Apples to ..... Blackberries?

Matthew 7:16 -- "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"

Losing our light, we - the "fantastic four" bounced around in the back of the tractor wagon as Uncle Larry and Dad drove us from the back acres to the house.  I was getting sleepy. Comfortable and content and with buckets full of fruit packed in around our feet, I could just make out the last of the daylight slipping behind the trees around us.  I looked over to see little Lewis. I guess the rest of the gang did, too, because we all burst out in laughter. There was absolutely no guessing where Lewis had been. The evidence was smeared all over him. From deep purple streaks in his hair to his freshly dyed diaper - it was obvious that Lewis had come with us to pick blackberries. SOMEBODY was headed strait for a bath when we got home. 

I'll never forget that particular June. On the last leg of our furlough from the Philippine mission field, Mom and Dad stopped in at the Ayers Family Orchard to spend some quality time with dear, dear friends. Becky and Lewis Ayers - when added to my sister and I - made up this fantastic group of four that managed to find the most amazing adventures together. Whether it was the slip-n-slide in the back yard, climbing trees, or fishing in the ponds using live Cicadas for bait, there was never a lack of things to do. And this was WELL before the time of X-Box and personal computers. 

Trust me, picking blackberries, especially when accompanied by little Lewis, WAS an adventure. Few "chores" could bring about so much joy and giggling. AND - there was always the payoff of getting to sample the freshly picked goods still warmed by their time in the lush Kentucky hillside. Yup, it wall fun and games .....

..... until our mothers had to wash the purple out of our clothing. [this was also WELL before the time of Oxiclean].

Barely beyond the threshold of  Casa De Ayeres, and without even peeking around the corner of the kitchen, Mom and Aunt Sherri simultaneously shouted "STOP!! Go strait to the bathroom and wash up!"

How did they always know? 

Well, for starters - we WERE out with our fathers [I say that with a heart full of warm fuzzies and a big grin on my face]. Most obvious, however, would have been that tell-tale bright purple, the smell of the trees and freshly picked green, and then of course - the fact that we were whispering in an effort to sneak in. There was just NO hiding where we'd been and what been up to. 

Wouldn't it be grand if the same could be said of me today?

While walking the roads with Matthew, Jesus said that we can be recognized by the things we do. The type of fruit we produce is determined by the type of seeds we sew. Frolicking in the backwoods of Kentucky we anticipated filling our buckets with blackberries, because that's what we'd set out to do.  We would have been quite surprised to come back with a bucket full of cherries or apples after spending all afternoon in the blackberry thickets. 

Are we producing fruit? Are we blooming or are we filling our vines with thorns? Do we pretend to be figs when we grow thistles?

While working for a rather large commercial insurance company a group of co-workers grew to a hush where once lively conversation had been spilling out from the break room. I'd just walked in to top off my coffee. They all looked up at me in a dead silence. I fidgeted with my hair and my skirt before I said "WHAT?".

"We can't continue this conversation with you in the room" one replied. "It's not G rated." 

I turned to get back to my desk but did manage to call out over my shoulder "I HAVE heard a dirty word or two in my life time." After all, I WAS in my thirties at the time and a married mother of two children. Yet, I couldn't help but smile as I seated myself behind my computer. Somehow I had given the impression that I did NOT appreciate the kind of talk in which they had been deeply engaged. I don't know what I DID to give them that impression - it wasn't like I was wearing a sign or brightly colored earplugs. But somehow, they recognized in me a discomfort during certain conversations. 

I pray that the same can be said of me now. I want to be recognized as a child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ whose heart is not my own. 

A dear friend of mine once shared with me a quote that I will never forget. At the time I was searching for something to put next to my picture in our high school year book. I ask myself this question still:

If you were arrested for being a Christian - would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Perfectly Punctual

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 -- "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."

It must have been awful: looking around in all directions with nothing but damp, dank, darkness staring back. I bet there were rats. The smell of wet mold and other lichens was most likely pungent and I'm sure Joseph's arms were sore from the tight ropes that held him to the inside of the well. I wonder if he could look up and see the stars and the moon - or if the well had a cover over the top of it - leaving him in complete isolation? And I'm almost positive there was a wet chill that bit at him all the way down to the marrow in his bones.

Leaving home for the first time is not easy on anyone but you can bet your bottom dollar it's worse when the distance growing between you, hearth, and home is not of your own choosing. I cannot begin to imagine all the things running through Joseph's mind. Why had he been betrayed by the people who were supposed to love him? What was next? Would he survive? Did anyone care?

Talk about WAITING on the Lord ..... it was years before Joseph reached the top wrung on his life ladder. Not only was he sidetracked by a kidnapping and sold into slavery - but once IN slavery he had some pretty major setbacks, as well. He would face time in prison for a crime he didn't commit and when the situation was finally straightened out it was still two years before he was released from his cell.

Wow!

The thing is, like you and I - Joseph wasn't given a road map onto which God carefully illustrated the big picture, mapping out each and every foot-fall, providing a detailed list of what to pack and how to best prepare for the weather up ahead. No, Joseph took one step at a time, sometimes not able to see to the end of the street. The roads he traveled were definitely NOT a straight line from point A to point B. And yet, at journey's end we find beauty, hope, forgiveness, and great joy.

BUT - Joseph didn't know all that at the time he was plunked down into that well by his own brothers. He had no way to know what the daylight would hold for him as hung there against the cold damp stones. What he DID know - was that God is always in control. And let's face it, the Joseph we read about at the end of his story is NOT the same Joseph that started out in a handmade, custom designed coat of many colors. There was some growth in the middle of all those years away from home.

