Daily Echoes with God

Saturday, March 18, 2023

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

This is a profound statement from Psalm 139. I write it in most birthday cards I send out every year. It is a declaration to the recipient that they are important and have purpose in God’s eyes. Their days were ordained before one of them came to be. Psalm 139 is a great example of God’s intimate relationship with His creation. It is also an opportunity to share with others that no matter what they did, God can fix it and put them back on the right path He has created for them.

I have made my fair share of mistakes over my fifty plus years I have lived on this earth. It is easy for me to look back and see the mistakes in my life overshadow the positives. Especially when it comes to parenting. I was not a Christian when I had my children and sometimes wonder how things would have turned if I knew the Lord at a younger age. Would I have done things differently? Would I have carried the burdens I carried as a child so heavily? Would things be the way they are today?

A song comes to mind. Dear younger me… from Mercy Me. What would I tell my younger self? These words hit home…

Dear younger me
I cannot decide
Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you'll make 'cause they're choices that made me

My husband and I have this conversation occasionally. We struggle with the choices we made before we knew the Lord. We sometimes struggle with the outcomes of our choices today. Then we both settle on, we wouldn’t be the people we are today if we didn’t go through what we did as kids and young adults.

We wouldn’t have met each other if our lives were different. I am so grateful for God bringing this man into my life. It has made the difficult road easier to navigate together. We have had many ups and downs around us. We have had each other to cling to and grow in our faith together. There have been times where it was only us and God. Even so, I was grateful because I had God and Carl to get through some of the most painful parts of my life.

Little by little, over time, God has increased our family. We are so grateful for Godly sisters and brothers in Christ who have stood in the gap with and for us. These people accept us as we are and bless us daily with encouragement and prayer. Broken people helping broken people.

I think that is what God wanted to teach us. It takes a broken person to understand a broken person. It takes a person who has experienced God’s abundant Grace to share it with others.

The older you get, the more you reflect on your choices and actions. I don’t excuse my mistakes. God is gracious to give me grace and I have to not only accept His grace but give myself grace as well. He has forgiven me. I need to do the same.

Grace.

Unmerited favor.

That is what God gave us.

The later verses in the song by MercyMe also hits home –

Dear younger me
It's not your fault
You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross
Dear younger me
You are holy, you are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
Oh, you are free indeed
Every mountain, every valley
Through each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be

These words remind me that everything we go through is to bring us closer to Him and a realization of who Jesus is and what He did for us.

I am thankful for my crazy broken path that brought me to Him. I am thankful for a man to walk this path with me today as we are two imperfect people lifting each other up through this life. Hopefully we are lifting others up along the way with our stories and examples…

Here is the song by MercyMe -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoO0kyPRu3M

Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Romans 11:6

And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

Psalms 139:14-16

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Friday, March 10, 2023

Running the race versus...

Are large projects harder to start… or finish?

I once believed that starting a new project was harder than completing it. I felt this way because I would get stuck in the weeds as I overthought the steps needed to start and run the project. For example, when I began the journey towards eating healthier and working out, I spent more time researching what to do than just taking the steps and doing the actual work. Its like spending all your energy thinking about getting off the couch and finally just convincing yourself that tomorrow would be a better day to start the goal.

However, I also realized If I have a deadline set in stone, I am more apt to start and reach my intended goal. Quite a few years ago I needed a certification to advance my career. The test was a brutal four-hour exam. I knew what needed to be done to prepare and scheduled the date for the exam. I had set time aside daily to study and pushed everything else away so I could pass the test. Failure was not an option for me. I was motivated to succeed because the alternative was going to cost me financially in my career. Because I had the ‘end game’ in mind, which was passing the exam and getting a better job, I stuck to my studies until I took and passed the exam.

The pain of remaining the same was greater than the pain of change. Sound familiar? Staying in the same position without a chance of advancement became a greater source of pain than pushing forward and advancing my career.

So, what about completing a project or goal you started? Is completing the project easier once you have started it in motion? I have noticed it is sometimes easier to start a project than complete it. Each project takes enthusiasm and effort to start. But each project also takes commitment to finish. You can be excited to begin a new adventure but when the glow and newness wears off, it is easy to set the project aside as other things in life take over. The honeymoon phase wears thin and next thing you know the project is sitting in the corner, or worse, in the basement collecting dust until you feel the ‘inspiration’ once again, if ever.

Working out.

Changing my eating habits.

Writing my next book.

Growing closer in my walk with Christ.

Now that last one hit home… We were all on fire when we came to the Lord. Remember the excitement? Remember thinking we had the entire world ahead of us? Everything was bright and new and shiny! We were so filled with Hope and Joy!

We RAN with confidence!

We RAN with so much energy!

