Too Much Noise -- Too Little Hearing God's Voice

Back to reality from being away in our favorite fishing location. Wifi is spotty there – so not the place to be for being entertained by current world events. But, who cared? We were immersed in the beauty and sounds of creation. It just seemed God’s quiet voice could be heard there so much easier.

So, back to my routine here at home. Instead of choosing the silence to hear His voice, I put in my new cordless ear buds, silenced the sounds of the great outdoors and let my upbeat Christian music blare in my ears. The first song was too loud. I turned the volume down. Second song was too slow and I got the message from Heaven Central. I could sense God wanted my undivided attention. As soon as I “unplugged” while walking westward at 5:55 am – the most incredible view of the moon going down came into vision. It was like the Man in the Moon was winking at me – all bright with his orange glow. Then I looked eastward, and there was God showing off His artistry with an incredible sky painting. It took my breath away.

I posted those two heaven-sent views yesterday with the confession that I almost missed it all because of the noise. I posted: “I think God is saying something to me and you. Let’s shut out the noise and listen and watch for Him in the middle of it all.” I sincerely got the message: “less noise – more Him”.

I’ve come to terms with God being a quiet God. Yes, He speaks, but He seems to say it best when He chooses to communicate through His creation. I know He is free to speak loud and boisterous like when He blasted out: “I Am that I Am” to Moses, but He most often chooses to speak in quiet ways. Though He wows our eyes with His masterpieces, He usually reveals Himself to our ears -- quietly.

All around us, humanity is shouting and screaming about something they agree or disagree with -- while God whispers His presence and reveals His character through the brother and sisterhood we are witnessing as well. This noisy world, and our quiet God, are a reason so many people don't believe God is real or loving. Having not heard from Him, they assume He doesn’t exist. But He does…He just speaks with a softer voice than the crass, loud voices.

If ever humanity needs to pay attention to hear God speaking, it is today. If we aren’t intentional in seeking to hear His voice, we will likely never hear Him. Not in this culture. Not in the noisyness of our times. I am convinced that our gracious heavenly Father speaks to every one of His children constantly, giving us all the information and guidance we need to be total overcomers. There isn’t a problem with His transmitter; it’s our receiver that needs help.

Most people are imploring God to speak, when it’s our hearing that needs to be adjusted. Taking this faith-stance that God is speaking and then learning to listen and obey will transform our relationship with the Lord. It could save our lives.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." John 10:27

Being Persistent Takes Persistence

Here’s another day of coming out from under my “mighty woman of God” rock and I'm going to boast about some of my weaknesses. I’m following St. Paul’s lead with his powerful words of advice. He said: “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Sometimes I don’t want to answer my phone, so I let the call go to my voice mail. And, sometimes, I don’t feel like doing the unselfish thing. I want to just sit in my cozy chair and take a power nap, or watch TV. I don’t want to do one more thing today. I don’t want to respond to someone asking for advice. But just because I don’t feel like it, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it.

This might really shock you. Sometimes I don’t feel like praying or reading my Bible or going to my Bible Study group. But I do it. I’ve found that if the only time I pray or read my Bible is when I feel like it, Satan makes sure I never feel like it. I’ve been in this “mature” relationship with God long enough that I know I must live my life by my commitments, not by my feelings.

The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people are willing to do what unsuccessful people don’t feel like doing. They develop habits. They stay committed. They don’t get to the Olympics because they feel like it. They get to the Olympics by hours and hours of training that they didn’t feel like doing. In the same way, we don’t become godly men or women by simply doing what we feel like doing. Godly men and women choose to develop the habits that produce godliness in their lives. It’s not any easier than working out or rehearsing or anything else that may be good for us but we don’t feel like doing.

