Lord, Please Give Me PEACE about this PEACE Sign

While being my kids' dogs' sitter, I've enjoyed the inspirations at their home for my blogs. After I blogged a few days ago about the peace-sign hand on my daughter's wall where she does her video shows, of all things, when going to look at one of the books under it, I knocked the hand off the shelf and it broke into all these pieces shown here. I was dismayed, especially because it was purposed for that spot. I found a tag under the bottom piece, tried to order it from that store, but all their stores were sold out. When I couldn't subtlety get a replacement, I called and confessed to my daughter. In her encouragement-mode, she said, “Mom, don’t let that broken peace sign steal your PEACE. Don’t worry about it!” I tried to keep my peace. After all, my blogs carry a common theme -- living in peace.

I would not be denied. I tried the internet and found the exact peace sign figurine on Amazon and ordered it. It came the next day, but to my chagrin, it was in an envelope instead of wrapped in a box -- broken into pieces (seen in this photo)! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I sent the photo to Staci. She replied: “Devil can’t break my PEACE!” And, he won’t break my PEACE either. I reordered it again and my intention with this blog was to show it -- all tightly back in place!

Oh, but not so! The second one came to me the next day – same packaging – and broken. I talked to a kind young man at Amazon support who assured me via his personal email to me: “I sent over your feed back to the company you purchased the item from to make sure your item arrives in perfect condition.” I keep reminding myself “Him I will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me” (Isaiah 26:3). I knew the PEACE sign would get here, tomorrow, and this time – the day I leave for Austin to take care of my two youngest grands for a few days. Dogs-sitting to boys-sitting!

Thursday, September 3rd: Doorbell rings. Buddy, the 85-pound Australian Shepherd is barking like a wild, man-eating machine. I peek through the blinds. Oh, it’s the Amazon guy with my package, but OH NO! It’s packaged the same. I quickly open the door to nab the delivery guy before he leaves the package and Buddy rushes past me and nabs the guy for me – on the leg! Dear God! Help! The guy gets out through the gate as I am pleading for his forgiveness. I ask to see his leg and thank, God – only scratched. That was my fault – Buddy is a great guard dog, but his protection isn’t needed when it’s a friendly visitor. We typically put him in another room when a stranger comes to the door! But, here’s the absolute determining factor that satan has zeroed in on my peace zone – to steal it from me. The PEACE hand in the same packaging, is also broken. And, poor Buddy, with his ears back is in time-out!

I pour my heart out to Staci about this inability to maintain my peace. What is wrong with me? I say it again – my President is running an entire country and has so many reasons to REALLY be stressed-out – and here I am in this little Peace Zone space – losing it. Staci says “Mom, let it go! Let the peace come. Maybe this is all for good. I have let it go. Maybe someone might be watching one of my shows and see that peace hand and for some reason it offends them.” She gives me so much reinforcement that I need this day. So I do let it go! Lord, have mercy! I have conquered way more stressful situations than this. I get it. The enemy's goal is to steal our peace that comes from our Prince of Peace.

So, here I am crawling, limping, and wimping back into my Peace Zone. I’m getting bandaged up, wiped up, and straightened up to be God’s girl of peace, sweet peace again. Why shouldn’t I be in peace? God promised it to me if I would live in that place. It’s a choice I must make daily. In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” I shall go forward — embracing these sweet days with these doggies and onto my people in Austin. I’m choosing to be care-free and unafraid and daily living in my peace zone! I’m sending that peace out to you today – AND NOT, with that very breakable peace hand sign!

Mercy, Lord! Lord, Have Mercy!

We’re one week into the 40 days of Easter through to Jesus' ascension to heaven. It’s been an unusual time of “incubation” – I like that word better than “isolation” – because I believe God is doing a sovereign work in our lives during this time and we are going to emerge out of this season as the mature “chicks” that He planned for us all along.

That’s the visual I get about “incubation”. Last summer, as a Volunteer at Children’s Hospital, I was in charge of the baby chicks in their incubation at their Ranch Days Fair. I had to keep little children from reaching into the incubator to pick them up. They weren’t big enough to handle yet and stayed under a warm light so they could absorb what they needed to develop and grow stronger.

That’s a choice we can make too. We can continue to think we’re being punished by a Daddy Who carries a big stick or we can realize our Daddy doesn’t carry a stick at all. Well, maybe He does carry a couple of sticks that remind us what we received from Christ on the cross at Calvary.

