Category Archives: Encouragement

Fortify the Gates

The following words awoke me from my nap: Fortify the gates. Before my eyes were fully opened, again I heard: Fortify the gates; strengthen the walls. Which gates, Lord? Which walls?

My first order of business would be to pray, but first, I would play some worship music for just a few minutes to bring my mind into focus. I opened the music cabinet and selected a CD from the worship section at random, which happened to be one I hadn’t listened to in quite some time, but one that seemed quite fitting.

As I listened to the first few moments of the traditional hymns, presented by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, I lifted my voice in praise. Then, as I intended to pray, I found I couldn’t; all I could do was listen to the soul-stirring hymns. Sometimes you need to speak, said the Lord, and sometimes you need only to listen.

I stretched-out on the floor and allowed the words of those glorious old hymns to saturate my spirit until I heard the Lord say Rise. As I did so, the Lord spoke quietly to my heart. He had already revealed that the gates that needed fortified were my own children and the walls that needed strengthened were the youth of our nation.

To fortify something usually means to impart strength to it. That was certainly applicable to what the Lord was speaking to me. He reminded me, though, that this word can also be applied to nutrition. The youth of this nation, including my own children, need more of the Word, He said, for they are greatly lacking. Most are starving for truth. The walls have been broken down.

Dear reader, the truth of matter is that our youth do not have anywhere near the same opportunity to hear the Word of the Lord as did the former generations —not even in church! They are so very hungry for truth and righteousness, even if they do not realize it. The secular world will do everything in its power to keep the Word of truth from them. It is all the more imperative, then, that those of us who call upon the name of the Lord impart the Word to those who need it most, those who are most vulnerable to deception, our youth.

The Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. (vs 12). These words are very relevant for today’s world. But who will stand in the gap to raise up the foundations, and where do we begin? As the Lord spoke to me earlier, sometimes we need to speak, and sometimes we need to listen. Doing the right thing at the right time is very important, and the Lord will surely guide us in our endeavors is we ask His guidance; and for the sake of our youth, I pray we do!

Blessings.

Tiger or Ladybug?

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There is a wildlife park not far from my home which houses many rare and exotic animals including White Bengal Tigers. These beauties are 8-10 feet long and weigh nearly 500 pounds. Can you imagine how intimidating, if not downright terrifying, they would be when glaring at you from a standing position?

A friend of mine recently took his family on an outing to this park and they stopped to see the tigers. He hadn’t before realized how mammoth those tigers are. His family was right next to the tiger’s enclosure, he explained, when one of those mammoth cats reared up on its back legs and looked down on them from a fully vertical position. “He was bigger than a grizzly bear!” my friend exclaimed. This man, who is more than six-foot tall, motioned with his hands above his own head, explaining, “My head went to about here on the tiger, and that wasn’t even up to his shoulders!”

As we talked for a few moments about those beautiful Bengals, he related something very noteworthy that I would like to share with you.

While most of his family stood frozen, staring at the upright tiger, one of the children, an adorable, bright-eyed five year-year-old, squealed with excitement. “Daddy! Did you see that?” See it? I was a bit frightened by it, her father thought. Naturally, the man assumed his daughter had been mesmerized by the monstrous tiger, but what exactly had caught her attention? Was it the tiger’s large sharp teeth, its towering height, which to her must have seemed like a mountain, or perhaps something else?

“See what?” he asked.

“The ladybug, Daddy, look at the ladybug!”

Children sometimes say the most thought-provoking things without even trying, and that was one of those times. My friend immediately took note of the lesson to be learned in his daughter’s simple words.

“It’s all in one’s perspective,” he said. “There I was focusing on this enormous thing before me, and how dangerous it could be, and my daughter didn’t even give it a second thought because her attention was excitedly fixed on a pretty little ladybug.” Life can be like that. We all face our own giants in this life, but our attitude is always determined by that which we are focused on. The choice is ours. Will we choose to focus on the problems which loom large in front of us, or will we focus on the Lord and His many blessings?

Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! Psalm 103 2-5

Power Outage

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Bedtime was still a few hours away so the girls and I each settled into our own pleasurable activities to wind-down for the night. One of the girls was giggling at an old movie while her sister was on the phone talking faster than anyone could possibly listen.