Probably the greatest example in the Bible of persistence is Moses. For 40 years, he led whining, complaining, immature people around the desert while they questioned his leadership the entire time. Yet he never gave up. Hebrews 11:27 says, “It was faith that made Moses leave Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back..” Moses saw the invisible God. He kept his eyes on God. So, rather than retreating – we carry on and we keep our eyes on God, too! We continue our persistence to win the battle by being God’s devoted, persistent followers and by doing the uncomfortable. Hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant,” will make it worth it all.

Taking One Day at a Time

Yesterday, my sis-in-law and I caught up on each other's lives. She’s in Tulsa. For now, I’m in Austin. We both have very active, on-the-go families and there’s much to talk about. My years of caring for elderly parents have passed, but she and my bro-in-law are still caring for their 96 and 97-year-old mothers. Though George’s mom is in a skilled care facility with around-the-clock oversight, there are still high demands on his part for attending to her needs outside of that care. And Karen, has my 96-year-old mom-in-law living with her. She updated me on mom’s new hearing aids and now she can hear birds chirping. Thank God! But there are still so many needs in geriatric care. I say those words so respectfully, and you should, too! Unless God chooses otherwise, we'll be there ourselves one day! Karen and I agreed -- it's simply -- taking one day at a time!

Can you imagine how Moses felt – day-after-day spending 40 years in the wilderness? He simply obeyed and heeded God's call. But God, Who specializes in doing the impossible, was with him. He had no choice but to follow the Lord one day at a time, and in the process, God used him to save an entire nation. His greatest strength was knowing he was totally dependent on God. The One Who called Him, enabled him -- one day at a time.

As a young wife, mother, business woman and ministry leader, I remember the stresses that accompanied each station of my life. I remember the desperation in decision-making, the financial hurdles and health challenges. But, even in the anxiety, God's Word would rise up in me: "This is the day the Lord has made. I WILL rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24), even if nothing changes!” That was my declaration then AND now!

"THIS is the day. Today. Live today. Don't waste today dreaming about tomorrow or reminiscing about the past. Make the most of today. We can't change the past. Yesterday is gone forever. I remember my Mama’s famous line as a single mom raising me: “You can’t get blood out of a turnip!” She was saying “What’s the worst thing that can happen? We still have US! This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

I began to focus on this day -- not the past and not the future. I set my heart on God's will for this day. I determined to be glad in this day. I confess: "I will live for God THIS day. I will overcome by the blood of the Lamb THIS day. I will do my best in everything my hand finds to do THIS day. I will trust God with all my heart THIS day."

Why THIS day? Jesus focused on doing the will of the Father on a daily basis. Jesus’ perfect prayer includes this line: “Give us THIS DAY our daily bread.” I am now living in my tomorrow, but the truth I learned many years ago remains. I still need to plant seeds of obedience for a continual harvest, one day at a time.

In all of life’s changes (and I’ve had many), one thing remains constant. That is the peace that comes from following Him -- one day at a time. If you are going through some difficult times and are uncertain about what tomorrow holds for you -- don't let the joy of THIS day be stolen from you. Take hold of God's hand and His Word, and it will give you the calm and ability to make it through whatever is up ahead -- one day at a time.

Stuck in the MIDDLE?

The MIDDLE: the center, an equal distance from the extremities of something; halfway, a position at an equal distance from the sides, edges or ends. The middle child. The one in the middle of a circle. The piano's middle "C". The middle of the night.

I know what being stuck in the MIDDLE is all about. I started out strong in a challenging “stormy” season. I was determined to ride out this storm in relentless faith. I kept saying “We’re on the brink of a miracle. I just know it.” A new day came, and we’d proclaim “God’s mercies are new every morning!” But, there were still no changes and, what seemed to be no answer to our prayers. It was getting darker by the minute. Initially, I hit those challenges with courage head-on, but as the battle persisted, I became bone weary in the fight. I know God’s Word enough to “have the faith of a mustard seed and speak to the mountain and say ‘Be removed’, and I know how to “stand, and when I’ve done all to stand, keep standing”, and I know Jesus “approved” of those who had great faith, and I didn’t want to be one of those “Oh ye, of little faith” followers. But I – rather, we, seemed to be STUCK in the MIDDLE of this storm.

