My Kind of Crazy

Not that my life is a life of chaos, but I have to admit if you compared my brain to my husband's brain, my mind would look a bit chaotic. It would have swirls, mountains, valleys, dizzying colors and a whole lot of drama. That's just inside the brain. Thankfully, I still have a filter, (well, half a filter) so that the world is not tormented with my crazy.

Yesterday, I had a wonderful 2+ hour coffee with a friend at the breakfast joint. Literally, it is called the Two Hippies-Breakfast Joint. Great place if you are even in Phoenix. Anyway,It was such a wonderful time of encouragement, prayer, edification and a plain ol great girl time. As we talked and shared what's going on in our lives, I found it so amusing that we are quite similar and have very similar husbands. What a joy it was to talk about the men we love and all their strengths and how much they mean to us. I think I even made a comment at how refreshing it was because there are many times when one might listen to women who have nothing good to say about their husbands. So, on and on we went about our wonderful men.

The greatest insight and thankful point I had from that visit was how grateful I am to my husband and to God for bringing me together with a man who is so wise, has such clarity, so able to love and forgive and above all (and this is the main one) he has the amazing gift and ability to see through my chaos. My chaos, that I sometimes can not see through myself. He looks straight past my ups and downs and just sees me and loves me just as I am.

He sees through the fact that the house is not clean this week and sees that we live in a house of love, prayer, faith and hope. He sees through the pile of laundry in the hallway (ok, two piles) that couldn't fit in the laundry basket and sees that I am tending to bible study, transporting kids, visiting with friends and doing the things that really matter. He sees the beauty of my heart through the chaos of my day, my mind, my ups and downs, my bad hair day, my no shower day. He just sees me and loves me.

Thank you Lord for the wise, clear minded, godly man that you have given to me to lead this family in faith towards You.

A Good Day To Be Found

There is a saying at my High School Alma Mater. . ."It's a good day to be a Bronco". Today I found myself saying "It's a good day to be found". Was I lost? No, not really, but let me walk with you my morning.

Since moving to the Phoenix area, I have found myself taking up hiking. I have the official camelback backpack to hold my water. All the hikers out here have one, it's essential. I now have my official hiking boots, low rise, as to blend in to the mass of native Arizonians.

Today took me to Camelback Mountain. I have hiked it several times and each time I make it about 2/3 of the way to the saddle. Basically by the time I make it to the saddle, I'm tired and I'm ready to turn around and I tend to be short on time. But, today I made it to the saddle with ease and had plenty of time to leisurely make it to the top, so I persevered. Each step begging the question. . . "Why, what are you trying to prove" And each step replying "I will conquer Camelback, I will persevere and not turn back."

Even though the last 1/3 of Camel back is more like rock climbing up a straight wall, I made it with a little encouragement from fellow hikers and the passing Mountain Ranger.

I made it. I stood on top of Camelback where the air was blowing and I could have full view of the city and the surrounding mountains. What a view. I stood there admiring the birds below and some above, floating and others simply hovering on the wind. It was a great sight and well worth the climb up.

(All I have to say about this picture is that I was so dazed and confused)

It was the climb down that I was not looking forward to. Going down, I definitely felt like the old lady sliding down the mountain on her behind, I could feel my legs quivering with each and every step. Then I heard the Radio call from the Rangers above me. . ."I have a rescue in progress, a rescue in progress". I though to my self, who could be in trouble. I even said a quick prayer in my mind for that person and for the quickness of the rangers. I found myself not wanting to move in case they needed to rush down past me. I wanted to keep clear.

Slightly after the radio call and the quick thinking on my part. I heard the ranger call down to me and say "Hey, you are off the trail. the trail is up here. You need to climb back up here and get on the trail." I was shocked. Were they talking to me? Yes, they were. I was the rescue. I was the lost hiker in need of rescuing and I didn't even know it. How long would I have continued on my way down that mountain before I would have realized that I was lost? Thank goodness for Ranger, for the Shepherd's that have an eye and a heart to seek and save the lost.