I too was occupied, completely unaware of the approaching storm. It wasn’t a big storm, just one of those that rolled in quickly, hit furiously, and left suddenly. But there we were, inside a house suddenly blackened by a power outage.

Immediate sounds of scurrying and bumping indicated that someone was slightly frantic. She was searching wildly for her cell phone because she had been disconnected. I suppose it was the urgency of the matter that caused her to forget how helpful the light can be. Her sister was a bit disgruntled at the forced intermission but decided to make the most of it by fixing a sandwich. She could not see into the refrigerator, however and grumbled, “How long till we get the power back?”

Quite amused, I waited a few moments before shedding light on the subject (literally). Because my husband and I are always prepared for a blackout, we always keep two oil lamps, candles and flashlights readily available. If a power outage happens at night, therefore, we are never left unprepared in the dark.

Still, neither of my daughters had thought to take advantage of the light which was practically at their fingertips. I lit one lamp and watched the girls settle into a more peaceful state now that they could see things more clearly.

Gazing at the soft, soothing glow of the lamp, I thought about the ten virgins who took their lamps to meet the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1f). Five wisely prepared their lamps with oil, five did not. Once these five realized they had forgotten the oil, they scrambled in desperation, much like my daughter did for the phone. It was too late. Their lack of preparation cost them dearly.

I thought too, about the unexpected storms of life. There have been times in my life when I was far less prepared than I needed to be when they hit. And like the girls, I was so distracted by immediate circumstances that I didn’t immediately reach for Jesus, the true Light.

One of the things that I dearly love about my husband is his calmness in the face of every storm, both physical and spiritual. Many years ago we faced a very destructive tornadic storm, which caused me great anxiety. I was on the other side of town, when several tornadoes began touching down near my home.

Regardless of the danger, I was determined to return home to my family. Our children were very small at the time and we lived in a mobile home park. Those are not the safest places to live, as evidenced on my way home. Several of the mobile homes from a nearby park had been thrown onto the highway and a few were perched in trees; few were left standing in the park. And to make matters worse, a radio announcement reported that the town located only miles from our home had been mostly leveled.

I assumed my family was in the storm shelter, and I knew deep down that God would protect them, but that didn’t stop worry from gripping my heart. It was not until I pulled into our park entrance that I began to relax; minimal damage was evident, but all was intact.

Rushing through my front door to grab a few things before joining my family, I was stunned to find all of them inside. I sternly asked my husband, “Why aren’t you in the shelter?” My husband smiled at me, raised his hands, and his gaze, heavenward and confidently answered, “I am!”

Obviously he knew where The Light was all along and was fully prepared.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

Serve on Purpose

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“Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete. If you’re alive, it isn’t.”
― Lauren Bacall

A little over a month ago, I confided in a dear friend that I felt I had lost my sense of purpose. Additionally, thoughts of eternity frequented my mind as I wondered what my eternal homecoming would be like. You see, this past year I experienced some rather pesky health issues that presented some difficult challenges for me. The Lord has been so faithful through it all, but some of my newly acquired inabilities had left me wondering if my service to Him was pretty much finished. And if it was, did that mean that my departure from this life was drawing near? I had, after all, committed my life to my precious Lord and to His service, and to that of my family. Not being able to do anything substantial for any of them was disheartening and certainly increased that sense of lost purpose.

I couldn’t honestly say I was ready to cross over into eternity because I love my husband and children dearly and I wasn’t ready to leave them, or the dear friends that I am blessed to have, but aside from them, there is nothing that this world has to offer that has a hold on me. Thus, I totally relate to the Apostle Paul, who wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” Philippians 1:21-24

Paul wasn’t making an egocentric statement here; quite the opposite, in fact. He was weary and desperately longed to be with the Lord, yet he understood that as long as he had breath in his physical body, he would continue to labor for the Lord, and that could only be beneficial to those for whom he labored.

Yes, that is the better choice, I thought, to stay here and give my all. While I pondered what kind of fruitful labor might be left in me, the Lord gently reminded me that there are seasons in each person’s life and each season is different; some seasons are very still, but we should strive to make the most of each nevertheless. Paul instructed that whatever we do, we should do it all for the glory of God. Whatever we do! Remember, every act of service, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant, is a fruitful labor that can benefit those around us, often times affecting them in ways that we cannot even comprehend. The important thing is to give of ourselves in whatever capacity we can. This is what truly gives our lives purpose.

