Farewells Part 1

First off I just have to take a moment to say thank you. Last week's post "Silent Saturday" received over 80 views! I was overwhelmed and humbled at the response! I love being able to share what God is teaching me and I really love that some of you liked it enough to share it. So thank you friends for sharing the message that God laid on my heart this Easter. I'm grateful for your response.

This week I want to do something a little different and start a series. I'm calling it Farewells. Week 1 is Moses and the Israelites.

If you could say one last thing to the people you love what would it be? In Deuteronomy 29-31 Moses takes time to speak to the people he has been leading for the last 40 years. Moses became the leader of Israel when God sent him to Pharaoh to free His people. Moses listened to their complaints during the plagues, he observed their fear when they came to the Red Sea and participated in their joy after they crossed. A few days later he grieved when the people cried out against God and he was angered when they rejected God and made a golden calf to worship even while Moses was on Mt. Sinai communing with the Lord.

Moses spent 40 years as their leader. He rejoiced with them, grieved with them, prayed for them, intervened on their behalf with the Lord for them. He ruled over them as their judge and he dedicated about half of his life to them. Obviously he had his times of anger and frustration but there is no doubt he loved them and he cared about what happened to them.

Now he's facing the end of his life and one of the last things he does is he calls the whole nation of Israel together so he can talk to them. He begins by reminding them of what God has done for them. His deliverance of the people from Egypt, how during 40 years in the wilderness their clothes and sandals didn't wear out. He reminds them of their defeats when they left Egypt, the renewal of their covenant with the Lord and he reminds them of what they left behind, the worship of idols and other false gods.

Moses also offers a warning. He warns them what will happen if they turn away from the Lord. He says that even their children and other nations will condemn them. He explains the blessings and curses that lay before them. Blessings if they follow the Lord, curses if they reject Him. Then we come to my favorite part.

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 in my Bible this section is titled as "The Offer of Life or Death" which seems like the perfect title. Verse 11 says "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach."

After 40 years of leading the nation of Israel through the wilderness and right before they're about to finally cross the Jordan and enter the land of their inheritance, Moses takes this opportunity to give the people a choice. He knows them and he tells them straight out that what he's telling them isn't too difficult for them. He's taking away all their excuses but he also acknowledges that the choice is theirs. They can follow the Lord and choose life or reject Him and choose death. He urges them to choose life to "love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him."

In this moment, just before Moses is going to die and the people are going to claim their inheritance I imagine that he thought about what the most important thing he could tell them would be. And this what he came up with.

So what would you say in your farewell? If you had the chance to tell your loved ones something before you passed away? Moses urged his loved ones to choose life and cling to the Lord. Even as he was brutally honest and acknowledged that they would walk away. What would you? What would your farewell address be? And if you'd want to say it at the end of your life then why not say it now?

Silent Saturday

I recently heard today, the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, referred to as Silent Saturday and I thought that it's a very fitting description of the day. It should be a day of reflection but I think most of the time we just skip over it. Maybe we attend a Good Friday service. And we plan for our Easter dinner and family get together on Sunday but Saturday just gets skipped over. We're focused on finalizing our plans and stuffing Easter eggs. We forget all about the significance of this day. And it is very significant.

This year I was looking forward to Easter more then I have in years. I was looking forward to a family dinner on Saturday with a few of my siblings and my parents and grandparents. I was really looking forward to the huge special service my church was planning. I was so excited about it! And then... the Corona virus hit.

I'll admit I spent quite a bit of time being incredibly disappointed. All my plans were ruined. And that got me thinking about the first Easter about 2,000 years ago.

After about three years of traveling with Jesus, sharing in His ministry and performing miracles themselves the disciples headed back to Jerusalem with Him to prepare for the Passover. They were greeted with enormous crowds on the day we've come to celebrate as Palm Sunday. I imagine they loved it! I mean who wouldn't? Finally the rest of the world is coming to recognize what they already know, the man they've been following around is the Messiah! The Son of God! And now huge crowds are acknowledging it as Jesus rides into the city and they shout "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

They must have felt so vindicated! And maybe it made it easy to ignore Jesus' warnings about his upcoming crucifixion. Or His tears as He looked out on Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) and condemned it.