So, how many people are out there just like me. How many people are out there on the wrong path and don't even know it? How will they know how lost they are if we don't radio in to our Father in heaven and then throw them the line, the gospel, the saving truth?

What a joy we have been given, what a calling we have been entrusted with, to go and make disciples of all nations. How will they know if we don't tell them, How will they know that they need Jesus, if we don't shine His light on them. How will they experience mercy if we don't share it. How will they know?

Youth Impact

I just returned home from an awesome time of worship leading for a youth group. It was a group that had just spent the several hours before serving and doing ministry work. Was I as encouraging to them as they are to me, I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if our youth know how impactful they are, how the works of their hands, the fruit of their hearts really reach and inspire others to think outside of themselves. I wonder, I just wonder.

I guess as I get older, I realize how little I know and how much I have to learn. Growing up as a child (and young adult for that matter) who had very low self-esteem and tended to be pretty self destructive, I find myself so amazed and encouraged by young people who are active in their church and are reaching out to someone besides themselves.

I see them learning what I learned a lot later in life. Oh, to imagine what my life would have been like if I would have learned what I know now at a younger age. Regardless, I praise God for journey, for the grace, for the mercy cause I received a whole lot of it.

Thank you God!

Micah 6:8 he has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Emergency Brake

It was early Sunday morning, I was a little rushed and I had to pick my daughter up from a late night sleepover and get her to church where she would join her choir to sing in the early service.

I made the drive to her new friends house, following each and every turn that the sweet voice of the GPS told me. What perfect guidance and then the announcement "You are arriving at your destination." There I was, right in front of the house, eager to see my daughter after a busy few days, eager to get to church and worship and sing.

I went up to the front door where three sleepy faces happily greeted me. I stepped inside for just a moment to say hello and get the quick rundown of the night. I was engaged, happy to hear how everything went and always up for a good chat with fellow adults.

After a quick chat we were off to church. As we walked out of the house, my daughter asked me why the car was across the street. I confidently explained to her that it was not our car, but another car that looked exactly like ours and that my car was right. . . . "oops". . . not right here, but across the street and rolled over the curb.

My daughter informed me that she saw it rolling backwards, she just thought that her dad was in the car backing it up. Then I remembered that I had not put on the emergency break. The ever so slight downward slant took my little Corolla on a ride across and down the street. My trusty GPS forgot to tell me to engage the emergency break. It lead me to where I needed to go, but left me on my own to figure out the rest (one would think that I could handle this one my own, but apparently not).

As we stood there, laughing at the latest mishap that I found myself in, I was reminded that I too need to engage. I need to engage in the Emergency Brake of Life. When I go out into this world unprepared, I slip, sometimes ever so slowly, but a little at a time.

I need to remember that even when I follow the path to get there, I need to remain grounded. It is so easy to slip without the emergency break on. Sometimes the slant is slow, sometimes it's fast, sometimes we don't even notice until we are down hill and stuck up and over a curb.

Ground yourself in the word. Ground yourself in the truth. Blessed is the man who delights himself in the word, he will not stumble or fall.

Lost and Found in the Desert

It's been a while. It's been a whirlwind. It's been a process. . . . some of it good, some of it tough, but all of it under the perfect control of this Mighty Savior, our Lord, my Father and my dear Friend.

I have gone from one extreme to another physically (moved from Chicago to Phoenix) and emotionally (connected to unconnected with friends and my faith walk).

I didn't realize how difficult the transition would be. I thought that I would have to be there for my children as they went to new school and met new people, but to my surprise they were fine, excited and ready to go. My husband was settling into work and I was the one that found myself lost in the middle of the desert.

I love these words from the Desert Song.

"This is my prayer in the desert when all that within me feels dry.

This is my prayer in my hunger and thirst. My God is the God who provides."

I love that when all is still and I cry out to the Lord, "I'm all alone" that He swoops in and holds me and leads me to the perfect words of life for that moment, for that day. I love that He calls me friend and that I am His and He is mine. I love that He provides and gives purpose to everything I do, even in the desert. He supplies and quenches all the desires that I have. . . desires to serve and to sing, to worship, to comfort, to befriend and to be befriended. He is awesome and He is my friend.

The book that I dusted off today is by Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest", if you have it, dust it off too and look at September 26. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you. John 14:27. Oswald Chamber comments: "When our Lord speaks peace, He makes peace". . . . "Reflected peace is the proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind to Him". . . "We get disturbed because we have not been considering Him. When one confers with Christ the perplexity goes, because He has no perplexity. . . "

How comforting for me to know that when I focus on Him my vision changes. It's when I look at the world and life's situations with my own eyes that I become disturbed. But, with Christ-like eyes the world looks more like a gift and an opportunity to touch and change lives for the glory of God. Yes, the world looks like a wonderful mission field just waiting to know and experience the wonderful grace of God.

"Let not your heart be troubled"

Serve him in all that you do, wherever you are, in the desert, in the valley, on the mountaintop and on the plains. Just serve Him, love him and trust him. He is Good!

Manhattan Mission Project

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? Romans 10:14-15

These are the words that blew through the air today as we gathered in the field at the Round Barn Farm for the Installation of the new Mission Pastor for Manhattan, IL, Dan Hudson. The service was held outdoors. . . no walls, no buildings, just people who had prayed for two years, people who were welcoming him, people who were releasing him, people who had seen a glimpse of God's vision and trusted.

Today I was honored to be a part of the worship to send him into a new mission field. It was thrilling, moving, scary, and full of hope. Planting a new church and starting from literally nothing is a calling that few take, but is so incredibly necessary. So as excited as I was for Dan's new ministry, I was even more moved at the reminder that we are all called into this ministry everyday. We all carry this ministry with us wherever we go. We carry with us the power of the Holy Spirit and that is a power that changes lives for eternity. What an honor, what a privilege, what a call.

There is no need to ask the question "What on earth am I here for? What is my purpose?" It is clear . . . . to be sent. We are sent here to declare His glory wherever we are and in all that we do. There is no greater calling.

So teachers. . . declare his glory; CEO's. . .declare His glory;

Fire Fighters. . .declare His glory; Secretaries. . .declare His glory; Janitors. . . declare His glory; Pastors. . . declare His glory; Coaches. . . declare His glory;

Stay at Home Mom's & Dad's. . . declare His glory;

Musicians. . . declare His glory; Investors. . . declare His glory; landscapers. . .declare His glory; Students. . . declare His glory;

Flight Attendants. . .declare His glory;

Garbage collectors. . .declare His glory;

EVERYONE. . . Declare His Glory!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

Rain Jumping

My Mission today was to get the house clean for the weekend, that way I could have a relaxing few days not worrying about dust bunnies. I was doing great and then all of the sudden I heard the first few drops of rain. Instantly, my summer couch potato (my daughter) popped up and said "Mom, lets go jump on the trampoline in the rain." My initial thought was to say "No, I need to keep working" or "That's not very safe". But, instead. . . . . . .

I said "OK, let's go."

Immediately we ran outside and jumped. We jumped, laughed, slid around and had a great time. It was enough excitement to gain the attention of a visitor in the neighbors yard to tell us how much fun it looked like we were having. I think he secretly wanted to slip around on the trampoline too. I believe trampolines have a way of pulling the kid out of us. How can you be serious when your flying through the air, how can you think about all the things on the "to-do" list when the laughter and smiles of your daughter melt that all away?

The rain continued to grow stronger and then the lighting came, which was our cue to head inside. But, it was the best 7 minutes of my day and I'm so glad I didn't let it pass by. As my kids get older these moments become fewer and fewer. I don't want to miss a single opportunity.

Don't let the rain pass you by. Go have fun. . . . . . .

jump, dance, skip and a laugh in the rain.

Four things you can't recover:

The stone........after the throw. The word........after it's said.

The occasion.........after it's missed. The time.........after it's gone.