Our Creative God

“For from the creation of the world the invisible things of Him are clearly seen, being understood through the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

I had the privilege of visiting one of Hawaii’s eight main islands this summer and it truly was nothing short of breathtaking! The spectacular scenery had me marveling at the wonders of our creative God. Through his creativity, He gives us a small glimpse into understanding Him just a little bit more simply by observing His magnificent handy work. Just as God created no two people alike, He also created no two places exactly the same. Last summer I had the opportunity to visit Alaska. Our remarkable God could not have created any two places with more beauty and awe struck wonder as Hawaii and Alaska. Thinking about the two contrasting landscapes, I find my mind marveling at the massive creativity our God has. I truly find it inconceivable that these places could have just came about by chance. These two places have even more creative intuition behind them than the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I don’t know a single person on earth who would argue that the meticulous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel simply came about by chance. This massive painting was perfectly designed for each and every inch of that ceiling. The same goes with the majestic landscapes we have the opportunities to observe throughout our lifetime. This beauty was not a product of chance, but rather a hand crafted piece of artwork on display by a God whose attention to detail is unmatched by anyone! I count it a privilege to be called a child of such a masterful creator.

Lord, I thank you that you are such a creative God. I thank you that the invisible things of you are clearly seen and understood through the things you have made so that we can be without excuse. Help us to soak in the beauty of your marvelous creation and not take for granted your handy work all around us.

Challenge #3 - Snail Mail Encouragement

In this age of technology I have found that we have gotten away from sending good old fashioned cards and letters. A friend of mine told me a while ago that she loves going to the mailbox and getting letters, and cards from people. This got me thinking. When was the last time we got something in the mail just because? When was the last time we got a letter from someone telling us we are being thought of or we are appreciated? For many of us we can’t even recall a time we have received such a letter by snail mail. I think most of us have received thank you cards and thoughtful notes when we have done something that may have merited such a gesture, but what about for no reason at all. Now, I am not asking these questions to discourage us. I am asking these questions to encourage us to drop a few letters in the mail this month just to tell others they are loved and appreciated, not because they did anything special, but rather just because everyone needs to hear these things from time to time for no special reason at all.

September's challenge is simply to write one note or letter each week and be sure to drop it in the mail. I know for some of us this will be an easy challenge because we may have a knack for encouraging or writing. But for others of us, this challenge will be simply that, a challenge. Not all of us are gifted with the ability to write down things that will encourage and bless someone. Let’s not let our insecurities get the better of us here. Think about the things  we would like someone to say to us and chances are the person we are writing to would be blessed to hear those same things. It doesn’t have to be earth shattering or tear jerking, just simply out of a place of love. It is amazing what a simply “I love and appreciate you” will do to brighten up a person’s day.

So enjoy the letter writing! And if you get writer's block, feel free to go to the one who wrote the most amazing love letter in our history. When we lack the words to say, God is so faithful to step in and flood our thoughts with just the right words at just the right time. Blessings in this month’s challenge!  

My By Faith Shoes

I was in church the other Sunday and I was wearing a pair of stilettos that are near and dear to my heart. No, I’m not being materialistic here. There is a story behind these shoes. I felt as if I needed to share this story with you all. After my stroke, it was a long hard road in fighting to get back the things that were taken from me. My stroke had caused paralysis down my entire left hand side of my body. It effected my ability to walk, talk, it impaired my vision, it effected my ability to process information and retrieve information in my working memory. Now that you see all the areas that my stroke affected you can better understand why I might get emotional over a pair of stilettos. The sheer amount of mental effort it took just to get myself from my bed and across the hall to the bathroom was inconceivable. I never realized just how much work my brain did in any given second of the day! I have since acquired a newfound appreciation for the the workings of this complicated organ.

As time went on, I slowly began to regain capabilities that were once so difficult. This include walking, but before I had gained proficiency with my balance, my husband and I went out on a date. We ended up at the mall. And being the wonderful man that he is, he took me into a shoe store. He knows oh so well that I suffer from a slight shoe fetish, so he will indulge me from time to time. I am not one of these people who need to own tons of shoes, but I do enjoy perusing the new inventory and seeing what catches my eye. This particular day a colorful pair of stilettos practically jumped off the shelf. I ended up trying them on, but it was not a pretty sight when I decided I wanted to walk to the mirror to see what they looked like on my feet. My husband held my arm as I very slowly and with gumby legs made my way to the mirror. Now, for a woman with a shoe fetish, I fell completely in love with these shoes, but the sheer fact that I could not walk in them made me talk myself right out of the thought entirely.  

