so important to remind students …

their worth does not come from an exam mark

Exam week is a fascinating time to work in a high school. As one who loves to observe behaviours and body language, it is prime time to study both teachers and students.

The teachers are concerned with ensuring that enough exams have been printed, did all students how up to write, and then there is the marking (followed by report cards).

The students carry a different weight.

Sure, there are those who just show up, and write their exams, with nary a care in the world, but that is a unique student, who may be blessed with never having an intimate knowledge of high blood pressure, stress or anxiety.

Most students carry the burden of the exam, and on top of the appropriate amount of concern for their academic performance, some carry much, much more.

The constant message, intended as encouragement by teachers, peers, parents to take their exams seriously, can birth an unhealthy perspective, turning their academic results into personal value. Whether real of perceived, many students feel that their exam results determine their worth, as a person.

Each exam has such students poised to write who believe that lie, and it is written in their eyes, their furrowed brows and, for some, in their absence, as they are still home, close to the porcelain god in their bathrooms.

If for no other, it is this unhealthy perspective that makes me appreciate working in a school that allows corporate prayer. For each exam begins with prayer.

I tell them to drop their pencils and pens, to clasp their hands … not because they need folded hands to come to God, but to allow them to feel that they are alive, real.

I tell them to be quiet as we pray … not because God can’t keep track of what is being prayed, but so that they might have opportunity to hear their own breath rise and fall, taking focus off their worry.

I tell them to close their eyes … not because they can only pray with eyes closed tight, but that they might allow their eyes to rest for a moment from seeing the exam in front of them.

We pray together, asking that God might clear their minds, to perform to the best of their abilities.

Then I pray one last thing, that God would remind them that this is just an exam, and that he reminds them that their value does not come from an exam result, but from him.

And that is my prayer … for any exam can be rewritten, any course can be redone, but to think that those things are more important than oneself can be fatal.

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When I Can’t See What’s Up Ahead

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #itiswell, #itiswellwithmysoul, #mysoulissafeinhim, #tmi, #whenicantseewhatsupahead, #youarenotalone on January 25, 2018| Leave a Comment »

flood

Sometimes I wonder if I am too real and honest, too often.

I write about when I have had good days, and you certainly know the opposite comes my way. My hope is that, through my vulnerability, you might see that you are not alone. I also hope that, through my ups and downs, sunny and straight or dark and twisty, that you will see that you are not just not alone, because I share but because God is truly accompanying us each and every day … we are never alone.

Such was the case, just the other day …

Hubby had not slept well the night before … I knew that when I awoke, at 3:30am, on his side of the bed (he would say that is not uncommon … but, I digress). I was ready for work early, so I whispered to him that I would take our son to work for 8am. This ‘selfless’ offer also meant that I could stop at the only coffee shop I know to offer steeped tea! (I am SO selfless).

So, I let the younger man know what time we had to leave by, grabbed his lunch for him (I am so thoughtful), and went to wait for him in my vehicle.

The confirmed time came … and went. When younger man arrived, I asked him to close my garage door (which is not working right), by holding the button down until the door was down, and come out the other side … but he didn’t hear what I said about holding the button down. So, it went down, then stopped, then up, then down, then up, then … you get the idea (and I was now 6mins behind schedule).

He then got to experience something that I can only describe as a momma rant … that probably confirmed why he loves having his dad drive him to work.

Then, just as I was settling down (his wise silence put me in my place), and started to take the bend in the road, I was halted, literally, by a line of red brake lights, as long as the eye could see … seriously!?

Not only that, but it seemed that the road report on the radio indicated there were incidents and accidents all around me!

I was able to take a detour, and got him to work on time, but too late for my steeped tea.

For the next number of minutes of driving, I sputtered and spewed in my mind about how things were not going my way, and I wasn’t just thinking about my steeped tea.

As I was mentally taking stock of every unappealing twist in my week, my mind drifted to the words of the song I awoke to that morning:

“Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can’t see
And this mountain that’s in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name
It is well with my soul”

There is something about the words, “it is well with my soul” that creates an immediate grounding, security and reset in my mind.

