She Laughs. He Laughs. They Laugh.

There is a woman in the Bible who is described as “being clothed with strength and dignity”, and here’s the part that really gets to me – “she laughs without fear of the future.” (Proverbs 31:25). I want to be that woman. I think we all long to be described like her, but I’m not sure we’d define ourselves as having no fear and “laughing” about the future.

How can we laugh when just over the weekend a shooter killed 7 people and over 21 were injured in Odessa, TX? In Chicago, gang members shot 66 people from 6 p.m. on Friday to midnight on Sunday and 12 of those victims have died. Then there’s Hurricane Dorian that is responsible for 5 deaths as it slammed into the Bahamas. And now, officials urged 2wo over two million people in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina to evacuate. So how can this Proverbs “laughing” woman possibly be laughing without fear of the future? When threats swirl around us, is it realistic to think this is even possible?

I believe God wants all of us to laugh without fear of the future. More clues about this woman’s sense of humor occur a little later in Proverbs 31:30 when she is described as a “woman who fears the Lord.” What does it mean to fear God? As a child I “feared” the Lord because I was afraid of Him and "His big stick". It was an unhealthy fear. I had little sense that God loved me. That changed when I understood that He so loved me He sent Jesus to die for me, and when I believed in Him, He adopted me as His daughter. Now I had hope in His love. “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.” Psalm 147:11

The fear of the Lord that brings God pleasure is not our being afraid of Him, but reverencing Him. To “fear Him” means to stand in awe of Him: “Let all the earth FEAR the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him." (Psalm 33:8) To fear the Lord is being in awe of His majesty, power, wisdom, justice, and mercy. To fear God means to know His great love and His desires for us to turn away from sin.

To fear God is to relate to Him as a child relates to his strong, faithful and loving father. We respect and honor the Lord, and we want to please Him. So, we obey Him. We know that He loves us and delights in us. The fear of the Lord is a wonderful gift from God that has brought joy and gladness into my life and has spared me from unimaginable pain and suffering. God tells us that to fear Him will lead to all kinds of wonderful blessings in our lives. I know that is why I am so blessed. “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life….” (Proverbs 14:27) “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and His children will have a refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)

So we can LAUGH with no fear of the future because, like that “laughing” Proverbs woman, we fear God. We stand in awe of Him, take refuge in Him, and hope in His steadfast love. It brings the Lord pleasure when we trust in Him with all our hearts. He holds us and our future. No wonder we can LOL -- laugh out loud! 🤣🤣🤣

Run to the Father. His Arms Are Open Wide.

When I was looking for an online photo to capture a father's arms open wide to his child for this post today, I ran across this one. You see the unspeakable joy of a young son running to his father after the dad was held captive in Syria for six months by a rogue al-Qaeda group. I knew this would be the message I wanted to convey in my post today.

This time of the year -- more than ever -- we're reminded of the joys of being a child. Blissfully running about, filled with happy freedom from care and concern. I love it when I hear them scream "DADDY!" as they're about to be caught by a sibling or friend. They know who to turn to for security and protection. Matthew 18:4 says "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of God". When Jesus urged us to become like little children, He was telling us that He wants us to regain some of our childhood innocence and awe. When we were young, it was easy to believe in a good God Who watches over us and Who has a band of angels to protect us. I love how my two youngest grandsons make sure we pray for the angels to encamp around them while they sleep before they go to bed at night. They MUST have that prayer, and we're delighted that when we pray, they are comforted, followed by sweet sleep.

As we grow older, some of those comforting images fade and we gradually lose that sense of security. Of course, as adults, we face many variables in life -- responsibilities, pressures, transitions, the ups and downs of life, and then we fail to remember the freedom and abandonment of worries as we did when we were children.

We can change that. We can revive the innocence and joy we knew as children that is not just dependent on our own efforts. Maturity isn't being independent from God -- it's a deeper dependence more than EVER! We're DEPENDENT on His mercy and grace. God IS our DADDY, and from our first breath -- to our last breath -- He has a watchful eye over us and His plans for us include His very best. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

May we take on this beautiful season of Christmas with wide-eyed awe and wonder -- like we had as children. And, when "stuff" is chasing us down and we're about to be CAUGHT UP in the frenzy and stress that often comes with this season, let's cry out "DADDY!" and run into God's open arms.

One of my favorite worship songs is all about running into the arms of our Heavenly Father. May you run into His arms today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQ5yXCc_CA

Shhh. It's Okay. Mommy's Here.

