Jane Hinrichs - Home

Your past

4/18/2018

Sometimes we don't want to think about our pasts. Maybe this is because of mistakes we've made. Maybe this is because of how people treated us. Maybe this is because of some really tough times we'd rather not think about.

But what if you saw your past through God's eyes?

What if you asked God to redeem our past? To show you how He has been calling to you all your lives?

Your past is sacred. Your past is a story of you and God's hand is there.

Maybe you have some horrendous memories that still pain you think about them. Those are the ones God wants to transform. Truly our God lives in all time. He can change the way we feel about the past by showing us His perspective.

Let Him.

I've been struggling for months in my role as a writer. The only real writing I'm doing these days is this blog and feeble attempts at ideas that I pursued which became files on my computer screen. I read a lot. Presently I'm reading a writing book I've read before and the author mentions writing about childhood. I reject this idea for I was as silly, awkward and odd child.

This isn't the first time I've had this idea laid before me. I've been "told" several times to write about my life. But I tell myself why bother? There's nothing of value there that people would want to read.

God showed me the faulty thinking in this. He reminded me as I just wrote that my story (like your story) is sacred. It i a living parable. He was wooing me as He woos you to His side. His light is there. I'm to dig for the light. And if it doesn't go anywhere but to a file on my computer that's fine. Maybe the whole exercise is to remind me of His perspective on my life.

Our lives are sacred to God. He sent Jesus to die for us. You are precious to God. Your life hasn't been a mistake. Your life has hidden treasure waiting for you to discover it. Be bold. Tell others what God has done in your life. Your story just may open someone's heart to the truth and to God's love.

I'm going to try.

Great News!

4/16/2018

Great news! I just zoomed on over to weather.com and next week every day is supposed to be like 60 degrees and a lot of sun! Hey, spring is coming! I'm so thankful (like many of us will be when it arrives). I look out the window and see the sun. I hear the wind rushing. I see patches of brown grass intermingled with larger patches of snow. I don't know this for sure, but I kind of think my daughter who lives in heaven has encouraged God to send all this snow to us in April for a joke. She hated winter. On the day of her funeral (late March 2013) we were hit with a snowstorm. And I think she was laughing cause she was warm and healthy and shining and smiling with Jesus while we all froze!

Before I went to the weather site I searched the following three words: Tired of Parenting.

I'm not proud of that. Not at all. Several years ago I would have never even had that thought. But as I get closer to my 50th birthday (next month) I sometimes wish I could be selfish and and just take care of me and my husband. Part of it is that spring is taking so long to get here and we've been stuck inside a lot (I love sitting outside in the sun). Part of it is that my biggest challenges of parenting have come with my two youngest children. All children are different and all children have their own unique needs. I've learned something new with each of my six children. But God uses some children to really stretch us parents.

He doesn't stretch us needlessly. There are always good lessons to be learned. And I love all my kids. I really do. Maybe we are stretched in parenting when our children's thought processes are vastly different than ours. That's where we clash. Actually, that's where we clash with anyone -- when we cannot fathom why they see a situation the way they do.

Seeking to understand is showing love.

Okay, do you remember being a teenager? All that teenage angst? All that teenage thought that the world and your parents and every single adult in your life is against you? God taught me something one day about love.

My mother and father had four teenagers in the house at one time (me and my three brothers). Dad somehow kept us in working cars throughout high school and college. They might not have been worth much but they ran and ran reliably. Most every Saturday he was in the garage tinkering on a car engine. Once we had a total of 10 cars!

I don't know if I ever thanked my dad during my growing up years for all the auto work he did tirelessly for us. At least not until God showed me something. God showed me that Dad did this because he loved us. He showed his love by keeping our cars running. When God showed me that, I felt foolish for never noticing it before.

For the last day a verse has been in my head. Here it is:

"But to each one is given the manifestion of the Spirit for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:7

When we use our gifts and skills to benefit others (especially other Believers and other maybe-one-day-Believers) we are showing love. When we use our gifts and skills to benefit others, Jesus is glorified. So I have been wondering if I'm using mine in a way that encourages others (I'm still thinking).

When people stretch us they are giving us a gift. We are becoming more and more the people God created us to be. These challenging people may sometimes be our children. Sometimes they may be spouses. Sometimes they might be co-workers, fellow church members, community members, even friends.

Before I became the parent of my two youngest children I thought I was a pretty good parent. Turns out my four oldest kids just happened to be easy to raise. My two youngest are great people (both in high school now). They bring light and joy to others. They do okay in school. They are involved in school activities. They are usually very respectful. They are gifts straight from God. It's just that their mother sometimes feels old. They both are becoming the people God created them to be, and I know God has a great plan for both of them.

What about your gifts? What about those challenging people in your life? Can you see them as gifts? They are.

Sleep and Mercy

4/15/2018

I've been a pastor's wife for almost 3 years now. And I've learned something: I'm not a very good Christian.

The last two nights I've had trouble going to sleep. And when it takes me hours to fall asleep I get irritated. So I woke up a bit irritation that I didn't get all the sleep I wanted. And God put a verse into my head from Proverbs 20:13: "Do not love sleep."