I realize, dear reader, that amid all of the chaos of today’s world, it is sometimes easy to lose our sense of purpose, but know this, the Lord has never forgotten your purpose, or mine. His gifts and callings are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29). His purpose for our lives is unchanging.

As for me, I decided to simply rest in His promises and trust in His faithfulness during my challenging season, knowing full well that as long as I have breath in my body, I have purpose, and the ability to fulfill my purpose —as do you.

By way of update, I am pleased to inform you that just days after confiding in my friend (who definitely prayed for me), the Lord very quickly renewed my physical strength, revitalized both my passion and my purpose, and gave me fresh vision. Now, rather than wondering what the immediate future holds, I am excited to see what the Lord will do, and I look forward to being a part of it! Friends, I am absolutely certain he will do the same for you if, for whatever reason, you feel you have lost your sense of purpose. To quote Paul once more, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Feeble Weeble

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Like many of my tenacious, long-suffering friends, I’m a Weeble. If you are young enough that you’ve never listened to an eight-track tape or watched ABC’s After School Specials on television, you probably don’t have a clue what I’m talking about- in which case I will explain. Weebles™, created by the Hasbro Company in the 1970’s, started out as small egg-shaped toys that were made to look like people. Because they were weighted on the bottom, you could push them over but they popped right back up. Just about every child growing up in that era knew that “Weebles™ wobble but they don’t fall down.”

I keep that little motto tucked somewhere in my repository of coping techniques for those times when I am unexpectedly knocked down by life. I occasionally face problems with bulldog tenacity and say, “It’s going to take a lot more than that to keep me down- I’m a Weeble!”

I’m not always that unbending though; sometimes I am a more of a feeble Weeble; I still manage to get back up, just not as quickly or as easily. During those times I have to consciously remind myself that although my burdens may have weighed me down, I can choose to let that work for me, not against me. In the same way that the heavily weighted portion of a Weeble toy allows it to spring back up, the same principle can apply to us human Weebles.

How so? Our suffering usually causes us to rely upon God even more; I have even seen self-proclaimed atheists cry out to God when the burden was too heavy. It is human nature to allow our exceedingly heavy afflictions, and our heavy hearts, to knock us down. In this condition, it is never easy to get back up. Nevertheless, when we put our trust in God and His promises, we begin to see things in a whole new light. We begin to realize that: …this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17 NAS©1995).

Notice that it is eternal glory that is weighty (in a good way), not the affliction. The burden may knock us down for a short while, but understanding God’s incredible promises, like the one above, lightens our hearts. It is the contrast of this lightness in the midst of heaviness that gives all “feeble Weebles” the ability to spring back up.

Paul is in no way trying to minimize the crushing blows that we all face in our lives from time-to-time time. Rather, he is reminding us that our afflictions are really not as devastating as we first perceive them to be when compared to the glory of eternity. In fact, our afflictions serve ultimately for our benefit.

Peter explains this well:

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold–though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (I Peter 1:7 NLT©2007)

Having said that, next time you are knocked-down by life’s blows, why not face that problem doggedly and say, “You can’t keep me down; I’m a Weeble.”

No Stain, No Pain

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Painted Puppy

Typically, I am a colorful character, but when I paint, I am more colorful than ever — and I mean that literally. A few months ago, while painting at the dining room table, I somehow managed to knock over the water can that all my brushes had been cleaned in, so there I was with a huge wet mess soaking into my jeans and into my carpet faster than the speed of light.

Knowing what a klutz I can sometimes be, it would have been wise to have thrown down a tarp or something, but I had somehow managed to convince myself that I would not make a mess. I’m not even going to splatter any paint on myself this time, I said, with an optimistic bit of denial. Looking back, I can’t even imagine why I would have ever entertained such an unrealistic notion. Had I been honest with myself in the first place, I could’ve saved myself a lot of trouble.

What to do about that bright green spot? My first thoughts were OH NO! We’re going to have to replace the carpeting! I despise stains on the carpet, yet I suppose I could live with a small, inconspicuous spot here-and-there, given that our home is well lived-in. Even so, there is simply no way that I could live with a large field of bright green in the midst of my tan carpet, despite the fact that green is my favorite color.

