Posted on Saturday, June 13, 2020

The Sound That Changes Things

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coasts and islands be glad. Clouds and total darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord—at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness; all the peoples see his glory.
Psalm 97

There is a sound I love to hear
It's the sound of the Savior's robe
As He walks into the room where people pray
Where we hear praises He hears faith
Where we hear worship He hears faith

Y’all. The last couple of weeks have been rough. Really rough. Can we all agree on at least that much? There is so much going on, and so much shouting on all sides.

So many people telling us through their posts and speeches and tweets and instas that “silence is violence” and if we don’t say something we are horrible people. And at the same time these same folks are shouting at us to shut up and listen.

Add to that, there are some things going on in my own life that are looming large and weighing me down. Issues that don’t need to be mentioned here, but dang, I could use some prayer y’all!! Truly.

It’s been a really, really rough couple of weeks. I’ve cried more than I’ve laughed. I’ve grieved more than I’ve celebrated. And I’ve yelled and screamed into the silence of my home (or to my television or computer or to God) more than I’ve said in public (or private) to anyone.

Awake my soul and sing
Sing His praise aloud
Sing His praise aloud

My dad fought in Vietnam but he never talked about it. I often wondered why. When I finally asked him, he simply said there were too many people already shouting about it, loudly, and he didn’t want to add to the cacophony of voices. He had his (very strong) opinions, but chose to keep them to himself – unless asked, privately – because there was already too much noise about it in the world. The war was far more complex, he said, than most made it out to be, and his opinions would take someone who was willing to listen and ponder and be open to the complexity. In other words, it would take someone who wasn’t a black-or-white right-or-wrong thinker, someone who understood the world was full of variances of greys, particularly when it comes to situations and people. And war.

I didn’t understand then, but I get it now; I get what my dad meant, and why he kept his opinions about such a controversial issue to himself. Every time I’ve gotten on Social Media over the last couple of weeks there is a cacophony of voices shouting at… I don’t know who… “everyone else” I guess… about all that’s going on, telling anyone and everyone who disagrees that they are horrible people. There’s so much black-or-white-right-or-wrong-all-or-nothing thinking going on!! And no one is actually listening to anyone else.

There is a sound that changes things
The sound of His people on their knees
Oh wake up you slumbering
It's time to worship Him

Here’s the thing, Brothers and Sisters in Jesus: We aren’t going to change things with posts on Facebook, tweets on twitter, or stories on instagram that just shout out our opinions and shout down anyone who disagrees with us. We’re just not. We might get some cool positive strokes from “friends” with the same political bent, or who hold the same opinions we do, but we aren’t going to change anyone else’s mind. And are we really advancing the Kingdom of God when we do this? I don’t think so. Posting a black square for a day, or making some symbol of something our profile picture, may make us feel good for a moment, but it does little to change the world or advance God’s Kingdom.

UNLESS that symbol, that black square, drives us to stop posting, close our computers, get on our knees and pray and worship Jesus.

Awake my soul and sing
Sing His praises loud
Sing His praises loud

Before you go off on me that right now we need action, not prayer (or maybe action with prayer) let me remind you of a couple of the many times prayer and praise accomplished more than any human action could.

In Acts 16 we see that our God delivers individuals who choose to pray and worship Him – while also benefitting all those around them! Paul and Silas were in prison for freeing a woman from a evil spirit. That spirit was profiting a particular man greatly and he was really pissed about losing that profit. So that man had them put in prison.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.”
Acts 16:25 – 26

Did you catch that last part? Not just the good guys were freed by God; everyone, even all the criminals in the jail, were freed! Because two men chose to pray and worship.

And in 2 Chronicles 20, we see our God delivers an entire nation (Judah) from a horde of enemies because they chose to praise Him – and not one of them raised a weapon in their own defense.

“The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.”
2 Chronicles 20:22 – 23

All these nations had conspired together to take Judah down, and it scared the crap out of the King, Jehoshaphat! His fear drove him to his knees in prayer. Not only that, but he called all of Judah to pray and fast…and they did. And. God. Moved. On their behalf.

