How Can We Lie Down in Green Pastures? They're Flooded

One of my go-to scriptures, especially when I’m encouraging someone who is bed-fast because of an injury or illness, is Psalm 23:1-3 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” I share: “Obviously, God is wanting you to rest and lie down in His pastures (His place of restoration) so you can re-coup, be restored and refreshed. He knows your journey up ahead, and He knows what you need to go the long-haul.”

But, how can I say that to my family and friends in Oklahoma whose pastures are filled with rushing (not still) waters and even their homes are completely demolished by the tornadoes and flood waters that left little to hold onto?

Or how can I tell them to “get on the roller coaster and throw your hands up in the air and enjoy the ride” like I might say when someone is starting a long journey of medical treatments and procedures? I often describe our faith journey as a roller coaster ride -- twists and turns, and ups and down, and throwing our hands up in the air and enjoying the ride!! But, in the case of these life-altering storms, those rides are out-of-order entirely!

It’s easy to say to my precious friends and family: “Let go and let God! He is in control. Have peace in the storm! Only have faith and believe. God is for you and with you!” But I’m not in my storm shelter, hearing the storm warnings or bailing water out of my home or trying to find something of value in the remains that were left behind from the storm. My words, of themselves, are meaningless. But God’s words are life and God is life….even abundant life -- when we believe them in or out of the storm.

“I Will Praise You in the Storm” was a song written by Casting Crowns’ lead vocalist Mark Hall. It was inspired by the band's experience with a young girl who had cancer, Erin Browning. They met Erin before one of their concerts. Erin had performed a dance at her school to one of their songs. Erin died shortly after that. Hall said, "Watching Erin's mother walk through this really showed me the truth about my worship. Watching her walk through a real storm showed me that my worship was extremely situational". Hall began writing the song before Erin's death.

I, too, know devastating storms in my own life and praising God in the midst of those storms was my survival mode. The song and the lyrics, I know, will minister to those of you who have gone through recent storms or are right in the middle of them today. No matter the storms, we continue to praise our Lord because we know His promises are true and that He never leaves us. We glory in all He does for us in the storm:

I Will Praise You in the Storm
I was sure by now, God you would have reached down
and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen; that it's still raining
As the thunder rolls, I barely hear your whisper through the rain, “I’m with you,”
And as your mercy falls, I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.
And I'll praise you in this storm, and I will lift my hands
That You are who You are, no matter where I am,
And every tear I've cried, You hold in your hand.
You never left my side, and though my heart is torn,
I will praise you in this storm.

Listen to this beautiful song and be assured that God is with you in the storm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoqbKyeKOBI

While we may not know what our future holds, today we can rest in the fact that we are known by the One who holds it and somewhere in the middle of that fact…..He promises to be working it all out for our good. (Romans 8:28).

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Yesterday, a precious woman at church commented: "I just love watching how much your granddaughter loves you and snuggles up to you during church. I sure hope my granddaughter loves me like that someday! She won't have anything to do with me now." Saddened for her, I asked, "How old is your granddaughter?" Her response: "18 months old". I smiled, hugged her and said, "Oh Girl, you have plenty of time to show her plenty of love that will pay you back in measureless proportions."

Before long that little granddaughter will start using her inbred child psychology on her grandmother. She'll learn the more she loves, the more her grandmother gives. Children can sure teach us something about psychology, especially for us grandparents. It's just hard to say "no" to their requests. In fact, I've said very few "no's" to mine. See this photo of my cutie. A few months ago I heard this: "Nana, you know that cute brown purse in your closet that you never use....." My quick reply was: "Yes, I know. Do you want it?" Of course, she did and I am elated that here we are, months later, and it's the only purse she carries.

Think about the psychology of this child who says these words to his dad: "Daddy, I love you so much. You are the best dad in the world. You have given me everything I need. You make me feel so safe when you are with me. I am never afraid. Thank you for my clothes and my food. Thank you for the times when you put me in time out because I disobeyed you. I really do want to please you and be better at obeying you. I feel your love with me all the time. I know you are always watching out for me."

That little paragraph was brought to you by Psalm 23 “The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. It is the picture of a child’s loving father. Wasn’t it so tender and uplifting? Can you fathom the love that a father has for his child that comes to him so raw, relevant and appreciative of his father’s love?