Never, in all of my life, no matter the upset, struggle or stress, have I not been able to say, it is well with my soul, for my soul has always been, will always be, in good hands.

And the focus changed.

And the trajectory altered.

With the reminder that it is well, with my soul and when I cannot see what is up ahead.

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Persevering Through the Tough Stuff

Posted in GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #dontstop, #hebrews12, #keepgoing, #thejourney, #theracemarked, Perseverence on January 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »

snail To persevere is to practise persistence, pertinacity, tenacity.

It is to keep going, even when the going gets tough.

It is not easy to keep going when the going gets tough. When life gets tough, we tend to pull back, making a U-turn or a dead end stop. We often change our trajectory, looking for greener pastures. There is a reason that there is a road less travelled … it is bumpy!

Sometimes we do need to avoid the tough road, but often it is the only route to our ultimate destination.

For some it is the pursuit of a career, requiring either night courses, after tiring days at work, or starting a less-than-desired job, knowing you need to pay your dues before you will reach the career of your dreams.

For some it is the pursuit of parenthood, beyond a couple’s biological ability, and through human dissection of every area of their lives to be granted permission to adopt the child of another.

For some it is the fight for a marriage that seems as though were hopeless. Going to any and all lengths to, not just prevent it’s demise, but to flourish into a mutually-gratifying relationship.

For some it is that thing that is controlling their very life. Perhaps the addiction comes through an activity, substance or way of thinking, and will require personal tenacity and assistance from others … the greatest struggle being to acknowledge that the problem is our own.

For some it is tests and treatments that seem worse than the diagnosis itself.

As I continue in my personal study of Hebrews 12, I haven’t made it very far (ironic? I think, yes).

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us
Hebrews 12:1b

As I continue in my pursuit of the sin that hinders, Hebrews is instructing me to not just persevere, but to run with perseverance. I find myself wondering if, what the author is really saying is to persevere in running from my sin? Now that sounds like an intense cardio a work out! That sounds like something that would require an immense and constant choice to be tenacious, persevering.

But … (and doesn’t the Bible usually provide a but?)

that is not all.

The verse continues, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. This is no Amazing Race or Survivor, where obstacles are put in front of us to make us stumble or fail. This is a path with an unknown end to us as the runners, but breadcrumbs have been placed to keep us going in the right direction, by the one who knows of the prize at the end.

This is hard, but the prize is worth persevering through the tough stuff.

Another day on the journey.

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Ready to Rumble

Posted in GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #armorofgod, #freedomofthebeliever, #getdressedforbattle, #readytorumble, #spiritualwarfare, #thispresentdarkness on January 18, 2018| 1 Comment »

Angel-army

It is so easy to look at our life, or a particular situation and blame systems, governments, society or individuals for the problems in our lives. It is so easy to vilify those around us; their actions and motivations.

Years ago I read a fictional book that was very popular at the time, about spiritual warfare, called This Present Darkness, by Frank Peretti.

Ephesians 6:12 encapsulates the them of this book:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

When the book title came up in a conversation, recently, I was intrigued to return to Ephesians 6, and to see what it said, in context.

The instruction, from Paul, is to encourage the believers to be prepared. This makes me think of the motto for the Boy Scouts, “be prepared”. When their founder, Robert Baden-Powell, was asked what it is that they should be prepared for, he responded, “why, for any old thing.”

Ephesians 6:10-18 begins with an introduction:

“… be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”

Not from us is our strength found, but in him! A good reminder for those of us, who independently, and arrogantly think we can do it … alone.

Then, wrapped around verse 12, is the recipe for his strength:

(“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”) verse 12

He tells us to:

“Put on the whole armor of God” (v.11)

“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.” (v.13)

His instructions to “put on” and “take up” stand out to me. It would seem as though his armor is fully available to us, but we are responsible to dress ourselves.