There are so many other examples throughout Scripture of God moving, powerfully, mightily, in huge ways and in small ways that make mighty differences in the world! I challenge you to find more and post them in the comments. Let’s encourage each other with how powerful and good and righteous and holy is our God!

And when He moves
And when we pray
Where stood a wall now stands a way
Where every promise is amen

Do you know why these things happened? Because God saw the faith of His people. Where we see His people praying, worshipping, crying out to Him, God sees faith.

Now, not everyone believed He would move – but they most believed He could. And I’ve discovered – at least in my own life – that that is enough for God. When He sees my faith that He can, even when I admit I don’t know if He will, He moves and shows me He will. And, man, that increases my faith! It’s helps my unbelief! Sometimes I don’t even have to believe He can. I just cry out; and He hears faith in that cry. Isn’t that amazing!

Seriously, y’all! Our God is incredible! Marvelous! Awe-inspiring!

When God’s people pray and worship Him, when we admit who we are and focus on who He is — holy, righteous, just, merciful, loving, gracious, patient, slow to anger, all-powerful, all-knowing, always present– when we focus on Him, He does miraculous things!

And when He moves
Make no mistake
The bowels of hell begin to shake
All hail the Lord all hail the King

Sometimes He tells us to just watch Him work. Wouldn’t that be amazing to see Him work in our country right now!! And sometimes He lets us be a part of the miracle. He sometimes even calls us to be a part of it, pressing in on us and giving us words to speak and actions to take. Oftentimes those are very scary and demand a great deal from us personally. They aren’t what’s popular or cool; they aren’t what the rest of the world is saying or doing — or perhaps it requires us to change, to allow His love to permeate us and transform us rather than someone else. Whatever it is, His call to action is never easy. It requires faith. It requires prayer and praise. Lots of prayer and praise.

I know. I’ve had the great privilege of being called out by God, and man, it’s scary! And it’s hard! But you know what? That’s also when it get’s so exciting because it’s GOD-initiated rather than self-initiated. And God will see it through! As one of my pastors, Dave Buehring, says, “What God initiates, He permeates. What we initiate, we have to sustain.”

When we let God determine our words, our posts, our tweets, our instas, and our actions, He permeates them with His power and causes them to do all He plans for them to do. But we can’t know what those words and actions are if we don’t first go to our knees in prayer and praise.

It is the sound that changes things: us getting on our knees, praying and praising God. I know it’s hard to do right now. So many people shouting and pulling our attention away from God and to a myriad of issues – some very valid, some completely made up – that seem to demand all our time right now.

But right now is the precise time we need to fall on our knees and pray. We need to humble ourselves before our God, let Him search our hearts and show us where we have missed the mark. We need to know what our God thinks of all of this. We need to know what He wants us to do; what He needs us to do. That may mean we remain silent on some things. It may also mean we have to say and/or do hard things that go against the world’s opinions.

And right now is also the precise time we need to fall on our knees in praise to praise the God of the Universe, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the only God who can restore us to sanity! And He will, if we but ask Him. But it’s not going to be an easy, pain-free path. For anyone.

Sing His praises loud, y’all! It is the sound that changes things.

Oh let the King of glory enter in!
Fall down on your knees and worship Him!
Let His praise rise up don't hold it in!

Awake My Soul by Brooke Ligertwood – Hillsong Worship

Posted on Friday, March 20, 2020

I Want Off This Ride

“He has said, “I will never under any circumstances desert you nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless, nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you – assuredly not!” — Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)

Two years ago this coming May I went skydiving for the first time. A friend had shared a video and some pictures on Facebook from her skydiving adventure and it looked fun to me. It looked like an adventure I wanted to take. So I did.

I signed up to go and asked a few friends if they’d like to join me. Most adamantly refused, but one friend who had done it before said she would go with me, not to jump, but to be my support. There were a few false starts due to weather, but finally, the day before Mother’s Day, I got to do my jump. And my friend, Natalie, got to be in the co-pilot seat as I did. It was great to have her there, willing to listen as I went on and on afterward about all I had experienced.