We are God's children and oh how much He longs for our love.
Back to that grandmother longing for her 18-month old to love her. There are so many ways we can bring joy to our Heavenly Father. I pick Alexia up on Sunday mornings to go to their church service. Her family goes early for praying and serving. That 30-minute drive is non-stop talking about this and that and sometimes I get to coach her on some things she might be dealing with. I always love our special times together.

In the same way, we can be driving in our car and acknowledge our Heavenly Father by simply saying “I sure love you, Father!” We may be in a world of conflict and worry is concerning us. We cry out “Daddy, please help me!” One of the ways I love to communicate with Him is meditating on scripture and putting it in the first person, like that first paragraph above.

For example, here’s how we might pray and praise with Psalm 23: “Thank you, Lord, for being my Shepherd. Thank you for making me lie down in green pastures. Thank you for leading me beside quiet waters. Thank you for restoring my soul. Thank you for guiding me in the paths of righteousness."

Meditating on Scripture (God's words to us) is a great way of “having a little talk with Jesus to make things right, or to simply give Father God a big old hug – loving Him for all He is, was and is to come. Snuggling up to Him and loving Him, I'm sure, causes Him to want to pour out the blessings on us even more!

Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart!"

The Pursuit of God

Pursue: to follow, run after, chase someone or something to catch them

Pursuit: the action of pursuing someone or something.

Yesterday, my word of the day was RESTORE. In studying for this word for today, PURSUIT, two scriptures from Psalm 23 jumped out at me. David, the shepherd boy, before becoming King David, wrote Psalm 23 and in verse 2-3 he said “He (God) makes me lie down in green pastures to RESTORE my soul (my will, my mind and my emotions).” God is wanting us to take a break from PURSUING that promotion or that handsome guy or beautiful girl or that next best thing in technology or the bigger house or high tech car in order to be still and know God first. And in knowing God we will know that He desires us to PURSUE wisdom, understanding, and wholeness in spirit, soul and body. In Psalm 23:6, David makes a declaration of faith: “Surely Your goodness and mercy will PURSUE me (follow me) all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

RESTORATION and PURSUING seem to go hand and hand. David knew about PURSUING. He PURSUED the lion and the bear and was successful, because he had been in the quiet green pastures with His Shepherd. He could take on the distractions with fervor and defeat them. Remember the analogy Jesus gave about a shepherd who leaves his flock of ninety-nine sheep in order to PURSUE the one that is lost? That Shepherd is Jesus PURSUING you and me.

What if we PURSUED our Good Shepherd? If we did, the distractions and the opposing forces that come to defeat us, would be silenced and rendered "null and void". We would then sing with David "The Lord is MY Shepherd. There is NOTHING that I want." . How can I be effective in the PURSUIT of happiness, joy, peace, freedom from fear and anxiety, lest I be in a place of strength and relentless, fearless and audacious in faith, and wholeness in spirit and mind that can only come from knowing the Good Shepherd.

When I’m out at the stables with my grandson, I notice how those animals PURSUE him. His are the hands that feed them. They trust him for their daily sustenance. They depend on him for their water, their protection from the predators that are out there, and they welcome him with their praises (hee haws by the donkeys, mooing by the longhorn, bleating by the goats and cozying up to him by the dog and cat). Sound familiar? It does if we know what it is to PURSUE God with all of our hearts, trusting in His loving care, and praising Him for breath and life.

"I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know Me.” John 10:14

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year -- Not Time for Down and Out Songs or Words

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year to Sing Joy-Filled Songs

I apologize in advance of this post because it's me being REAL again -- expressing what I've learned the most from the loss of my best friend and husband during this time of the year, and how much I want to help others glean from my experiences. Just maybe this is your first Christmas without that special someone in your life. I hope you'll be encouraged from my words.

This is what my first Christmas looked like without my "special someone". It had been just a few weeks after my husband of 44 years had graduated to heaven when my daughter and I headed out to do some Christmas shopping. By that time we had heard every rendition possible of “I’ll Have a Blue Christmas Without You!” and of course we always thought about him when we'd hear it. We even started to sing along with the song, when we both caught the words we were singing. We said to each other, almost, simultaneously “Oh, no, we won’t. We’re going to have a bright, merry Christmas, because he's having a bright, merry Christmas in heaven!” We realized that there were too many blessings, and too much to be thankful for -- to allow ourselves to be singing “down and out” songs or saying “woe is me” words.