Ha ha. And yet I do love sleep. I asked God to help me get over myself. I think "myself" is the biggest thing standing in my way to being what God wants me to be.

And my praying is sporadic. Some days I pray a lot. Other days I pray a little. And I just gotta believe the prayers I pray are effective because I have no clue if they are or not. There's power in prayer but I rarely feel any power.

I am rereading a book series about Margaret of Ashbury by Judith Merkle Riley. The first book is called "A Vision of Light." I love Margaret! She's like a friend (another indication I'm not a very good Christian because a lot of my friends are characters from books). In the first book she is healed miraculously from the plague (books take place in the middle ages). And one day when she's walking around a town basically empty of people because of the plague she finds herself in a small chapel. While sitting there she hears God's voice and she gets a glow about her. She has her vision of light. This light ends up being able to heal others (though it drains Margaret). She herself never says she's a good Christian. She just does her best in life, and sometimes she gets to see people healed.

I don't have the healing gift but I wish I did. That would be like dramatic and exciting.

Instead I change diapers all day and pray sporadically through the day (and lately wait for spring to show up).

I'm also not a good Christian because I spend most of my time at home doing house stuff and taking care of my family. I'm not out there evangelizing or preaching or going door to door -- though as a pastor's wife I wonder if I should be. For some reason we've come to think that pastors and their wives are holier or more obligated to share the Word. Neither of these thoughts are true. We all are supposed to share the Word and Jesus and live lives that honor God.

But then again a verse comes to mind presently. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:11, "and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you;"

I'm sure glad we are saved by believing in Jesus Christ and not by what we do. I'd fail utterly.

It's amazing when God uses us to touch others. I think of all the time in the Bible between verses. What was going on? People were living their lives. People were eating and sleeping, having babies, burying their dead, building houses, getting sick, celebrating birthdays and holy days.

Maybe that's what we're supposed to do -- just live our lives and be available to be used when God chooses to use us. A pot isn't anxious to be used. It just sits on the shelf until the owner picks it up to cook soup in it for supper. But if there has been no need for soup the pot might have sat on the shelf for months doing nothing.

Are we like that?

I'm doing a Beth Moore study right now about the Thessalonian letters. What a wonderful writer and Bible teacher Moore is. It's called Children of the Day and part of the premise is that we take God's light with us wherever we go.

I guess our aim in life shouldn't be to be good Christians. It should be just to follow Jesus where He leads. Leave the good part to Him. Even Jesus says only God is good.

Well, it's time to feed a few horses (do you want one -- we've got some for sale) and time to get the family moving to church (and oh, I better practice a few hymns just in case I'm playing).

You're loved. I'm loved.

Maybe that's enough.

Has one of your kids ever done this?

4/13/2018

Has one of your kids ever done this? They do something blatantly wrong (that they know beyond all doubt is wrong). They get caught. They get disciplined. And then they get mad at you for it and "punish" you by giving you a cold shoulder for days on end?

Before we get mad at our kids for their bad behavior, think about how God reacts to this behavior. For yes, we grownups can do the same thing. We might do or not do something. We might say or not say something. We might think or not think something. We might act or not act in direct disobedience to God. And when we do this and God disciplines in mercy, we might have the nerve to turn it back on Him and somehow blame Him for our discomfort.

When this happens does God try to explain Himself? Does God give attention to our temper tantrums? Does God try to change our bad attitude?

Often, He is silent about the issue.

Read this from Beth Moore:

"God is wholly secure in His sinless character. He doesn't feel a compulsion to protect Himself from misunderstandings by threading disclaimers on every sacred page. He doesn't have to take up for Himself because nothing can bring Him down. He doesn't incessantly qualify Himself because He is already qualified."

I think over the last almost 23 years of parenting I have had and I believe there have been times I have caved into my kids much to their detriment. Some kids (and some adults) are master manipulators and if there is a shred of "wanting to be loved (also known as the people-pleasing gene)" in us, we might allow their manipulation to work.

Manipulating God never works. He doesn't cave in to our bad behavior. Praise God for this.

Just think if He did.

If we could manipulate God to do what we wanted Him to do, our lives would be chaos. Our lives would be in our control. And since we can't see the big picture most of the time, a lot of the things we want to happen might be the very things that shouldn't happen. What a mess this life would be for all!

What do you use yours for?

4/8/2018

I just finished a book by Eugene H. Peterson called Under the Unpredictable Plant. It is making me think. It's about the vocational life. That might not apply to all of us, but a lot of the content does. Toward the end of the book he talks about the importance of our imaginations. Let me quote from the book (page 171):

Peterson writes, "A major and too-little-remarked evil in our time is the systematic degradation of the imagination. The imagination is among the chief glories of the human. When it is healthy and energetic, it ushers us to adoration and wonder, into mysteries of God. When it is neurotic and sluggish, it turns people, millions of them, into parasites, copycats, and couch potatoes. The American imagination today is distressingly sluggish. Most of what is served up to us as the fruits of imagination is, in fact, the debasing of it into soap opera and pornography.
"Right now, one of the essential Christian ministries in and to our ruined world is the recovery and exercise of the imagination. Ages of faith have always been ages rich in imagination. . . Imagination is the mental tool we have for connecting material and spiritual, visible and invisible, earth and heaven."