I wasn’t nervous when we got there, or while waiting — though I was rather nervous for a bit after reading through the 7-page waiver I had to sign which detailed all the things that could go wrong and my “agreement” to never ever sue them if they should. I’d already paid my money at that point, and thus committed myself to this adventure. So, nerves-jangling, I signed the waiver and headed to the hangar to meet my instructor.

I was given a jump suit of sorts to get into, and as our time got closer, my tandem instructor, Mike, had me get into a harness, which he tightened. Then we got into to the perfectly good plane we were to jump out of, along with a group of others, and the plane took off.

As we flew higher in the sky, I began to get a little nervous; it was quite high and things on the ground looked very small. As we got close to our jumping altitude of 15,000 feet, Mike began tightening my harness even more; to the point that I thought it might cut me in half.

Too soon it was our turn to jump out. I’d like to say I jumped with confidence and excitement, but that would be a huge lie. There was a group of skydivers that went out first, all in a big ball, tumbling out and over the edge of the plane. I stared after them thinking, “oh, crap! This is real. And this is crazy!” Fear kicked in and I could not move. Thankfully, I was completely tethered to Mike at that point, and he moved us forward and out the door before I could really process what was happening.

I closed my eyes almost immediately, so I missed seeing the belly of the plane as we did a flip onto our back and then back onto our stomachs. I opened my eyes to open sky all around, and the ground very very far away.

I was overwhelmed. Completely overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed with what, exactly, I can’t say. There was a taste of terror in that overpowering feeling, and a little taste of exhilaration. And perhaps many other emotions as well. I’m just not sure. All I know is that I was completely overwhelmed by emotions, and, in that moment, I so very much wanted off that ride. Except, there was no “off”. This…thing I was doing at that moment was the “off”. It was as “off the ride” as a person could get.

There was nothing to do but hang on, breathe, and trust that Mike, whom I could no longer see because he was strapped to my back, knew what he was doing, and would take care of me in the event that something went wrong.

We were in free-fall for what seemed like eternity, but in reality was probably only a minute or two at the most. The crazy thing about free-fall is it doesn’t feel like you’re falling at all. It feels more like flying. The ground doesn’t seem to be getting closer but the wind is screaming past you to the point it’s hard to hear, or move. Nothing about what you are experiencing is normal, so the brain goes into overdrive trying to process it all and figure out what to do next. At least that was my experience.

Then came the magical moment I will remember all my life. The parachute deployed.

I didn’t see it deploy; rather, I felt it. There was a sudden jerked upwards, as if some giant had grabbed hold of us and yanked us back up higher in the sky. But it wasn’t so much the jerk that got my attention as much as it was the feel of the harness holding me fast. It was tight against my body, like a mother clutching a trembling child against her after both had a good scare. It was strong and solid.

I felt secure for the first time since we were in the plane and I saw how high we were. And I continued to feel secure in that harness the rest of the way down. All the tugging and pulling Mike had done, all his telling me to suck in my stomach and pull every muscle in tight, had gotten that harness so snug around me that even thousands of feet in the air, it solidly held me close to him – and gave me the sense that I was anchored to someone else; someone who was very experienced in what to do next.

Now, that harness had been as securely fastened to me when we first jumped out of the plane as it was when the parachute deployed. And it was just as securely fastened throughout our free-fall. Yet I don’t remember ever noticing or feeling it. All I remember is feeling utterly overwhelmed and desperately wanting off the ride. It was only when the parachute opened and the harness pulled tight that I realized I was securely held.

As we drifted down to the ground under the sweet canopy of the parachute, I remember God whispering to me that this is how securely anchored I am to Him at all times, even though I don’t feel it or realize it. I am securely tethered to God through Jesus. And while my tandem skydiving instructor might make a mistake, or have a problem with equipment that even with his decades of experience he cannot overcome, God will never make a mistake. And He never encounters a problem He cannot overcome.