Soon though everything changed. One of their best friends betrayed them and the Messiah when Judas handed their beloved Jesus over to the Pharisees and He was arrested. On Good Friday the disciples watched the Messiah be crucified on a cross next to thieves, humiliated and beaten down. Their faith was shattered and they fled. I can't even imagine the grief and disappointment, the fear and doubt, that they must have been experiencing. And the next day, Silent Saturday, I'm sure they woke up praying it had all be some awful nightmare and when they realized it wasn't? I can't even begin to imagine, much less describe, the depths of those emotions.

I imagine they feared for their lives. After all they were well known associates of Jesus. No doubt they wondered how long until they themselves were arrested and killed. More then that, the whole foundation of their lives for the last several years had been built on Jesus being their Savior and now He was gone. How could they go on? What was the point of life anymore?

I think that this Easter some of us are dealing with those same questions. Perhaps not to the same degree but we're still struggling. We're wondering what we do now. How much longer will we be forced to stay at home in quarantine? What do we do if we can't work? Will our lives ever return to normal? We've been stripped of our freedom to go out and enjoy life, of our contact with loved ones and in many cases, our work in which we place so much of our identity. Where does that leave us?

The fact is that I don't have the answers to these question but what I do have is the end of the story. The part that the disciples didn't know about on Silent Saturday. I know that Saturday wasn't the end because next came Resurrection Sunday. Jesus rose again! He conquered death! He is our Savior and He is alive! That's where we find our identity. Not in our jobs or our contact with the outside world but in our Savior. That's what Easter, and every other day, is really about. Living our lives for Him.

I have no idea when our lives will return to normal, or how much longer we'll be in quarantine or what we should do while we wait. What I do know is that on this Easter when we can't be distracted by our normal celebrations it's a great time to focus on what this holiday is really about.

Silent Saturday should be a time of reflection but that reflection should ultimately remind us of the hope that we have in Jesus and the gift of salvation that He freely offers to us all. If you want to learn more about this please send me an email or leave a note in the comments and I will gladly talk to you about it.

Happy Easter my friends. He is risen!

A Little Humor

With all that is going on with our world and now that the federal mandates have been extended through April 30th to slow the spread of COVID 19 I just thought we could all use some humor. I hope you're all staying safe. And just so you know I'm taking this situation lightly but I really wanted to give everyone a laugh.

Which one is your favorite? Leave me a note in the comments or share your quarantine meme!

Positive Pandemic Notes

Right now during this crazy pandemic that we find ourselves in the midst of there's a lot going on. There's tons of negativity that is just bombarding us. Everything from this is a conspiracy to it's the end of the world. Some are saying we're overreacting and others are saying we're not doing enough.

Think what you will about the state of our world and leaders during this time. That's not what we're talking about today. Today I want to talk to you about the good things that are happening because of the Corona virus. And yes friends, there really are good things out there. I even made a list! 10 good things that have come from the Corona virus craziness.

1. Time with family- I know some people stuck at home with their kiddos driving them crazy might not agree but in 20 years when your kids are grown and gone and busy with their lives you'll be grateful for this time. See this time with your family is building the foundation of a solid relationship with them. So that in 20 years when they are gone you have a solid relationship so that they do call and come visit and make time for you because you made time for them.

2. Helping our neighbors- There have been so, so many people stepping up to help each other out. People have been going out to get groceries for elderly neighbors and others they might know who shouldn't leave home. They've been leaving them on the doorstep to limit exposure for these vulnerable citizens. People have been donating to food shelters, checking in on family and friends more often and even just being more friendly with each other as they pass each other on the streets or in the store. I noticed that people check in on each other. It's a great thing to love our neighbors and I love that we're seeing people doing that.

3. Checking on the elderly- This goes along with the last one. My roommate, a caregiver, mentioned that she's noticed that people are smiling at the elderly and helping them out more then they usually do. Often elderly people are ignored but she said that she's noticed multiple times people smiling or checking in on her clients when they've been out an about. (Which is less now because they're trying to stay at home of course.) Even my grandpa mentioned the other day that he went to a store and the lady offered to help him out to the car. Right now people are going above and beyond with our elderly neighbors and that's a great thing to see!

4. People being nice- Along the same lines as the last 2 points but I really can't emphasize this enough. People have been overwhelmingly nice to each other during this rough time. People are reaching out, banding together and stepping up to support each other. It's truly an amazing thing to see.