The fact is, in most all circumstances, problems don’t disappear overnight. More often than not, we just keep moving through them with slow, persistent diligence and consistency. As much as I’d love to think that this life of living for God was “Easy Street” or “Comfort Road”, quite often, there are MIDDLE hills and valleys and detours of working through something – in the space between moving on courageously and waiting for something to change. In that space, it’s quite natural to lose our gumption to function. Hope gets buried beneath piles of defeated thinking, and we’re sure we’ve planted in the wrong fields or hung with the wrong people, or made the wrong decisions or wrong moves.

In Exodus 14, we see that Moses and the Israelites were stuck in the MIDDLE . Pharaoh had just freed them from captivity when the Lord led Moses and His people out and away from Egypt. But shortly thereafter, Pharaoh changed his mind and went after them. As the Israelites camped near the Red Sea, soon all of Pharaoh’s army barreled down on them. When the Israelites saw them approaching, they were full of fear and began to question every move that brought them there. Moses spoke up “Fear not, stand firm . . the Lord will fight for you.” Exodus 14:13-14

I loved this scene from the movie, “The Ten Commandments” when the Lord parted the Red Sea waters and the Israelites went through on a dry path. Charlton Heston (rather, Moses) led the Israelites across to the other side unharmed, and then the big finale was when God brought the waters back together again over the Egyptian army. The Israelites were scared, yes, but they saw the promise fulfilled: "The Lord will fight for you".

I don’t know the details of your circumstances or situation, but if you’re worn out from running from the enemy and fear is making you question where you’re at right now, please hear this: Keep on keepin’ on. You’ve got this."The Lord will fight for you!"

Psalm 31:24 says it like this: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage; all you who wait for the Lord.” It doesn’t say HAVE courage. It says TAKE courage. Keep on keeping company with Christ and ask Him to make you tenacious in faith, to take your fears and to give you courage to not only face the Red Sea – but to walk across unscathed. Bravery is not the absence of fear but following God through the fear as we believe God’s promises. It’s holding on to the facts of our faith more tightly than to the fears for our future. I promise you – I know it’s true. This MIDDLE season will not be wasted. It will not last.

Jesus Christ freely gave Himself to be "stuck in the MIDDLE" of the cross, in the MIDDLE of two thieves -- even though He could have called 10,000 angels to free Him, but didn't. He FREELY gave His life "in the MIDDLE" for you and me. Best of all -- He died, and in the MIDDLE he was buried, but on the third day rose out of that grave to FREE you and me from being STUCK in the MIDDLE. Just maybe, right smack dab in the MIDDLE of our circumstances God is wanting us to let go of the doubts, fears and worries, because He isn't surprised about our MIDDLE. It's probably just the tip of the mountaintop where we'll slide right down into the Finish Line of what He has prepared for us. So....“Hold on, my child – JOY COMES IN THE MORNING!” (Psalm 30:5)

This is Crazy! This is Awesome!

I enjoy reading Bible stories that start out "This is crazy" but end up "This is awesome". For example, a little shepherd boy with a mere sling and stones, going up against a giant Philistine -- wearing the toughest, rock-solid armor ever must have been a "This is crazy" moment, but we know how it ended. The headlines in the morning news: "Notorious Philistine Taken Down by a Shepherd Boy" -- "This is Awesome!"

What about Moses leading millions out of Egypt and facing the Red Sea, along with Pharoah's army in hot pursuit. "This is crazy". If we could have read Moses' thoughts, I wonder if they had been "This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!" The headlines on that day must have read: "Millions walk through the Red Sea unharmed. Pharoah's entire military loses lives in the waters of the Red Sea." "This is awesome!" I remember hearing about an agnostic who said: "The only reason the Israelites were able to cross that sea was because that time of year the waters were only one foot deep." And the reply by a believer was "WOW! That's awesome then, Pharoah's army drowned in only one foot of water!" LOL!