I’ve thought often of that moment nearly two years ago when the harness pulled tight. I’ve tried to imagine feeling that security again. Particularly in recent weeks. But it’s hard to feel secure during free-fall. You have to just trust that you are secure. You have to choose to trust the tethers you can’t feel and the Person you can’t see.

Tonight, as I listened to the news that my home state of California is now on complete lockdown as a means to arrest the spread of this virus, I was overwhelmed once again. There is a strong taste of terror mixed with dread and anxiety. I’m afraid for my family and friends still living there, some of whom are squarely in the high-risk categories. I’m fearful for their health and their jobs.

As I got ready for bed all I could think of was “I want off this ride. I want OFF this ride!” I want to turn the channel on this disaster movie and watch something else. I want a romantic comedy, where the worst things that happen are frustrating road trips, chance meetings with annoying guys, and falling in love with said annoying but lovable guy. I want When Harry Met Sally. I don’t want Contagion.

Events are screaming past us so fast right now, like the wind rushing by during free-fall. It’s hard to hear anything else but the latest news, or our shouting fears. It’s especially difficult to hear the voice of God. And it’s hard to know what to do, and who to believe. Nothing about what we are experiencing is normal. There’s no precedent to follow; no manual that tells us what move to make next. We are in free-fall and none of us knows how to pull the parachute cord.

I’m in a free-fall of my own too. Terror is screaming at me all the time, reminding me of my jobless state, of my alone-ness and loneliness, barraging me with images of being a bag lady under a bridge, forgotten and alone. With each new day – sometimes each new hour – there is more bad news; more layoffs, more “guidelines”, more locking down of society. Dread is weighing down my soul and anxiety is eating my lunch.

As I battled these demons screaming in my ears tonight, God so graciously — and powerfully — swept them aside, and lovingly got in my face. I heard Him say, “Remember, you are tethered to Me. You can’t see me because I’m behind you, holding you firmly and securely to Myself. But I’ve got you. I’ve got you!”

“I got you!” — I don’t know if there are more beautiful words to hear in the midst of free-fall than that. He has us! We are firmly tethered to Jesus, and He will never ever under any circumstances desert us nor give us up nor leave us without support, nor in any degree leave us helpless, nor will He forsake or let us down or relax His hold on us – assuredly not!

Take Heart, friends! Be of good courage – and sleep well. Jesus is keeping watch today.

Posted on Monday, October 16, 2017

All Creatures

Let me set the scene: After running into Starbucks to grab my app-ordered goodies, I found myself stuck in the drive-through line. Normally, this would really irk me but today it was just a small annoyance, as my mind was elsewhere. Again. Chewing on its latest creation has been the favorite pastime of my mind for most of my life. Teaching it to focus on the present has become a life-long project.

Once I was able to finally extract myself from the ridiculously long drive-through line, I headed west on Baker’s Bridge figuring that would be an easier way to get to the freeway entrance. In a desperate attempt to pull my mind out of its hole and back into my real life — not an easy feat these days — I plugged in my phone and put on my latest playlist.

As the first strains of music began to play, I crossed over the 65 freeway and looked up at the beautiful sapphire blue sky; the kind of sky you only get after a cleansing rain like the one we had yesterday. That sapphire sky crashed into the lush rolling hills of Franklin, which are still mostly decked out in their finest summer greens, though a few trees have put on some of their autumn attire like a high school girl trying out different looks before finally settling on one for the homecoming dance.

With traffic stopped at the light ahead and more traffic flowing below me on the 65, the scene was almost complete: the beauty of God’s creation side-by-side with the busy traffic of my life – and my crazy brain desperately chewing on it’s latest toy. Yeah, that pretty much sums up how the last decade has gone. Beauty and chaos, God’s creation and my own aggravation. But just as Jonathan Allen’s beautiful, warm baritone voice rang out from my speakers, I saw a large hawk fly from between the trees and begin to soar above the road ahead, drifting on the wind and hovering over all the traffic. And I was transfixed. The wing span alone was impressive, not to mention its ability to just soar with so little effort; a couple of flaps of its wings and it was good to go. Serenity washed over me as I watched that hawk circle above all the busyness below, watching and waiting, while Jonathan sang, “All creatures of our God and King; lift up your voice and with us sing, Oh praise Him! Alleluia!”