My husband proceeded to tell me he thought they looked good on me and that I should get them. I must have looked at him with the most depressed look known to man as I proceeded to tell him that I can’t even walk in them much less think about taking them home. The wisdom of God must have been on the man’s lips that day because what he said brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. He said “Honey, we are going to buy these shoes that by faith you will walk in them one day!” So with that, the shoes journed home with me. It was months and months before I was able to wear them out. I would frequently pull them out of the closet and try them on just to see how my progress was measuring up. Now, today every time I put on these stilettos I am reminded just how faithful my God has been to me. These shoes have been labeled my “By Faith Shoes” because we purchased them at a time I could not walk in them, but by faith my God was going to bring me to a place of deliverance! And that is exactly what he has done!

Truly this story is not just about a pair of shoes. It is about placing my faith in my God who is well able to do what he has planed to do. The Lord is faithful and He always will be. Nothing is ever going to change that fact. But what happens sometimes is that we forget just how faithful he can be, especially in the midst of our hardships and trials. I am thankful that I have a little reminder that I can slip on from time to time to keep me from forgetting just how faithful my God truly is.

Throughout various parts of the Old Testament, the Israelites built altars of remembrance. These altars were reminders of what God had done in those particular places. They were often built  in remembrance of a miracle, a dramatic rescue, or to mark a lesson they had learned. They were meant to be reminders to future generations of God’s faithfulness and to give them strength to face their current trials.

For me, my “altar of remembrance” are these particular pair of stilettos. Not because I worship them, but because they serve as a reminder of the faithfulness of God in my life. What is your altar of remembrance? My prayer is that you may find something that triggers in you a deep reminder of the faithfulness of God. Something that will help keep you grounded in the hard times. Something that every time you look at that particular thing you say: “Look what the Lord has done!” May the Lord help you to find your own pair of “by faith shoes.”

The Example of Esther

I would assume many of us know the story of Esther. But I for one needed a refresher, so I decided to go back and reread this beautiful little story. As I read the story I began to put myself in Esther’s shoes. What would I be thinking and feeling? Here Esther is, walking into a world of the unknown only to later find out that the fate of her people lies within her own hands. When I put myself into a story like this, I can not help but ask, am I prepared like Easther was? Do I have that kind of confidence in my faith in God to go before the king unsummoned, or would I buckle under the pressure like Vashti? Who am I really?

“...who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

The story of Easter is awe inspiring. She rises to the challenge placed before her with heroic status. How can I compare myself to a women who saves an entire nation of people from annihilation? The truth of it is this, none of us are to compare ourselves to her, but rather we are called to be like her in our own situations. Let me explain. God has placed each of us in unique circumstances. God wants us to know that we are called to our circumstances for “such a time as this.” When we begin to see purpose in the situations we are placed in and that it is not by happenstance that we are where we are, it is then that we can act with the boldness and confidence that Easter exhibited in her situation. God showed Easter the exact steps she needed to take in order to have favor with the king. And in the end it brought about the saving of her people. When we learn to look and listen for the steps God wants us to take in our circumstances and we walk in it, we will see God’s hand move in amazing ways. Please bear in mind that God’s ways are higher than our ways. So, this does not mean we will see things work out the way we want them too every time, but they will work out the way God has planned.

I had to do a little searching for Easters age, because scripture is unclear just how old she actually was. What I found was quite astonishing to me. She was 14 years old when she became queen. Whether or not this was truly her exact age I do not know, but even if it is a close approximation, I found this to be mind boggling. I can’t even imagine being 14 years old and having the fate of an entire culture of people resting in the palms of my hands. I can’t imagine this at any age, much less being 14! This got me thinking. How are we raising up our children? Will they be able to lead nations by the time they are teenagers? In Biblical times the children were often married around this age and adulthood began. Are we raising up men and women who will stand for righteousness, or buckle under the pressure of the hard spiritual fight that is ahead? These are questions that stir my spirit toward a desire for teaching my children and making sure they can stand on their own two feet in the faith. This world is not getting any easier for anyone. If anything, it is getting more complicated and the line between right and wrong for most people has been skewed. It is so important that we pass on a strong faith in the Lord to the next generation! Easter was willing to stand up for righteousness in the face of the impossible. Are we willing to do the same?

Lord, I pray that you give us the heart of Easter. May we be willing to face life's impossibilities with boldness and confidence in our God. Thank you for calling us “for such a time as this.” I pray that we will rely on you to show us each and every step you want us to take in the situations that we face. May our lives be an amazing testimony of your power on display in us and through us. Please give us the wisdom that we need to raise up men and women who will boldly stand for righteousness, men and women who will not shrink back under the intense pressure that life can sometimes bring our way. Thank you that you have a plan and a purpose for us and for our children. Thank you for this beautiful example of Easter.

