Good-Bye Past, But Thanks for the Memories!

I randomly watched the televised Garth Brooks Concert at Notre Dame last week. Impressive, massive crowd to hear him as he was literally “singing in the rain”. When he sang, “I Thank God for Unanswered Prayers”, I’ll admit I had to sit down and watch him AND the camera’s crowd highlights of couples looking into each other’s eyes, and even Garth’s eyes tearing up. I knew they were thinking “Thank God for not answering my prayers because if He had answered ‘yes’ to those prayers, no telling what my life would look like today!”

Maybe someone you really cared about broke up with you and now you look at them on Facebook and the life they’re living and you fall on your knees and thank God for NOT answering those prayers. Now you can thank God they broke your heart. Look what could have been. Look what the Lord has done. Maybe we don’t, right this minute, understand the reasons, but we can still praise God for the result.

I thought about the prayers I prayed over the years, asking God for a miracle in the midst of some of the toughest times. Good thing “His ways are so much higher than my ways” (Isaiah 55:8) because “my ways” would sure have borne some uncomfortable results. Now, looking back at 2018, we may be assessing how much we enjoyed the high points OR despising the low points.

I heard someone say that our lives our made up of highs and lows and we are the summation of all of it. The good, the bad and the ugly. They said we shouldn't judge our lives by the minute by minute experiences, because if we did that when we went to Disney World, we'd rate our experiences so low that we would never want to go back. You know, the long lines we stand in and all the heat we endure. So when we think about 2018, we shouldn’t be so quick to call it a bad year, just because we went through some hard things. There were definitely some really good things that happened, too! By faith, we should accept whatever happened as part of God’s way of choosing to not answer some of our prayers the way we thought they should be answered. It is far better for us to have a story of grace that carried us through in the midst of it all!

Maybe, you think you’re chained in a Roman prison right now (metamorphically speaking) when it comes to the “stuff” you’re dealing with and the chains that bind you and the hopelessness you feel. Right while you’re there….you can hear how the Apostle Paul handled his Roman prison when he says "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7) WHAT? Rejoicing while in a damp, cold prison? Yes, rejoicing that he could write to us with the example of trusting that in EVERYTHING, God is working it ALL for our good! (Romans 8:28)

Let’s say “Good-bye to 2018 and every year before that, because the highs and lows are part of God’s master plan to make us the BEST we can be for Him and for the lives of others that we get to influence! Let 2019 breeze by with absolute trust in our Father Who knows what’s best for us – the Walt Disney experiences as well as the Roman prison ones!

I've Got Friends in High Places

Garth Brooks sold a lot of records with his song, "I've Got Friends in Low Places....where the whiskey drowns, and the beer chases my blues away and I'll be okay." Seriously??

Goodness gracious – doesn’t that just make you want to go hang out with those friends? NOT! I started thinking about the “low life” and “low places” yesterday morning and what it must be like to chum with those folks. I’m quite sure we’d be joining pitiful, whiny, bitter, down and out, and the-world-is-going-to-hell-in-a-hand-basket kinds of people. “No, thanks, Garth! I won’t be going there to find my friends!” Why go there, when we can go hang out with friends in HIGH Places and eliminate the blues altogether?

Even though Jesus spent His entire ministry with people in “low places”, He didn’t go to their “low places” of darkness and defeat. He didn’t share their “low life” so they could feel better. Jesus came down to their low place in order to lift them up into a life they could be proud of -- one in high places.

I’ve stayed home in Frisco this entire month of August on purpose. After all my traveling since moving here in April, it was time to integrate into some groups and activities, as well as step up to be part of ministry opportunities and outreach at my church. I want to hang out in "high places". On Monday of this week, I went to play pickle ball (great sport) and met some fun, new people. There was one gal that stood out. She was as spunky and full of life as I am – even more so. We didn’t get to talk much but we did agree to play more pickle ball together in the future.