Oh, the mercy of our Father Who loves us so much that He gave us His beloved one and only Son to take on our sins – the sins of all humanity – so that we can live with him forever and ever. Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Saint Faustina wrote some beautiful words in her Diary about God’s mercy: “All grace flows from mercy . . . even if a person’s sins were as dark as night, God’s mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary: that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God’s merciful grace, and then God will do the rest.” (Diary of Saint Faustina)

If we open our hearts, just a little, even a tiny crack, God’s light (like those little chicks’ light in the incubator) can shine in and He can work marvels of transformation within us.

“Stay at Home” orders are no match for Jesus. Remember how afraid Jesus’ disciples were of the Jewish leaders and were huddled in fear behind locked doors? But….then Jesus came in. He could have had an agenda that included setting them straight. He could have started in a rant about their weaknesses and failures. He could have displayed His disappointment in their betrayal and denial of Him. His first words could have been, “Thanks…. for NOTHING! What were you thinking? Where were you when I needed you?” He had every right to unload His righteous indignation on them. But, no, His first words to them were “Peace be with you”. Isn’t that the way He continues to speak to us – in spite of our mistakes & failures? He loves us unconditionally and speaks “Peace be with you.” Yes, He is our "Divine Mercy" Jesus!

None of us need to be defined by our past because Divine Mercy is open to us all. Whether our sins are small or great, the mercy of God is available to all of us. The mercy of God is real! The mercy of God is His love! The mercy of God is the power of the resurrection still working today. You are not your past. Believe it! Embrace it! God’s Divine Mercy forgives, forgets and even forges the way to becoming all God destined for us in the first place. So, shouldn’t His example cause us to be His people of mercy, too — forgiving and loving others with mercy? Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy!

“Kill ‘Em All” or “Lord, Forgive Them"

A little more than three weeks ago, my grandson’s car was stolen from a Dallas downtown parking garage. It wasn’t the car being stolen that hurt near as much as it was what was in the trunk of his car that hurt him and his mama the most.

This side of our family are the fishing lovers which was initiated years ago by Papa, my husband, who loved any kind of fishing and passed it on to our daughter, Staci, and onto Payton. When Papa left for heaven, I knew I would pass along Papa’s fishing gear, tackle, fishing vests, fly rod, and fishing necklaces that held all the tools for making leaders for lines, getting the fish off the hooks, etc. All of that was in Payton’s car trunk, plus Papa’s briefcase which held many other treasures from Papa. We prayed and hoped beyond hope that the thieves would leave all of that in the trunk.

The police found the car. Payton and Staci went to see the stripped-beyond-recognition remains yesterday. Nothing was left in the trunk – even the liner was gone. Staci sent me the photos, and my first words were: “God, kill ‘em!” Immediately, I thought: “Lord, have mercy, did I really say that?” Staci quickly retorted:
“I think it’s better to pray “Lord, bring them to repentance and to You.” Lord, have mercy! Yes, that’s what I meant! 😊

I know the scripture: “What the heart is full of, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45) and I had to ask that God purify my heart so it’s not so quick to speak words I don’t think I really meant. I was prompted to write this post after I saw the video of Brandt, the younger brother of Botham Jean speak to former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger from the witness stand after she was sentenced for killing 26-year-old Botham Jean in his apartment. At the sentencing phase, Jean’s younger brother told her: “I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that Botham would want for you.” He added: “I love you as a person, and I don’t wish anything bad on you.”

He then asked the court for permission to hug her. The image of the two embracing made national headlines. The prosecutor said that in 37-years of practicing law, “I never saw anything like that.” Brandt was right about his older brother’s character and faith. Botham Jean was born in Saint Lucia, an island in the eastern Caribbean. He became a Christian at an early age and began preaching as a teenager. He sang in his church choir, in college, and at Dallas West Church of Christ, where he led worship the Sunday before he was killed.

CNN reported that after Brandt Jean’s remarkable act of grace, District Judge Tammy Kemp gave Guyger a Bible and also hugged her. “You can have mine. I have three or four more at home,” the judge said. “This is the one I use every day. This is your job for the next month. It says right here. John 3:16. And this is where you start. ‘For God so loved the world . . .'”

If that isn’t love – the ocean is dry; if that isn’t love – there’s no stars in the sky; if that isn’t love – the little sparrows can’t fly; if that isn’t love – then heaven’s a myth; there’s no feeling like this. If that isn’t love. And that is the love of Jesus – Who could say “Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do.” That is the love I pray for – to be able to love like that.

The Darker the Night, the More Crucial our Light

At church on Sunday, during our public prayer petitions, we heard: “For the victims in the El Paso and Dayton, Ohio shootings, and for their families, we pray to the Lord”. I had not heard the news. I think: “Dear Lord, have mercy. More tragedy? More crazies with guns?”