Jesus tells us to love the Lord your God with all our hearts, with all our souls and with all our minds.

Part of the mind is the imagination.

What do you use yours for?

One way many of us use our imaginations for is to worry.

What if we chose instead to use our imagination to lift up Christ? How would that look?

Paul writes in Philippians, "I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious -- the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."

That would be a great place to start!

Break Down Those Walls

4/3/2018

Break down those walls within you. Be courageous. It takes guts to be vulnerable with other humans but we gotta do it. We need each other. People will find courage to be vulnerable when they see you be vulnerable. Courage can be catching.

Do you feel an impulse to reach out to someone, to open up to someone? Follow that impulse. Do it.

Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, So one (person) sharpens another."

We can't do that if we aren't being real. We gotta break down our walls. We gotta open up to each other. We gotta let those wounds and hurts see the light so they can be healed.

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous (person) can accomplish much." James 5:16

How can we pray for each other effectively if we don't know what to really pray for?

Don't worry about people judging you. Just be real. Honesty allows for healing to begin.

There are so many people walking around with festering wounds in their souls. No wonder we Christians are often not that effective! How can we be effective when we ourselves need healing?

Seek healing by punching through those walls. Seek healing. Ask for prayer. Be real. Open yourself up to the light. Jesus wants to accomplish great things through us. In fact Jesus tells us in John 14:12, "he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father."

Jesus healed thousands of people. Jesus raised people from the dead. Jesus fed thousands with a bit of bread and fish. Why are we not seeing these miracles?

Jesus wants to do a mighty work through you. He wants to do a mighty work through me. Follow His leading. Do what you must do to be prepared. And then, watch Him work!

Sometimes we need reminding

3/29/2018

Sometimes we need reminding why we're really here. Sometimes we need a new vision of Jesus. Sometimes our feet get stuck in the mud of this world and we need to be pulled out by the hands of God.

David writes in Psalm 69:14, "Deliver me from the mire (mud), and do not let me sink; May I be delivered from my foes, and from the deep waters,"

Oh, that we would see Jesus today. That we would see His shining face! That we would remember our purpose here on this earth -- to share His love, to share His light, to reconcile people to their Maker, our loving Father.

"we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20b

I took up painting again. It is beginning to bring me joy. I can lose myself when my brush loaded with paint touches the canvas. I have no visions of grandeur of my abilities. They are what they are. I think of it as painting feelings. I want my paintings to cause others to feel something. When we can touch the emotional heart of a person, that person will be open to change. That's why Jesus told stories. He wanted people to get into the story, to feel the right and wrong of it; to empathize and think and question. Some of His parables don't have conclusions, but they make you think.

Maybe that is what our lives are to do for others. Our lives are parables in Jesus's hands. They might not be explainable but God's light is there and that light, when it shines on dark hearts, illuminates truth, illuminates hidden hurts and needs.

We can't force others to come to Jesus but we can offer Him. We can give them invitations to church so they can hear the word of God. We can tell others what Jesus is doing in our lives. We can be His light in this world of darkness.

That doesn't mean we are always happy. It doesn't mean we always have it together. But it does mean we have hope. We have hope that God will work things out for our good. We have hope that He can take the most horrendous things this world throws at us and somehow use them for His purposes; bring redemption out of pain.

His ways aren't instantaneous but they're lasting.

"faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Know that if Jesus lives within you, you are a light wherever you go. He is using you even if it doesn't feel like He is. He is drawing people to Himself with your life. Believe.

Your joy

3/23/2018

There's a fragment of a verse in John 16 where Jesus says, "And no one takes your joy away from you." He's talking to all of us. And we know Jesus always speaks truth. And God is no respecter of persons so this verse must be true for each of us.

So if it is true, why don't we always feel joyful?

I read this morning in Our Daily Bread about a woman who is full of joy not because her life is so great but because she knows God will fulfill all His promises in His time in her life. The writer says the woman's joy is "infectious."

I want infectious joy. But I admit I haven't been too joyful these days. And I wonder if it is because I am not living above my circumstances but getting stuck in them.

James tells us in his book, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

What is the goal of our lives? What's the goal of your life? Is it to please God or please people? Pleasing people is a losing battle for they will be pleased one day and condemning the next. It's like trying to live for money. The more you have the more you want. Or the less you have the more you grasp it. And eventually you lose your soul.

Jesus says in Luke 11:41 that, "give that which is within as charity (love), and then all things are clean for you."

What's inside of each of us? Our souls, our spirits. Jesus says to give of ourselves. Don't hold back. Lose ourselves in His work, in His love for Him and for those around us. It's in the giving we can find satisfaction.

This world is not our home but I think sometimes some of us try to make it our home. We seek after the things the world says we need. We seek after entertainment or thrills or addictions and we wonder why we feel so empty. Maybe we seek after a certain feeling.