God's timing is always on purpose. Borrowing a movie quote: "He is never late, nor does He arrive early. He arrives precisely when He means to". Ecclesiastes wraps this concept up to a fault. True, you and I may run around on that life map a bit - perhaps akin to the Israelites running circles in the desert, not really getting anywhere fast - but God makes everything beautiful in His time. NOT ours. God has ignited a flame deep within us, He has set eternity in our hearts. But we cannot truly fathom eternity. Not the way God can. What we CAN do - is cling to God's promises.

Have you ever seen a baby Bald Eagle? They look like little fuzzy monsters. In that wrinkly, wiry, partially naked pink thing squirming around under his mother's wing is the beautiful, majestic and graceful National Icon that inspires pride and wonder. You wouldn't know it, though, if you were to come across one alone in the woods. In fact, the sight of the thing might kind of creep you out. No, that little hairy bugger needs time. He needs to grow in strength, in stature, and yes, in grace.

Can you imagine the ugly little thing trying to fish on his own? Trying to run down a field mouse or even just flying from tree top to tree top? No. Because he's not ready to do those things. He doesn't ask WHY he can't do all those things just yet. He just grows.

In the mid 1990's fresh out of divorce court and faced with the prospect of raising my son on my own, I couldn't have possibly imagined the wonderful marriage God had in store for me just four years down the road. By the time Steven and I got married, I had known him for years. I knew him BEFORE I got married the first time. A family member once jokingly made the comment that "gosh, you mean you two could have been married way back in 1990?" Well, the truth of the matter is: No. God's timing is ALWAYS perfect. He is ALWAYS perfectly punctual. I wouldn't have made a very good wife to Steven had we married way back in 1990. God knew this. And while I can say I'm pretty sure God hadn't initially planned for me to hit some of the self-induced speed bumps that I clumsily lumbered over in the early 90's , they WERE necessary years.

A few wonderful and deeply cherished people in my life are at the brink of a crossroads. They are asking God which way? Where do I go from here? ....and..... when do I get there?  Well, we don't know the answers right exactly now. And that's o.k. We know that there is "a time to search and a time to give up." There is "a time to embrace and a time to let go." God will make everything beautiful according to His purpose.

He can't do that if we don't let Him.

Dream Catcher

Proverbs 15:9 -- "The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway."

Crunch time. 

How often in my life do I wait until the last minute to get started on a thing that I KNEW was coming due a long time ago? I have no idea why I do this to myself - and in the past few years I've made an effort to change this terrible habit. But it would seem that now and again, I'm still caught in that terrible rut of putting things off. Procrastination and I go a very long way back. 

As I read Proverbs 15:9 today I thought of the Ojibwe dream catcher. Over the course of several hundred years the understanding and interpretation of this beautiful part of Native American culture has changed - so much so that there are several tribes out there that find the commercialization and over-use of the thing offensive. The ONE thing that seems to be consistent in all of the tales and legends regarding this woven artwork is that it is meant to be a filter. Some would say that it filters out the bad dreams and allows only the good dreams to come through the netting. Some would say that it catches the good dreams and prevents the bad dreams from catching in the netting. But either way - these handwoven and sometimes intricate decorations are often tied to the folklore of what happens when we dream. All one has to do - is hang it over the bed. 

It would be kind of nice if our lives actually worked this way. All we'd have to do is set out our dream catcher and all the things that we think we want in this life could be caught within the tightly woven strings. But not only is it unhealthy to wonder through life with this mentality, it's downright harmful. Putting things off isn't just lazy - it toxic. 

Imagine a morning commute in bumper to bumper traffic. It's frustrating moving only a couple feet in the course of an hour. Not a lot of productivity going on in the stop and go - and there have been numerous losses of temper between the different commuters - some of which has lead to blood shed on occasion. Proverbs give us this image of a stop and go society. So cluttered with traffic is a lazy life that there is no easy travel from point A to point B - IF one manages to arrive at the final destination at all.  It's definitely more productive to travel along an uncluttered highway. And it's really pretty much up to us to decide which path we are going to take. Do we put things off and create a nasty, gnarly tangle of thorns in the way of our journey's progress? Or do we cling to diligence and rest assured that we have done the things that God has set out for us to do during our lifetime?

It NOT a decision that has little impact on our lives. In Proverbs we learn that being lazy IS actually destructive. It isn't just a matter of being slow to get things accomplished.

Add to that - Ephesians 6:6 reminds us to work for Christ from the heart. We are told to do all that we do for the glory of God. Getting caught up and often injured from the many snares of a lazy [thorny] attitude is NOT expressing our love for our Savior. It might even be exhausting the resources and energies of those around us that have to pick up the slack. 

As we gear up and get ready for another holiday season - I am reminded today to be wise with my time. I am reminded to remain focused on Jesus, to be diligent - NOT to put things off for tomorrow what I could and SHOULD get done today. 

I needed that fire lit under my tush. 

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Jeremiah 29:7 -- "Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for it's welfare will determine your welfare."

"O.K. ... I'm movin' to New Zealand."

We all laugh at this frequently expressed half-desire when it escapes our politically frustrated lips, but the truth of the matter is - we in the Dalton household have made this statement more often lately than we ever have before. Let's face it - we are living in an undesirable political atmosphere. One of the best cartoons I've ever seen depicted a donkey and an elephant in the hands of a very tall uncle Sam, as our favorite Uncle bangs there heads together, he announces that he's had about enough from the two of them.

Ugh! Isn't THAT the truth?!