"As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you... "Isaiah 66:13

Isn't it so heart-warming to witness a young child being comforted by his mother? More than any pain that needed to be taken away, he needed his Mama's TLC.

There's a great lesson to be learned from the way of a mother with a young child who needs comforting. Many times the child isn't just whimpering either. Often they're wailing! The mother’s response is not casual or indifferent, but one that is instant and intense. Love moves her to action, not with explanations or reasoning, but with everything in her power to quiet, to comfort, and to reassure. And, the arms of the mother’s embrace speak louder than any words the child could hear in that moment of fear or discomfort.

The mother’s voice is also soothing and quieting, “Shh, it’s okay…Mommy’s here. It’s okay.” These words are all the child needs to hear and know. Her gentle words bring the assurance that helps the child to believe, “I can stop crying. I can begin to quiet myself because Mommy is here and I am in her arms.”

The words spoken by God in Isaiah 66:13 "Be still, and know that I am God…" are words like those of a caring mother for her child. The language is simple, the words are few, the impact is instant, the result is profound. WE are God's children and His words tell us all we need to know to settle us, still our fears, quiet our hearts, and reassure us when we hear, “Be still, calm down, release all your concerns, quiet your heart, it’s okay, I am here and you are safe in the shelter of My arms."

Cherish the Moments

A few years ago, I received my daily "check-in" call from Staci while she was picking up Payton and Alexia from school. In the background, I heard Alexia say, "Payton, that's my side!" Payton responded, "It's my turn to sit on that side!" Then Alexia, "Mommy, Payton pushed me!" Then Payton, "She pushed me first!" Before Staci broke up this normal display of sibling confrontation, it was as though she read my mind, and said, "Mom - Are you hearing this? And, do you love this?" With a smile on my face, in my own quiet space of peace and serenity, I knew my darling daughter experienced "recall" of her and her brother, and their sparring many years ago, and she knew what I was thinking. "Ah... music to my ears -- sweet retribution!" And, ah...how spectacular to be "Nana"!

Actually, it seems like just a short while ago, that I was the referee with Staci and Ryan (pictured here on their first day of school). And, I wondered if they would make it through those times alive. It was all a part of the journey! In the words of a very wise and not-so-young grandmother (me)..."Oh, such sweet and precious memories...and oh, how quickly the time flew by." If I had words of wisdom to offer to young moms today, I'd say "Cherish the moments...every one of them!" I read this not too long ago, and I pass it along to encourage each and everyone to "take a deep breath, and enjoy the ride. It comes to an end way too soon!"

"If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again" by Diane Loomans (adapted)
If I had my child to raise over again,
I'd finger-paint more, and point my finger less.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, (my add, "I'd take my eyes off my phone")
and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I'd do more hugging, and less tugging.
I'd be firm less often, and affirm much more...
If I had my child to raise over again,
I'd teach less about the love of power, and more about the power of love!

Train Up a Child in the Ways He Should Go

My husband and I grew up as “church” kids. Our parents ensured that we were in church every time the doors opened – Sunday School, Sunday morning and night services, Wednesday night service, Thursday night youth services, and when an evangelist came into town, church was every night of the week. Back in those early years, we learned every Bible story, every hymn and chorus (and the actions), and memorized a lot of scriptures. As children, it was so sweet to know God. Our needs were met, and our wants were provided for, and pressures only came with a big test or exam, or disappointment in a friend.

Even in those early years, we learned what it was to call upon the God of those Bible stories, scriptures and songs to be our "help". And, the older we got, the more we discovered, that all of those years of “child training” established us in life. In fact, we carried those same principles on, and into our children, who are leading their own children by that example.

Now, I realize that our faith was built upon those principles – for example – the same God that kept Daniel in the lion’s den and the three Hebrew boys in the firey furnace, that helped David slay the giant, that opened the Red Sea for Moses, and more than all that, the same God that gave us His only Son who went about doing good, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, died on a rugged cross, was buried and rose from the dead....is the same God who loves us and desires to perform His good works in us today!

That’s what our Moms and Dads really gave us -- they were instilling in us the fiber, the fortitude, the tenacity, the unwavering faith and strength to draw from, and to know that our God loves us unceasingly, and that when the going gets tough and pressures seem insurmountable, we have a confidence in knowing, God is able and willing to meet our every need. We know our hope and trust was, and always will be, in the One whose steadfast love never ceases and His faithfulness will always carry us through. I sure hope these words impress you enough to train your children and grandchildren in the ways they should go. I promise you...it is worth the effort!