I was struck in that moment with how often I am witness to all of creation crying out it’s joyful praise to God — a beautiful sunset, a striking sunrise, a family of turkeys crossing the road and holding up morning rush hour for a rush hour of their own… Too often it just passes me by because my mind is too busy chewing on it’s latest production to give it more than a passing glance. This morning I chose to stop in that moment and worship Jesus along with the hawk and hills and sky (and Jonathan and our amazing worship team at Grace Chapel). And you know what? My mind has had a really hard time going back to it’s latest chew toy.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. — Psalm 34:1-3 (AMP)

Posted on Monday, April 24, 2017

Preaching To Myself

“What’s that face?”

“Turn that frown upside down!”

“Smile! It increases your face-value!”

I heard them all today. All said by well-meaning, truly caring people trying to cheer me up and bring me back to my “usual” happy self. But it just wasn’t working today. I just didn’t have it in me. What a way to start a post, huh!

Yet I think if we’re honest with each other, we’d admit it’s hard to keep our hearts alive and open, hopeful, when we experience so many disappointments and heartaches in the natural course of life. Oh, sure — we have good days, even awesome days. In those times it’s not hard to feel positive and upbeat about the future and walk in happy expectation. But where does that positive upbeat view of the future go when we’re hit with disappointment, setbacks, heartache, defeat, pain, loss?

I have learned that it is in these dark moments that hope can be most alive and real in us, if we will allow it. The kind of hope Horatio Stafford clung to as he penned “It Is Well With My Soul.” The same hope that Job clung to as he sat digging at his scabs, grieving his lost family and saying,”Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15) And the same hope that kept a bloody, beaten Paul and Silas praying and singing to God while in prison.

I doubt any of these men were smiling, happy, or chipper during these dark times of their lives. And I would suspect their words were spoken, and lyrics sung, with tear-stained faces, and pain-filled hearts. Yet they all had hope.

Paul points out in Romans 8 that even though all creation is bound up in the curse brought on by Adam and Eve, subjected over and over to frustration and futility, and groaning with birth pangs, it eagerly waits for God to reveal who His children really are — and with that revealing be freed from its bondage to decay. What an amazing picture of real hope! If we couldn’t grab hold of it in the previous stories, we get another glimpse of it here, in a multi-dimensional view of just how gritty and sweaty and bloody hope really is.

We don’t see the happy sparkly thing we tend to envision when someone mentions hope. This isn’t a dreamy gossamer comforter that we snuggle into and feel all warm and happy. On the contrary, the picture Paul gives us is of a gritty bloody battle to remain open, alive, eager, patient, and surrendered to God in the midst of continual frustration, futility, curses brought on us by others, and deep searing pain. Real hope – especially for the follower of Jesus – means ferocious fighting of resentment, bitterness, depression, despair, and apathy. It brings a “deepened sense of thirst and ache,” as one of my favorite authors, Jan Meyers, put it, and leaves us on the verge of falling into the abyss, all. the. time. Real hope puts us in a place where we have to trust the all-sufficiency of Christ. And that isn’t an easy place for us. We naturally want to trust the sufficiency of ourselves. To trust in, rely on, and put the full weight of our lives in the hands of Someone we cannot see — it just goes against the current of of our nature.

I recently heard (in a teaching from Ravi Zacharias, I think) that “Abba” doesn’t mean “Daddy.” It actually means something a little more intimate. It was used by infants and toddlers when they wanted their father and is the equivalent of today’s “da-da.” So when Scripture tells us we cry out “Abba! Father!” what it’s really giving us a picture of is us crying out like infants, holding our arms stretched wide in a desperate longing for our “Da-da” to hold us and comfort us. Only children who have raw, gritty hope that da-da will respond continue to cry out and reach for him.