Do you wanna know a secret? It's been this way since our country was founded. It may seem that our current situation is unprecedented, but the truth is - our founding fathers fought like cats and dogs - and SOME of them were actually friends!  Just take a good look at the family life of Thomas Jefferson. At one point, he, his son and grandson could barely be seen apart from one another - but their close relationship was forever terminated over a political quarrel. The same can be said for the long standing friendship between Jefferson and Adams. At one point the two completely stopped speaking to one another and didn't truly mend their strong kindred bond until they both retired. These two became so close, however - that they ended up leaving this world on the exact same day - only a few hours apart. Their friendship had come full circle.

These two pillars of our great country DID take to a semi-reclusive life-style, however - after devoting much of their time and efforts in our nation's capital.  Some changes during the course of their own life times made them both sad. But we never heard from their lips that they were giving up and walking away. No. They stayed the course. They gave the United States everything they could give. And for all of their efforts and fighting - our country is what it is today. And in spite of some pretty major bumps in the road - the United States IS a strong and GREAT country.

There are several things I might not like about what is going IN it right now. So many, in fact, that there are moments when I wish we could click a giant "opt out" button and simply move out of the way - FAR - FAR out of the way. But then the verse in my devo this morning kind took me by the spiritual collar and shook me just a tad. If ANYONE had the right to feel like giving up and walking away - Jeremiah did. A warrior for God, he was instructed to overtake lands that were far from his home and WAY out of his comfort zone. God gave him instruction, however - to stay the course.

Perhaps the grass seemed greener in Jeremiah's home land. Perhaps there are moments when I feel like New Zealand is lush with beautiful landscapes, unique job opportunities, and as a guest in that foreign land, I would have no political responsibilities. But as of this moment, the Lord has not called me to New Zealand. He HAS given me instruction to seek peace and prosperity right here, on the soil into which my family routes are planted. He has instructed me to pray for THIS land, because it's welfare will determine mine.

On this day, as I mute the political talk program playing on the radio in the background and switch to some upbeat music - I can hum the song Judy Garland made famous in The Wizard of Oz. I know that my home really IS somewhere over the rainbow.  ... and until it's time for me to live there - I will remain obedient to God's will in THIS land.

Diagnosis Determined

Mathew 9:1-2 -- "Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

 
Doing a little bit of research into our family genealogy has been an amazing journey for us. Not only do we find history in England, Scotland, Germany, and Poland  - but deep digging has lead us to a family tree that includes some pretty interesting characters - like Catherine Howard [King Henry VIII's fifth wife] and that less than genius posse of would-be bank robbers, THE Dalton Gang. In fact, we have discovered so many pieces to our genealogical puzzle that they do not all fit onto my computer spreadsheets. Our tree, at this point,  looks more like a large bowl of spaghetti than it does an actual tree. My husband was even able to trace his Dad's blood line all the way back to the twelfth century. An amazing feat - and quite exciting!

A few interesting things we've discovered include some fairly uncommon physical traits. Some of which can be traced back to single clans from Scotland and Ireland. For example, my youngest son is missing a tooth on the left side of his head. That is so say, he was born without one. We learned this on his very first dental visit and later discovered that this particular hereditary trait can place him in a very exclusive group of people from a small area in rural Irish farm country. My sister and I have passed down to our children a deep ridge in our cheekbones. So deep that the muscle formation over these bones show a slight but noticeable depression. Frequently people mistake this for an imprint made by eye glasses, but this facial feature is a permanent physical trait from birth. Both of my boys have it. My sisters son has it. These bone ridges place my sister and I [and our children] in an exclusive clan from early Scotland. In my entire life, I have only met one other person outside of our family that has them - but there are more out there. [Especially if you travel to Scotland.]

Some hereditary traits handed down through family blood lines aren't nearly as interesting and harmless. Our family has a medical history of polycystic kidneys, osteoporosis, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and Alzheimer's Disease. Other things like clinical depression and bipolar disorder can also be handed down through DNA. So digging into one's family background CAN unearth of few skeletons that add a bit a color to the branches now and then.

A slight abnormality in hip-bone structure that causes labral tearing is one of the legacies my genetic contributors managed to pass down to me. This particular diagnosis took decades to pin down and the treatment is something I have yet to really explore. One thing I HAVE learned about this condition - is that physical therapy can do a lot toward avoiding hip surgery and the possibility of a wheelchair in my future. I bring this up - because:

Often our physical health comes to a matter of choice. Choosing to do the things that we know will provide a better, healthier future can go a very long way to the happiness and productiveness of our lives. IF I decide NOT to adhere to the exercise regimen and recommendations of my physical therapist, I can look forward to surgery and puttering around in a wheel chair when I get older. Other members of my family choose not to drink coffee and soft-drinks in an effort to stave off symptoms of polycystic kidneys. A few family members adhere to extremely strict diets and rigorous exercise routines to stave off obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The very cool thing about living in modern times - is that these things can be discovered early and sometimes avoided with the proper diagnosis and treatment.

So often in Bible times one's physical affliction was tied to a real or perceived sin. Sometimes the sin was only in the minds of one's peers - but on other occasions the burden of one's physical pain was truly a mark made by some undisclosed transgression. In Matthew we learn that on a trip back to his homeland, Jesus was approached by a crippled man, carted along on a mat. The man could not get to Jesus by his own physical efforts - he had to be carried. We aren't given a lot of detail about his physical ailment. We don't know exactly the condition of his legs nor do we know how long the man had been unable to walk. The one thing we DO know is that the journey taken by this paralyzed man changed his life - he was made to walk again by the forgiveness Jesus offered him. 