Then things begin to get into the way. Work, family, pets, sickness, death…

Then the shiny glow dimmed a bit and our walk slowed down.

Things in life have distracted me from my goals.

Even as I write this, other things are distracting my thoughts…

I am writing this today to put a little umph in your step. A little jump in your stride. A proverbial shot of adrenaline into your soul. We can’t do this race alone. We need each other. We need Christ.

We are here to do this thing called life together. Our walk should focus on the end game. Remember what I keep saying? “We know how the Book ends.” Wake up every day and remind yourself that we are running the race to win, not just to plod along until the end. We want to gain the crown! (2 Tim 4:7-8) Even though we don’t see it in front of us, we do have a deadline set in stone. None of us know how much time we have left. Our days are numbered.

What are we doing with the time we have while we are still here?

How do we stay focused on our goal to the end?

Tie your shoes and get back on track. Today is the day to start again. There is no shame in picking up and beginning again. Failure only occurs when we give up. Don’t give up. Run the race to win! We are to run to the last day. To the last breath… We need to keep pressing in like we have all the hours left and hold nothing back.

When we take on a new project, we must keep the end goal in mind each step of the way. From the first step out of the gate till the last step over the finish line. Keeping the end game in sight helps us stay focused on what is important. Distractions are always going to be there. Ignore the distractions and remember what Christ did for us.

Do you see a fellow believer struggling with his or her race? Reach out and lift your brother or sister up today with a word of encouragement. Run alongside them and give them hope. We need each other. When you lift someone up, you are lifted up as well. Our cups are filled when we fill other’s.

Plant, water, and harvest as many seeds as possible while you are here. Lets take as many as we can from the enemy’s hands before we leave this earth.

Are you in...?

How are we doing in our race?

Are we letting the things of this world distract and get in our way?

Are we coasting till…?

Are we running to win in the end?

Are our sneakers laced and ready to go?

2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Acts 20:24

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Philippians 3:12-14

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 13:18-23

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Let your light shine!

Recently we exchanged all the of light bulbs in the kitchen. We have used the same lightbulbs for years and heard bright-white bulbs might be more beneficial. We loved our yellow lights, or what we called soft white lights. The bulbs functioned and we did not see a need to change them.

Cooking requires a certain amount of light to read the recipes and ascertain the right amount of ingredients. The 60+ watts gave us the light needed to get the jobs done. However, the ‘new’ white or daylight bulbs were on the market. We thought we would give them a try. Yes, they have been on the market for a while. Yes, we are slow to change. What really pushed us was the cost savings with the LED lights.

So, one afternoon my husband and I purchased all new bulbs and proceeded to replace the old ones throughout the kitchen. The kitchen has a dimmer on the light switch to add ambiance when needed. When we first turned the new lights on I stepped back in horror. They were so bright that I had to push the dimmer switch all the way down.

What did we do?? It looked like an operating room with the bright lights glaring back at me. And if that wasn’t bad enough, any dust in any corner of my kitchen was glaring back at me as well. Seriously?

After immediately turning down the lights to the lowest setting I contemplated exchanging the lights back to the warm glow we originally had. We decided to give it some time and see if we could get used to the ‘glaring’ difference.

You know what? We did eventually get used to the bright lights. After a week or so, the glaring difference didn’t seem so harsh and slowly I began to turn up the dimmer until one day I realized I had it completely on and the bright lights just seemed normal.

Imagine that?

Have you ever been around a Christian who seems to ‘shine’ brighter than you are used to? It is almost blinding or overwhelming.

However, it is also captivating like an insect is drawn to a light. We are drawn to The Light. We are also drawn to other’s lights around us. Some people shine brightly for the Lord like a lighthouse beckoning others to come. Others are a warm light welcoming people to sit and stay. Each of us has a different light. God made us each different. That doesn’t mean one is better than another. Both warm and bright lights work equally. Both function as they should. It is a matter of what we are used to. As long as our light shines for Jesus.

Some people go to a church and there is quiet hymns playing and they feel comfortable. However, if they walk into a more charismatic church and the music is louder, they may feel out of place. Does that make the other church wrong? No, it is just a different way to worship. As long as the foundation is correct, the lighting doesn’t matter.

The music doesn’t matter.

The seating doesn’t matter.

What people wear doesn’t matter.

Remember that next time you meet someone who seems to shine brighter or less than you do. They are shining for Jesus. That is all that counts.

After our kitchen experiment, we also decided to change the bulbs outside next to the garage and the front door. Yes, I went through the same shock again even though I knew this time it was going to be brighter. The difference was the outdoor lights did not have a dimmer so we had to get used to the bright lights all at once. It felt like someone was shining their headlights in our house for a bit. But again, we did get used to them. Change is hard. But change can be good.

