Is Your Sanctuary a Place or a Person?

Yesterday morning, it wasn’t that cold outside but the winds and heavy rain beckoned me to the warmth from my fireplace. It is definitely my “sweet spot”. In this busy, hectic, and noisy world we live in, there are just times when we need to find a quiet place for our souls to be soothed and our bodies to be refreshed.

After a packed-full day of busyness, many retreat to their easy chair, but the clamor still goes on with the TV blaring and little children doing what they do – being noise-makers! I remember when I worked at the University of Manitoba and I carried the weight of a department of over 80 employees, bearing the responsibility of their performance and the department’s success. There were times I needed to find a few minutes relief to regroup, refresh, and reload. My “sanctuary” was the bathroom stall! Oh, sweet “reset”! Just a little talk with Jesus made such a difference in my mindset and composure.

This sanctuary sign on my fireplace hearth was given to us by a dear friend on October 10, 2010 (the date is on the back). That was right at the time when we made the decision for my precious husband to go on hospice. Indeed, my friend knew that we needed to be reminded of the “sanctuary” we have in our relationship with God. We embraced that sign and its meaning. We knew that God, Himself, was our place of refuge and shelter from the storm we were in. We did have such peace and joy throughout the remaining days of my Sweetheart's life.

The politics. The news. The hate. The debates. The worry. I turn the news on and then I turn it off quickly. It reminds me why I rarely, if ever, watch those live news broadcasts anymore. I don’t have the stomach OR heart for it all. The combative nature in people these days and us vs. them mentality wears on my spirit. I don’t quite know what to make of it all, but as I sit down to write loving, comforting words for myself and for my readers, God places my attention on a little sign that says, “SANCTUARY” with a scripture reference of Mark 6:31 “Come away to a secret place and rest for while” that reels me back in to what matters most.

It might be that you are craving a “sanctuary” today. You may have young children jumping off the furniture. Their sibling rivalry is at peak performance. Your spouse may be overloaded in worries and cares. Your to-do list is way too long to stop in at the “sanctuary”. I know that atmosphere. It is very familiar to me. But what became the most familiar to me and the priority in my home was making God -- my deepest source of meaning, unconditional love, and real peace. It can be found -- even in small increments of time. I promise you, when our priority is, first and foremost, going to the sanctuary sometime throughout our day, it will create a heart that is settled and peace-filled because of the presence of a holy, loving, awe-inspiring God. When we ask Him to settle into our homes, our workplaces, and even in the marketplaces, we will find Him waiting for us. He is available, present and more life-giving and peace-giving than everything else combined.

Today, I offer you a glance at my sign. SANCTUARY. Doesn’t that sound like a relief, hearing it put like that? That lovely, reassuring place of safety. Relief from all the ugliness out there. A break from it all. I can hear Him saying: “Come away with me! Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for a while.” Mark 6:31-33

Our Christmas Fire

I’m sitting in front of this contained and beautiful fireplace as I post this blog today. I was reading this scripture a couple of days ago: “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!” (James 3:5) It refers to the damage that our tongues can cause – words that escape from our tongues that seem so incidental but can cause major damage if they’re not kept in check.

Reading that meaning caused me to remember “a little fire that kindled” in one of our Christmases long ago. We were new homeowners at last after paying a whopping $7,500 for our little fixer-upper home. that we turned into our “love nest”. Our children were ages three and one. My 22-year-old husband loved adding ambiance to the atmosphere with candlelight. This day, with the small, decorative kerosene lantern that he lit earlier, decided to light a nearby candle from the fire of the lantern, tipping it ever so slightly to light the candle. The candle was lit, but some of the kerosene poured out and a fire erupted. He dropped the lantern filled with kerosene and the fire blazed to our carpet. His quick thinking to stamp it out helped, but still, our carpet was scorched. Now we had to find carpet to match the huge spot that was burned to replace that scorched spot.

You can imagine my husband’s angst that he was so “stupid and careless” (his words, not mine). It was such a small lantern, but given the right set-of-circumstances, it sure produced big problems. As I type this, I couldn’t help but think of the recent small campfire that became the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history.

It’s tempting to think about how we use our tongues is no big deal. Our words may not appear to do much damage, so we aren’t more careful. We know that “the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10) so keeping guard of our words will certainly keep us from setting our words ablaze.

I pay close attention to my vehicle’s indicators to change the oil, put air in the tires, etc. Keeping an eye on the indicators that could set us up for a “fire” from our tongues is critically important in preventing a “forest fire”. Trust me. This is the voice (rather, tongue) of experience sharing this. Keeping a fire extinguisher on hand is a good idea, but never having to use it is even better.

I’m reminded today that our words have power. The power to heal and the power to hurt. Words are no small thing. A Sunday School song we sang as kids was “Be careful little mouth what you say!” May we all be careful with our words -- choosing blessing over cursing; helping over hurting; waiting rather than rushing the wrong words out into the world.

At this beautiful time of the year, there may be situations that create opportunities to "let 'er rip" and get careless with our words even in innocent conversations and situations. May our words bring “Joy to the World” as the light of Christ shines in AND out of us!

Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Getting Ready to be Overshadowed

Have you ever felt Holy Spirit’s presence so intensely, that you thought you could reach out and touch Him? That was me yesterday morning. I proceeded with my early morning routine: brushed my teeth, grabbed my mug of water and phone for the text message I’d send to my children later, put the fireplace on and sat in my cozy chair, opened my computer and hit the “post” button on my FB page and my blog.

This morning was very different. I sensed such closeness with the Holy Spirit that it was almost tangible. Maybe it was because I had been pondering the Advent talk I will be giving at my church next Wednesday night because when I awoke, I thought about Mary and the announcement by Gabriel that she would conceive a child and she asked: “How can this be since I am a virgin?” And Gabriel replied "'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will OVERSHADOW you.'" Luke 1:35

Suddenly, I desired to be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit too. Suddenly the matters of this world seemed so distant to me. It reminded me of an old song we sang: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.“ Not long after my sweet Holy Spirit time, I was brought back to the reality of my “To Do” list and “How can I get all this done before I leave town next week?” But, like a cowboy throwing his lasso on a steer to wrangle him in, I felt Holy Spirit pulling me back into that “sweet spot”.

Gabriel gave Mary the amazing news that she was going to give birth to the Son of God -- without knowing a man. That wasn't even believable in the natural. We can only imagine the doubt that must have bombarded her mind: "How can I have a baby without a man?” My “How” certainly paled in comparison to Mary’s “How”. When Mary answered the angel back, she didn't say, "I don't see how that can happen." No, Mary was bold. She made a statement of faith. She said, "Be it unto me even as you have said." In other words, "I'm in agreement. Let it happen. If God says I'm highly favored, I believe it. If God says the impossible is going to happen, I believe it." And, my dear FB and blog friends and family, that's the way we need to be when God puts a promise in our hearts. Instead of trying to reason it out, we have to be fully convinced that what He said, He will do.

You may have a "how" in your life right now. You may be thinking, "I believe I'm going to accomplish my dreams, but how am I going to do it?" "How am I going to get well?" "How am I going to overcome this addiction?" What the angel said to Mary is true for all of us today. He said, "Mary, here's how it's going to happen: the power of the Most High is going to come upon you and overshadow you." In other words, God is going to breathe in your direction, and supernatural things are going to happen.

How are you going to get well? The power of the Most High is going to come upon you. How are you going to accomplish your dreams? The Most High God, the Great I Am, the Creator of the universe is going to overshadow you. When God overshadows you, miracles happen. Supernatural opportunities come your way. Family members that were off course will suddenly turn around. Problems that looked permanent will turn out to be only temporary, and you will see miracles come to pass!

Today, just like Mary, let's dig our heels in and do our part. Let's get into agreement with God's Word and receive His promises and obey His commands. Let's get ready for God's Spirit to OVERSHADOW us!

Welcome, Fall. Welcome, Change

Sandwiched between blazing summer and chilly winter, fall is the "cooling off" season. The rain brought CHANGE to us quickly here in Frisco. When I arrived back home from a quick trip to Austin, my home was so chilly that I put the fireplace on. My kids came over and smelled the “pumpkin spice” aroma that is in my air freshener and pumpkin spice coffee was ready to brew. Soon, the leaves will be changing colors. Last month, it changed on the inside of my home. My little fall vignettes are pictured here.

I've always loved decorating my home with seasonal changes. September isn’t too soon for me to decorate my home with harvest and fall decor'. Most of all, I love the heart of gratitude that naturally comes with it. And, wonderful things happen when we are grateful. It not only brings honor to God when we speak of His goodness, but our faith seems to soar to new heights because that attitude of gratitude opens shut doors and brings joy into the open windows of our souls.