Then again, I could have just splattered some white pedal shapes onto the green, then painted on some stems so that I could forever enjoy a nice field of poppies right there in my dining room (no, I’m not serious). Instead, I immediately grabbed my Bissell® Carpet Cleaner and started cleaning. I am happy to inform you that it worked! My green spot disappeared completely and my carpet returned to normal.¹

Had I waited very long, though, the stain would have set in and I would have had to devise a clever way to cover the unsightly stain since replacing the carpets would not have been financially possible at the time. Most likely, had I not gotten the stain out, I would have covered the area with a large, decorative rug. I would know what lay hidden beneath, but hopefully no one else would be the wiser.

Dear reader, you probably know where I am heading with this true, colorful tale, for it is a rather good analogy of sin.

Most of the time, we sin because we are not honest with ourselves and we convince ourselves that whatever we are getting ready to do won’t create us any problem at all. Of course, that type of thinking always gets us into trouble. And when it does, we have a big mess on our hands. We then have to make a decision to either deal with the sin immediately through repentance, thus allowing the Lord to wash our sin away, or to let the sin stay and soak in deeper. Just remember, if we choose the latter, the stain will set-in, leaving a permanent, painful mark on our souls, leaving us no choice then but to cover it up and hope no one ever gets a peek at what we have so carefully hidden.

Friends, we are at the beginning of a new year; what better time to examine our hearts and lives so that we can start this new year free from the burden of sin, giving our whole self completely to the Lord “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word….” (Ephesians 5:26) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (vs 27).

As for the people in your life, remember the old adage: You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.

When it comes to the Lord God, your Creator, you can not fool Him any of the time!

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13)

¹note: I was painting with acrylics, which clean-up easily with water. Oil paints are not so easily cleaned.

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“Christian” Is Not a Dirty Word

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In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

There is a popular saying, here in America, which I find to be more relevant with each passing day. In case you have never heard it, it goes like this: “Sitting in church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.”

I found myself repeating that phrase several days ago when a woman, whom I had just met, unexpectedly opened-up to me about her many emotional pains, most of which were caused by years of mistreatment and neglect. Regrettably, most of her tormentors, she said, were self-proclaimed Christians. “I’ll tell you one thing,” she stated caustically, “The people in the bars (taverns) are a whole lot nicer than most Christians.”

This was definitely one of those times when listening was far more important than speaking, but I was very quick to point-out that not everyone who claims to be a Christian truly is. To be a Christian, I explained, is to be Christ-like; showing-forth the character of Jesus Christ in word, action, lifestyle and every other way. True Christians, I told her, hold firm to their convictions, but they are patient, loving and kind.

While it is true that the title of “Christian” has been so distorted and convoluted over time that it has taken on an entirely new meaning, especially here in America, it is still an absolute fact that true Christians live their lives so that Jesus Christ is honored and glorified in every way.

Today, there will be those who read this message who are Christian, and those who aren’t. To those of you who aren’t, may I exhort you to judge Christianity by those who truly live it, and not by mean-spirited, carnal people that don’t. The Bible warns that there will be many (ungodly) wolves out there wearing sheep’s clothing, or in other words, people who claim to be Christian but certainly are not –people that give Christianity a bad name and bring harm and destruction to Christians and non-Christians alike! How can you know the difference? The bible instructs that you will know us by our fruit. Simply stated, if our fruit is rotten, then we are not Christ-like, therefore, we are not true Christians.

For my fellow Christians, I encourage you to remember that “Christian” is not a dirty word. I know so many Christians who no longer care for the title, nor claim it for themselves, because its once enduring legacy has become so very ambiguous and unclear —distasteful even. However, you’ll remember that the designation of “Christian” was meant to be derogatory when it was first coined in Antioch in the first century as well. “You follow Christ!” they accused, and so dubbed the Christ-followers as “Christian.” Thus, the title Christian is nothing to be ashamed of, no matter how vigorously others try to defame it. It is time that we Christians stand proud and restore its honor!

As a wise man once said, “Christians do not need to change their name; they simply need to live up to the one they already have.”