I didn't watch the news, but I know gun laws are being debated again. No doubt, mental health is being analyzed again. And statements of remorse and promises of prayer are being offered. Coming up with solutions to keep us and our families safe is being considered. But where would that be? Especially since the El Paso shooting was at a Walmart and the Dayton shooting was at an outdoor food festival?

Most importantly, families are grieving the deaths of loved ones and those who were at the locations of the shootings will be wondering “What if I or my family were the victims?” Their lives have all been changed. And, what about us – where do we go where there isn’t a possibility that it could be us the next time?

But more important than analyzing, debating and trying to figure out the killers’ mental and spiritual health, gun control and keeping us safe in the future, what would Jesus do now? When Jesus encountered those who were suffering, his first reaction was not always to try and fix their problems. He typically started by listening to them, taking their hand, or simply weeping with them. He would get to the healing and bigger issues eventually but usually not before he’d taken the time to empathize with them and understand their pain. That’s who we should be for our friends, loved ones and even casual acquaintances. The darker the night, the more crucial our light.

I enjoy following the daily blogs of Dr. Jim Denison who brings spiritual insight and perspective to current events. He said this: “While society should obviously take all effective measures to protect itself, here’s my biblical point: Jesus can change any life He touches. He can heal any trauma. He can redeem any crisis. The God who turned a murdering Pharisee (Paul) into a missionary of grace can transform anyone.

The more secularized our culture becomes, the more evangelistic our churches must become. The more that people ridicule our prayers, the more they need our prayers. The more traumatized and victimized our society, the more vital our compassion. The greater the threat of violence, the more urgent our message. That’s why we must do all we can to reach the next shooters before they strike. We must use our influence to permeate our broken culture with biblical truth and grace. We must share God’s Word and love with everyone we can in every way we can.

One lesson of El Paso and Dayton is that every community is a mission field. As a result, every Christian is a missionary. Jesus is weeping beside twenty-nine graves today. He is calling us to join him with heartbroken compassion for the victims and their families and a renewed commitment to our gospel mandate. We are still the only “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The darker the night, the more crucial our light.

This morning, I hear our Lord asking, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8). What is our answer to Him?”

Oh, But for the Mercy of God!

I’ve heard people say “Lorrrd, have mercy!” as a quick retort when yet another “I can’t believe it” circumstance happens. In reality, that is what we should say, rather pray, anytime we encounter a roadblock, a rock landslide, “rocked my world” or rock crazy situations going on in our world. God is our ROCK in all of life's ups and downs and His DIVINE MERCY is at our beckoned call when tough times come or when we are the ones who made a huge mistake and created the tough times.

Today is “Divine Mercy” Sunday – a time that is specifically dedicated to the great gift of the Lord’s mercy and love. God's “Divine Mercy” was given in His covenant as He promised protection, provision, guidance, and His constant presence to His children. Because God is the initiator, the mercy He gives is gracious, unmerited, undeserved, is compassionate and leads to forgiveness, and to the steadfast love that God sustains in our relationship with Him.

Thank God, we are no longer defined by our past because God's mercy is real and available. Of course, we celebrate His mercy every time we cry out to Him for mercy when we have failed Him. And, mercy should be a part of every Christian's life when we have been hurt by someone. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7).

Think about it – after Jesus rose from the dead, He went to His disciples where they were huddled in fear. He could have gone in and started in a rant about their weaknesses and their failures. He could have displayed His disappointment in their betrayal and denial of Him. His first words could have been, “Thanks…. for NOTHING! What were you thinking? Where were you when I needed you?” He had every right to unload His righteous indignation on them. But, no, His first words to them were “Peace be with you”. Isn’t that the way He continues to speak to us – in spite of our mistakes & failures? He loves us unconditionally and speaks “Peace be with you.” Yes, He is a God of divine mercy!

None of us need to be defined by our past because Divine Mercy is open to us all. Whether our sins are small or great, the mercy of God is available to all of us. The mercy of God is real! The mercy of God is His love! The mercy of God is the power of the resurrection still working today. You are not your past. Believe in it! Embrace it! God’s Divine Mercy forgives, forgets and even forges the way to becoming all God destined for us in the first place. So, shouldn't His example cause us to be His people of mercy, too -- forgiving and loving others with mercy? Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Judge Them Oh Lord!

As my readers know, I am a sunny sky, rainbows-after-rain, kind-of-writer, but it seems irreverent to not acknowledge the dark clouds that blew in when New York lawmakers legalized abortion until birth. My heart ached when I saw the “celebration” and the gleeful faces of those lawmakers in my newsfeed.