Just shortly after his funeral, I attended the funeral of a dear 98-year old friend who was my mentor in so many ways. She rarely missed church -- rain or snow -- she was always there; she always had a kind word to say to everyone. She was just the person you would want to sit by at a table because you never heard her complaining. She loved God with all her heart. It was such joy to know she had reached her heavenly reward -- she earned it! After the funeral, a dear friend acknowledged me and said, “Oh, it must be so hard for you to attend another funeral.” I quickly replied, ”Oh, no, not at all. It’s another joyful celebration to attend!"

Being a new widow, it was amusing AND disconcerting, to hear what well-meaning people said. “You’ll have a hard Christmas and new year, but God will be with you!” “Just go ahead and grieve – it’s okay!” I told a friend that my youngest grandsons would be spending a week with me after Christmas. Her reply, “Oh, that’s good. It will help you get through this tough time.” I started thinking "Wow, these well-meaning friends need a class in “Bringing Hope and Cheer:101." The fact is, I could have chosen to soak up that pity and be pitiful. But, instead I chose the "powerful and productive" way.

Yes, there were times when I thought about the sweetness of our love story, and I'd start to shed a few tears because I missed him so much. But, time after time, I would remember God's words. "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18) "...let your widows trust in me.” (Jeremiah 49:11) “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.” (Psalm 68:5).

With absolute trust in God, I found such beautiful dependence in Emmanuel "God with me". It felt like I was carrying a new "Widow's Card" that entitled me to so much special treatment. God was there when I couldn't find my passport to travel to Mexico for R&R after the funeral. It was found by my daughter, where my stealth husband kept it hidden for safekeeping. God was with me when I needed to visit our attorney -- after all we had businesses and a humanitarian foundation I needed to deal with. I couldn't find an important file after hours of looking. But then, from a hall closet, I saw some greenery sticking out from under the door. I put it there to make room for Christmas decorations. I opened the door and there was a box of files -- with the file I needed for the attorney. I started paying attention to so many little kisses from heaven because rather than a spirit of heaviness, I had chosen to put on a garment of praise.

Here is how I've maintained my peace: 1) Psalm 16:11 “…..in His presence is fullness of joy”. When I take my eyes off myself and enter into His presence, I live in a state of overflowing joy and peace."

2) Psalm 22:3 “He inhabits the praises of His people.” He inhabits (hangs out) with me when I praise Him. God with me.

3) Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want." He promised to be my Shepherd, therefore, I will not want. He leads and guides me. He provides just what I need.

After seven years, my faith journey continues. There have been many course alterations, but the journey keeps getting sweeter and sweeter. The more I have trusted Him, the more He has given me “Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” Isaiah 61:3.

These are the words I continue to give to those who are going through a crisis of any kind! Emmanuel -- God IS with us, so It is possible to be full of joy and peace -- even at a funeral! Regardless of the time of year, God is faithful, and we can make the choice -- pitiful or powerful. If it's powerful, then, instead of those "Blue" days and Christmases, we will be singing -- all year long, "IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!"

Time to Recalibrate

The navigation system on my phone and in my car is one of the greatest technologies to be invented. I can't even begin to tell you how many times that the sweet lady's voice saved my day when I'm trying to find a particular address.  Oftentimes, she’ll tell me to turn at the next exit or the next street, and I’ll miss the turn.  That’s when she’ll say “recalibrating” – which means I got off course and she needed to give me the new directions.  And, then there are those times when I think my way is better than hers so I’ll just ignore her directions, and she has to “recalibrate” again.

So here we are.....five days into this exciting new year of 2016 – and I’m starting to recalibrate – make course corrections and go in new directions.  Shawntel and I were laughing yesterday as we talked about our mindset over the Christmas holidays.  It’s a “go ahead and eat up, enjoy yourself – eat as much as you want, because soon, you will be on a new track.  It will be 'sensibility again'".  So, we enjoyed our pizza, chocolate chip cookies, popcorn, and Brennan’s world famous chocolate shakes the night before.  LOL!  Yesterday morning it was a new conversation, “juicing, Daniel Fast, nutritious eating, etc.”.  Recalibrating.