Watching the Wasps

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But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

Today I saw several wasps and they were utterly engaging. I watched, with awe, as they industriously visited each trumpet flower in search of sweet nectar. And surprisingly, I marveled at how beautiful they were, in their own way. This may seem quite insignificant, yet you would be impressed if only you knew how much I detested wasps in the not-so-distant past. Granted, I generally love all of God’s creation, but there are certain creatures, wasps, for instance, that cause me consternation rather than pleasure. In all fairness, my wasp phobia was the direct result of being allergic to their stings, but that understanding did little to improve my attitude.

Why the sudden change?

As I have previously shared, the last several months have been quite difficult for me. My health had been in decline for quite a while, when a week-and-half ago, I landed in the emergency room with a new, daunting challenge –one that will take a bit to overcome. As a result, I find that my physical senses are dulled. However, the opposite may be said of my spiritual and emotional senses —they have only been heightened.

My experience riding home from the doctors’ office was much like that of watching the wasps. I have always tried to be content living here, in the flatlands of the Midwest where God has placed me, but my heart has always dreamt of living in a cabin near cool mountain streams and flowered meadows, of hiking through scenic mountain trails. Sometimes, if I close my eyes and shut out the sights and sounds of the city, I can almost smell the evergreens. This only deepens my longing. But today, much to my amazement, I looked upon this old, familiar scenery in a whole new way; it never looked as pleasant or as beautiful, nor have I ever appreciated it as much.

Physical challenges seem to have a way of changing our perspective, but why must it take something like this, I wondered, to allow me to fully enjoy certain things. I promptly repented for all the times I grumbled about my dull and unappealing surroundings. Yes, my heart will continue to dream of all the beautiful places that I would love to visit, but I have determined to be more like the Apostle Paul who said, “I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in.” (Philippians 4:11).

There is, after all, great peace in contentedness.

Like A Flood

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Where have I been for the last few months, you might ask? Truthfully, I have been battling a rather serious health issue; one that has knocked me down more than once, but rest assured, I’m not down for the count. In fact, I plan to resume blogging now, despite my weakened condition. But first, I want to share a post from my archives because it seemed very appropriate amid the physical and emotional storms that so many are facing. I will share this post both here, and on my Rays of Light page, but check back soon because no matter what, God’s mercies are too great to keep silent and I will, Lord willing, be adding new posts to both sites very soon.

Today, as I gazed upon the brightest, most beautiful sky that I have seen in weeks, I couldn’t help but think of those living in flood-ravaged areas; and right now, there are plenty of those. I also wept for a few dear friends who are going through some very devastating storms in their personal lives. It seems that so many of us are going through heavy storms of one type or another. Don’t give up, friends, even when those storms seem to come against you………..

LIKE A FLOOD

Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.

This past weekend, the weather here was horrendous. We were hit with the whole gamut of storm threats, including tornadoes, hail and flooding. In fact the hail stone pictured –or should I say hail boulder- was one of many that pounded this region. There was quite a bit of property loss in our area, but praise the LORD, there were no serious injuries.

I thought of the second half of Isaiah 59:19: When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. However, the ancient Hebrew texts did not have commas, or paragraphs for that matter, so instead of reading:

When the enemy shall come in like a flood —the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him

the verse could just as easily read

When the enemy shall come in —like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

What’s the difference? The difference is where you place the emphasis. Dear reader, when you are bombarded with the storms of life, do you focus more on the storm, or on the one who can calm it?

It is only natural to feel completely overwhelmed at times. Undoubtedly, many of the folks here that lost their homes in the tornadoes felt that way. I’m sure they could relate to the words of King David did when he penned the following:

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.
Psalm 55:4-8 NIV

But David didn’t stop there, allowing his situation to flood him with despair. Instead, he confidently proclaimed, “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me” (verse 16).

Dear reader, I leave you with these encouraging words from the same Psalm; may they flood you with peace during your roughest storms.

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved (verse 22).

(Like a Flood originally posted April 2012)

Polished Pearls

Little Pearls of Inspiration

Category Archives: Encouragement

Fortify the Gates

Tiger or Ladybug?

Power Outage

Serve on Purpose

Feeble Weeble

No Stain, No Pain

“Christian” Is Not a Dirty Word

Watching the Wasps

Like A Flood