If you are a warm light, try hanging with some bright lights this week and embrace the change! If you are a bright light, sit quietly with a warm light and learn from their experiences. Remember to have patience as others may shine brighter than you. It doesn’t mean it is wrong, it is just different. We each shine differently. As long as we shine. That's all that counts! Praise God for that!

Matthew 5:14 NIV

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:15 NIV

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

Psalms 119:105 NIV

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Matthew 5:16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Listening...

We spend a considerable amount of time praying to God and reaching out with our requests and praise reports. However, how often do we take time and listen to what God has to say to us? Our Heavenly Father desires to share His thoughts with us. Remember we have a relationship with a Living God, and like in any healthy relationship, there should be two-way communication. Each time God speaks to us we can learn more about Him and about His will for our lives. What an incredible opportunity to become closer to our Father.

So, how do we listen to Him? There are several ways.

He can speak clearly to us as we have seen in the bible. He can speak to our heart through something we may see around us. God also uses His word to speak to us. We can spend time in His word daily and learn more about His character and His will for our day. We need to be in a posture of receiving to hear God. Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and you can tell they are distracted by something else and not really listening? That is how conversations degrade and miscommunication occurs. To hear our Heavenly Father clearly, we need to come in a posture of listening, and not with a list of our personal requests. Remember God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason so we can listen twice as hard as we speak.

We must first clear our head from all the things that are distracting us from Him. It takes focused attention. We need to take the time to step away from the grind of the day. Or perhaps - start your day fresh before leaving your bed by asking God to speak to you first. Focus on His still small voice speaking to your heart. Give it some time. Like every good skill, it takes practice…

It takes a moment of silence sometimes. It’s okay to be silent. We are so caught up with the noise around us it is hard to sit in silence. Ask Him for help being still and silent before Him. Remember, He hears everything we ask and can help with this simple request. Don’t get frustrated if you do not hear anything the first time, or even the second or third time. Every moment you spend with the Lord is not wasted. It is a chance to get to know Him more and grow as a Christian.

There may be times that God just keeps repeating something in our head over and over - until we hear Him - through the clutter that is going on in our thoughts. Yesterday was one of those days for my husband.

God often speaks to Carl late at night when he is asleep. That is normally when Carl’s brain is the quietest. God wakes Carl and proceeds to give him a solution to a problem he was working on the day before. Occasionally he receives an idea to proactively take care of something that is coming up in the future. Each time Carl wakes up and excitedly shares the new revelation with me. “God gave me the answer!” He always says. He then proceeds to move forward with the direction God gave him for the job or project he was tackling that week. One of our relatives used to say that Carl had a lucky horseshoe and that is why it happened. That relative didn’t realize a simple shoe didn’t have the power of God who can speak to anyone. The rank was much higher than an inanimate object.

Back to my story…

Yesterday afternoon my husband was working hard at a job and God wanted to get his attention once again. So, while he was diligently working on the job, the solution to another job was put in Carl’s head. He didn’t know why he heard the solution but filed it for a later time. God kept bringing the answer to the problem over and over into Carl’s mind. The solution became a proverbial pebble in Carl’s shoe. He couldn’t get it out of his head. As Carl cleaned up from the job he was working on and headed home, he called me and mentioned the solution in passing. We discussed it several times as dinner was cooking.

Then the phone rang. It was the answering service. A service call that day needed assistance again. That was the call Carl kept thinking about. He mentioned to the technician earlier in the day the solution that needed to be implemented. Somehow there was a breakdown in communication. Carl knew it was coming and was prepared. He got back into his truck and headed out to the customer. The solution God gave him was the exact thing the customer needed to fix their problem. Imagine that.

It wasn’t the first time it happened to Carl, and it won’t be the last. Each time he listens to God speak they become closer in their relationship. I envy that but know God speaks to each of us differently. He speaks to me through daily activities and a still small voice. Each time I listen I am getting to know my Father more and we are becoming closer. That is the ultimate goal.

Reach out and see how God can speak to you today.

He does and He will.

1 Samuel 3:10

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Numbers 22:28

Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

1 Kings 19:12-13

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Job 38:1-4

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?

Friday, February 17, 2023

A time for everything...

I looked up from my desk this morning and realized today was Friday…already. February is half over.

February?

What happened to January?

Didn’t we just usher in a new year…2023?

I know you have heard this before, but it is worth repeating. Time seems to fly by faster as we get older.

When I was younger Time was just a word. Time seemed to stand still, especially during school days and exams. I would sit in class and watch the clock on the wall. Tick. Tick. Tick. The clock seemed to tick louder and louder as I watched the secondhand move. Obviously, I wasn’t paying as much attention to my studies as I was the mechanical capabilities of the wall clock. That is a story for another time.