Recalibrating – time for setting goals, resolutions and some real aspirations for this new year.  Here are a few of my recalibrations: Drink more water, be consistent with exercise, eat less sugar and make healthier food choices, connect more with old and new friends, purposefully laugh out loud even when "it's just not that funny", play my piano more, AND above all else spend more time in sweet fellowship with Father God.  That last one is the BIG ONE, Martha!  Keeping Him as our Moral Compass, our DUE NORTH, our Central Focus, will keep His voice the ONE we hear when we need to recalibrate our journey.  Here’s the way to know we’re on course throughout this year – from our daily walk of faith to the life-altering decisions we must make, If all directions begin with Him as our "due North",  we’ll know we are ON COURSE by:

1)  Having an overwhelming, supernatural peace that goes beyond logic.
2)  Abiding in His Word and listening to people who are on course (are tight with Him) and we love and trust the most, who will help us stay on course.
3)  Recognizing providential circumstances, open doors, aha moments, divine encounters, and a sense of knowing when we're on or off track.

Psalm 23 – “The Lord is my shepherd” chapter is a perfect example of how to stay focused on Him.  Sheep are dependent on their shepherd – just like a baby is dependent on his parents or caregiver.  The faith that says…”Where He leads, I will follow.”  I love this song by Twila Paris:

Lord, I'm keeping my eyes on You.
Following You. Following You. My Lord.
I won't look to the left or right
My only goal is keeping You in my sight.

Finding the WAY OUT

Day 222 of Photo Inspirations -- Finding the WAY OUT
Last week I heard a message directed to those who feel like they are at a dead end -- hopeless -- unable to find their way out of a situation or circumstance. It may be an addiction, a bad habit, an illegal or immoral activity, a bad attitude, or another destructive behavior. It may be something as severe as facing an arrest, a failed marriage, a bankruptcy, or a terminal illness. No matter what it is......there IS a WAY out!

That WAY out is spelled G-O-D. "And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide A WAY OUT so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Over the years, we encountered what seemed to be insurmountable circumstances -- financially, relationally, physically. In the middle of those circumstances, we looked in so many places and to so many people to help us figure out OUR WAY OUT. But not until we made an appointment with THE WAY MAKER and totally gave Him the cares of it all -- the frustrations, the worries, the hopelessness, the absolute relinguishing of OUR plans, OUR failures, OUR WAY of doing it and figuring it out.......did HE show us THE WAY OUT.

How often do we go to the phone before we go to THE THRONE?  How many times do we complain AND REMAIN? How careless can when be when we insist on CARRYING the CARES and doing it OUR WAY instead of HIS WAY?

The WAY-MAKER, Almighty God, is on our side and He is everything -- our Guide, Confidant, Counselor, Healer, Peace & Strength Provider, and Source of Supply. Wouldn't it be a good idea to make an appointment with Him today for a one-on-one consult?  I'm sure He will work you in between His other appointments. That's just the way He rolls and the way He loves you and me so much.

"The Lord is My Shepherd......I shall NOT WANT." Psalms 23:1

The Good Shepherd Leads His Sheep

Day 118 of Photo Inspirations -- The Good Shepherd Leads His Sheep
We saw these sheep in Keukenhof, Holland yesterday.  Beautiful sheep, well cared for in a confined area.  They're well-protected.  But, what about those sheep that are in a field, open-prey to ravenous animals and harm? That's why they need a shepherd to watch over and care for them.

How comforting to know that wherever we are, our Good Shepherd keeps a watchful eye on us.  Like a shepherd, Jesus shares something central to our life of faith.  He says, "I am the good shepherd."  John 10:11.  Like a shepherd, He leads us, feeds us, protects us, and saves us.  How could He have such unending and unrelenting love for us?

And the answer has always been the same -- simple, yet profound  God IS love.  It's who He is.  He can't stop loving us.  We are His children, and we are the sheep of His pasture.  He loves us so much that He asked His Son to leave His heavenly home, take on a human body and lay down His life for us.  And, now enthroned with His Father, Jesus still guides us to safety, restores our strength.

So, today, I proclaim, as one of His sheep....... "The Lord is my Shepherd.  I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters  He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.  Yea, tough I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for He is with me.  His rod and His staff -- they comfort me.  He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  He anoints mhy head with oil.  My cup runs over.  Surely goodness and merchy shall follow me all the days of myh life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  Psalms 23.