Have you ever felt God's presence? What a powerful feeling God's presence gives. I want to sense Him again in that powerful way. Yet, if we open ourselves up we can sense Him right where we are at. He is that Peaceful Silence. He is the Wind Rushing through the trees. He sends the cold rain. He dries up the mud. He paints the sky in different colors throughout the day.

I asked my youngest daughter today that if I die what will she remember me teaching her. She gave me a nice answer. Then she was worried I was dying. I reassured her I had no plans to anytime soon. As a mom my life is woven so tightly with my children's. I want to see them all serving Jesus passionately in the lives God leads them in. And if they aren't there yet I wonder if I could have done something else to get them there. But we all are on our own journeys. And God tells me not to worry.

How can we put God first in our lives? What does that mean? If we put Him first, we can rise above our circumstances and even step back and appreciate the things God is teaching us daily. We can remember He is in control and He's allowed whatever is in our lives to occur. All of it is for our very best. He wants us all to shine for Him. When we do that joy will be full.

This day truly seek Him. Seek Him in the moment. Talk to Him. He's right there. If you've lost your joy ask Him to restore it. As Jesus said no one can steal it from you. Tell Him you want to see Him. Tell Him you want to feel Him. Tell Him you want Him to use your life in some way today. He will. We can do anything for Jesus -- we can do our daily chores for Him. We can take care of our families for Him. We can be engaged with others for Him. We can recognize opportunities He gives us and take them. You are so vital to His mission, to His love. Don't doubt that. Don't doubt that at all.

Just maybe you're God's secret weapon

3/19/2018

You see other people's lives who seem to have it all together. They haven't had as hard of time as you have. They haven't had the challenges you've had. They are walking a different walk than you are. God has them in a different place. Don't focus on other people's lives and what they are doing and how God is blessing them. God has got you where you are for a reason. Maybe you're His secret weapon! Maybe someone needs hope and you're going to be that hope just because you are there.

God's got to put us all in different places in the world and in different socio-economic classes because there are people who need Jesus everywhere. Oh Friend, don't put down your life. Don't belittle that precious gift that you are. You shine. You are a light for Jesus where you are at. God knows where you're at. He put you there. And if He put you there He will see you through. He needs you there. You are vital to His mission. You are vital to other people's salvation. Oh, hold on. Spring is coming. God is your hope. God is your rock. He hasn't deserted you. He knows how you feel. He knows it's hard right now. He knows how hard it is. And He says, Hold on. Hold on My Child. I'm there. Don't give up. Just lean on Me. I will get you through.

"just as it is written, 'Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.'" 1 Corinthians 2:9

You are who you are for a reason. He's shining through you at this very moment. He's with you. He's preparing wonderful things for you.

"God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong." 1 Corinthians 1:27

Your life might not measure up to this world's standards of success, but you are chosen. You are gifted. You are "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that (you) should walk in them" Ephesians 2:10

God says, Oh Child of Mine. You are so precious to Me. You are so so so precious to Me. I'm coming. Don't give up. I'm coming.

Are You Abounding?

3/16/2018

Are you abounding? Jesus said He came to give us abundant life -- a life that abounds and abounds (check out John 10:10 if you don't believe me). Eugene H. Peterson translates it like this: "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of."

Does that describe your life?

Beth Moore writes, "No matter who you are, where you've been, or what you've done, God has handpicked you to abound."

Is that your life?

Presently, it isn't mine. I've gotten weighed down with caregiver duties that have gone on for a long time and will continue far into the future. I've grown stagnant creatively. My life feels the exact opposite of abounding. It feels shriveled up, dry as old bones. It's not supposed to be this way for me or for you.

The entire John 10:10 verse says (in the NASB), "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly."

In John 10:9 Jesus says, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

I'm guessing any pasture Jesus brings us to will be lush and green and joyful. Psalm 23:2-3a says, "He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul;"

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

Jesus never lies. He's gotta be the key to abundant life. He is abundant life. He created us to have joy in this life, not drudgery.

Are we getting bogged down with life? Are we getting distracted? Jesus says in Luke 8:14, "And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity"

The devil is the thief who steals, kills and destroys. If our abundant life has been stolen he is probably involved in the theft. He can't take our salvation away but the devil can make us ineffective if we fall for his tricks. He's clever. He's been messing with God's people since people existed. He hates God and he knows God loves us so anything God loves he hates. That means us. He hates people. He uses them, abuses them and destroys them when possible.

Don't let him have a foothold in your life. He gets them through unbelief, fear, worry, doubt, uncontrolled anger, despair. He doesn't care what it takes to get our eyes off Jesus. He just wants our eyes off Jesus.

Where to start? Start with the promise of abundant life. Remind Jesus and yourself by saying the words aloud, "Jesus, you promised me abundant life. I want that abundant life."

And then see what He says. He'll lead you to those green pastures. He'll lead you to soul renewal. He's got a way out and through. We have to seek Him though to be led that way.