And this is part of the freedom we have, as believers. He does not force us to wear the armor, that will save our very existence. He lays it all out, he tells us that putting it on is his plan … and then he leaves the door open, and it is up to us to choose whether or not to dress for battle.

No guilt trip, no pressure … freedom to choose.

And this is what he presents for us to dress in”

the belt of truth
the breastplate of righteousness
as shoes for your feet, the readiness given by the gospel of peace
the shield of faith
the helmet of salvation
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

But, he doesn’t end with the armor, for he reminds us to cover all of this with prayer, and to not give up.

“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication … keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (v.18).

I think that my favourite part of this letter, from Paul, is how he ends it,

“Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.” (v.23-24)

As I reread this letter, as I contemplated the darkness in our world and in my individual life, I found myself feeling … well … a little under dressed. I am guilty of taking God up on the freedom he gives to me. I am guilty of walking into battle short on armor. I wonder how much more prepared I might be if I were to accept the protective armor that God has waiting for me?

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This is the Day

Posted in GOD, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #everydayagift, #thegiftofaday, #thisistheday, live on January 16, 2018| Leave a Comment »

This is the day!

Tuesday …
Not that regretful Monday, or that anticipatory Friday.
Just Tuesday, humdrum, mundane, Tuesday.

But, this is the day.

A gift …
It has never been before, and will never will be again.
Just how will you and I unwrap it?

This is the day.

Unmarred …
With not a single mistakes in it (yet).
Just to keep it that way.

This is the day.

This is …
The day that the God has given us,
With no promise of another.

We do well to rejoice,
be glad,
and squeeze every bit of life out of it.

This_is_the_day_the_lord_has_made_16x16_-_600

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Stripped Down

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #goodbyesin, #hebrews12, #isinandfallshort, #newyear, #strippeddown, #throwoffwhathinders, Resolutions on January 7, 2018| 1 Comment »

It has been happening again …

the obvious sense of God’s intentional stalking of my heart and thoughts, reaching into my very being, taking me on a journey that will test my preconceived notions beyond anything I could ever imagine.

God has been leading me to a variety of teachings, on a specific topic, but he keeps bringing me back to Hebrews 12.

And it all starts with ~~nudity~~ choosing freedom.

“let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles”

I’ve gotta admit … I am not so comfortable talking about my sin. I can talk about the sin of others, or the sins of my past, but … present sins (yes, sins, as in plural) … kinda gives me the heebie jeebies.

It kinda makes me feel … naked, exposed, stripped down.

when sin is exposed, and we feel exposed

It is as if the sin becomes us, we become the sin. As if the light that illuminates our wrong way of living, shines a spotlight on our very selves, our very souls …

But, to “throw off” our life-hindering sin, it has to come to light, so that we can live.

dark to death
light to life

So, we are to throw off this hindering sin. It is hindering because it becomes like heavy baggage, resulting in bitterness, sorrow and feeling stretched and weighed down. To throw it off means to move on,

And to move on … well, isn’t that what we need to do? Isn’t that what New Year’s resolutions are all about? moving on from the old, and toward the new?

This stalking by God, that I have been sensing … it is all about moving on, it is all about throwing off the sins that are hindering,

but first, I have to call a spade a spade,
and admit that I sin,
so that I can strip it from my life.

Day one, the journey has begun.

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Conviction

Posted in GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #, #conviction, #hebrews12:1, #sarahbessey, #soiquitdrinking, #thoughtstoponder, #whengodstalks on January 4, 2018| Leave a Comment »

conviction

In lieu of words from me, today I am bowing to words of another.

And all I am going to share is the comment I left on her post:

“This was my favorite post of the year! You documented the process from the start in such a way that it is undeniable that you were experiencing a very personal and spiritual conviction. Thanks for sharing your transformation.”

Enjoy the thought-provoking words of author, speaker, momma, wife and Jesus-feminist ;), Sarah Bessey, and her personal story of being convicted that God wanted her to do something, So I Quit Drinking.

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