There are several passages in the Bible that offer us a glimpse into the healing that Jesus performed on those that suffered. This one in Matthew sticks out for me because it's one of the few times we learn about a debilitating physical condition caused by sin. We don't know exactly what the sin IS - but we understand that it has taken control over the sinner's life. His spiritual diagnosis prior to the point of his arrival at the feet of Jesus is left undetermined.

Ours is NOT.

Each of us can trace our spiritual lineage back to a time when man walked freely with God. Surrounded by peace and beauty - our ancestors were at one point NOT afflicted by pain, by suffering, by SIN. That changed. Handed down through generation after generation is a sinful human nature. Like the color of our hair or our susceptibility to diabetes or heart disease - we KNOW that all of mankind has sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Our diagnosis has been determined. And we have to choose how we are going to handle it. 

Knowing what future might be in store should I decide not to do the things my doctor has recommended, I am more likely to struggle through the pain of physical therapy in order to avoid it. You and I KNOW what spiritual future we have. There is no maybe about it. We can allow our sin to paralyze us - to keep us from the mobile, healthy life God wants us to have - or - we can allow the precious forgiveness of Jesus Christ to heal us completely. It does come down to a choice. 

The paralyzed man on the mat carried by his peers DID live. He ate. He drank. It seems that he had people that cared about him since he was carried to the feet of Jesus. But he produced no fruit from his life on that mat. If we allow our own sin to keep us on a mat, how can we fulfill God's plans for us? We ARE still saved, we CAN live .... but can we produce the kind of fruit that God really wants from us?

So .... do we walk of our own spiritual ability into the kingdom of God? ...or will we need to carted in by those around us who care? I choose to walk in - because if I CAN use my own legs, perhaps I can reach out and help carry some one who can't.

The Hope Jar

II Corinthians 1:8-9 -- "At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end. Yet we believe now that we had this experience of coming to the end of our tether that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who can raise the dead."

 

Walking into my little brother's room when he was eight years old could be something of an adventure. Having shared a room with my sister nearly my entire childhood and already ten years into this female environment when my baby brother popped into our lives, David's surprise arrival put a new and interesting perspective into family dynamics. At eighteen years and old semi out on my own, I poked my head into my brothers room on a short break between college classes. Seeing the den in which a young boy tucks away during the night was in unique contrast to the very girly room of my childhood. But it always made me smile.

In the ever growing collection of Lego bricks, the models of war-time air planes and antique cars, hotwheels and nurf toys, one consistent and never-changing contribution to the little-boy clutter in David's room was an old mason jar. Salvaged after all of my great grandmother's blackberry jam had been eaten from it, the jar had transformed into a piggy bank. Truly not very interesting to look at, when I was eighteen years old my little brother's piggy bank took on a brand new meaning. No longer the unassuming glass jar with a few coins that smelled like blackberry jam - it was the hope jar to me.

During routine travel from point A to point B on the familiar Kingsley Avenue in Orange Park, my little red 1986 Chevy Sprint Hatchback was rear-ended in my very first automobile accident. I had stopped at a red light. The guy behind me - speeding at 41 miles per hour - did not. The little car suffered some pretty rough damage and the back bumper had to be pulled off the tires with a rope attached to a large pick-up before I could even drive it to the nearest repair shop. Which, by the way, was where it sat as I stuck my head into my little brother's room. He smiled at me, then got right back to building a new model.

Making my way into the kitchen where I would share a cup of Joe with my Mom, I realized for the first time since my accident the evening before - that my muscles were very, very sore. I hurt everywhere and gingerly lowered myself into a chair at the table as my mother joined me. I could hear my Dad in the next room on the phone - more than a little irritable as he worked things out with the insurance company. A copy of the police report in his hands, Dad was loath to learn that the guy who "bumped" me did not have insurance. He didn't even have a driver's license. While elbow deep in ear-to-ear combat with the insurance adjuster, my Mom and I broached the topic of the total bill for this little fender-bender. I was more than a little nervous about coming up with the $500 deductible. Fresh off the mission field with one daughter a freshman in college and the second a senior in high school - I think my mother was thinking the exact same thing. Our conversation lulled into a deep silence and we both sighed heavily.

Then, in a timid and quiet gesture that I will never forget, David put a little arm around my shoulders and placed the mason jar on the table in front of me. He looked me straight in the eye and said "It's not much but it's all I have. Maybe it will help."

In his words and fruity smelling thirty-seven cents - there grew a giant hope.

I had just started to give the coins back when a subtle shake of Mom's head drew me to a halt. Attempting to keep the tears in check, I hugged my baby brother with every sore muscle I had and told him thank you from the bottom of my heart. From the top of my head to the tips of my toes I could not imagine a moment in which I would ever be more grateful. Deep from the glass well of the old mason jar, the blackberry permeated aroma of pure encouragement spilled into the room. Suddenly, the situation didn't seem so dire. And it was all thanks to the tender, giving heart of an eight year old boy.

I STILL have those coins. They are tucked away in a sealed envelope - hidden in the bottom of a photo box. 

During the chaotic moments in which we find ourselves completely overwhelmed and thinking "this is surly the end", God's got our backs. It might be in the kind word of a friend, it might be in the silent fervent prayers of loved ones - or it might come from the bottom of an old mason jar in the cluttered room of a young boy - but God does, indeed, have everything under control. He's God. He's our Creator. If He can make the lame to walk, make the blind to see, cure cancer and raise the dead - he can handle our right now. It's time for us to accept His gift and offer up a sincere thank you.