5. Accomplishing things- Yes all this time on our hands is a drag, no doubt but it also gives us the much sought after commodity of uninterrupted time. There is never enough time in our lives but right now with this quarantine in place we all have lots of time! We're no distracted with many of things that keep us so busy so let's make the most of it and get some of those projects checked off the to-do list!

6. Positivity on social media- Sure there's a lot of scary stuff out there on social media right now but a lot of it is positive! There's tons of games and challenges that are going around. Sure a lot of them are silly but it gets people connecting and focusing on having fun instead of constantly worrying about what's going on in the world.

7. Church on the Internet- Due to the mandates keeping people from meeting in groups right now almost all churches have switched to livestreaming their services. This way they can still "meet" as a body even though they can't gather in person. What's amazing is the wide impact that this is having. Some churches are saying they're reaching more people then they normally would on a Sunday morning! And it's easier then ever to invite people to church because it takes out the intimidation factor of them having to actually show up in person. It's not a long term solution. People were made for community after all but it's great right now.

8. Getting Creative- Yesterday I watched a YouTube video of singers in Nashville doing a compilation of them singing the classic hymn "It Is Well With My Soul". Each of them were at home but they were able to upload the videos and have someone edit it and then it was uploaded. The other day I saw a video of a little one, maybe 4 years old doing an obstacle course at his house that his parents had set up for him. This is a time that is inspiring creativity and I love that!

9. New experiences- Since the entire world is dealing with this crisis there have been a lot of cool things coming out. There's free video tours of places like the Grand Canyon or exhibits at zoos. You can do a virtual field trip without leaving your living room. How cool is that!

10. Being grateful- The last thing I wanted to list was how this quarantine has forced us to reevaluate priorities and look for things to be grateful for. Too often we get caught up with our busy lives and let stress and worry overtake us. This time of the Corona virus and quarantines is a great time to to really focus on being grateful for what we have.

What are the good things you've seen come from this craziness? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! And just a reminder that if you follow this blog by email just replying won't get your comments to me. You'll need to go onto the website and actually post your comment below. I hope to hear from you!

Prayers and Encouragement

Hey guys. So to be honest when I planned out my time to come back and start writing again I wasn't anticipating it being in the middle of a pandemic. Good news, God knew it would be.

This last week has been really, really hard on a lot of people. I've felt that and I'm sure a lot of you have too. The Corona virus is very scary. The measures our government is taking to try to slow it's spread and keep us safe are useful but scary also. The emptiness in groceries stores as people stock up is understandable but scary.

I've read tons of verses posted on social media lately, as this current crisis unfolds. Some verses are taken out of context and not necessarily helpful. Others remind us that God is still in control and they are a crucial reminder during these turbulent times.

Today though I'm not going to share those verses. Instead I just want to pray with you.

Lord, these times in our world are scary. I just ask for Your comfort. I ask for Your healing for those affected and that You would stop this virus in it's tracks. I ask for wisdom for those in power over us. I ask that You would use this time of crisis to being people to You. And Lord I ask that You would be with those who are sick and be with their families.
Please protect those who are working tirelessly to keep us all healthy and safe. People like the doctors, nurses and other medical staff. The police and first responders. Those who are working in stores and businesses that are trying to stay open to provide for all of us. And anyone else who's affected by this. Bless them, bless their efforts.
Lord, I also pray that you would help us all to trust You during this time. To turn to You, to trust You and to come together (virtually and in prayer if we can't be together in person) to worship and praise You. Please remind us that You're in control and You are worthy of praise, not just in the good times but in times of worry and fear also. You are always worthy of praise.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Friends, I pray you stay safe and healthy and take time to pray for our neighbors and leaders and our whole world during this difficult time.

I'm sure I'll write more about this in coming weeks. Until then, may the Lord bless and keep you!

Transforming from Troll to Human

During my hiatus I went camping for the first time in years. Since it was winter we rented a little cabin instead of staying in tents. There was electricity but that's it. No kitchen or bathroom, just a little one room cabin with a few mattress on wooden frames. It may be closer to glamping then camping but that's not the point of today's post.

