A Bison, a Dumb Idea and a God-Idea

While having lunch at my home on Sunday, my kids told me this story. Last Wednesday, a 54-year-old woman motorcyclist was attacked by a bison in South Dakota when she sat in the grass to take a photo of a mother bison and her calf. She got way too close to the little family and another bison (maybe the dad bison) charged at the woman, hooked its horns into the belt loops of her jeans and flung her around in the air for a few seconds. The sheriff said the woman was "apparently saved when her pants came off and she fell to the ground unconscious." At that point, the sheriff said the attacking bison ran off with the rest of the herd. I understand she survived the attack – thank God! The gal who filmed the incident, posted this: “Please, please, please feel free to share this, so people understand they’re about to die when they confront an animal this powerful.”

Then, I remembered a similar story and asked my daughter if she remembered when she was about four years old, standing a distance away when her daddy and I had grabbed hold of a young calf to castrate him. The mama cow, rather than attacking us – went after Staci and, with her head, begin to bounce Staci in the air. Thankfully, Staci held onto her ears like riding a bucking bronco. Her daddy turned and kicked the cow who released our girl. It was a scary sight. Staci remembered.

I thought about those two incidents and how we MUST be watchful of everything we do that could give a foothold into our lives by the enemy of our souls. That’s why Godly wisdom is so important to our success in life. Proverbs 4:6-7 says: "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it costs all you have, get understanding."

If anyone could speak to us about the snares, traps and lies of the enemy of our souls it was the Apostle Peter. Remember the many mistakes he made because of not recognizing he was a target of Satan? Peter was already in-the-making to be mightily used by God, so of course the enemy wanted to keep him from his destiny. Peter warned us with this: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Peter understood who it was that tricked him into denying Christ, to cut off the soldier’s ear, to cower behind others. Peter goes on to tell us how to defeat the enemy. “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:9

Wisdom, Holy Spirit’s voice and good old common sense is with us to keep us from making really dumb mistakes like playing around with wild animals or getting ourselves into compromising situations or simply choosing what we know God wants us to avoid. I really believe that God is leaning in close to His kids today to give us His wisdom for successfully living a victorious life in Him. As He leans in, may we lean in closer to Him to hear His voice and know His ways that will surely keep us safe, sound, and successful.

1 Kings 2:3 “Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in His ways, and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”

To Err is Human.....But Who Likes Making Mistakes?

I spend many hours of my day at my computer; typing my daily posts, providing technical editing for other writers and giving encouragement to friends on social media. With all that typing, editing and publishing, I installed a writing app called "Grammarly". Grammarly's app makes sure my messages, documents, and social media posts are clear and mistake-free. The app highlights the incorrect spelling or punctuation and I just tap on it, and whoa la -- everything is corrected. Within seconds, I've made my corrections and I'm good to go. What a blessing it is, considering the old days when we used a manual or electric typewriter. If we made mistakes with our typing then, we used correcting paper or correcting ink. It was laborious, and often difficult to make corrections if a space was needed between words. Whew! We've come a long way, Baby!

And isn’t that true in our lives, as well? As much as we try to do better, it seems our nature is prone to emotional, physical and spiritual mistakes. Maybe it has to do with the company we're keeping, some unhealthy habits, some compromising of our ethics and integrity, or literally missing the mark. Little mistakes can really slow us down and even limit some of the blessings God wants to give us. I remember back in my early learning-to-type days when I made so many mistakes because I wasn't focusing or I was concentrating more on speed than being mistake-free. Now, at this stage of my life, I really want to be as mistake-free as possible, but like what I heard someone say "I do really well with living mistake-free, but then I get out of bed and meet up with people, and then I need the "correcting fluid" to clean up my mistakes.

I was being challenged by my own post by purposing to live a mistake-free life. I know that's just not possible. As long as we're in these earth suits, we'll be prone to missing the mark. But here's the good news: God is so quick to forgive us when we come to Him, and like the "correcting fluid" I used, "Wite-Out", God applies His "white-out" to our mistakes and not only covers them, but He makes us white as snow. "Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool." Isaiah 1:18 His forgiveness really is divine.

I've come to know that focusing my attention on getting it right in my heart, attitude and life makes for a beautiful page in this chapter and book of my life. My daily prayers are “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 and "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O God!" Psalm 19:4

Love Means Saying "I'm Sorry"!

Last week I shared about a Pastor sharing with a bride and groom at their wedding ceremony. He said, "People will tell you 'Love means never having to say you're sorry. That's garbage!" He was hilarious, but he got the message across -- to be like Christ means being quick to apologize and quick to forgive.

