Okay, women, this is just for you. Here's what I want for the holidays. Let's cut each other some slack. You heard me. Let's give each other a break.

The old comic strip Pogo featured a famous line, "We have met the enemy, and it is us." And that's how I feel about a group of women. We can be best of friends but we can also be worst of enemies. We may be hard on ourselves, but we are even harder on each other.

We're on this merry-go-round of service and volunteerism, and when we try to step off, other women won't let us. Many examples come to mind and I know you have some, too. Once I felt that the Lord directly instructed me about a children's ministry program. I was woken up from a dream with the words, "YOU ARE NOT ADMINISTRATIVELY GIFTED" ringing in my ears. When I approached the Children's Pastor to say the ministry wasn't for me, she didn't let me off the hook. She started begging. And crying. She literally would not take no for an answer.

This was many years ago, but I rememember saying, "I feel I'm supposed to be encouraging women in some way...maybe teaching women?" She snarled, "Oh, EVERYONE wants to teach adults." I felt guilty that day. I still feel badly recalling it.

Why do we do this? If our sister wants to go in a different direction, let's encourage her. Especially if she is praying and seeking God's will, let's throw her a party! Not stand behind the scenes saying, "She's got some nerve!" After all,
whose opinion matters most? Whose approval are we seeking? Paul says in Galatians 1:10: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Are we trying to win the approval of other women, rather than God? We live in fear of each other's disapproval. I have a friend who won't check books out of the library because she is afraid the librarians will yell at her. She lost a book 7 years ago and hasn't been back since.

I have another friend who resigned from chairing a social club I was in. In their love for her, club members sent her begging emails and notes, asking her to reconsider. They just couldn't...or wouldn't...let her go. Is this a kindness? I wrote a note saying, "Good for you! We'll miss you, though. Come back if you're ever able."

In church I had a hard time keeping my 3 toddler boys quiet. An older woman turned around with a menancing expression and glared at me repeatedly. There wasn't a church nursery; there was no place to put them and still attend church. Finally at the end of her rope, she turned to me and said, "If you can't control those wild animals, get out and don't come back."
Or something like that. At least, that's what I heard. Women, we have the power to encourage or destroy each other with what we say. Let's build each other up!

Women, ask yourself today: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?"
Take time in silence to really listen to the answer. Pray about it. Pray over every item in your schedule. Ask the Lord, "Am I doing this thing for You...or because I'm afraid?"

I've heard a great phrase that I try to keep in mind. "Audience of One." We are here for an Audience of One...Christ. He directs our path and establishes the work of our hands for us. Not the ladies in the neighborhood. Not the friends from the club. Not the PTA or the sorority or any-other-thing. Paul figured out that he couldn't have it both ways.

"If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Let's be servants of Christ...and not slaves to other women's opinions.

Do you give to panhandlers? Jesus said, "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me." Does this mean we should hand out cash to homeless people?

As followers of Christ, what do we actually do for "the least of these?" Give money? Or something else? And if we give money, do we give for the right reasons, or out of guilt or shame? Is there a wrong reason to give??

One side says, "Give every time you can, to every person you can, in every way you can." The other side of the argument are those who say, "Don't give. You are perpetuating addiction...giving money that's used for liquor or drugs. Instead, offer a meal." Here in Roanoke there are great organizations, like the Rescue Mission, where a person can get a meal, a shower, a quilt on his bed, an introduction to Christ. All of those sound better than a Buck for a Bottle. Do we offer solutions or a quick fix...literally, a quick fix? At the risk of sounding trite, what would Jesus do?

My friend told me that her son lives in a downtown area and is often approached for money from homeless men. Her son always offers to take them somewhere and buy them a meal. That offer has never been accepted. They are not hungry for something he is willing to buy. Yet I find his response very Christ-like. Christ really would offer them the bread of life and living water.

Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me. Would you willingly feed an unhealthy habit? Would you do it to feel good about yourself or because it's the easiest response? Is the easiest response the best thing that you would do for Christ?

I've gone both ways on this issue. Give money, don't give money. Give food, don't give anything. One day I leaned out the window and handed a box of crackers to a guy on the side of the road. He took them.

But once Dave drove past a guy who appeared down-and-out, then regretted it. He turned around. He got out of the car, approached the guy, and offered some money. This offended the man's pride. Dave got an earful about his self-righteousness. Apparently just because someone is under an overpass, doesn't mean they want or need charity. Ouch.

Lately my approach is to pray, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" I figure He knows each situation far more intimately than my snap judgements. Today, I saw a man at a highway on-ramp. Traffic was uncharacteristically backed up, so I assumed there would be someone there, and sure enough, there was. I prayed my prayer and felt in my heart the answer was, "Not today."

When I got close enough to read his sign, this is what it said.

"If Jesus were on the side of the road, would you give Him something?"

Boy, was I glad I had prayed before I got closer. If Jesus were on the side of the road, I hope I'd give Him something. I hope I'd give Him my time and my undivided attention. It's what I'm trying to give Him daily...my time and my attention. Yet that's much more than I gave this guy. I simply gave him a smile and right now, a prayer.

What do you guys do? I really want to know.




Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

What keeps us from resting like a little girl in her daddy's arms? Many of you already know the answer. (Thanks for the responses to the last post!) We all let scary stuff in...in the form of movies, newspapers, and books we read. We invite creepy, debauched images in, and call it entertainment. Then, we live in fear of what's around every corner. That is not how God wants us to live! He wants us confident by day, so we can do His work and go where He sends us. He wants us to rest peacefully at night, so we can be refreshed and recharged for the next day's work.

Sleep in peace. Starting tonight. Here are some practical tips:

1. Stop letting creepy stuff in. Only you and the Holy Spirit can determine together what that stuff is. (Hint: the first thing that came to mind when you read that sentance? That has to go.) I know years ago the Lord whispered in my ear that Stephen King books were out for me. At the time, I really enjoyed reading Stephen King. I also suffered terrible nightmares. I let the books go and I've never regretted that choice.


2. Pray before bed. Not just the cursory "God blesses", but really pray. Pray that the hours of rest be a type of Sabbath to you. A time set apart. Pray that the Lord speak to you in the night. Pray against bad thoughts and dreams. Even my littlest ones pray, "Lord, may your angels surround and protect me tonight..protect my thoughts and my dreams."


3. Don't care what others are doing. None of us are too old for peer pressure, darn it! What everyone else is watching (wearing, saying, listening to) really affect us. We want to do what our friends are doing. Cut that out! Who cares what your friends are watching? If it's not good for you, don't ingest it. If they offered you salmonella-drenched sushi, would you eat it? No! Then don't eat the shows they're offering, either.

4. Rebuke the Spirit of Fear. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love, power and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7) There IS a Spirit of Fear, and it's not from God! Send it away, in the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ. It might sound something like this, "In the mighty name of Jesus, I send the Spirit of fear away from my life and my heart. You have no place here! I belong to the King and I will not fear! He will protect me and keep me safe."

5. Use Netflix. Yes, you read right. The movie stores are simply horrible and there's nothing there you or your kids need to see. Nothing. I don't care if you're stopping in for a Dora the Explorer tape, during your visit you'll see a lot more than you bargained for. Order safe and family-friendly, Christ-honoring DVDS via the mail with Netflix or another service. Bonus! No late fees! And they are simple to return...just pop them in your mailbox! You'll thank me!

6. Get Plugged In. This is an online service of movie reviews from a Christian perspective. The only thing I don't like about Netflix is their reviews are according to pop culture. Therefore, we've had some unpleasant surprises, mostly concerning PG-13 movies. Plugged In will allow you to read everything about a movie before you watch it either at home or at a theater. Often a movie is 98% fine for your family. Plugged In will warn you of the scene or two that you'll want to skip. Check it out at www.pluggedin.com.

1 John 4:18 says perfect love drives out fear. It's a promise and it's for you. The one who is perfect love personified is Christ himself. Ask Him to conquer fear in your life. Then be obedient to the Holy Spirit as He shows you what you need to cut out or cut back on.

Let me know how it's going, sisters! I'll be praying for you!

My nephew Steve is so wise that I call him Solomon. You know, the guy in the Bible, David's son. Famous for asking for wisdom. Later in life got stupid, married 700 women and worshipped false gods.

I call Stephen Solomon because he's wise. He has a blog and it is hosting a furious debate about the value (or lack thereof) of horror films.

What do you guys think? My readers are largely women, at the middle-ish point of life, moms, and I want to know what you think.

Do you watch scary movies? The creepy supernatural ones (The Sixth Sense) or the blood and gore ones (Saw 1-4)?

Scripture says, "Whatever is good, pure, and lovely, think on these things." I think it's easier to think on those things if I don't let the other stuff in. Yet, I watch graphic violence on Law and Order, then roll over and go to sleep. Dave says, "There's nothing like a murder to fall asleep to."

Until he said that, I honestly didn't even think that it was a show about murder. I thought it was a show about detectives.

Does this mean I am completely numb to the victims?

What do you watch? What do you let your kids watch? Why? Why not?

C'mon, answer. I really want to know.

The other day I was stuck at home. Literally stuck.

Our 3rd van was parked behind our 2nd van, and the keys for the 3rd van
had gone on a field trip with the owner of the 1st van.

(How excessive to have 3 vans, I agree.)

I was stuck at home.
I was expected at school.
And I was running late.

I tore the house apart looking for keys. And then I did what any frustrated,
crazy, and spatially-challenged woman would do. I tried to extracate the 2nd van
from the garage. I FELT like driving it out the back wall! But I didn't. There were 7 bikes, 2 cats and a gas grill in the way.

Instead, I tried to turn the van around....in the garage. Midway through I realized that it would be impossible. Groaning with rage, I called school to apologize and explain my unexpected absence. Then I sat down, confused. I was overwhelmed with a few unscheduled hours at my disposal.

Why do we live like this?

Why are we so busy? "Busy, busy, dreadfully busy," the Veggie Tale character Madame Blueberry sings. "You've no idea what I have to do!" She trills about her involved life and sense of self-importance.

Are we all Madame Blueberrys? SO busy. SO self-important? SO nuts. Is it just me? Or are we all running late, trying to turn big vans around in small garages.....attempting to not miss a single volunteer opportunity....wildly devoted to the causes to which we've vainly overcommitted?

I don't want to be so busy. Do you?

The oft-quoted Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." When on earth was the last time you sat still....like I did, when I found I was trapped at home?
When were you still? Quiet? With nothing on your mind? Last month, last week? When?

Be still means more than sitting, however. It really means to cease striving. Are we capable of this? How would it feel?

Don't press forward. Do hold back. Stop striving and seek God's face. Ask what He would have you do. Then wait until you get an answer.

Be still.

That's what I'm trying to do. So, friends, I might not answer the phone. I might not return your calls right away. And I will be fine if you do the same.

Take a moment.
Or two.

And if your van is in the garage, leave it there.
Cease striving...and start living.


Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

Alex is playing a computer game where he competes his Hobo against other Hobos.

I asked the kids what a Hobo is. Here are some of their answers.

--Weird guy.

--Guy who doesn’t believe in Jesus.

--Man who doesn’t have a house.

--Homeless person.

What do you think a Hobo is?

I think of guys during the Depression who hopped on a (moving) train and went to a remote town, looking for work. I once read that the Hobos had a secret code to inform other Hobos of pertinent information. If a house they were approaching was friendly or hostile, they’d leave a specific sign on the road or the mailbox. Seeing the mark, Hobos would know if they should turn down the driveway, or keep pressin’ on.

Hobos are fascinating to me.

The word “Hobo” does not actually mean weird homeless guy who doesn’t believe in Jesus.

Hobo is short for “Homeward Bound.” Hobos were on the move, looking for work, food, purpose…and longing for home.

It occurs to me that as believers, we are Hobos in this world. Scripture tells us that this world is not our home. Our citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20). Like Hobos, we’re just passin‘ through….

Yesterday I had lunch with some dear friends and deep thinkers. We were talking about obituaries. I like to read obituaries. I’m looking for the stellar ones, not the cookie-cutter obituaries. See, to my sorrow, many obits are exactly the same. They are like a resume. This is because the funeral home gives the grieving family a “fill-in-the-blank” form and the information provided becomes a standard obituary.

Job Held?
Military Service?
Clubs and Organizations?
Schools & Churches attended?
Positions of Honor held?

I search the obituaries to find the occasional gem that breaks this mold and actually gives insight about the person. The best obituaries, I think, are those that inspire or give a challenge to the reader. For instance, when my friend Lisa went to live in Heaven, her sister Claire lovingly wordsmithed a gorgeous tribute. It challenged me. It shared how Lisa lived sacrificially, cheerfully and simply. Lisa lived without complaint. That is likely NOT how I will be remembered. But it’s a challenge and a beautiful snapshot of a Christ-like woman. I will always remember it and strive to be more like her.

How would you like to be remembered? How would you describe yourself? What advice would you leave to those left behind?

I’m not kidding when I say I think we should all be working on our Snapshots. (I propose that would be a more exciting term than “Obituary”.) After all, why do we take snapshots? To remember. To celebrate. To hold a moment in time. This snapshot, then, would be a celebration of what and WHO we loved. It could feature our most important life lessons. It might show what we wish we’d done differently.
It would highlight our faith and our Lord. Think about it. This final snapshot would be viewed by a totally captive audience.

No one is going to argue with you.

Because you’re no longer Homeward Bound…You Are Home!

From today forward, let’s think of dying as moving home. Let’s think of our time here as being Homeward Bound. And let’s consider our obit…er, Snapshots!, to be simply “Change of Address Cards.”

So be it.

It’s something I’ve been thinking about. I heard the phrase on a new Caedemon’s Call song. The artist sings about laundry, and dishes, and kids and wonders, “What if everything is sacred?”

What if it is?

We tend to divide our lives into sacred and not, church and not, God and not. Yet He created all things and is in all things. When we imagine that there are aspects of our lives that are apart from God, we deny the power of God.

He knows every hair on our head.
He knows what we are going to say before we say it.
He collects our tears in a bottle.

Therefore, He knows us pretty darn well. Better, in fact, than we know ourselves.

That might make us uncomfortable, because we like the idea of being our own bosses or really, our own gods. A god is in control. A god makes the decisions and leads the way. We want to be the mini god of our own (messed up) lives. Therefore, we try to box God up like a pair of shoes.

In our minds, we allow Him out on Sundays or when we’re in deep crisis. Then we put Him back in the box, and put the box back on the shelf.

We even speak to God as if He’s in a box. It’s like ordering at a drive through. There’s a speaker box and we speak briefly into it. We don’t see the person we’re speaking to. We don’t even care about the person we’re ordering from. It’s a nameless, faceless being who will fill our needs. Do you speak that way to God?

“I’d like a value meal.” God, I’d like a new job.“And a Frosty.” God, a bonus check would be nice around Christmas.

We drive around to pick up our order. We imagine God is the same way. Therefore, we're confused and even incensed when He doesn’t give us what we ordered. But God is not a drive-through.

God does not exist in a box. He is the entire world and everything in it.
We should not think that a drive-through relationship is enough. It's not.

It’s seriously hard to absorb that we were created in God’s own image, that He sacrificed all for us to live, and that He has work for us to do, work created since before there was time.

It is a heck of a lot easier to turn on the TV and watch LA Ink or Jon-and-Kate-plus-8, and lose ourselves in someone else’s wacky life.

Wait, is even that sacred?
No, LA Ink can’t be sacred…can it? But if EVERYTHING is Sacred???

I will admit that show fascinates me. (Local readers will recall that I gave up Miami Ink because they got really smutty, which seems to happen in Season 2 or 3 of every single TV show ever created.) LA Ink is new, and so far it’s not been smutty. It shows people coming with their very unique stories and a deep need to save a moment in time. I can relate. Scrapbook or tattoo, we all long for a permanent reminder of our significance.

Last night there was a guy who got a Phoenix tattoo, to commemorate his rebirth from back surgery. He had to learn how to walk again. This is not an experience he is likely to forget. The tattoo, however, allows him to tell the story to anyone who will ask. (Note: Always ask people what their tattoo means. They are delighted and it’s a really interesting conversation-starter!)

There was a beautiful young woman who had a portrait of her infant son tattooed in the crook of her arm, right where she nestled him in life. He died of crib death when he was 2 months old. Now his mom will literally “wear her heart on her sleeve”, in the form of his tiny, perfect face. He had just learned how to smile.

There was an LA entrepreneur who had a quote from Joan of Arc tattooed on her back. It said, “I am not afraid…I was born to do this.” Legend has it that Joan spoke these words before her final battle. Why doesn’t this lady simply put these words on her business card? She'll take these words to the grave.

Could it be that everything is sacred?

Tattoos and prayers?
Seasons and chores?
Reality TV and time?

Could it be that everything is sacred….whether we realize it or not?

God does not live in a shoebox.
He inhabits all the earth.

Everything is sacred.

What do you think?

On my computer, if things get really messed up, you can exit out of the program and start again. You can refresh. Would you do that with your life?

If things are really, really bad with the computer, you can reset it completely. You get the pick the date that it was last and best working, and push reset to that date. Anything that happened after that date is erased forever.

If you had a reset button on your life, would you set it? I’m being serious. Would you?

Take a quiet moment and think of some of your dark days. They are different for each of us. A death. An addiction. A betrayal from a close friend. Arguments. Disappointments. Despair.

Would you push reset and miss those things entirely??? It’s tempting.

One of my favorite “feel better” greeting cards says, “Wouldn’t it be great if life were a VCR tape and you could fast forward through the bad parts?”

Maybe you wouldn’t get rid of the challenges altogether. Maybe instead of reset, you’d push fast forward.

I'd like to erase this morning. I had an argument with one of my teenaged sons before school. I said, “Not another word or you’re grounded for the weekend.”

He had another word. Several hundred more words. I got more and more angry.

His argument was that his “more words” were used to explain his position and justify his actions. My argument was that “not another word” was an absolute. God gives parents authority over their kids. (Yet in the pursuit to be cool, many parents don't exercise this authority and often that leads to trouble for the whole family.) I’m not an authority junkie. I don’t like to argue. Yet what I tried to convey to him (loudly) was that by continuing to speak when told to be silent, he was really saying:

--I don’t respect you.
--You can’t make me.
--You’re not the boss of me.

Acknowledge it or not, I’m the boss of that boy.

Acknowledge it or not, God is the boss of us.

Yet, He is merciful. He allows us to “have a say.” He’ll hear us out.

The good, bad and unlovely things we have to say to God. He can take it. Let it out! Read the Psalms and you’ll see that David as often yells or whines or begs God as he does praise and magnify His name and His creation.

God said that David was a man after His own heart. I take this to mean that he likes the raw emotion.

Bring it.

I served at a retreat with my speaking ministry, and some raw emotion came forth. A woman pointed a finger in my face and yelled, “I can’t pray like YOU do! I can’t do what YOU say.”

But she wasn’t mad at me, really. She was mad at God. Somehow, it felt safer to tell me.

Voice cracking, heart breaking, she told me, all right. But I'm just a human. I have no healing touch. Tell the Lord, I begged her. He's listening right now.

Take it to the Lord. He can take it.

But she was afraid. She’d been taught that it’s not okay to be mad at God.

I’m here to tell you, it’s okay.

It was okay when my son got mad at me. We came to an understanding of each other's positions. That's what the Lord wants from us. Frank talk. That's how we'll come to know each other better. God desires to enter an eternal conversation with you and some yelling will be okay.

Come to think of it, I wouldn't refresh or erase the morning. It's brought us closer, after the storm.

We have an issue. We've learned from Scripture that Christ will not abandon us to the grave and we have an eternal, perfect home. It’s called the Golden Secret in Psalm 16, and once we figure the secret out, many of us don’t want to tarry on this soil any longer. We have our ticket to eternal life and we’ve packed our bags. We’re ready, impatient, even, for our “real lives” to begin on the other side of the veil. When a new bride, I remember hearing my mother-in-law say something similar. “Your mom is depressed,” I told my husband, “She has a death wish.” But now I understand. I’m ready to go, too….

It was a relief, then, to see that Paul struggled with the same issues. It was his prayer that Christ be exalted in his body, whether by life or death. He prayed a prayer of relinquishment, but he definitely had a preference of where he wanted to be. Read on.

Philippians 1:20
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose?”

(I love this point…he muses which way he would choose, if it were up to him? Death or life?)

Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two:
I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far….

(Here is where he reveals his heart….he’s torn, but if he has to give a Final Answer, he says, “Get me out of here, Lord!” He knows for a factual fact that it‘s better by far…there‘s not even a hesitation…he knows this for sure!)

…but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.


(Out of love for the body, he relinquishes yet again,. He knows that he has work to do on this side, work that was appointed for him to do before the beginning of time. This is true love, that he will wait and even stay his “vote” for the brethren.)

Convinced of this, I know I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.” Paul will remain and he will continue on. He won’t just see this world as Heaven’s Waiting Room. No! He’ll continue with “all of you” and once more, he’ll expect progress!

A dear saint in her 80’s is battling cancer, and it’s a war. She knows where she is going but has resisting packing her bags. Why? Because like Paul, she is concerned about those who are left behind. Therefore, she won’t hasten the day. (Fascinating to me, as I admit I think I would consider refusing all treatment and welcoming with joy and relief my blessed Final Reward). No, she fights on. This must be the Holy Spirit pressing her on, because her flesh and mind have got to be exhausted. (Mine are, at half her age.) I am in awe.

My prayer for today, then, is that I can be more mindful of God’s plan for my life, and His perfect timing. I’ll try to think less of the other side (where all my treasures are stored) and focus more on this world, where He clearly has me entrenched. I’ll do the work He’s ordained for me to do, and pray to see progress and joy in the faith in others around me…..including me!

And like Paul, I’ll occasionally indulge in a fantasy. Which would I pick if I had a vote?

Why, to be with Christ, of course. It’s better BY FAR.

Dedicated to Mark, Lisa, Adam...and all the saints who've gone ahead and show us the way.

Church isn’t everything.

Every person who craves more of the Lord has to find this out for themselves.
And that can be a rocky, sad, disappointing path.

Church is a lot. But it’s not everything.

We are called to our own personal, intimate, daily fellowship directly with the Lord.
We don’t need an intercessor, a High Priest, as in the olden days.
We can go directly to the Throne. We can talk and walk and be one with the Lord.
The curtain is ripped in two. Go right in.

I call this having the Red Phone.
We can pick it up any time and talk with Him.

We’re able to be as intimate with God, through Christ, as Adam and Eve were in the Garden, before the Fall.

Church is great.
It’s an expression of Christ.
His Body, even.

But it’s not everything.

Disappointed Christians writhe in pain as they find this out for themselves.
They are hurt by someone in the church.
Disgusted by politics in the church.
Saddened by apathy in the church.

So what do they do? Leave the church. Like hitchhikers looking for a ride to Glory, they hit the road, thumb out, looking for the perfect place.

Pssst, guys.
Hitchhiking is illegal.
If you’ve got someplace to go, you’re going to need to get there yourselves.

Christ is our High Priest.
Praise God, He’s right there!
YOU DON’T NEED TO TRAVEL.
He’s right next to you.
Talk to Him.

Why, then, do we long for an intermediary, or a team of intermediaries?
We are trained through tradition to believe that someone else is going to do it for us. Explain it to us.

It works like this. Church-goers become accustomed to someone else teaching us the Word.
(Thus we don‘t rely on the Holy Spirit, our teacher.)
We desire a person, preferably one who has been to seminary, who will listen to our struggles and comfort us.
(We forget that Christ told us that the Holy Spirit is our comforter and our counselor.)
We want a safe and soft place to fall, this side of eternity. And hopefully, a few meals if we’ve had a baby, or cards when we’ve been sick.
(Christ himself can feed us and speak words of comfort to us. Do you believe??

What if church is what is keeping us from Christ?
In many cases this is true. And our enemy, Satan, delights in that.

The prescription? An attitude adjustment. Church is great. But it’s not everything.

Here’s some of what church is. Church is:

A fellowship of like-minded people.
(Or minded people that we like…we are called to unity, not uniformity.)
A place for corporate worship, many voice to join in song.
(Praise the Lord, all the earth!)
A place to share our gifts with others, and benefit from others’ gifts to the Body.
(If your gift is teaching, teach…if it’s serving, serve!)

Here’s the deal. Christ told us to pray for our daily bread. That means that we pray to be fed every single day.

What’s the food? Christ himself. That’s right, the Bread of Life.

He said in John 6:35,
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

He didn’t say, “He who comes to church will never go hungry.”

He said, “He who comes to ME will never go hungry.”

One of our problems has been that we’ve gotten comfortable with someone else feeding us bits of bread, little Christ-bites. Like baby birds being fed by a mother bird, we’ve even gotten accustomed to someone else chewing up the food and feeding us partially digested bits.

No more! Gather your own bread, your own Christ. Feast on Him, and Him alone. Don’t expect or even allow someone else to do that for you. If that’s disappointing, I’m sorry. And I am sorry, it’s a hard lesson to learn. But Oh! The glory of intimacy with Him! It’s worth it!

Go directly to Him.
Let Him feed you.
You will never go hungry.
You will never be thirsty.

And then, God willing, you’ll find a body of believers that encourages you in this world.

Church is not God.
Don’t expect it to be.


Thanks to Margaret, Suzanne, Steve and Jeanette for conversations this week that helped clarify all this.

The kids and I did a Bible study together this summer. It was a really cool time.
We started out studying the word "truth." What is the truth? What is a lie? What does it look like to be people of integrity?

These are all massive issues and we didn't figure it all out. Come to think of it, these issues might take a lifetime to figure out.

One of the conundrums was this. The Bible says, "Thy word is truth." But if you don't believe the Bible, is it still truth? Does the Bible depend on us to believe it, in order to make it true? I say no. It's truth whether we acknowlege it or not. But the kids need to figure that out for themselves.

They still like to pick the parts of the Bible that best favor them. It's just what they do when serving ice cream. They take the best parts. When they serve cookies & cream, they all go for the big chunks of cookies, leaving the plain parts on the side of the carton (for me.) Same with Moose Tracks. Like a diviner looking for water underground, they have an uncanny ability to dig through the carton, finding the Tracks of Moose. Again, leaving me with the slimy bits on the edge.

And with the Word of God. They certainly like the yummy bits. Like, "God loves me with an everlasting love." Well, DUH, of course He does! They have no problem believing that God died for their sins. He loves them! With an everlasting love!

But when it comes to the responsibility part, their part, then it gets dicey. Be obedient? Follow His commands? Die to my own desires and serve Him only? It's like the ice cream on the side. It's not the desirable treat. They want to eat what tastes best to them, with no burden, no sacrifice, no responsibility. But that can't happen. Life on this earth is much more than a bowl of ice cream....and the stakes are much, much higher.

I explained it to them this way. There are two teams. God's team, and Satan's team. Now, most people are not Satanists. There are very few acknowledged Satan worshippers on our planet. So, Satan is clever. He's okay with his team being called "The World." If there were team shirts, one would say, "God's Team." The Other would be called "World's Team." One day God's team will completely trounce the World's team. In the meanwhile, the game in on. Everyone has to be on one team or the other. We can't play for both sides.

This is why the James Scripture makes sense. "Anyone who chooses to be friends with the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4).

We can't have it both ways. We can't play for God's team and for Satan's team. An example: The World tells us "if it feels good, do it." But just because something feels good doesn't mean it's honoring to God (or to ourselves, for that matter.) We can't just go along, even if most of the world is going along. The Scripture is crystal clear: If we choose to be friends with the world, then we become an enemy of God. Or as I say to my kids sometimes, when they make a bad choice: "You are batting for the wrong team."

We would all do well to recognize that there are two teams. In this current world, Satan is the ruler*. Yet according to Baylor University's 2005 study, almost 90% of people say they believe in God, but only 73% believe in Satan.

And that's just the way Satan likes it.

*1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 1 Corinthians 2:1-3

We have visited lots of family and friends this summer. Be warned! If you invite us, we will come! And when you invite the Byrds, you get 6 or 7 mouths to feed and lots of air mattresses to blow up. I refer to the 7 of us as a Wide Load. As in, "It's not often that people are willing to invite our Wide Load to stay."

We're always thrilled to come for a few days to visit. When we go to visit, Wide Load that we are, I am well aware that it might be the last time we're ever invited. Crossing the line from Good Guest to Bad Company is quick. Bad Company sits on a cotton sofa with a Sharpie marker open in his back pocket. Bad Company clogs the toilet...and keeps using it. Bad Company eats brownies in the bedroom and grinds the crumbs into white sheets. Bad Company lets inside dogs out, picks her nose at the dinner table, and brings a violent stomach flu to the whole host family.

Not that we did any of those things this summer. These are just some of the things I have nightmares about.

Therefore, like the national parks, I have adopted a policy with my family. I feel this policy will make us stellar visitors who will score repeat invitations.

"Take only pictures, leave only footprints."

We try to be Good Guests who are delightful and inobtrusive. We bring gifts, help with dishes, and share towels. We come in with one bag for 7 people and we bring our own pillows. 7 of us can and will stay in one room.

But this morning, leaving a relative's house, I realized I might be more than polite. I might actually be a lunatic. As I wiped down the bathroom, started a wash load of sheets and towels and packed up trash in my suitcase to take home with me, I felt foolish. I was trying to make sure that there was no trace that I had stopped there. No kidding, not even a tissue in the trash can. Gracious guest or nut case?

Can you relate? Have you ever tried to leave a place without even a single indication that you were there? Perhaps you're doing it...and you're not even aware of it.

For instance, do you send your kids to school but refuse to get involved? Or maybe you go to church but don't join a small group or Sunday school class. Perhaps you live in a neighborhood but don't attend the cook-out, exchange Christmas cards or call your neighbors by name. Perhaps, like me visiting, you come and go, without leaving a trace.

Before moving to Roanoke, my family had moved every two years. In fact, we lived five different places our first five years of marriage. We thought we'd stop by Roanoke for a short time as well. Therefore, just passing through, we acted as visitors, not permanent residents. 8 years later, I realize this was a mistake.

I greet the librarian and mailman and pharmacist.....but not by name. I didn't get their names 8 1/2 years ago, thinking we'd know each other briefly. Now, almost a decade later, it's a bit embarassing to say, "I didn't catch your name." Therefore, we could leave tomorrow and there wouldn't be record of us being here. We'd leave without a trace. It's no way to live.

See, we're called to love our neighbors (and our hostesses) as ourselves. Is it possible to love without leaving a trace? I'm starting to realize we can't.

Sometimes leaving a mark is messy and complicated and even painful. We disappoint others or they disappoint us. But that's what love is. We will still leave footprints......on hearts. And always, of course, take lots of pictures.


1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Are you the Great I Will…or aren’t You?

Them’s fightin’ words…and I aimed them at God.

You see, for a few years now, I’ve been badgering the Lord about my personal Purpose-Driven Life. I read that best-selling book, and I agree. My life has a purpose. God has a plan for me. A plan to prosper and not harm. A plan to give me hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11).

Agreed. God has a plan. I’m here for a purpose.

SO WHAT THE HECK IS IT?

Therefore, like a kid asking repeatedly for ice cream, or a sleepover, or a new bike, I’ve been tugging at The Master’s cloak, asking, asking, asking….

Show me the plan for my life.

Let me know what the purpose is.

What work should I be doing?

And as I badger, I hear in my Spirit the answer….

“I Will.”

Always the same... “I Will.”

Now, I’m familiar with the Old Testament, where Moses asks God His name, and God replies, “I Am.” But “I Will”? This is a new one. Yet I always hear the same answer, “I Will.” And it surprises me. It surprises me because I imagined I was asking a rhetorical question. I didn’t expect an answer. And it shocks me because I don’t understand it.

I Will. I Will.

What does this mean? Am I making the whole thing up? I don’t think so.

Right away, I wonder if there's a Scriptural basis for calling the Lord “I Will.” As I reflect, the Scripture “I Will never leave you or forsake you” comes to mind. But is there more? How do I know it’s God’s voice? That it's Him shutting me up, telling me He’ll take care of all my questions, in due time? And not just my own inner voice?

So I look up “I Will” on my electronic concordance. It’s this cool computer thing where you can type in the words you’re looking for and see if these words appear in the Bible. It’s fun to play with. Like, type in “baseball” or “watermelon” and you’ll see that there are no matches. No Scriptures about baseball or watermelons.

But type in “I Will” and over 1,900 Scriptures fly onto the screen! Yikes, He Will. He’s not just whistlin’ Dixie. He is the Great I Will. His Book bears that out.

Back to my fightin’ words. I kept hearing “I Will”, but no more specific answers. It started to make me mad. I’m waiting….tapping my foot impatiently.

Show me the plan for my life.

Let me know what the purpose is.

What work should I be doing?

In my frustration, I wrote in my journal, “Are you the Great I Will, or aren’t you?”

By that I suppose I meant, “Where are You? When will I get a better answer?”

When I was little, I would ask my mother if my friend Beth Rooney could sleep over. Mom would say, “I’ll think about it. Go away.” For the rest of the day I would tiptoe around, a model child, speaking in hushed tones, picking up my toys, offering to bring my mother a can of Tab from the olive green fridge. My twin sister and Beth Rooney would do the same. We were all hoping to influence a faster (and affirmative) response.

Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. I suspect Mom knew the answer as soon as I asked the question….but wasn’t willing to tell me right away.

And likewise, God. He is the Great I Will.

He does have a plan. And part of His plan is to do it in His timing.

Therefore, I wait. And I sometimes badger. Like David did in the Psalms. David is great. He doesn’t hold anything back. He cries out to the Lord and He whines and He begs and He cajoles and He challenges. And God said He loved David. He describes Him as being a man after His own heart. This gives us permission to do the same. God wants to hear it all.

What challenge do you have for the Lord today? He wants to hear it. All the begging, whining, complaining, crying. He can take it.

So go ahead, in the quietness of your own heart…cry out to Him. Ask Him. See what answer you get.

I suspect it might be.....

I Will.

“You’re not the boss of me!” my nephew shouted. His mom was in the house nursing her newborn daughter, and I was trying to take Little Lord Feisty out for a ride. My plan was to drive him around for a bit and give my sister a break. Yet he wouldn’t quite cooperate. Arguing about the best seat for a
4-year old, he lost his cool in a big-time tantrum.

“You’re not the boss of me!” He planned to sit up front and wouldn’t be dissuaded. My purpose was to get headed down the road for some fun.

Our world’s collided.

We never even left the driveway.

Are we that way? Are we yelling, “You’re not the boss of me!” to God?

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but God’s purpose prevails.
Proverbs 19:21

I can still remember the day I first saw that Scripture. I felt a blow to my stomach, a grouchy exclamation of “You gotta be kiddin’ me,” and a streak of rebellion a mile wide. You’re not the Boss of me, buddy, You’re not the Boss of me.

After all, what does Proverbs 19:21 mean? Does it mean that our plans don’t really matter? Is that what it says?

Or does it say that no matter what we plan, God will have His way in the end? Grrrr, sounds bossy to me.

At first, this made me feel an ant in an Ant Farm. It fun to watch ants busy at work, especially since they are very unaware of being observed. Some builder ants pile sand in one area, a high rise. Some ants dig perfect tunnels. Some ants even bring their dead to the ant cemetery. Yet a child, for fun, can stick a pencil in their plastic world, and undo all of their work in an instant. It’s not fair.

Is what I’m doing just ant-like busy work?

And, gulp, is God the overseer with the pencil, blocking one trail so another one must be built? Does He override our plans, just because He can? The thought burned me up.

Why did it burn me up? Maybe I’d long believed, as the jingle told me, that I could “Have it My Way.” Not just at Burger King, but in this whole, big, wide world. “Have it Your Way.” To find out that there’s a way higher than my way, that’s big.

Could it be that we think our planning is the main thing, when it’s really not? Does God’s purpose prevail whether we acknowledge Him or not?

There was a time when I planned to go to college. Thus, I did well in high school, with the impressive extra-curriculars, in order to get into a good college. I did it.

Then, once in college, I planned to secure a high-paying and satisfying career. My plans worked out, I was hired by a prestigious advertising agency, and off I went to work, within weeks of college graduation. I did it. (Or so I thought.)

I didn’t plan to fall flat on my face there, but in many ways, I did. I did not plan to meet my future husband when I was crying and hung-over on a plane, but I did. I did not plan to meet the Lord of the Universe at one of the lowest points in my life. Yet when I did, I knew He was what I was looking for all along.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but God’s purpose prevails.

He is so gracious to allow us the freedom to make plans…good plans and bad plans. It’s called freewill.

Freewill allows us to choose lots of other things. Sex, drugs, rock-n-roll….whatever. It’s our choice.

God could have made us Faithful Robots, all implanted with the I-Believe chips. But then we would have been just that…robots.

He didn’t want robots, He wanted friends. Friends who would freely choose to love him, and surrender their plans to His overall purpose.

The same microchip that allows us to eat a case of Girl Scout cookies, or light that cigarette, or accept that job…..it also allows us to choose Him to be our Rescuer, our Hero, our Friend. He built us that way.

These days, I have overcome some (but not all) of my earlier rebellion and my shouts of “You’re not the Boss of me!” to the Lord. I’ve come to appreciate that He is the Boss of me. Bit by bit, I trade in my freewill in exchange for God’s will. I hand him my ways, my time, and my work. I haven’t given Him everything….but I’m getting there.

I’m glad to have Him overseeing everything, with a purpose that trumps my often silly and short-sighted plans. Because there is rest in that relinquishment.

God’s-purpose-prevails is a blessing, a love song, murmured like the last quiet “I love you” to a child you are putting to bed. He sings over us,

“Make your plans, my sweet, and dream your dreams…I’ve got you covered.”

....you live in a toilet seat. Or so the childhood rhyme went. It made it sound really yucky and nasty to cheat.

Yet cheating is not discouraged in our culture today. In fact, it seems to be encouraged. Take, for instance, the TV program, "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" In my challenge to find good-pure-lovely programming, I was willing to give it a try. I watched it once.

Check it out for yourself. It's a cheat fest. For instance, in order to play the game, the adult contestant can "look at a student's paper" or flat out ask him or her for the right answer. On that show there is no way to do your own work. The only way to succeed is if your classmates give you the answers. Cheating is ingrained in the very premise of the show. Sure, it may represent cooperation, and it's only an inane (insane?) TV show. Yet I wonder, how are some of the other ways that cheating is encouraged in our world?

I was at Wal-Mart the other day, (like most days, I guess.) The teenaged checkout girl was having a very, very bad day. One thing that was frustrating her was that some of my items didn't appear to have barcodes for easy scanning. After searching for a brief moment, she manually entered a series of numbers...that she made up. She muttered, "When in doubt, cheat." Is that the best we can do?

Another example. In order to successfully play videogames, the savvy gamers download shortcuts from the internet. Guess what those shortcuts are called? "Cheats." So by the time you are 8, you learn that you will never conquer a videogame with your own smarts and persistance. To keep up with your friends, you will need the "Cheats."

How about when no one is looking? Is it okay to take a short-cut, look at a friend's paper or enter a made-up bar code? Is it okay, as long as you don't get caught? The fact that we even consider the merit of that question shows how comfortable we are with cheating.

Today Alex and I were driving down the highway and Alex was driving! I was lecturing him on watching for the unexpected stops and weird situations on the road when we came across a very strange one. Several cars were stopped on
I-581 as men ran down the highway trying to desperately catch MONEY THAT WAS FLYING AROUND. On a breezy day, someone had dropped a sack of cash from a car. These men were risking their lives for that money.

Alex thought we should stop and try to collect some of the dough. We saw others stopping on both sides of the road to do just that. I said that it was unsafe (DUH!), and just money (DOUBLE-DUH.) "Besides, whatever we collect we would have to return to the owner," I intoned. Alex thought that was ridiculous. We repeated the story later to some of his teen friends and they also thought that was the stupidest thing they ever heard.

But why?

Why do they think if someone drops a sack of money on the highway, and they happen to catch some, it belongs to them?

What have we taught...or not taught them?

There's an ultimate truth and a Judge who is watching. The farther we get from that, the more we think we can take any steps we feel like in order to make our lives easier or to succeed. We lie, cheat, steal and encourage others to do the same. "Everyone is doing it," is our mantra.

"Cheat, cheat, never beat, you live in a toilet seat." Turns out those are words of prophecy.

A pastor I know wrote a furious Letter to the Editor of our local paper. Hmm, boy, it was a doozy. He came out swingin’! One of the first lines was “What the heck is wrong with you people?” It was passionate…and incendiary. Written yesterday, it’s already being forwarded around our local Christian community.

Apparently the local paper said some mean things about Jerry Falwell. This is very sad and inappropriate. Dr. Falwell died earlier this week. He was a passionate Christian, a visionary, a builder of the faith. Yet he was a mortal. He said and did things that not everyone appreciated. As our Christian radio station said repeatedly, “He was a man who was deeply loved…but not by everyone.”

Those who didn’t love him, and who coincidentally write editorials for the local paper, used the occasion of his death to lambast him. His crime? Being fallible. Stepping on toes. Occasionally speaking before he thought. Oh yes, and being a Christian.

I didn’t read the editorial, but I gather it was insulting. Mud-slinging on the memory of this pastor, educator, family-member, friend. That’s not right. Yet is it appropriate, when mud is being slung, to join the fray, flinging mud ourselves?? That’s what the pastor’s Letter to the Editor did. It was dirty.

What does Scripture say about this? Here’s a challenge from The Message.

“Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it.
Live out your God-created identity.
Live generously and graciously toward others,
the way God lives toward you.”

(Matthew 5:48 The Message.)

The pastor was certainly within his right to feel frustrated. Even writing the letter was a healthy exercise. But sending it? How does that shine the Light of Christ?

Could it be possible that we can learn more about being a Light Bearer for Christ by watching Melinda Doolittle leave American Idol? Joy emanated from her face, even as she was being “voted off” by 60 million Americans. “America has voted….against you,” is the paraphrase of Ryan Seaquest’s announcement.

She may not have made the cut in the fickle eyes of our beauty-and-youth-obsessed American voters, but she’s a Top Pick in God’s house. I see God’s words come alive through her actions and attitude. No anger. No tears. Joy.

Live out your God-created identity.
Live generously and graciously toward others,
The way God lives toward you.

That’s Melinda. Gracious and Generous. Way to go, Sister. And I love the “Death Cheater” t-shirt. Worn with a big smile. She knows it’s true. (Jerry Falwell knew, too, and he lives eternally to prove it.) She knows her identity is in Christ and she’s a Daughter of the King.

To me, this shows the joy in the journey....not joining the Insult-Fest. (How would it have been if Melinda started bad-mouthing Jordin and Blake?? Ugly. Yet I can hardly type those words because I know Melinda would never do that!) Let's have joy. Let’s not join the mud-slinging because one of our team members is being insulted. Dr. Falwell no longer cares. He’s in Glory and he could care less what the local paper is printing.

“I’m telling you to love your enemies.
Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.
When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer,
for then you are working out your true selves, your God-created selves.”

Matthew 5:43-44 The Message

Respond with the energies of prayer. That’s a concept. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.

So here’s my question. Are we all the same inside? Or are believers being changed, through the power of God, from the inside out? When we join in the fray, I get the sense that we’re proving something for the Other Side. The Side that says, “You’re all nasty deep down inside. All we have to do is poke you hard enough and you’ll come out swingin’!”

Are we changed? Or not? I don’t want to come out swingin’…or slingin’. (Yet I confess I do both of these things, often.) I want to be new. I want to respond with the energies of prayer. That's the only earthly way we can turn the other cheek.

Lord, help us do it…Help us shine your light on this lost and dying world.
To you, Christ, be the glory. Amen.

The Sun’s atmosphere sings. Like the whales and the wind and the birds, it sings. Who could ever think of something so magical? It's better than Harry Potter.

I read about the singing atmosphere in my Yahoo News. You can read all about it yourself. Why take my word for it?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20070419/sc_space/sunsatmospheresings

The article starts: “Astronomers have recorded heavenly music bellowed out by the Sun's atmosphere.”

Why are we surprised? Because it's outside of something we could even imagine! What a cool idea....the Sun's atmosphere, singing loudly, but outside of our ability to really appreciate it. (Kind of like Sanjaya.)

Yet God’s word tells us over and over again that the heavens sing. Consider Isaiah 44:23:

Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done this wondrous thing.

The girls and I were listening to the radio the other day, and a very engaging, very hilarious commercial came on. It was for Corona Beer, and the theme was, “Everywhere you have our beer, you have an instant party.” The scenarios got funnier and funnier. You can apparently have a party while you are being audited, during minor surgery, or while waiting for the tow truck after a car accident. It went on and on.

I may be exaggerating, but only a little bit.

The part of my brain that used to write advertising copy was very impressed. The ad was funny, bright, and definitely caught our attention as well as sold their product. (While I don’t think my girls know exactly what Corona is, they for sure wanted to buy some after hearing this advertisement. After all, who doesn’t love a party?)

The other part of my brain, or perhaps it was my heart, was aggravated by the ad. Primarily it was the keyline that brought vomit to my mouth. It said, “Relax Responsibly.”

Now, some of us are old enough to remember the days before they had Warning Labels on alcohol bottles. A few years back, they started cautioning us that alcohol could cause addiction and fetal alcohol syndrome. You might imagine that the life went out of the party with that label, but no, that’s not the case. Radio commercials added a 1-second tag line “Drink responsibly” which the announcer said quickly and quietly as the theme music swelled in the background. This was semi-sobering, but not exactly what the Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) had in mind. Now some time has passed, and the warnings are waning. The Marketing Department is softening the stern-ish “Drink Responsibly!” to a softer, more inviting, “Relax Responsibly.”

Relax Responsibly? Through Beer? Which will cause you to enjoy even life’s most torturous moments? What a load of baloney.

Colossians 2:8 says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."

See to it. It’s our job. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy. No one else will “see to it” for you. Be aware!
It’s our job, then, to recognize lies when we see them. Beer drinking does not equal "relaxing responsibly." In fact, those of us who have spent time swimming in a keg of beer can tell you that it’s neither relaxing nor responsible. It only seems that way at the time.

This is not an anti-beer tirade. It’s a Pro-Truth rally. We need to recognize that there are lots of lies out in the world, and we are captivated by them. We are imprisoned by hollow and deceptive philosophy. We are captured by human traditions and basic principles of this world. And it’s killing us.

Here’s my challenge. Continue to evaluate what seduces you. Then eliminate it from your life. For instance, I cancelled my subscription to “Real Simple” when I finally realized that it’s neither “real”, nor “simple.” I wanted a monthly rag to come tell me how to simplify my life. Instead, I found my brain overflowing with (hollow and deceptive) ideas that could "make me happy" if I only executed them. Did I really need to know how to make a flower arrangement out of my old toothbrush holder? Was I ever going to find that specifice make and model of jeans that would make me look like I didn't have five children? ($250 a pair, only available in Los Angeles.) It’s unrealistic. And complicated.

So what are the things in your life that are hollow and deceptive? How are they captivating you? What would it like to be free of those things? (Hint: it would be glorious!) Ask the Lord to show you what your things are, then tap into His power to cut them out, one by one. He will reward your obedience and you'll find out what real relaxation is all about.

Let me know how it’s going.

PS. I cut out Gray’s Anatomy and (sob) Miami Ink. I realized that if I have to quickly change the channel when my kids come in the room, I don’t need to be watching anyway.

Living here in Hokie Land, this week’s tragedy at Virginia Tech really resonates. It’s just a few miles up the road. During football season, our family makes a sport out of counting the cars that display Hokie wear…flags, bumper stickers, inflatable turkeys. It's truly a school full of heart and school spirit. And now, unfortunately, heart-breakingly, VT is known for this week’s tragic shootings.

Why do these things happen? Why does God allow it?

On Monday, the day of the shootings, Dave heard a newscast where other universities were asking, “How can this be avoided on our campus?” Isn’t that a self-centered question to be asking while lives still hung in the balance? To me, the question implies that VT could have done something more to keep their students safe…but didn’t do it. How can we keep buildings safe? Don’t let any people in. You see, it’s not the buildings or campuses that are dangerous. It’s the people. It’s this world.

Evil is in this world. Hurt and despair live here. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Our question should not be, “How does this happen?” but “How does this not happen more often?” The king of this world is an evil guy. This is not heaven. This is earth, where evil is behind many doors, and is often disguised as beauty, money, or even normalcy.

All over town there are signs, banners and prayers posted. Most say things like, “Pray for VT students and their families.” Today, however, I saw one that said, “It’s no one’s fault.”

Isn’t it?

Maybe the sign-writer didn’t mean what he wrote. Perhaps he meant, “Don’t cast blame. It’s not worth it. Focus on the good.”

But saying, “It’s no one’s fault” is totally inaccurate. Of course it’s someone’s fault. Someone took a gun and shot people. He decided, through his actions, who would live and who would die. It’s someone’s fault.

Let’s take responsibility where we can, and teach our children to do the same. We do things that cause pain. Admit it. Ask for forgiveness. Change your ways. In this way, with God's power, we will live as Overcomers.

Remember what it says in 1 John 4:4:

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Pray for this world. Pray earnestly to the Lord, "Thy kindom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. " And pray for VT.

You know the term “rubbernecking”? It describes the phenomena by which we can’t drive past an accident without slowing down and looking at it. Even after our car has passed the scene, we crane our necks back for a final glance; hence the term, rubbernecking. It is our deviant interest that compels us to do it. (However, to counteract this compulsion, I suggest praying when you see an accident scene. Pray for the victims, the emergency workers, the physicians. This is infinitely more valuable than staring as you roll past to the mall.)

Why do we look? We just can’t seem to turn away. Something in us is drawn to the damage, the wreckage, the upset, the turmoil.

And that’s how I feel about cable. Just last night, I found myself rubberneckin’ through cable. I was ready to be asleep but was insanely flipping the channels to catch the last five minutes of this-or-that show. I caught the last few minutes of a show that I don’t watch (anymore) because it has a theme that disturbs me. On the surface, it’s about the gym. Underneath, it’s about a swinging lifestyle that I would be better off not knowing about. I’m not saying I’m better than the people on the show, I’m confessing I can easily imagine myself AS a person on that show. That’s the problem.

I could not pull my eyes off the screen. I was rubbernecking.

The Bible says, “Keep your eyes from evil” but what constitutes evil? Workout shows?

In my life, I’ve come to recognize that the Holy Spirit sometimes causes me to feel uncomfortable. The discomfort I feel when watching some programs is the Holy Spirit, warning and restraining me. Do you ever feel like you need a shower after watching certain things? Do you find yourself wishing you didn’t see that show…or worse…thinking ahead to the time that you can watch it again?

Now as I always say to my kids, “Take it up with the Big Guy.” No, not their dad, I mean The Big Guy, the Lord. I don’t know what you are supposed to keep your eyes from. In fact, I’m certain it’s different for all of us.

My dear friend Amy said the Lord took “Law and Order” shows from her. This is a drag because it’s the one reliable show you can watch almost every hour of the day and night. Last summer I was on a roll when I watched Law and Order every night of the week. Not Amy. She reported this feeling upset and grimy from watching Law and Order. She relinquished that programming to the Lord.

When she told me that, I petitioned the Lord, (almost in a panic), “Do you want me to stop watching Law and Order?” So far, He’s allowed me keep watching. It doesn’t haunt my thoughts or cause me to shower afterwards. What is it that you are not supposed to be watching?

The Bachelor was ripped from my programming guide in the beginning of last season. After I rubbernecked through a certain lurid scene, the Lord said, “That’s enough!” In the past, I would talk on the phone with a friend after each episode and we’d discuss it in minute detail. Now I had to confess to her that I wasn’t permitted to watch The Bachelor anymore. It just made me feel yucky. She pointed out that I still watch Gray’s Anatomy, which she considers yuckier. So, back on my knees I go, asking the Lord if I’m allowed to watch Gray’s Anatomy. So far, it’s still allowed.

Out are horror movies, sex scenes, Stephen King anything, The Medium or anything occult, Oprah and basically any talk show that preys on the sad and twisted side of humanity. (This only leaves Ellen Degeneres, who is eminently positive.)

Still in are Miami Ink (the tattoo show), House, and American Idol. (Although Hollywood Week is out, for obvious reasons.)

Whatever is good, pure, and lovely, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
What’s on your Tivo? What is it time to delete from your personal TV Guide?

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 100. If I ever need a Scripture to put on a birthday card or a note, it's perfect. It's so cheery and reassuring. I can remember the first time I ever "discovered" this Psalm. I was new at a church and the pastor asked for a volunteer to read aloud. Reading aloud has been one of my favorite activities since I learned how to read. When I was little, I remember telling my parents that I wanted to be a minister. Surprised, they asked why. I said, "So I can read outloud all the time." So, when offered the opportunity to read aloud, naturally I raised my hand up high. Quigg picked me! Pride swelled my chest as I thought of what an awe-inspiring job I would do reading the psalm that day.

I started out strong. But when I got to one line, I got choked me up. "It is He who made us, and we are His." It really hit me that day and I started to cry. I was just overcome with what a special and marvelous truth that is. My voice became wobbly and got smaller and smaller as the rest of the words of the psalm trailed off. Now it wasn't about how awe-inspiring my reading would be...it was about how truly awesome the Words are. As I sniffled the last bit and sat down, Dave said, "People probably think you're afraid to read aloud." Great.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
And his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. All the earth shouting for joy, what would that look like? What would that sound like? I think would look like spring.

Think about it. When everything blooms and buds and bursts forth color and there is fragrance in the air, this is truly the entire earth shouting out for joy.

Last year, I prayed for the irises to bloom on Easter and they did.
They were shouting for joy, big bunches of them, in various stages of bloom, just shouting..... “Look at me!” “Look what God made!”
“Am I more purple or blue?" "Would you call me periwinkle?”
“Aren’t I gorgeous?””Don’t I make you want to shout for joy, too?”

And you know what, they did. They made me want to shout for joy.
Because, hey, we are his people, his flowers, his creation too.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
We are his. “I’m with Him,” we can say to anyone who tries to stop us.

The bouncer may try to keep us out of the party, but we have the magic words.
“I’m with Him.” Voila, the velvet rope is lifted and we are allowed In.
Anywhere He goes, we go.

We are his sheep. The sheep of his pasture. No other pasture. His pasture.

Because we populate his pasture, we hear his voice. We follow him. Right through the gates, his gates. We are so thankful to enter. We're safe there, and secure, and happy. Praise him and thank Him today, and every day, for bringing you in.

Having a bad day? Don't feel like shouting for joy at the moment? Consider this wonderous truth. It doesn't matter how you feel. Because whether you "feel" it today, or not...here's the Truth. He is good. His love lasts. He is faithful.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

That makes me so happy I could just read outloud!

The Lord kept me out of Bible Study today. How do I know? I just could not get there. I really wanted to, but I couldn’t. See if you can relate.

I drove the boys to school at 7:30. I then went to Panera Bread and had a lovely time with the Lord, reading my Bible, writing down verses, and composing a prayer in my journal. I smiled at an acquaintance, but she didn’t come over. Until I was leaving….of course. I planned to leave at 9:30 to drive to Bible study, 10 minutes away. It started at 10, and 30 minutes would be ample for even me find it.

However, the acquaintance got interested in chatting as I put my coat on. ("Hello, I’m leaving!!!!!!!!") The Lord reminded me that the interruption is sometimes the point of the day, so I didn’t get aggravated. Well, not too aggravated.

I left at 9:40. This left 20 minutes for a 10-minute drive. After nearly 9 years in Roanoke, I decided to be brave and head directly to the address. (My normal way would be to go back to my house and start over from there…an insane and lengthy proposition.) I had the Mapquest directions in my car from the last time I went, but they started at my house. Surely I could adapt the directions as I headed there from town. There were, no kidding, two turns on the direction sheets. Main streets. Simple.

So why did I get lost? Could it be that God was keeping me from Bible study?

It would have been smart to call and ask my friend the name of the cross street in the warren of tiny streets in Raleigh Court. But my cell phone wouldn’t turn on. It was charged, but wouldn’t go green. I pushed every button. It’s a new phone. Apparently you need to be a 13 year old boy to know how to turn it on. Still, I tried. Boy, did I try.

I resolved to not get flustered. I prayed. I drove up and down streets. I stopped and asked for directions. I prayed. I looked at a map. I stopped at another gas station and got directions, again. I drove up and down streets. I gave myself five more minutes. I got teary-eyed. This entire time I was within ¼ of a mile of my destination.

Then it occurred to me that perhaps I wasn’t supposed to be there. Why? Because the God who parted the Red Sea and escorted the Israelites on dry ground would certainly escort me to a yellow house on a tree-lined street in Roanoke, Virginia…if He wanted me there.

I’d just been writing, praying, and meditating about leaving “margins” in my life to be able to study Scripture, to spend quiet time, to have time set apart. Yet I had scheduled every single minute of this day, before it even began. It occurs to me that when I feel overwhelmed, when I fantasize about a snow day or even a head cold in order to ignore the phone and the tasks, well, could that a message? Are those feelings from the Lord, knocking on the door of my heart, saying, “Rest in me.” Or as I would say, “Settle down, Sister!”

So, I am home, and cozy, and sitting quietly, awaiting further revelation. Maybe that was it. Is sitting quietly the order of the day? Could it be?

Perhaps I needed to be here to respond to the phone call from a friend, seeking college and career advice. Maybe it was for Dave, so that I’m home when he calls from his interview today. (Certainly he could not have reached me on my cell phone.)

Do you have days like that? Days where you feel blocked at every turn? Maybe like me you persist in your agenda, nearly to the brink of insanity. Does it sound familiar?

Help us, Lord, to be more still, so you can get our attention easier. We beg you to speak to us, and then we run as fast as we can in the opposite direction. Lord, we’re sorry for that. Again today, I surrender my busy-ness and my schedule. I lay it all at your feet. Establish the work of my hands for me. (Psalm 90). Yes, establish the work of my hands.

Show me the way to go. You know I’m not too good with maps. I’ll try not to get in Your way. I rest in you, Lord. Amen.