C Squared

I Peter 1:6-7 -- "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

Some of the world's largest forest fires rage out of control for weeks on end - generating micro-weather pockets that can give birth to huge fiery tornadoes.  These fire demons cause untold amounts of damage, loss of life, and can drain the budget of any good smoke-eater team in record time. And it all starts with a tiny spark. 

In the year 2000 we Floridians fought some of our worst forest fires to date. In fact, miles away from any of our true National Forests, Orange Park and it's surrounding suburbs was covered in a perpetual cloud of thick, orange smoke. It was so bad in our little neck of the woods at the time, that we - along with all of our neighbors - took to the garden hoses to start soaking our roof tops. In the haze we stood elbow to elbow watching tiny embers rain down from that distant memory of a sky. Watering our houses was one way to make sure we didn't become the next name on the list of families that were devastated by fire that year. It didn't always work. 

I can remember looking up into that choked-out summer afternoon trying desperately to breath. Trying to keep an eye on the boys inside the house while manning the garden hose, my gaze held to a single floating ember as it fell to the ground and fizzled out in the wet grass with not so much as a sound. It occurred to me that the little fire-starter needed a lot of things to go just right in order to get a really good blaze going. And though, technically we were in the middle of drought - Florida was still a pretty humid place. Even well below our record water table for the year it seemed that it would take a small miracle to get a huge fire going from a teeny-tiny little fleck of warm debris. So very many ducks had to line up in a row.

But man, when they DID ..... whew! Look out Florida! Once the record-breaking inferno started that summer - it seemed there was just no stopping it. Not even a village manning hoses in a preemptive strike calmed those hot winds. 

Our dreams can seem an awful lot like those tiny floating embers. God has given each of us a unique gift and then spawned a beautiful dream to match it. Sometimes, however, it seems that our ducks look more like a disturbed anthill than the straight and prefect row we desire. No matter how hard we try or how bravely we push forward - the little ember just cannot set to blaze. 

The reason? Most often the mechanics of WHY our dreams can take so long to bare fruit comes to two things: C-Squared. Circumstance and Criticism. These two maniacal C's can be a well-maneuvered garden hose drowning out any chance of a would-be flame. 

BUT!

It really DOES only take a spark. When we remain in God's will and stay a focused course on His plan for our lives - we WILL be rewarded. The book of 1 Peter even addresses what frustration might come from the delays of our dream fulfillment. Delays happen - because God allows them to. Some of us need a little more delay than others in order to "prefect our faith", it's true. But God's timing is perfect. ALWAYS! If our spark lands on wet grass for a time, know that God WILL provide a wind to pick it up and carry us on to ground more conducive to the flame we need and want to become.

Zip Line Spunk

I Corinthians 10:31 -- "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

 
Once you get my husband rolling on the details, problems, likes and dislikes about any given movie - plan on being at the table with him for a while. I love this about him and there are often times when he can come up with perspectives on a film that I would not have come up with on my own. 

When my niece spent the night with us recently, the movie commentary landed on The Hobbit - and we wound up sitting at the table around chips and salsa for a good two hours. As usual, there were both positive and negative things said about this particular movie, but the short description of the zip-line goblin hanging in front of the Goblin King took me by surprise. Through laughing lips Steven simply said "and what is up with THAT guy? His entire existence is hanging in that sling, zipping back and forth doing whatever it is he does for the Goblin King."

It's true. This little dude did nothing in the movie but zip back and forth on his little zip line. I'm not sure what his purpose was, other than to deliver to the Goblin King news and other information. But he did THAT really well didn't he? He threw everything he had into the role, enthusiastic to get his task done to the utmost of his ability. 

We could take a few lessons from this ugly little monster. 

Now, I'll be the first person to admit that it's a little difficult for me to get gung-ho about the laundry or cleaning the toilet in the boys' bathroom - but in I Corinthians Paul reminds us that every little thing DOES actually matter. In verse 31 of chapter 10, he even mentions the small mundane tasks like eating and drinking. And if these are so important that Paul points them out - surely making the bed and cleaning the kitchen counter apply as well. 

The point might not be the actual task at hand. In fact, I'm sure it's not. The point is the condition of my heart. 

If I can take the seemingly small things that make up my "job" here in my own home and put full heart and soul into them - I am ready to put my all into the service of my Lord. I might not be Goblin King - I might be zip-line guy - but my task in God's army IS important. Whatever my purpose in the body of Christ - it is for me to do my job to the utmost of my ability - to serve for the Glory of God.

It kind of takes ME out of the equation, don't you think? It's not about the zip line. It's not about my pride and popularity or the audience for which I might be seeking approval and self-gratification. It's ALL about the Lord. It's about my service to Him. Does my heart truly beat for God? If it does - I can show Him that by putting every beat of it into the time He has given me on this earth.

Surface Tension

Micah 2:13 -- "The One who breaks open the way will go up before them;"

Warmth hitting my shoulders from the bright Philippine sun and the laughter of family around the pool made the moment perfect. I steadily climbed the rickety old life guard chair until I got all the way to the top. It's funny how the chair didn't look twelve feet tall from the ground, but once I reached the top and turned around to face the pool, the bright red umbrella high up over my head, it became obvious that I was higher up off the ground than I'd imagined. Not usually intimidated by heights, I gave my situation some thought before I set to execute the perfect "high" dive. 

All through my high school years it was an obsession of mine to be a pro diver. Our school didn't have a pool, so I was limited to the shallow waters of the public pool we visited when home on Spring Break - or the small pool in the terraced back yard of our school dormitory. Finding a high place from which to dive was both difficult and dangerous. This is what drew me to the life-guard chair and the reason for which I now stood precariously balanced at the top of it, looking down into the crystal waters of the pool. A group of us had managed to maneuver the un-weildy thing to the deep end of the pool and the line that had formed behind me began to grumble with impatience. I was encouraged to jump or get off. 