Those words, "Love means never having to say you're sorry" is from one of my favorite romantic movies of all time, "Love Story" with Ryan O'Neal (Oliver) and Ali McGraw (Jenny). Oliver blamed himself for keeping Jenny from her music career and when apologizing, Jenny's love for Oliver was far greater to her and that's when she said that famous line.

As beautiful as those words were in the movie, it's just not a line God uses. Apologizing and expressing regret for the mistakes we make is the language of love. Too often we act out carelessly or say something harsh or insensitive, yet we go on our way and being sorry for our mistakes is left far behind. To this day, someone may be carrying a broken heart because of something we said or did in a moment of weakness.

We're still in this month of love, so, yes, I'm driving home the importance of being a lover. First of all "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.(1 Corinthians 13:4). And, when we miss that mark, LOVE means ALWAYS saying "I'm sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me."

There is so much political and social hostility going on in our country and world today. With the rash comments, animosities and gossip running rampant, never has there been more reasons to say to our brothers and sisters, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." There is sweet healing, restoration, and reconciliation that comes when we let go of our need to always be right, cast aside our pride and say in words and actions, "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me."

Because He Lives, I Can Face Today AND Tomorrow

The hullabaloo about New Year’s Eve celebrations has ended for another year….well, except for many of us who are still sharing how we commemorated 2017’s debut. Unlike so many that entered into 2017 with a gnarly hangover, I heard about New Year’s Eve church services where those in attendance heard messages about the possibilities that await us all in this new year, and then they celebrated the new year in by praying and praising God for the lessons of the past and the hopes for the future. Now, that's getting the new year off to a great start!

How beautiful that sounded compared to those who are still ranting in the news and social media about Mariah Carey’s performance (or the lack thereof) on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve" It seems she was lip syncing her songs – which isn’t unusual because technical issues are an enormous challenge in an outdoor concert anyway, but the technical difficulties with her earpiece has now dubbed her performance as “disastrous”, “the diva strikes out again”, and so many other hurtful words spoken by folks who could stand some “oil of kindness” in their little light lanterns.

Honestly, my heart went out to Mariah, after all, she was one of my young daughter's voice role models. But more importantly, she is one of God's kids, who, like so many of us, have made some mistakes, and maybe it’s not always our fault, but we, too, get crushed for failing at something that we really hoped to have succeeded at.

Mariah can decide whether to let what now is her past, define her…..and so can we. It’s so easy to fixate on yesterdays and yesteryears and the guilts associated with mistakes we may have made. Mistakes can be as little as an “oopsie” or as big as a huge blunder -- an “ouchie" or a devastating "OMG" catastrophe that alters the course of our lives. No matter what kind of mistake we made or make, there is always a solution for restitution. It comes in the form of grace. God’s grace that heals and restores, and He exchanges our tarnished and warped slate, for a fresh, clean slate so we can begin again.

Mistakes are inevitable, but the good news, as God’s repentant kids, all our mistakes are forgiveable. That kind of grace is literally so amazing, that God can even turn those mistakes to something good. Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes." Most importantly, it reminds me that my God is bigger than my faults and weaknesses and He can turn anything around for His glory!

Here’s the deal…..the past is gone and this day and this year are before us like the birth of a newborn baby with so much possibility and potential in his future.

I say this to you AND to Mariah today. Maybe all the stuff that is being thrown at you today from the media, your friends and family seem just too much to handle and it seems there's no hope for tomorrow. I have such good news for you. You are not alone. The ONE who created you and loves you and wants your life to be full of joy, peace and happiness.....HE LIVES. He holds your todays and tomorrows! That means, BECAUSE HE LIVES, your life is worth living!!! Go ahead -- tell tomorrow -- "I'm alive, I'm still here, God's not done with me -- and I'm going to be resilient, unstoppable and determined to MAKE IT!

The Wide-Eyed Wonder of a Child

something about children that God wants us to see. We, who have lived a few decades, know what it's like to have made mistakes and now we tend to be over cautious, and leave little room for spontaneity. That’s not the case with children. The future is wide open for them, and they seem to know it.

Wide-eyed with wonder, filled with potential, they are ready to try new things and build new possibilities. Unhindered by the past, they are free to chase after whatever the future holds. That’s the childlike spirit that God wants to give all of us. God doesn’t want any of us to think that we are too old, too wounded, too limited, too whatever. None of us is so bound by our past that God can’t open new doors for us in the future. Our Father has great plans for us. He has a future full of hope laid out for us. Now it’s up to us to run into that future with all the confidence of a little child! I'm getting on my running shoes, right now.....who knows, I may run into the opportunity of a lifetime!!!