Doesn't take a lot of effort

3/15/2018

Last night at youth group we talked about the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25. There was a man who was going on a journey. He gave one servant five talents, another servant two talents and a third servant one talent to do something with while he was away. A talent was worth a lot of money. It was a weight of 75 pounds according to this site. And depending on what scholar you talk to it was worth a few thousand dollars in our money or 20 years worth of wages. Even if it was just worth a few thousand it was worth a lot of money so even the servant who received just one talent was entrusted with a lot by his master.

When the master returns the first servant earned five more talents, the second servant earned two more talents and the third servant hid the talent in the ground. The master said to the first two servants (separately), "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master."

The third servant brings the one talent back and blames the master for his own lack of trying. He says he knew the master was a "hard man" and so he was afraid to do anything with it. The master tells him he could have at least put it in the bank and earned interest. He then calls the servant wicked and lazy and worthless and casts him out into the outer darkness.

It doesn't take much effort to put money into a bank. You just walk through the doors, open an account and hand over the money. The third servant couldn't even be bothered to do that much. He must have seen the other two servants working and using the talents the master had given them. They were all in the same household. He must have noticed they didn't see the master as being a hard man. This third servant must have had a small still voice inside tell him to do something with what he was given. God speaks to all of us. We just have to listen.

We've all been given gifts and talents by God. How are you using them? How am I? As this parable shows, the master doesn't expect us all to be on the same level but He does expect us all to do something with what He gives us. It doesn't have to take much effort.

What would this world be like if every single person shared encouraging words with other people daily? If every single person showed kindness in all he or she did? What would this world be like if we shared God's love with those we come into contact with daily? Sometimes it's just a smile. Sometimes it's just giving another person a few minutes of your time.

One of Billy Graham's kids (I think it was Franklin Graham) said at his faither's funeral, his father was "F.A.T" which stands for Faithful, Available and Teachable. Can we say we're F.A.T?

I've stayed home with my kids and for my kids since 1995. Being a stay-at-home parent has its unique challenges. I've been the caregiver for my 18 year old son his whole life and will continue. I can't lie. There are times that it gets tiresome. There are times I want something more. There are times I just don't want to change another diaper or give another bath or read another book. But God has placed me here with my son. It is one of my purposes in life. It might not seem very important but God says it is so it must be.

I think all callings can become wearisome at times. It is in our faithfulness to the tasks God has given us where He shines through. Faithfulness is hard to come by in this world. That's why it shines so much.

Be faithful and available and teachable today.

Extend a little bit of effort and notice the people around you. A word from you might steer a life in a new direction. A smile from you might give someone hope.

It's a devil's game

3/13/2018

I found myself playing along with one of the devil's games today. I didn't mean to play but I got sucked into it before I realized what was going on. I played the comparison game. I was reading someone's post on Facebook (Facebook is great for keeping up with people but it sure can be used against you) about her busy life and what all her kids are doing and all she is doing, and I came up short.

We always do in the comparison game.

Once you start playing you start questioning everything in your life, even those things that you used to be content with.
No one but the devil wins in the comparison game. He likes to tarnish everything that is good in your life. Once we start comparing ourselves with others anything can get twisted into something negative.

When we catch ourselves playing this game we must stop immediately. It does no one any good.

Instead, start listing the blessings in your life. And there are several. Where you are at this time in your life is exactly where you need to be. God placed you there for a reason. Maybe you can't see the big picture, but He can. He's carrying out His purposes in your life.

In John 15:15 Jesus calls us His friends. And then He says in John 15:16, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you."

You can bear fruit exactly where you're at. It has nothing to do with how busy you are or how your life looks to others. God's point of view is the one that matters. Trust Him that He is doing great things through you. Trust Him with your life.

You Matter

3/2/2018

You matter. You don't have to be making lots of money. You don't have to be famous. You don't have to have some important job to matter. You matter because God created you and loves you. You matter because He created you for Himself -- to be in relationship with Him. You matter to others whether they say it or not. You matter. Your life is vital to your world. Don't let anything or anyone including yourself telll you anything differently.

Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

He created each of us to work alongside Him in this thing called life. It isn't a chore. It is a delight. And He will lead you. You won't be left behind. You might feel lonely now, but you aren't being left out. He's preparing things right now. He's working behind the scenes.

You are shining for Him right where you are. Don't doubt it. His Spirit lives in you. You can't help but shine.

Sometimes life is slow. Sometimes life is fast. Sometimes life is a struggle. Sometimes life isn't. Life is full of seasons. Maybe you are in an uncomfortable season right now. Remember -- it's a season. And seasons end. This too shall pass. Please don't give up. God is using you even if you can't see it. The work will bear fruit at the right time. Sometimes that fruit takes years to develop. You are precious to Him. Oh, Dear One, Don't give up. Hold on just a little bit more. Spring is coming.

Going Dark

2/27/2018

Sorry for my lack of writing these days, for going dark. It's been five days since I've posted. Prior to that it had been spotty as well. My mental state hasn't been the best this winter. Medication has changed. Body has been affected. The lack of extended time outdoors. The feelings of isolation. All of it contributes to winter depression. But I'm getting better and I'm climbing out of my hole. Sometimes just holding on is a victory though. Sometimes just making it through the day is winning a battle in this war called life.