Today I keep running across things that remind me of this truth of what real hope looks like; perhaps because I’m struggling mightily with disappointment and regret that’s threatening to suck me into the deep chasm of despair. So I think I just need to write out what I keep hearing God say to me today, the Hope He’s whispering to my heart and soul: This isn’t it. This isn’t all there is to Life. I’m doing something you cannot see, cannot yet understand. Trust Me. Rely on Me. Put the full weight of your life on Me. I’ve got you. Will you yet hope in me?

Be strong and let your hearts take courage, all you who wait for and confidently expect the Lord. — Psalm 31:24 (AMP)

Posted on Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Plans & New Beginnings

A new day. A new year. New beginnings. It’s a time for resolutions and goals, for re-assessing the current and making plans for the future. Whether it’s January 1st, our birthday, a new job, or some other new beginning, we tend to see them as a chance to start afresh.

I’ve never been much of a planner, not in the strictest sense. I like to dream and consider the future, but I tend to forget — or flat-out ignore — the specifics it takes to get there. At least until the moment for change is upon me. Then I’m so super-focused on those details that I can miss the bigger picture and completely freak myself out.

Yet I can come off as rather perfectionistic about details, which may cause some to think I’m a big planner. I think that perfectionism is because I’m already at the freak-out stage and trying to micro-manage every single detail.

This year I want to learn how to focus my desires and mold them into plans, even if those plans are just outlines and loose sketches. The last few years have taught me the value of focusing on the specifics because I’ve seen how my career, my dreams, my recovery, even my walk with God stall out for lack of a plan. What good is it to know where you want to go, if you don’t know how you’re going to get there?

In the past I figured I would work that out as I went along, not realizing how lost I could get on the way. I’m grateful that I never went so far out into the weeds that I lost the path altogether. I think I owe that more to God’s hand on my life than I do my own sense of direction.

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. — Jeremiah 29: 10 – 11 (New Living Translation)

That God has plans for me still amazes me. That I am considered by the Almighty God is crazy in itself, but that He created a unique part for me to play in His plans for this world can just blow my mind at times. So if God has a plan, why do I need one? Shouldn’t I just wait for Him to guide me where He wants me to go?

I wrestle with these questions from time to time, and the only conclusion I can draw — more from my own experience and life than anything else — is that it’s not an either/or scenario. It’s a both/and one. It is that God has plans for me and He wants me to actively participate in the planning process. It is that God wants to guide me where He wants me to go and he wants me to create a course of action to follow — in pencil so it’s fluid, changeable.

There was no real, lasting recovery from alcoholism until Bill W. and Dr. Bob began to chart a course together that would later become known as the 12 Steps. While the steps stand alone as significant, these foundations are principles that can be found throughout Scripture. God guided, man set down a course of action.

Also, Paul sought God’s guidance as he spread the Good News of Jesus throughout Greece, Cyprus and Rome. Yet he still made plans to go to those places most pressing on his heart. Sometimes he was so set in his plans that God had to send him dreams to turn him another direction.

Yes, God has plans for me. And He is more than willing and eager to share them with me. And He also wants me to participate in this adventure by charting a course in the direction of the dreams and visions He placed in me.

How about you? Are you creating a course of action (or two) to reach the shores of a dream or vision God has given you? What are those dreams and action plans?

Posted on Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Practice Makes Progress

Not long ago I sat down at my piano, thinking I would play an old childhood favorite tune that was bouncing around my head. To my surprise, I found it not only difficult but almost impossible to play. I’d also discovered something similar with singing: I’ve lost most of my nearly 3 octave range and dropped from a 1st soprano to a contralto. I spent more than an hour just going over scales, cords, and fingering. What in the world is going on? I was back to the basics I thought I’d mastered as a child.

Turns out that old phrase, “use it or lose it” is truer than I’d ever imagined. I hadn’t practiced my piano – sight-reading, scales or anything else in many, many years. Nor had I exercised my voice and practiced good breathing and scales to maintain my range. I’d listened to plenty of piano and vocal music, looked at music books, and studied various musical styles. But I hadn’t put my fingers on the keys and run my scales. I hadn’t taken those music books and practiced playing or singing the music in them.