My heart cries out “Judge them, oh Lord!” What was Jesus thinking when He said, in Matthew 5:44, “Love your enemies! Bless them that curse you! Do good to them that hate you! Pray for them who spitefully use you, and persecute you!” Quite frankly, I’d like to request that hail, fire, and brimstone be unleashed on those cray crays. Lord, have mercy!

Now that I’ve had my venting moment, I must repent and remember Christ’s teachings to love in spite of the evil in our world, but we shouldn’t ignore what we can do besides praying and raise our voices in proclaiming “LIFE MATTERS!”

In Psalm 69 David cries out to God about his enemies, “Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them." Whew! Don’t those words make us want to team up with David and say “Hit ‘em with your best shot, Lord?”

Can't we pray the way David did? Can't we ask for God to pour out his wrath upon evildoers? Jesus showed up and flipped all that on its heels when He said: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." That whole “loving our enemies” doesn’t make sense in this world, but, oh, lest I forget, it’s a command from another world – an entirely different kingdom than this one. It’s the “Kingdom of Heaven” world which is rooted in God’s own love for HIS enemies.

Here’s what that world looks like: Christ loved His enemies by feeding them, teaching them, and having compassion on them even when He knew they would later kill Him. The world – this world -- which is full of corrupt, evil people who continually refuse to follow Him is the very same world Christ was sent to reconcile and redeem. Christ came to earth to be a servant for the sake of His enemies so that they might know Him and come to love Him.

With his dying breath, Jesus prayed for those who put Him to death. “And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34. He showed His great compassion and love for the world even while they hated Him. God’s eyes are not closed to the evil of this world. He will judge all one day. Father, for those whose hearts are cold, may You open their eyes and plant in their hearts a love for the treasure of life and the strength to protect it. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, have mercy on us all.

Lord, Have Mercy!

I’ve heard people say “Lorrrd, have mercy!” as a quick retort when yet another “I can’t believe it” circumstance happens. In reality, that is what we should say, rather pray, anytime we encounter a roadblock, a rock landslide, “rocked my world” or rock crazy situations going on in our world. God is our ROCK in all of life's ups and downs and His DIVINE MERCY is at our beckoned call when tough times come or when we are the ones who made a huge mistake and created the tough times.

DIVINE MERCY: God's mercy was given in His covenant as He promised protection, provision, guidance, and His constant presence to His children. Because God is the initiator, the mercy He gives is gracious, unmerited, undeserved, is compassionate and leads to forgiveness, and to the steadfast love that God sustains – in our relationship with Him.

In Psalm 51:1-2, David cried out, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions…” A plea to God for mercy is asking Him to withhold the judgment we deserve and instead grant to us the forgiveness we, in no way, have earned. David encountered that mercy after he had relations with Bathsheba and had her husband, one of David's most honorable soldiers killed. God forgiving him, was truly Divine Mercy.

Yesterday was Divine Mercy Sunday and my assurance of God’s divine mercy was reinforced. Divine Mercy Sunday is a time that is specifically dedicated to the great gift of the Lord's mercy and love. We are NOT our past and God's mercy is real and available. Of course we celebrate His mercy every time we cry out to Him for mercy when we have failed Him, and every time we forgive another or someone forgives us. Mercy should be a part of the life of every Christian as sometimes we hurt others and sometimes others hurt us. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7

When God forgives us, His ocean of mercy washes over us to wash us clean – through and through. That is Divine Mercy. Think of the mercy of God and Paul. We know Paul was a great evangelizer and wrote much of the New Testament. He led many to Christ, but think about his past. Before his conversion to Christ, he arrested, tortured and killed Christians. That was his job! (If you haven’t seen the new movie “Paul, the Apostle of Christ”, you really should. These words will come to life when you see it.) Paul was paid to gather up those who followed Christ. He participated in the killing of Stephen, the first martyr. He did that a lot. But God showed him mercy and with Paul's cooperation, Paul became one of the great saints of the church.

What could be worse than being a Roman soldier who helped facilitate the crucifixion of Jesus? Longinus was that solider, but during the last hours of Jesus' life He recognized Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus showed Longinus mercy and he, too, became a saint.

Perhaps you know someone who represents a living saint to you -- someone who turned from a life of self destruction or a hard-stoned criminal whose life was turned around because of God’s Divine Mercy. Maybe that is you. None of us need to be defined by our past because Divine Mercy is open to us all. Whether our sins are small or great, the mercy of God is available to all of us. The mercy of God is real! The mercy of God is His love! The mercy of God is the power of the resurrection still working today. You are not your past. Believe in it! Embrace it! God’s Divine Mercy forgives, forgets and even forges the way to becoming all God destined for us in the first place. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.”