My son Hawk is so faithful to sit beside me when I am in tears. I guess he doesn't have much of a choice, but he doesn't complain. He just waits for me to compose myself so I can begin reading again. I think he prays for me. I asked a few people yesterday to pray for me through Facebook messaging. I know they did because today was a whole lot better than yesterday was. The sunshine gives me hope. And I even colored my hair!

This morning I read, "My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26). Then I read two verses later, "But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works."

If you're having a hard time this winter, if you're waiting for spring to appear inside your soul like I have been, cling to these words from the Bible. God is the strength of your heart. His nearness is your good. He can be your refuge. He wants to be your refuge.

And ask others for prayer. If you're hurting let others lift you up. I went to a retreat this past weekend and I really needed prayer. I knew it but I didn't know who to ask. I sat in the auditorium for an hour before I asked a lady I hadn't met yet if she would pray for me. It turned out to be just right. Prayer is powerful. It's not the end all but it can be the beginning of a solution. Try it. Don't suffer alone. We aren't meant to be alone.

Are they getting you?

2/22/2018

Are they getting you? As you walk are you snagging your clothes, ripping your flesh on their pointy ends, tearing your hair from your scalp? Are the thorns stopping you from walking where you are meant to walk?

All of us can fall into a thorn patch. I have lately. Jesus called three things thorns: "the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things" (Mark 4:19). These are the kinds of things that snag our souls and stop us from really living.

Not sure if you are in thorn patch?

Are you obsessing about something?

Worrying about something?

Troubled incessantly and weighed down by something?

You're very likely in a thorn patch. If you stay there long enough you might start thinking it is a normal place to live -- a place where you are constantly scratched and snagged and hurt and impeded. But that just isn't so. And if you're in a big thorn patch is might be blocking out the light and then it's dark too. You gotta get out of there. You must get to a place of freedom.

Cry out to Jesus. Just say His name. He's still there. He can clear away the thorns. He can show you the path out. He doesn't want you to live in the thorns.

"'Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.'" Matthew 11:28

I know you're busy

2/15/2018

I know I know I know I know I know I know I know you are busy. I know you are tired at the end of the day. I know your life is full. God knows this too. But you can do something.

Remember the parable of the talents how one guy was given ten, another guy was given five and the third guy was given one? The first two did something with their talents and they were praised by the master. The third guy buried his in the ground and was judged. The master tells the third guy he could have at least put it in the bank and got some interest on it. He could have at least done the minimum rather than doing nothing.

We are the same. We can at least do something. If we all do something for the kingdom a lot will get accomplished. We can all do something in our churches. If you're going to church, that's a great step. But are you doing more than that? Are you investing your time just a little bit? It could be inviting people to church. It could be cleaning the church. It could be sharing words of encouragement. It could be doing works of art. There are as many ways of sharing your talents in the church as there are people. If you don't know what to do ask God He'll give you an idea. But just don't say you are too busy. Please. We need you to do something. You need yourself to do something. We need to work together and invest in each other. We have too many surface relationships. And they make us lonely.

We are in a spiritual war and the enemy loves to lull us to sleep. Remember the ten virgins? How even the ones who had the oil were starting to fall asleep before the master arrived? We are to be alert. If we quit fighting we will fall asleep. We will start looking like the world and before you know it we won't be any different than those who don't know Jesus. And then we will be ineffective. Don't let that happen. Please.

I Went To Court Today

2/12/2018

I went to court today in my slippers.

Let me explain.

I went to court today telephonically in order to gain guardianship over my 18 year old son. There was no dispute over the ruling. We didn't expect there to be. It's obvious Hawk needs 24 hour care and my husband and and I are the ones to give it. We wouldn't have it any other way. It took less than 10 minutes. It was a routine case. But it was sobering, moving even.

No one expects when they birth a child that they will one day hear a judge rule for them to be their child's legal guardians because that child needs protection; because that child is so vulnerable he cannot ever function alone.

What unexpected journeys we all take. I for one am glad crystal balls don't work -- that people can't tell the future. If we saw what was ahead of us we might refuse to walk the way we were called to walk.

You are being prepared for something right now. It's not necessarily something bad. God very well might be preparing you for something really really good, but He can't tell you about it because a lot of times telling us would just not be a good thing.

"God, our God will take care of the hidden things but the revealed things are our business. It's up to us and our children to attend to all the terms in this Revelation." Deuteronomy 29:29

"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." John 16:12

Really live the life you have right now. Get all you can out of it. Learn what God wants you to learn. If you're struggling, lean into that struggle. Be like the butterfly who gets stronger in that struggle as it rids itself of its chrysalis casing -- if it didn't have the struggle it wouldn't be able to fly (you probably knew that). If your life is pretty quiet right now, notice the small blessings all around you and in you. Breathe in that quiet. Revel in it. If you're dealing with strife, ask God for peace and learn to live in His peace in the middle of strife. There are lessons in every situation we are in.

I know some of us are tired of winter these days, but the snow is sure pretty. And I know the temperatures are really cold, but spring is not that far off. We're already almost in the middle of February.