Have you had some "This is crazy" moments that turned into "This is awesome" moments? I did. When my husband convinced me to take flying lessons and the day my instructor got out of the airplane and said, "You're ready. Go on and do three take-offs and landings.....alone!" In flying, a pilot’s First Solo is a huge milestone. After hours of training and ground study, you finally take to the air on your own. I thought "WHAT? This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!!" But as I was all alone in the sky, I actually felt quite comfortable -- I started thinking "This is awesome, this is awesome, this is awesome."

I went on to succeed at my first solo flight. And I had the ripped shirt to prove it. In-line with tradition, my instructor cut up the back of my shirt. Before modern electronics, in-cockpit communication was mainly through shirt tugging and hollers from the instructor that sat behind you. Cutting off the back of the shirt symbolizes this very important step -- as the instructor won't need to be yanking on it any more. At the end of that thrill-ride, I shouted "THAT WAS AWESOME." On the other hand, my husband was mush. He said that he couldn't believe it when he saw my instructor get out of the plane and his wife take to the skies.....ALONE! He admitted he had never been so nervous in all his life! For me, it was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.

So it was a no brainer for me to be strapped into the safety harness when we were in Mexico a couple of weeks ago, and go parasailing. The same for jet skiing. I've learned that if we aren't willing to put ourselves in some "This is crazy" situations, we'll never experience "This is awesome" moments. If we aren't willing to run a marathon or parasail or ride a camel (I did in Israel) or give a speech before a large audience or start a business or ride a roller coaster, we'll never fly above circumstances of life that tend to keep us grounded in fear. By the way -- all those crazy things we may do sure makes for above-average prayer life. We can't NOT pray when we are flying solo in an airplane. And the same is true when we take a leap of faith in anything we hope to accomplish!

At some point in our lives, there comes a time when we have to make a decision. We need to decide to go for it (take a leap of faith) or to be complacent. I want to live with child-like faith in my all powerful Father. I wanna' live like that!

Whose Super Hero Are You?

I was listening to a Christian radio station as I drove to Austin. The DJ talked about a family he knows whose wife and mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. The entire family dressed up in Super Hero costumes and went with her to each of her chemo treatments to let her know she’s their Super Hero. The DJ said such comfort was brought to her during such trying times because of her “team” support. Quite frankly, this entire family are true Super Heroes.
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That reminds me of a similar thing that happened in the life of Moses. In Exodus 17 we learn that the Israelites were encountering their first opposition while wandering in the desert. They were being attacked by the Amalekites. While Joshua led the troops into battle, Moses, along with Aaron and Hur, watched the battle from a nearby hill. Exodus 17:11 reads, "So it came about when Moses held his hands up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hands down, Amalek prevailed." Eventually, Moses became weary, and so Aaron and Hur responded by holding up his arms until the Israelites were able to finally defeat the Amalekites. Even the strong, courageous leader that Moses was, he needed heroes and he needed to be willing to embrace the support of trusted friends, Aaron and Hur.

The question for us is “Who are we standing with today and whose arms are we lifting up?” Many people are on the fringes of giving up. Many are discouraged, frightened, and weary from a long testing of their faith. Rather than always focusing on our own problems and concerns, maybe our greatest relief will come as we reach out to others and become their Super Hero.

Maybe we should pause for a moment and ask: “When was the last time I was a hero in someone’s life?” It could be someone close to us, or a complete stranger, but if we intentionally did something kind, generous and courageous for someone, we’d become that one’s Super Hero.

In Mark 12:31 Jesus said “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” How would we feel in times when we are facing insurmountable circumstances and a brother or sister comes along side of us to help us stay the course of our faith? Whose Super Hero are you today? I know there are Moms and Dads who are super heroes for their kids but it’s about time to be Super Heroes to more than just our four and no more. I’ve got my big “S” shirt on and I’m looking for a place to land -- how about you? It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Super Hero YOU and ME!