Have you considered how many things this could apply to in your own life? What are some “basics” you learned early on that you quit practicing because you thought, “I have this down now.” Or perhaps, like me with piano and voice, those things are no longer at the forefront of your life?

Growing up I had practiced to please my piano and vocal teachers, or to prepare for a recital or other performance. Once I was no longer performing or taking lessons, I ran out of reasons to practice. So I didn’t. But practice isn’t about performance, and it doesn’t “make perfect.”

Practice is about improvement and deepening understanding and joy and connection. And practice makes progress. Progress toward a goal we’ll probably never achieve – at least this side of heaven.

The writer of Hebrews said, “You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.” (Hebrews 5:12 – 14)

I often wonder if this passage could describe me. Am I like a baby stuck on milk? How often am I truly practicing the basic things of God – connection with Him, meditation on His Word, repentance of my wrongdoing and injury to God or others, forgiveness of those who offend or violate me, putting the full weight of my life and my will into God’s hands every day? As a child I memorized Scripture for contests, in order to get the grand prize. Even as an adult, memorizing Scripture was more a competition done with friends than it was a discipline for my benefit. When I fail to recite those passages occasionally, at least, I tend to forget them altogether. How can I “hide His word in my heart” (Psalm 119:11) if I’m not actively memorizing it regularly?

In 12-step programs, Steps 4 – 12 only work if Steps 1, 2 & 3 have been solidly worked and are continually practiced on a daily basis. They are the foundation on which the rest of the steps not only build but rest.

In Mathematics, Algebra is fundamental to understanding Calculus. And if you don’t practice Algebra at least occasionally, what happens? Can you remember, without Googling it, how to solve a quadratic equation? When was the last time you practiced your cursive writing? Your signature, sure, but what about the rest? Can you write a 2-page letter in – legible – cursive? I seriously doubt I can.

So if all these educational basics fall into disrepair in our minds when we don’t practice, what makes us think that we can grow deeper in our relationship with God, have an ever fuller understanding of and deeper insights into Scripture, find abiding joy in all things, and have hope in the bleakest of times if we aren’t daily practicing the basic things of God’s word?

Life, like a rushing river, will always pull us in its direction rather than God’s. Just like my piano skills, and the audience of Hebrews, we will find if we are not practicing them daily we need to go back to the basics to move forward.

Posted on Sunday, May 17, 2015

Welcome To My Blog

Welcome to my new blog. My name is Lu and my goal is to speak words of encouragement, hope, love and strength into your life. I am privileged to have people in my life who speak truth and constantly challenge me raise the bar in every aspect of my life. And most of all, to have a relationship with God where He speaks truth – sometimes hard truth – in Love and Grace to me on an hourly, minute by minute basis.

I am learning to live life on life’s terms, to live one day at a time, enjoy one moment at time, and to be a voice of hope for all who will hear. I want this to be a place of dialogue; a place where we can come together and discover the grace, joy, strength, and hope that can be found in God in the midst of life’s overwhelming struggles.

I hope you will join me in my journey.

Posted on Monday, June 28, 2010

Too Often

"Oh Ms. Briz! A sparkly!!"

So says one of my favorite characters — one in whom I see quite a lot of myself — in one of my favorite children's movies called, The Secret of NIMH. I'm so much like Jeremy the bird; so attracted to sparkly, shiny, new things! I've not always been on top of the trends, but I've always loved having something new and sparkly to play with. I stole silver dollars from my sister's drawer as a child, but as an adult I've learned to pay for all my shinys myself. However, that can cause another issue — which we will discuss at another time.

Lately I've been eying all things Apple. I've drooled over the new iPads for— well, since they were announced! AND I just bought myself a shiny new iPhone4…. which won't be delivered until after July 14th.

Can I tell you how much that kills a sparkly lover like me!

Target is the worst place in the world for me. It's like a candy store to a hungry kid. All this great shiny stuff, and at a discounted rate. I see something and say to myself, 'oh I need this, and it's only ten dollars,' over and over till my cart is full. Then I wonder why my bill is over a hundred dollars!