And if someone has wronged you, forgive them even if they haven't said they're sorry. Not everyone will. And it's not worth it to hold onto that grudge. Life is more than that. Grudges tend to suck life out of us, make our lives smaller somehow.

Enjoy your journey today.

Ask Him First

2/7/2018

You know how yesterday I said I had gotten an answer from God after months of searching? It came to me this morning that it took so long because I never asked God for answers when I first started looking for answers. Instead, I consulted "experts" and searches and my own thoughts and conclusions. I wasted time when I didn't consult God first.

When we don't consult God first (or at least early on) we end up having to deal with consequences we might not have to deal with if we ask Him right away.

When we ask Him for answers right away we let Him in on the process. We give Him permission to speak to us about what's going on.

Don't waste time. Ask Him now. Ask Him for the answers you seek.

And when God gives answers they might not be the answers wej'd hoped for but He will give peace with those answers.

"Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6-7

Looking for answers?

2/6/2018

Are you looking for answers?

Seek God.

Are you needing wisdom?

Ask God.

"if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all (people) generously and without reproach, and it will be given to (them)." James 1:5

I had a situation in my life I couldn't figure out. I sought answers for months. Finally God broke through and gave me wisdom about it. Sometimes it takes time to get answers.

And sometimes you don't get answers. Instead God might just give you peace.

Oh, I wish we could sit together and I could tell you how good God is; how He is far better than anything this world can give you; that those struggles you are dealing with are being used by Him for great good (if you let Him that is).

Don't give up hope. There's always hope in Him. Always. If you're still breathing there is hope.

We have to learn to live our faith -- meaning we live not by what we see but by what we don't see. Living by faith means we know the world we don't see is far more vast than the world we can see. This world is a mere shadow of the invisible realm. If our eyes are focused on our struggles instead of God we will be overwhelmed by them. We're like the disciples in the storm. All they saw were the waves and the wind and the rain. And they were scared. They should have remembered they'd be okay because Jesus was with them. They weren't going to drown. But they woke Him up and accused Him of not caring for them. He told the storm to quiet down and asked the disciples where their faith was.

Oh, Jesus cares. Jesus loves. Jesus is here. Jesus is with you.

We Need Boldness

2/3/2018

We need boldness in this world for Christ Jesus. Those of us who know Him know that everyone needs to know Him. Not only is He the one way of salvation, knowing Jesus gives us peace and joy and purpose. Things all people want. But as life goes on and we live among others it's easy not to be bold. In fact, I'd say being bold is contrary to being human. Being human at its most common form is to be like sheep -- mindless sheep that go along with the crowd.

God calls us not to go along with the crowd. To be beacons of light for those who are lost.

It can be difficult and uncomfortable to be bold, so I've got a tip to start our way on being bold for Jesus.

Make it a point to say Jesus's name. Instead of saying God in a sentence use Jesus's name. Jesus's name has power in just speaking it. You can't say Jesus without it being noticed. You don't even have to ask someone about their own lives to be bold. Just say Jesus.

Once we start getting used to using Jesus's name in conversation that might help us be bold in other ways.

The world needs to hear His name in other ways than as a cuss word.

Use His name today. Try it. Let's learn to be bold. It takes practice. Let's do it for Jesus. Let's do it for ourselves. Let's do it for this hurting world.

I'm going to try it. Will you?

Love, Sweet Love

2/1/2018

"What the world needs now is love, sweet love/It's the only thing that there's just too little of" says the song by Burt Bacharach.

I've been starting and stopping some writing that has to do with my life for months now. While writing I realized that most of my life I longed to be in love. This longing brought me loads of trouble. But I think that longing is a God thing. Great stories are often romances (or at least have a romance within them).

We want to be loved. But we have a need to love too. I'm reading a book by Beth Moore right now called Audacious. It's a book about boldly loving Jesus. She brings up the story of Jesus asking Peter three times if Peter loves Him. The third time Jesus asks Peter says sadly, "Lord you know all things; You know that I love you."

How would you feel if Jesus asked you three times if you loved him? How would I feel? Would we feel sad, mad or frustrated from answering the same question three times? Would we feel exposed, embarrassed, ashamed that our answer might be no?

"What (I) need now is love, sweet love/ It's the only thing that (I) have just too little of."

Do you truly love Jesus? Do you boldly love Jesus? Or do we just respect Him without love?

Love Jesus. That's God's will for you and me. To love His Son. If You don't feel love for Jesus, ask God to open up that heart of yours. He'll flood it full of love for His Son. Today I read "Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns" in Jeremiah 4:3.

In Matthew 13 Jesus calls "the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of riches" thorns. Those thorns will work against us. They will harden our hearts to Jesus and His Word. They will make our love for Him grow cold. And when our love for Jesus is cold our souls shrivel up and eventually feel dead. He's the reason for everything.

Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together."

That means we're held together by Christ Jesus. You are held together by Him. I am held together by Him. How can we not love Him?