With leaves changing colors, changing our home's decor', changing the a/c to heat, changing our summer to fall wardrobe, we know that change is inevitable. It's not only about accepting the changes, but I say triumphantly, “BRING IT ON!” We all experience changes and I’ve found that accepting those changes with gratitude makes the changes bearable. Like the birds I see flying South for the winter, my sweet grandchildren, Braden and Ruth, are changing their “habitats” with their move to Austin on October 24th. Thanks, God! I know You orchestrated that one. Their home in Atlanta sold in less than three days on the market. Ruth’s application for a NICU nursing position in Austin was not only immediately accepted, but she received a substantial pay increase, The first home they saw was perfect and they’ll be moving in without any delay. And, to top it off, Ruth’s “triplet” sister lives within five minutes of their home. Yes, thanks, God! You showed off on this one!

Sometimes “change” is wonderful, and sometimes “change” isn’t so easy. In fact, it can be downright painful. When my husband graduated to heaven, my status changed from "married" to "widow". I've learned that we should expect changes because it's that part of life that we CAN'T change. Change is inevitable, so why not begin to accept the changes with the grace that God gives us, and be thankful that He will carry us through those changes -- to an even better place of destiny and purpose?

Maybe we should begin our change from dissatisfaction and opposition to change, to the willingness to accept change. What if this month of October we started a NEW season of gratitude and thanksgiving? I don't know what tomorrow and its changes will hold for me, but I know I'm sensing God camping out with me in this atmosphere of thanksgiving. Once again, I hear Him saying "Trust Me. I've got this....in every CHANGE of life."

RELAX!!!

Yesterday, it was in the low 40s in Frisco and it rained, literally, all day. My kind of day! I started out sitting in front of my fireplace -- sending love text notes to my children. I never made my bed -- just in case I wanted to crawl back in -- I did. After all, those 4 to 5 hours of sleep at night justifies a little nap during the day. I did lots of office work, made several important phone calls, had a sweet time of devotion, washed clothes, created this post (as well as a couple of other posts for another day -- time well spent), and I loved every minute of this easy-go, easy-flow, RELAXING day. I looked into my bathroom when I laid down for that little middle-of-the-day nap and saw those words RELAX and I could hear two reassuring messages from God.

1) RELAX -- I was feeling a little guilty about having such a care-free day, doing just what I wanted to do. But, then I remembered the last three weeks of call-of-duty with my grandsons and then my mother-in-law -- that were non-stop, sometimes exhausting days. Here's what I know. It's okay to have a day when we can just BE. After all, we were created by God to be human BEINGS, not human DOINGS. I know that many of my younger friends dream of days like this. I was you in my busy working days, wife and little children days, Bible teacher and speaker days -- and now I am here, in these days. You'll be here one day and I urge you to savor these days, because tomorrow can be amped up, full-on, all-out exhaustive days. These are the days to refuel and get ready for firing up for the next call-of-duty.

2) RELAX -- There are many things to be concerned about in my life, my family's life, our city, country and world. How can we relax when there's so much to do for God? After all, we are His hands extended. After all, if we don't go, who will? After all, if I don't take care of this and that, who will take care of it for me? Then, loud and clear -- I could hear God's voice in these words in Psalms 26:3, "Be still and know that I am God." When He said those words, He meant it for the many troubles in King David's life and times, and just as assuredly, He means it for you and me today. I don't think He meant for us to actually sit in a chair and be still, but I think He meant "Be still of worry, anxiety and fear." How many times did He say "Do not fear. Do not be afraid"? I didn't count, but I read in my Google search, 365 times. So, then, when God says to RELAX -- that means, fear is unnecessary AND is disobedient to God's command of "Do not fear!"

Isaiah 30:15 says “For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel says: in returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength….” I've been at this journey of faith long enough to be convinced that in quietness and confidence in God’s faithfulness, we will be renewed and strengthened daily. The word for quietness in Hebrew means “repose”. And repose means calm, relaxed, free from all anxiety, to be still, to lie down with support underneath (like the green pastures in Psalm 23). That was my yesterday -- enjoying the green pastures of my Father -- and RELAXING -- because why should I worry or fret, when He can handle it all for me?