Jump I did. 

Here's the thing about a high dive. You HAVE to hold your hands in the right position: arms stretched out over your head, one hand over the other, palms flat and facing outward. If you point your fingers, like EVERYONE does on the television, you will bruise the top of your head when you hit the water. I learned this the hard way. With nothing to break the surface tension accept my head, I came up out of the water with my crown smartin' somethin' fierce. From that moment on, I learned to dive properly and used my hands to break open the way for my head and shoulders. 

The book of Micah speaks of the victory we have in our Lord. Heavily oppressed, God's people were discouraged, battle-weary and more than a little tired. Micah 2:13 reminds us that the Lord will go before us and break open the way. We don't have to do it alone. In fact, we CAN'T.

In a rough land dotted with the blood of young men on the battle field, it was comforting to know that our Father and True Leader broke open the way on the front lines. God was not going to send His people into the fight by themselves. Not only did He join in and fight WITH his people, He LEAD the way. 

He still does. 

When faced with our own unique battles today, it might be easy for us to FEEL a little distant from our redeemer. We may complain that times were different back when the words of God were put to paper.  The struggle faced by those who have gone before us were not as difficult as some of the struggles we face today. I have even heard some people express frustration and say that the encouragement provided God's people in the Bible doesn't really apply to some of our modern-day strife. But I STRONGLY disagree. True, we might not face an enemy face to face on a clearly defined battle ground - but Jesus DID, in fact, brake open the way to victory for us.

Looking down from a rickety high ledge onto the fast-paced life into which we must daily dive seems so daunting at times. I, for one, am frequently overwhelmed. But I know the secret to a picture-perfect dive. All I need to do is cling to the One that broke open the way for me. I need but to follow my Leader who charges out before me - breaking the surface tension that I can go forward cleanly, safely, and most of all - VICTORIOUS!

The Tiny Blue Dot

Psalm 145:3 -- "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom."

Even with my glasses snugly on the bridge of my nose I had to squint my eyes to see the tiny dot on the television screen. The usual and familiar Science Chanel contributors were trying to explain how "Star Trek" changed the world. Ever the Sci-Fi nerd, I was glued to the TV for about an hour as the show unfolded.

One of the most interesting segments included some info about the space probe Voyager 1. Launched in 1977 - right about the time we, the Babb family, were making the Philippines our new home - the NASA space probe has only just now broken beyond the barrier of our solar system and has begun sending faint signals from a part of space that no human being has ever seen before. It boggles the mind. In fact, in the year 2017, Voyager 1 will reach what is known as the heliosheath, THE last major boundary before it maneuvers into vast, interstellar space. We earthlings can plan on hearing from the brave little space probe that could all the way up until the year 2020! The cool thing? The thing had me squinting? NASA never intended for Voyager 1 to get as far as it has. When they realized that the probe was actually going to make it beyond our solar system some pretty quick programming had it's cameras turn and face Earth. In a kind of deep space wave good-bye to the Milky Way - Voyager 1 took a snapshot of our little planet.

View of Earth from Voyager 1

I could barely make it out on the television screen.  Earth was nothing more than a faint, light blue dot. Smaller even than the faint red glow of Mars when we look heavenward in our night sky - Earth was nothing more than a pin-prick of light.

Wow.

Just ... wow.

Thanks to the help of the powers that be at the NASA, I was looking at my neck of the woods in the great space neighborhood. It suddenly hit me. In spite of my own hang-ups about my weight .... I'm actually pretty tiny when it comes to the great scheme of things. So tiny, in fact - that I stood in awe, with the television paused, staring at the minute little spec of a dot buried in the beam of sunlight shooting out from our brightest star - the sun.

In ALL of that vastness, Jesus died on the cross for ME!

For ME, I tell you! For YOU!! For all of mankind bustling around on that floating ball, that Blue Marble in space!

All of it, every single last little spec of space dust was created by our Father. And our Father loves us SO much, that He sent HIS ONLY SON to that little pin prick of light to save us all from ourselves. How amazing is THAT?!

Indeed, our Psalmist had it right, my friends. GREAT is the Lord and MOST worthy of praise!!

Perfect Joy

Psalm 16:11 -- "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Taking a deep, zen-like breath through my nose and exhaling softly through my mouth I started to count to ten in my head. No matter how often I explained how to come up with the correct answer in his workbook, Tyler would argue his way out of doing it right. Time and time again my youngest child came up with a reason why the tips and tricks I'd shown him were just not going to work. Even reminding him that the quiz was open-book could not get him out of the anxious funk in which he was so determined to stay. I was at my wits end.

A perfectionist - much like myself - Tyler wanted to pen the answer to his essay question to match, nearly word for word, the definition provided him in his History book. By the end of the fourth time he'd erased his work to start over again I could see the tears begin to pool in the corners of his eyes - and I was ready to pull my hair out.

While this little academic adventure hasn't happened in years - I can remember those tense moments at Tyler's desk like they were yesterday. I have to smile at the memory of them because I can look backward on those harry monsters and see how very far we've all come in our journey through home based education. Reading Psalm 16:11 today made me think back on some pretty rough days as a homeschooling parent. That might sound like a strange thing to say - but think about the things in your life that you associate with joy. For me, it was a smooth day with the boys in our class room, a neatly made bed before breakfast, a fully dusted house and freshly vacuumed carpet -- order and calm. Perfectly planned menus that match the family budget and by-one-get-one-free sales at our local supermarket were sheer heaven. For Tyler, it was getting his essay question perfect.