Thank God Our Feelings Aren't The Foundation

1/27/2018

I thank God our feelings aren't the foundation of our faith or God's love for us. Our feelings come and go for parts of our lives: for our jobs; for parenting, for dreams, for activies we're part of; for really almost anything to include relationships. So, if we base something on feelings we're building it on top of toothpicks -- toothpicks that will break with the slightest of pressure.

Feelings change as quick as the weather does. Feelings can be affected by what we eat, by what we see; by what we hear and what we smell. Feelings can deceive us. Feelings can be incredible, but they can also be horrible. Feelings aren't bad or good. Feelings just are.

Everyone loves that rush of good feeling we get when we're in love or when we're excited about something; when we have new opportunities we've been waiting for. We love those mountaintop experiences but mountaintops are relatively small compared to the rest of life. We gotta learn to live in the valleys and the plains; to see the beauty and joy in little things, in daily lives, in the ordinary.

What do we do when there is no feeling whatsoever? We keep doing what we know we need to keep doing. We don't quit. We don't give up. We endure until that breath of spring flows past our face.

A friend named Sue

1/25/2018

I used to have a friend named Sue. She'd visit about once a week. We'd sit at the table drinking coffee and talking about Jesus and all sorts of other stuff. My friend Sue probably didn't realize how important her visits were because they were no big deal at the time -- just two people drinking coffee and talking.

Those kinds of visits are important. I miss those visits. The sharing of friendship. The sharing of words. Sue went to heaven (that's why the visits stopped).

I think about Jesus and His disciples. They must have sat around chatting and laughing and just enjoying each other's company at times. They probably had running jokes. Maybe they kidded with each other about each other's quirks.

What would have it been like to sit with Jesus and just talk?

Do you have someone you can just chat with? Just sit around and laugh -- no pressure to perform, just a time to relax and be yourself? We all need that.

You know, even if you don't have a close friend right now, you can have those chats with Jesus. He's a great listener. He wants to talk to you too but He'll listen forever. He'll laugh with you. He'll sit with you. No, we can't see Him with our eyes typically, but He's there. He's always there.

"He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist," Acts 17:27c-28a

I didn't know what to write, but . . .

1/21/2018

I didn't know what to write this morning, but I wanted to write anyway. I wanted to tell you that God loves you. I wanted to tell you that your calling is important no matter what it is. If God has called you to do it, it has eternal signficance. I say this to myself too. I sometimes wonder about what I'm doing. My main job is to care for my family, to care for Hawken; to do dishes and cook meals and clean clothes. How can that have eternal signficance? How can those kind of things be as important as the work famous Bible teachers do?

But they are. If God has given us a task that is only seen by Him, it is just as important and vital to His kingdom as a person who has a task that is in the spotlight.

Don't compare your calling, your life, to someone else's. Even Paul says to make it our ambition to lead a quiet life (1 Thessalonians 4:11).

You are making a difference -- those small kindnesses, those smiles, those words of encouragement. All of these little things can do mighty big things in other people's lives (and for God's kingdom).

We don't want to gain the whole world but lose our souls. Think about it. What if your wildest dreams came true? Would they further God's kingdom? Would they survive the fire? Or would they be like hay and stubble and burn up in that refining fire? Would you really want to spend the one life God has given you on stuff that won't matter in the end?

This came to my mind while driving home from grocery shopping yesterday. My answer was no. No, I don't want to spend this life on stuff that will not matter in the end. What is your answer?

My new Year rose is still blooming. Both rose plants are doing well -- much better than I expected. My son Pete needs prayer for courage. He is scared to put weight on his left leg so it has become much thinner than his right leg. Please pray for him. It is amazing to me how much I yearn to hear from my two oldest kids. My dog had an abscessed tooth but the antibiotics I'm giving him (in peanut butter sandwiches) have already helped. He's 13 and a dearly loved member of the family. My husband is taking a power lifting team to a meet in less than a week for the first time ever. First time the school has had a power lifting team. First time my husband will compete too. They've been working hard since June.

Why do I tell you all that? I don't know. It is my life. Very quiet. Yet, God is working through it all in ways I don't know -- just like He's doing in your life.

Cherish your life. Cherish yourself (even cherish your body -- it serves you well. It needs your respect). If you were able to eat today thank God for that food. If you were able to function and do what you had to do, thank God for that too. You are a light in your world. Let that light shine bright.

Nothing forgotten, nothing wasted

1/18/2018

I read a good quote from Beth Moore today I want to share with you. She writes in her entrusted Bible study:

Persist. Jesus is on His way. Your anointing has not run dry. Heaven has not forgotten you're alive. You have not believed for nothing. The results of your faith will soon sprout from that fallow ground. Just a little more rain. Just a little more thunder. Your obedience will pay off. You have not wasted a single breath on prayer. There is still life in your bones and, child of God, there is still life in His Word. Persist.

Sometimes we need to hear this. Life might seem empty. The routine might feel meaningless. The days might feel endless. You might even find yourself bored at times. As she wrote, Persist. Continue on. Press forward. Do what you are called to do. Life is full of seasons. No season lasts forever.

"But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." 2 Timothy 4:5