It's amazing how easily I am distracted by sparkly things; by things that look wonderful on the outside, but truthfully have no real substance on the inside. I never seem to remember that these things don't satisfy me when I'm caught up in the scintillating rush of excitement of possibly owning something that dazzling.

But satisfy me they do not. And soon they are cast aside with all the other aging sparklies to lay in a pile in my closet, or in a drawer somewhere. Never used again. Eventually I'll come across it during some cleaning binge and wonder what in the world I was thinking when I bought that??

I'm realizing more and more how spiritually immature I am. My mind is more often on me and my problems — my needs and wants and desires, all the sparklys and shiny new things — rather than on God and bringing HIm glory. More on talking about myself than talking about Him — even when I'm talking to Him. More about getting for me, rather than giving of me so that someone else can see Him.

Too often I forget the mercy and grace He lavishes on me every day. I don't thank Him for my life, for another day to live for Him each morning. I forget so quickly that He doesn't have to have grace and mercy on me. I forget that He is being patient and kind and generous with all of us in holding back His judgment so that everyone has ample chance to turn to Him.

Too often I forget that someday soon the streets will run red with the blood of those who rebelled against Him, who took His grace and mercy and kindness and patience for granted, assuming that it would always be offered. I forget that some day His judgment will finally be poured out in full on this earth. Some of those rebels are people I love! Like them, too often I assume His mercy will never end, His judgment will never be poured out.

Oh, Jesus, help me remember all these things every day! Get up in my face and remind me that time is short! That sparklys don't satisfy, only YOU can satisfy me! Remind me daily I was created to bring You GLORY! And that this is the greatest thing I could ever do on this earth, iPhone or no, to bring You glory!

   God, teach me lessons for living
      so I can stay the course.
   Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—
      my whole life one long, obedient response.
   Guide me down the road of your commandments;
      I love traveling this freeway!
   Give me a bent for your words of wisdom,
      and not for piling up loot.
   Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets,
      invigorate me on the pilgrim way.
    (Psalm 119:36-37, The Message)

Posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009

Epic Fail, Epic Redemption

Me:

I'm so sorry, Papa. Please, will you have mercy on me? I made a big mess of things. I quit worshiping You and started worshiping myself. I thought I knew best; I thought I could solve this one on my own, so I left You out of the mix. But, instead, I just… made a mess.

Papa:

I know, Sweetpea. It's okay, We'll fix it. Nothing is beyond Our ability to redeem.

Me:

Papa? (pause) Why did You create us humans when You knew we would fail so epically so much of the time?

Papa:

Because that's what makes Life so good, so rich. It's that epic failure that allows Us to restore and redeem, and draws you deeper into Our embrace, into the folds of Our enveloping garments of praise. With every epic fail, We restore and renew with Epic Redemption!

Come now; tuck in to Our embrace. Feel Our strength and be renewed. It's okay. Nothing is beyond Our ability to redeem.

**Painter unknown: I nabbed the picture from Emily Hunter McGowin's 2007 post, Sometimes, this is all I can say…

Posted on Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Hope – a Psalm

^1-2 Long enough, God— you've ignored me long enough.
   I've looked at the back of your head
      long enough. Long enough
   I've carried this ton of trouble,
      lived with a stomach full of pain.
   Long enough my arrogant enemies
      have looked down their noses at me.

^3-4 Take a good look at me, God, my God;
      I want to look life in the eye,
   So no enemy can get the best of me
      or laugh when I fall on my face.

^5-6 I've thrown myself headlong into your arms—
      I'm celebrating your rescue.
   I'm singing at the top of my lungs,

      I'm so full of answered prayers. (Psalm 13, The Message)

He is able, and He will rescue me. He is able, and He will rescue me.

In this I hope tonight. In this I believe. In this I cling to with all my might.

I need my God to rescue me, for I'm drowning in my own mess and my enemies are watching in delight.

Laughing, poking, kicking me while I'm down. Against them I cannot stand. Not alone.

Jesus, do You hear me? Jesus, will you come? Will I some day see You? Will I someday get to go Home?