Flowing Like Niagara Falls

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 
John 7:38

As I was thinking about what living water might look like, I had two very different  images pop into my head. The first image was of a leaking water hose. You know when you have an outside faucet that you can’t quite turn off the whole way and it continues to drip despite your best efforts to tighten it completely. It is a continual constant dripping of water. When I think about the quantity of water it is possible moving, depending on the severity of the leak, you might get about a gallon every 3-5 minutes or possible less. The second image was that of Niagara Falls. Many of us have seen them in person. And for those of us who have not, the images are breathtaking. The falls thunder with the sheer volume of water they are moving each and every second. Niagara Falls moves anywhere from 150,00 - 600,000 gallons per second depending on which area of the falls you are talking about. Now, that’s a lot of water!  To stand beside them is nothing short of majestic.

When I started to compare these two images and how they might relate to the living waters within us as believers, it humbled me greatly. If I had to pick which image of living water was flowing out of me most often, I would have to choose the leaking faucet. Not that there is anything wrong with this necessarily. There is still water flowing out of me, water that can impact others for eternity. However, when I compare it to the impact that could be flowing out of me, like that of Niagara Falls, it’s humbling because I realize how much more the Lord wants to move in my life. For me, I often find myself limiting God to move and work. This is partly because of my lack of faith in Him, and partly because of my lack of faith in myself. God does not want us to limit Him in any capacity. He desires to move in us so grately. God has not designed us to be a mere leaking faucet. He has designed us to have the impact of Niagara Falls! He wants to flow through us in ways we can’t even imagine. I know for me, I find there to be a sense of safety and security in being a leaking faucet because it is managable and predictable. However, God is calling us to step out of our safety zone of being a leaking faucet and into the zone of Niagara Falls. This takes faith, faith that will indeed move mountains! The amazing thing about our Lord is this, He wants to flow like Niagara Falls in every believer! He has not limited this to a “select group.” Thank goodness for this because I’m sure I would not qualify for that “select group.” Niagara Falls is for every believer! There are no limitations!

If we look at Niagara Falls and how it impacts the area around it, it is huge. However, when we look at Niagara Falls and how it impacts some place far from it, like Los Angeles, there is little to no impact at all. This is why God wants each and every believer to flow with the impact of Niagara Falls. When we join efforts with other Niagara flowing believers around us, we will quickly find that it doesn’t take much before the whole world is influenced by the living water flowing inside of us. It is a joint effort. Niagara Falls can’t impact the whole world by itself, but when each of us becomes like Niagara Falls, It is amazing what can happen.

Lord, I pray that you show each of us how to move from being a leaking faucet to flowing with the impact of Niagara Falls. I pray that you are going to do a mighty work within each of us this week. We know that this is nothing we can make happen on our own. It must be by the power of your Holy Spirit moving inside of each of us. Lord, I thank you that when you move, we can have a huge impact in the lives of those around us, and when we join together in unity, we can have an even greater impact on our nation, and even on this world. Thank you that the impact of Niagara Falls is not limited to a “select group” of believers, but it is available to every believer who seeks it out.  

Jesus In Our Boat

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” Matthew 8:23-26

So often when we are faced with the storms of life we want to say God where are you? We tend to forget the Jesus is in the same boat with us. He sees what we are going through.

This is the secret to having peace that passes all understanding. When we fully grasp that Jesus is in our boat in the midst of our storms, and we fully grasp that He has the power to speak to the wind and the waves, and in an instant they can be still, we have no need to worry. Christ is there, fully aware, fully capable, fully able to rebuke the storm. My dilemma is simply this, I forget Christ is in my boat. I so often feel as if He waved goodbye at the shore and left me float away to maneuver through life's storms on my own, but He has not. It is truly a matter of reminding myself what God’s word says...

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

Christ is in your boat! No matter how big or small a storm you find yourself in, he is still in your boat! What a beautiful thought. We serve a God who isn’t going to bail out when our circumstances get tough. He is going to hang in there right along with us. We do not have to fear.

Lord, thank you that you are in our boat, no matter how bad the storms of life may get, you have promised to never leave us or forsake us. Thank you that you did not put us in a boat only to wave goodbye to us at the shore, for us to fend for ourselves in the midst of the storm. Thank you that you have the power to speak to our wind and waves, and they will obey you! What a privilege it is to serve such a powerful and awesome God! Help us this week to not forget that you are right here in the boat with us, and that it is your desire for us to make it through the storms of life.