One morning I woke up, climbed out of my sleeping bag and gathered my things to make the trek to the bathrooms. Staring in the mirror I tried not to laugh at what a mess I looked like. My hair was going every direction, there were circles under my eyes and... well you get the picture. And a blog post popped into my head.

You know those mornings when you wake up looking, or at least feeling like you look like, a troll that just crawled out from under the bridge? Well I've come up with 7 easy steps on how to turn from a troll back into a human being.

1. Open your eyes.
     -If you keep your eyes closed then you may turn into a human in your dreams but you won't in real life. So that's your first step, you've actually got to open your eyes.

2. Drink some coffee or tea, even water.
     -I was going to make this step, drink something, but that sounded bad. The point is that just drinking a little bit of water will help you feel more awake. If you don't keep water nearby then try some coffee or tea.

3. Wash your face.
     -Even if you don't take a full shower first thing in the morning just washing your face will do wonders for making you feel more human.

4. Get dressed.
     -Changing out of pajamas is one of the quickest steps from going from troll to human. It really does wonders for helping you make the transformation.

5. Fix your hair.
     -I noticed when I was camping that just getting my hair fixed made a huge leap to helping me feel human. It went from sticking out every direction to actually looking decent and I knew that just with that I would feel better walking back to camp.

6. Brush your teeth.
     - Maybe I should've put this step higher then number 6 on the list but even being this far down it's a very, very important step. Right up there with washing your face. My dad was the first one to teach me this rule. Actually he was teaching my sister. Her first big trip he told her to pack her toothbrush and toothpaste in her carry on. He said that even though she would be able to shower just being able to brush her teeth would help her feel clean and refreshed while she was traveling.

7. Do your makeup.
     -Makeup doesn't create beauty, it enhances your natural beauty. (That lesson came from my Mom.) Although not necessary for camping sometimes you need an extra confidence boost. So if you need a little extra confidence while turning from a troll to a human then do your makeup. It'll help.

So there it is, 7 easy steps to turn from a troll rolling out from under the bridge to a human who can hold their head high and start the day.

Back From Break

Hey friends! After a couple of months off I'm back from my hiatus. Thank you so much for letting me take a vacation, it was much needed and very much appreciated. Now I'm coming back, refreshed and rejuvenated.

The last four months I have been unemployed. The company I was working for, sadly, had to close their doors and so the employees were laid off. Having four months with not much to do other then submit applications and go to job interviews is not as fun as it sounds. It's emotionally exhausting and surprisingly time consuming.

During this time I did a lot of praying about what God was trying to teach me. I learned to trust and God used this time off to really open my eyes to a lot of things and push me out of my comfort zone. I also spent a lot of time doing different things. I learned how to knit on a round loom and made hats for my nieces and nephews for Christmas. I finished a book I'd been working on for a couple of years. And I learned a lot about what I'm good at and what I want to do with my life. It's been quite the experience.

The really big thing that God has opened my eyes to during this time has been how much people care. I started attending a new church just a couple of months before I got laid off which meant that I was just starting to get involved in right after I got laid off. That was a hard thing for me, meeting all these new people and when the inevitable question "What do you do?" came up, having to admit that I'm between jobs.

I was truly worried about what people would think, whether or not they would judge me or what well-meaning people might say. I got a lot of "have you thought about doing this?" or "well what do you want to do?" which could be hard at times but overwhelmingly people were incredibly supportive and loving. People who barely know me have checked in weekly, or at least every time they see me, asking me how I'm doing, letting me know they've been praying for me and cheering me on along the way.

This, friends, this is what it means to be encouraged by the body of Christ. And it wasn't just the people at my new church, it was the people at my old church. My family, my friends, friends of my friends and even passing acquaintances. It has been an incredibly humbling experience to see people coming around me, lifting me up in prayer and showering me with love and encouragement. 

I realize how hypocritical my attitude has been. I've always tried to be a support and encouraging to others because I knew that's what God calls us to do. I've prayed for people and checked in with them when they've been unemployed or going through a hard time. So why would I expect the worst from others when it's me struggling?

Pride. That's my downfall. This time of unemployment has been incredibly humbling and although it's painful to be stretched it's always a blessing in the end. I'm grateful for this time and what God has taught me. And I'm really grateful that I'm now entering a different season in my life as I head back to work.

Thanks friends, for giving me support and giving me time to work through this difficult season.