No Excuses -- Just Do It!

In Exodus we read all the excuses Moses had when God asked him to step up and deliver His people from the grip of the Egyptians. Listen to the excuses he had: I’m not good enough, I don’t have all the answers, People won’t believe me,I’m a terrible public speaker, and I’m not qualified. Thankfully, he got over his "excuses" attitude and became the man that showed remarkable courage, obedience, and strength of character. He fulfilled his mission faithfully. God works with each of us where we are and takes us to where He wants us to be. We just need to be willing to leave behind the excuses.

It's no secret that I'm a reality show junkie. I particularly enjoy the ones that display die-hard athletes who push themselves to the limits in crazy obstacle courses and apparatuses. A new show just came out called Spartan where families and friends come together as teams to compete for a big prize, but to win that big prize they must conquer obstacle courses unlike any I've ever seen. It's an adrenaline rush to watch them. But, still, my favorite show is ANW (American Ninja Warrior) especially because of the background and the insurmountable difficulties of some of the athletes who compete.

Last week's ANW featured Allison Toepperwein, a 38-year old, single mom who has Parkinson's Disease. Of all things, she started training for ANW because she learned that the ony thing that slows down Parkinson's disease is exercise. When she does ninja training, she has more energy, no tremors, gets a natural high from the dopemin that is produced. She said, "ANW was the catalyst I needed to be the very best mother and person I can be. So what if I have to take meds three times a day. Who cares that I shake a little when I wake up, get nervous or when my meds wear off? The greatest lesson I could have learned from ANW has been realizing PD is NOT a liability to me!" Whew! Watching her face those apparatuses was beyond incredible. She didn't make it through to the end, but I give this gal so much credit for being a "No excuses" kind of gal.

Then there was Artis Thompson, who had lost his leg in a motorcycle accident, and now wears a prosthetic and took on the ANW course with fierceness. The commentator said, "Those of you viewing at home, what's YOUR excuse?"

Those words went deep into my spirit as even at this "mature" age, I don't want to have excuses for not giving everything I've got to this life I've been given. I want my story to end with "She was unstoppable!" No, I'm not planning on trying out for some ninja obstacles or apparatuses, but I do plan to continue to be God's Ninja Warrior -- taking on life's obstacles, challenges and pressures with a vengeance. I refuse to give up until I'm taken up. There a hyphen in between the date of birth and the date of death on gravestones. What does that hyphen represent in our lives? I sure want mine to be "lived life to the fullest, didn't accept quitting, ran her race with gusto, pressed on to the finish line". What does your hyphen represent? With God, limits are all off! I don't think "excuse" is in His vocabulary. Why should it be in ours?

Values That Make Home.....A Sweet Home

Family rules. I saw this sign in my kids' home, and I knew what I would post today. Family values. Those are their non-negotiables, and that's what makes for a family who loves, shares and cares. VALUES -- those specifics that define who we are and are the absolute non-negotiables in our lives.

When God made us, He planted within us certain things that we value deeply. They’re hardwired in our heart. Through our life experiences – from the environment we are raised in, the schools we go to, the friends we associate with, and the religious foundation we receive, God makes them clear to us. Those things are our CORE VALUES. King Solomon’s core value was wisdom, Mother Teresa’s was compassion, Nelson Mandela stood for equality and Pope Francis, his love and compassion for the poor. So the question is "What do we stand for? What are our values?"

Moses delivered God's Ten Commandments on a tablet of stone and if those commandments were followed, the Israelites would experience God's favor and blessings. Just imagine the blessings that would be on our families if we not only followed God's Ten Commandments, but also the family values (non-negotiables) that we stood for in our homes and lives.

Perhaps it's time to put a stake in the ground on behalf of our families and define those things that matter most to us and when we do, then we'll be blessed in our homes and we'll pass them on to our children and their children. Indeed it would be a HOME SWEET HOME.

Psalm 128:1 “Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways!”