On Tuesday of this week, I attended a meeting for raising up disciples of Christ at my church. I’ve agreed to be a sponsor for new believers coming into the faith. So I sat at a table of 10 which every other seat was filled with a sponsor or inquirer/seeker. I looked across the table and there sitting across from me was this woman who I had just met at pickle ball the day before. How awesome was that? Not only was she a fellow pickle ball player, but she was a fellow sister in Christ. We marveled that God would bring the two of us together, particularly in this massive church of over 35,000 members. Don’t you love how God sets us up for friendships in “high places”, if we’re looking for them? She called me yesterday morning and we talked about our individual lives and how we make every effort to hang out with people in “high places”. She told me she changed her whole way of thinking about and living for God when her husband had two very scary bouts with cancer. I told her my story and how much I want this part of my life to be the best days of my life. I want to live strong for Christ and take lots of people with me when it’s my time to go from here to up there. She replied “Amen and amen. I want that too!” We want to introduce folks living in low places to our best friend, in high places.

God -- the Almighty One, the Creator of this glorious universe --
actually wants to be our friend! Jesus welcomed us to this privileged level of relationship when He said to His disciples on the night before He died, “I no longer call you servants . . . I have called you friends.” John 15:15

As His friends, we are welcomed to enjoy open conversation with Him and to be privy to insider information. “Everything,” Jesus says, “that I have learned from the Father I have made known to you.” John 8:38. It would be thrilling enough to be servants of God, participating in His work, but Jesus adds an entirely new dimension by saying that as friends He will tell us everything we need to know about God’s will and His ways for our lives.

What a stunning thing it is that Jesus says to us: “Let’s be friends”! And like good friends, He wants to talk and walk with us. Here's our choices: hanging out with worry, anxiety, sadness and fear in low places OR making the right choices and living a life of joy, peace, and love in HIGH PLACES. I pray "Take me to higher and higher places!"

May the FORCE in High Places Be With You

Day 190 of Photo Inspirations -- May the FORCE in HIGH PLACES Be With You
Okay -- I admit it.  I'm addicted to attending church -- Protestant, Catholic, Interdenominational....bring it on!  There is no greater high, in my opinion, than hanging out with God's family.  Here's why:  We have so many things in common:  we love God, He loves us, we want to follow in His footsteps and in fact, we want to emulate Him -- loving, caring, giving and living in the abundance that He desires His kids to live in.  I go to church and my heart is lifted, my perspective is clearer on what matters most, I join others in singing and worshipping Him Who deserves all worship and praise.

Garth Brooks sold a lot of records with his song, "I've Got Friends in Low Places....where the whiskey drowns, and the beer chases my blues away and I'll be okay."  Seriously?? Why go there, when we can go hang out with friends in HIGH Places and eliminate the blues altogether?

Just down the street from where I live is LifeChurch.tv - Jenks Campus, and each year in July "At the Movies" is featured.  Popcorn & snacks are handed out, there's amazing musical talents with a concert-quality, high energy band, and we get a glimpse of popular movies and the most inspiring messages that are way beyond their stories.  AND, each campus foyer is transformed into popular themes.  This year, the Jenks campus is Star Wars -- thus these photos with Star Wars characters -- live and in person each weekend in July.....that are hanging out in HIGH PLACES.

I haven't been what you'd call an avid Star Wars fan, but I enjoyed each sequel.  There were some epic inspiring messages and quotes by the characters.  For example, Darth Vader said, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”  Yoda, the Master Jedi, said: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” He also said, "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Yoda really had it together.  And, even Princess Leia showed little girls that they could be anything and everything they wanted to be. Jedis taught us that strength is beyond that of physical power, but also found in the power of our minds.  And that not every battle needs to be fought with a light saber. I'd say those were quotes that we could take to heart!

And finally, Good versus Evil isn’t just in the movies.  The ever present theme throughout Star Wars is the presence of a good force and an evil force. The light side and the dark side. Right versus wrong.   That sounds a lot like reality, right?  Figuring out what to do in tricky situations where you have a clear choice between doing the right thing and doing the wrong thing.

And, I'd say....hanging out in HIGH PLACES will be worth the sacrifice when it comes to making the right choices and living a life of joy, peace, and freedom from worry, anxiety, sadness and fear.  May the FORCE of God's mighty power be WITH YOU!
#AtTheMovies