Amazing Grace -- How Sweet the Sound

I turned on my TV first thing yesterday morning and the top story was an 8.1 earthquake had struck Mexico in the night, leaving one million people without power. Mexico's president called it the strongest quake his country had seen in a century. Meanwhile, Hurricane Irma is coming -- the second-strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. And to make matters worse, Hurricane Jose is strengthening and threatens islands devastated by Irma. LORD, HAVE MERCY!!!

Just after I had seen that news, I started my morning readings in Isaiah 43 and these words came alive. "Should you pass through the waters, I shall be with you." God is with us. It is His voice that I hear saying, "You need Me!" And Jeremiah 29:13 says "If you will seek Me, you will find Me."

Whoever you are, no matter what faith you have, or have not, you have undoubtedly heard the song, "Amazing Grace". You probably even know some of the words and can sing along.
The song was written by a former slave trader, John Newton. His early days as a philanderer in the British navy to his conversion of faith and taking up the abolitionist cause is the basis for the song.

While Newton was serving on a slave ship, the ship was caught in a horrendous storm off the coast of Ireland and almost sank. Newton awoke in the middle of the night and, as the ship filled with water, called out to God. The cargo shifted and stopped up the hole, and the ship drifted to safety. Newton took this as a sign from the Almighty and marked it as his conversion to Christianity. The date was March 10, 1748, an anniversary he celebrated for the rest of his life.

After returning to England, Newton and his wife, dramatically confronted the Prince of Wales and urged him to abolish the cruel slavery practice. In 1764, he was ordained as an Anglican priest and wrote 280 hymns to accompany his services. He wrote the words for “Amazing Grace” in 1772. He later went on to renounce his former slaving profession and wrote a pamphlet that described the horrific conditions on slave ships and apologized for waiting so long to stand up for what was right. Under the leadership of William Wilberforce, the English civil government outlawed slavery in Great Britain in 1807 and Newton lived to see it, dying in December of that year.

John Newton had some glitches in his life. He was a philanderer and a slave trader. St. Paul had some glitches. He was a Christian persecutor. King David was an adulterer and murderer. St. Peter was a coward and denied Christ. The Bible is full of those who had glitches. We all have glitches -- maybe that come from a dysfunctional family tree, but God uses those glitches to turn us into radical followers of Christ that when the storms come and the ships of our lives nearly sink, we STAND. And, we not only stand, but we become those who sing the loudest and most heartfelt -- "AMAZING GRACE, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind but NOW I SEE!" I pray for that AMAZING GRACE to all those facing storms of life and heart today.

He MAKES Me Lie Down in Green Pastures

In yesterday's post, I mentioned I was heading over to the main house as my month-long hiatus had come to an end. Famous last words – little did I realize that the flu virus hanging around Austin had caught up with me. “Lord, have mercy” was my prayer for the next 24 hours. After I had gone through the worst of the effects (I’ll spare you the details), as I was lying in bed, I heard “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Green is the operative word here. LOL! I thought that I had been in this sweet place of green pastures for over a month, but this was a step further of total reliance on my God for comfort and restoration.

Indeed, there can be extremely uncomfortable times for us, but I often feel closest to God during those times because I come to depend on Him more. I have a yearning in my heart for Him to transform every nook and cranny of my life. I want Him to be my all-consuming thought, desire and passion, and I want Him to make my life REALLY mean something. I desire that He give purpose to these adventurous times. Isaiah 30:15 says “This is what the Almighty LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “You can be saved by returning to me. You can have rest. You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting Me.”

Maybe someone reading this today is in a world of clamor and confusion. Then this post is for you. Maybe you're feeling -- physically and mentality spent -- completely exhausted from stress and overload. Could THIS message be heaven-sent to you today? Could God be urging you to STOP for just a while for reloading, recharging, and restoring? Wouldn't it be a good thing to go nestle down in some green pastures -- where your body and soul finds rest, peace and restoration? Where you’re at is no surprise to Him and to step away for a few minutes, hours or even days to give Him your undivided attention, could bring the restoration, healing, and peace that you know you need.

As the scripture in Isaiah says, I'm convinced that in quietness and confidence in God’s faithfulness, I will be strengthened. That’s when all the noise and activity are shut out and we clearly hear His voice saying, “Trust Me. I've got this!"