Making a list of all the things that are supposed to provide us with happy lives sure does explain why so many of us seem so very miserable most of the time.

I once met a young woman in my Sunday School class that was so determined that marriage was her answer to happiness that she rushed into a relationship with the first person to really ask her out. She jumped on his marriage proposal, had a beautiful wedding - only to find later that he was unfaithful, abusive, and cruel. The marriage - the thing that was supposed to be her happiness - ended in divorce.

I knew a young man once that pushed himself to make the highest grades in high school, to earn his college degree faster than anyone else and land the highest paying job in our graduating class.  He did all this - only to have a mid-life crisis by the time he was forty, to look around and suddenly discover that his kids were gown without having really spent any quality time with them, and he ended up in the hospital with some pretty severe digestive tract issues.

While checking out at Wal-mart the other day I overheard a trio of ladies discussing the chosen colleges of their recently graduated children. It was interesting to hear them ever-so-subtly comparing acceptance letters with one another. It made me wonder what their children really thought about school. It made wonder if the three of them were the true BFF's they pretended to be for each other.

Yep, chasing the elusive, so-called joyful life has made a great majority of humanity terrifically miserable. The thing is - we don't have to chase joy at all. The Bible is very clear on where to find it. It's in the presence of our Lord.

I can think of nothing better, nothing more perfectly pleasing than to be in the presence of God. To find eternal treasures at His right hand. To worship Him. To thank Him. To adore Him face to face.

Everything else seems trivial, don't you think?

Yes And No

I Peter 2:17 -- "Love the brotherhood of believers."

Standing up strait and leaning backward slightly I did what I could to stretch out the tight muscles in my lower back. The last of the kids had been picked up and it was time to clean up the class room. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot I could do physically to alleviate the tight muscles in my jaw. I was irritated and had to bite my tongue to keep it from wagging in anger only to later regret what I'd allowed to spew out of my mouth.

Steven and I had been teaching the third grade Sunday school class at our church for two years when the minister of education popped in to discuss an issue with us. The issue had me fuming.

I know those of you who are educators will completely understand how chaotic it can be to settle a group of rowdy third graders who hadn't seen each other all week. Not only were they fidgeting with boundless energy, but they wanted nothing more than to catch up on the week's events and talk amongst themselves. This presents a problem when it's time to sit down and get to the Bible lesson. So, Steven and I hatched a plan. Each Sunday, we'd bring in a bucket of sugar-free lollipops. If they could all sit down in the semi-circle and IF they all brought their Bible with them, they'd get a lollipop. If they'd managed to memorize the week's verse, they'd get another lollipop. If they made it through the whole lesson in a well-behaved and polite manner, they'd get to watch a Veggie-Tales short video while we waited on their parents to pick them up.

On this particular Sunday, the group was amazing. They were beyond well-behaved, and I was tickled that we got to put in the Veggie-Tales story about ten minutes before parents finished their worship service and came to pick up their kids. I let the group know just how proud I was.

And then, Steven and I were told that a few parents were concerned that we weren't teaching enough of the Sunday School lesson.  They complained that we were just baby-sitting and that each Sunday was a party.

First, I was upset because I prepared for each Sunday school lesson all week long.  It took me days to get in the right mind set, get the props and materials ready for each child, make sure the room was set up and each child had access to pencils, Bibles, crayons and the like - and then get up and get to church in time to teach the group of fifteen or so third grade kids. Second, it made me sad that I couldn't celebrate an exceptionally smooth session because a parent decided I wasn't good at my volunteer position with the church. Third, I was frustrated for the kids. They'd worked hard all week, as well. They did all of their "homework" and had memorized the weeks Bible verse better than I had ever seen them do before. I felt like we were really getting somewhere with these children. I felt like they were learning to serve the Lord with a joyful spirit. And to top it off, the following Sunday, four of our Sunday School group were baptized. I was elated at the amazing grace of God and proud to see Him work in those kids.

I am a homeschooling parent, so teaching is not new. Volunteering to care for children that are not my own is not new either - so it came as a huge surprise that my experience and techniques were suddenly under fire. I wanted to scream and then sit down on the brightly colored reading mat and cry my heart out.

The truth is, I have allowed that situation - and a few others that followed shortly there after - to change the way I worship. It was a long time after that rough year in church before I even stepped foot in another Sunday School class room, and when I did, it was my own adult couples class. I was brokenhearted, yes - but I also decided that I was fed up with church politics and walked away from Sunday Fellowship for a very long time.

That being the case, it came as no surprise that I started to fiddle with my fingers and chew on my bottom lip when a young woman asked me if it was really, truly necessary to worship God in a group on Sundays. She said she felt closer to the Lord when when could get in a good hike, comb the beach, or sit in her quiet house with her Bible and cup of hot tea. She sat across from me and asked me point blank - could she be a Christian and not go to church?

Whew .... how do I answer that?

Well, to borrow the words of Billy Graham, "if we ever found a perfect church, it would be IMperfect the minute we joined it!"

So true.

And yes, God loves us if we don't make it through the church doors every Sunday. We are just as forgiven as the woman who's been teaching Sunday School for more than twenty years. So yes, we CAN be Christians and not go to church.

BUT - also, No - we can't. Or better stated, we can't be very good ones. Because even when we dedicate our personal lives completely to Christ, we NEED to fellowship with others who follow Jesus. That's were we grow. That's were we learn - where we help and get help. I Peter 2:17 hits the nail right on the head. We are to love our fellow believers. How can I love them if I don't join in worship with them? Can I truly follow this command of the Lord without ever interacting with my brothers and sisters in Christ?

Some might say yes. Some might say no. But here is food for thought. Could I really express my deep devotion and love for my Savior if I ignore what He's asked me to do?

Definitely - not.

All Because of Prayer

James 5:16 -- "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

Take a good look at a ten block radius where you dwell.  I bet that you'll find at least one designated spot for worship of some kind. It might not be the church with which you are affiliated, but it's a church none the less.

As I travel the main stretch of busy black-top from my house to my local Wal-mart I can count at least five places of worship. Two of them are right next to each other. There is no question that we take this freedom for granted.  The truth is, world-wide, we are one of the relatively few countries blessed with this kind of religious glut. And when it comes down to it - it all started with the seeds of some very powerful prayer.

Knox with Mary Queen of Scots

Through out the 1500's there was much strife where the church was concerned in Scotland. In fact, much of it was made public due a man by the name of John Knox. It's not every man that can bring a monarch to tears, but John Knox made so much noise on the issue of worship that Queen Mary - better known as Mary Queen of Scots - erupted into tears and threw what could only be construed as a royal tantrum in a private meeting between the two rivals. Addressing everything from her upcoming marriage to Phillip II of Spain, to the unsatisfactory rule of women, John Knox was not one to keep his opinions to himself. Even when in the presence of royalty. Queen Mary eventually became so upset that she ordered Knox from the room and was later quoted to say that she feared the prayers of John Knox more than all of the armies of Scotland.

And with good reason. In 1561 Knox and fellow passionate reformers managed to pass through parliament - The Scots Confession - denouncing the Pope's influence over worship in all of Scotland. Not only did Knox manage to start what would be known as the Scottish Reformation, but he also managed to ban the celebration of Mass in Scotland, siting that it went against the practices of the new Church of Scotland - known as the Kirk. In league with John Calvin, Knox planted the seeds of what would later be known as the Presbyterian Church.

It all started with prayer.

Knox knew that power was in Jesus - not church politics. He prayed for reform and he got it. But note this; his efforts to change the way things were did not stop on bended knee as he lifted up his concerns to Jesus Christ. No. He prayed - a lot - and then he acted.

James 5:16 reminds us that to pray fervently is no small thing. I've seen friends roll their eyes when I ask them if they've prayed over a situation and then exhale deeply when they reply that they are tired of people telling them to pray about it. But the truth of the matter is - fervent prayer is one of the most POWERFUL weapons on the planet. I may not be able to don body armor and strap on boots to march next to our men in uniform as they are deployed over seas - but I can sure pray that God protect them while they are gone. I don't have the scientific genius to come up with a cure for cancer, but I know the One true and Great Physician that answers all my prayers. I don't have the green thumb it would take to satisfy world hunger, but I know THE Weather Man who can  undo famine with a single stretch of His mighty hand.

Prayer is no small thing.  All it takes is a good look around at the variety of churches in your neighborhood to be reminded that some pretty great battles were won with prayer.  John Wesley prayed for revival. And revival spread through out England sparing that nation from the horrors of the French Revolution. There was Jonathan Edwards who prayed for revival through out the American Colonies and was answered with a revival so grand it took off like a wild fire in dry brush.

Looking out of my office window I am faced with a national political future that seems rather bleak. But I'm sure John Knox felt the same way when looking up at the richly decorated Cathedral in his neck of the woods. He knew what we should all remember - God still works through the prayers of His people. We need to get on bended knee and start praying for real revival.

When I Grow Up...

Psalm 32:8 -- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

Sitting across from me with her lips puckered out and her eyes closed, my niece waited for me to apply her lip color. A bundle of nervous energy, it's always a gift to spend some time with her, but today of all days she makes me smile. With a fresh phlebotomy certificate under her belt she sits in my make-up chair to work on colors for her wedding. Excited doesn't begin to describe her. But in that blissful mix of anxiety and anticipation is some pretty deep routed worry. She starts to tell me that she's glad she did the phlebotomy training but she has no hopes of making it a career. She doesn't want that potentially dangerous job and proceeds to tell me all the things that can go wrong when taking someone's blood. A lab assistant once, myself, I have been aware of the potential for disaster when working with patients, but I now have a fresh perspective - and fear - of the true dangers hidden in the simple act of obtaining blood samples. I'll never again be able to sit in the big plastic chair at Quest Labs with the ease I once did.

She sighed loudly as I reached for the gloss. "I just don't know what I want to be when I grow up" she says in frustration.

I lean back and look at her. I know the feeling.

Right there in black and white, God addresses this issue in the book of Psalms. For me, the words are a comfort and there are still moments when I cling to them. Wondering around in a seemingly aimless manner through out my own academia, it wasn't until just recently that I settled in to what I consider to be my own calling in life. ...and I'm a great deal older than my niece. So it is with great confidence that I can share the words of the Psalmist with her.

We really only have but ONE true job on this earth. That is to share Jesus. Knowing that and diving into God's word goes a long way to settling an anxious and restless spirit. For those of God's children still wondering what life really has in store - I share something that my Dad once shared with me. Stay in The Spirit and you will always have direction. Like true North on a compass, the Holy Spirit will guide us in the way we should go. It's wonderful to know that when the sailing gets rough, not only do we have a fixed direction, but we're told that the Lord will watch over us, as well.

So, while lying in wait to discover what to be when we grow up, it's nice to know that there are moments when we can focus on simply growing. God will handle the rest. Stay in the Spirit and you will always have direction.