This brings me back to the last couple of months. I have been fighting some physical issues. A migraine since mid-December to be exact. This was a new inconvenience to my schedule. I have delt with headaches for many years due to allergies. Sometimes they take on a life of their own and ‘become’ a migraine. This particular one was new. A migraine that decided to pack a suitcase and stay for a while. It disrupted everything in my life. My work, my volunteer duties, my sleep, everything… However, no matter how much my head bothered me, I kept stubbornly pushing through. For those of you who know me, I know you aren’t surprised.

Then God stepped in.

I lost a week last week.

God allowed me to be completely down for the week. I was so physically weak I couldn’t get up and do any work. I couldn’t do anything. I could only sit and – Be Still. That is what He called me to do.

He wanted to speak to my heart and show me something. I was so busy trying to ‘get things done’ that I put myself down for not staying ahead. Aren’t we funny how we can put ourselves down but easily extend grace to others who are struggling? He gently reminded me that He didn’t need me to do everything.

First, He showed me behind the curtains where He was working all along but I was too busy to notice. His people came out in droves to help. They prayed. They stepped in and assisted with the UME Gala and Children’s Church. They checked in on me. My husband blew up his entire week to care for me. God wanted me to know I wasn’t alone.

So, I listened. I accepted His direction. I sat and was still. He then spoke to me. He sat with me. I communed with Him. I was able to intercede for others while sitting still last week. Nothing got in my way of our time together. It was beautiful. There was no thought of time. Time didn’t matter. Only listening to His voice. It was as if time stood still.

I experienced God in a new way. Not that God is new. My mindset was new. I needed refreshing. I needed to step aside. He allowed me to be sick so I would listen.

How many times do we need that?

Work never ends. The bills never go away. The rat-race of life is moving faster as we get older.

I watched a video on social media last week while I was sitting in bed contemplating my migraine. The speaker held up a long piece of rope. The very end, about four inches was painted red. The red painted part represented our life on earth. The small four inches was our entire existence on earth. The remaining part of the rope represented the remaining part of our existence in eternity. That little red piece was everything we focus on.

Birth

Growing up

Getting a job and possibly a family

Working towards retirement

Retirement is the goal… Or is it?

Four inches of red.

What was glaringly obvious was the remaining part of the rope.

Are we living like the four inches of red is all there is?

Are we living like we are going to our true home someday?

Are we living to tell others about their time here?

We can’t turn the hourglass around and start over. We only have so much ‘sand’ in our hourglass. The red four inches on the rope. Only God knows the day and hour of our last moment.

Are we living like we are dying?

Sometimes we need to Wake Up from our slumber and step out in faith sharing our testimony with others so they can wake up too.

Sometimes we need to Be Still… and listen to His voice.

Either way - we need to be open to listening to Him. He will give us the direction and the words.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Hebrews 9:27

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Need meat, lettuce...

People have asked me over the years how I work with my husband 24/7 in the same business. We laugh over that question. Our first response is normally; “Because of God.” What follows that statement is, “And because of United Marriage Encounter.” Both are attributes to our working together in the business for almost 6 years. I have also learned to keep a sense of humor.

Are we perfect? Absolutely not. But we are covered by His grace as we move through this imperfect world together. And for that I am grateful. I have someone to tackle this time on earth with. We do have our moments though. A week or so ago was one of them.

I was running errands with our office manager when I received a text notification from my husband. The announcement came over the car’s radio. “You have a text message” I was excited to hear from him because we are normally too busy to talk during the day. Occasionally he sends me a quick text to say hi or “I Love You.” I eagerly hit the play button while I was driving down the road.

“Need meat, lettuce, cheese. Please”

Well, that wasn’t what I expected.

I have received texts in the past from my husband. Sometimes he uses speech to text and what comes across the airwaves is not quite what he meant to say. I have heard words that didn’t belong together or were not actual words.

This was a new message.

Here is his backstory:

My husband ran out of lunch meat when he made his sandwich for lunch that morning. He wanted to remind me as he went driving down the road. Simple. Yet amusing.

“Need?”

I drove down the road and started to laugh at the humor of ‘need’.

I could think of several things he might ‘need’ more than lettuce. Heck I could think of a few things I would prefer over lettuce.

Possible dinner out

…and a bit of romance...?

Hey at least it did end it with please, right?

We love to communicate our daily activities when my husband comes home from his installs. Some days are better than others. This particular day would be a humorous one. I did laugh for the rest of the day when I remembered his text.

Since the bar was set so low, I believed he would be happy to know I did pick up the necessary processed meat, rabbit food, and over-processed milk.

I also purchased him some snacks for after dinner.

That is love.

That is how we communicate and work together. Words are very powerful. Remember to lift up each other with your words.

God is the glue that holds it all together.

And keep a sense of humor 😊

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Song of Songs 1:2

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine.

Song of Songs 1:2,15

How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves.