4/2/2022
Thank You JesusI realized some things about myself this week.
I go through seasons where I tend to be too self centered. I tend to feel sorry for myself. I tend to make excuses. I have a worship/me complex that I call being a “people pleaser”. The reality is that I just want everyone to like me. I over analyze and under appreciate. And I take an awful lot for granted. Too often in these seasons I wallow in “me”. When I take my eyes off of Jesus, even for a split second, Satan creeps into this overactive mind of mine and convinces me of a thousand and one things I should be bitter, or angry, or sad about. This week, despite Satan’s efforts to thwart my joy, God’s faithfulness and love outshined any attempt Satan could have at disarming me. God continually showed me how much He loves me and how much I have to be thankful for. Over, and over, and over. I got to spend the week with my family. My husband, children, their spouses and my grandchildren. All in the same house. We got to come to our favorite little island in the Carolinas. The same place we’ve been coming for 37 years. It never gets old and we cherish every single memory it holds. The time spent with extended family is icing on the cake. I got to sit with my husband and children our last evening together and talk about our Savior’s goodness. I got to pray with them all, as we shared our hearts together. And I felt His presence. We cried and we laughed and all I could think was “Thank you Jesus”. God showed me that He doesn’t bless me because I do good things. This week was evidence of that. I was momentarily wallowing in self pity before we ever left for vacation. He doesn’t bless me because I check off all the “good Christian” boxes, ie church attendance, bible reading and prayer. He does it out of sheer love and that in itself brings me to my knees, because I know I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve any of it. This week He gifted me with beautiful, selfless friends. He gifted me with inconsequential items I’ve been wishing for for my home. He gave me happy days playing on the beach with those I love most. He gave me precious uninterrupted time with my family. He gave me multiple hugs and kisses from grandchildren. He gave me a fresh perspective and memories I will cherish forever. So today, my only desire is to glorify Him and say thank you. A thousand times thank you. If you find yourself in a place you don’t long to be, if your heart is sad and you can’t seem to get past Satan’s attempts to thwart you, fix your eyes on Jesus. Fix your eyes on Jesus~ and say thank you. Thank you Jesus. Psalm 25:15 Hebrews 12:2
3/26/2022
The Story Of JesusThere’s something magical about stories and stairways when you are a child.
My daughter recently sent a picture of my two granddaughters playing on their stairs. What is it about stairs that are so intriguing when you’re little? That picture sparked a long ago memory in my mind of a story and illustration in a childhood book my mother used to read to me. A book that ignited my little imagination to the far away worlds I could travel or the little mama with her baby dolls that I could become~ all on those stairs. My own stairs hold many special memories, even as an adult. Today they lead me up to my own bedroom where grandchildren nap, or play dress up with my clothes. They lead me up to quiet mornings spent talking to my Savior. But before that they led me up to the reality of my little girl dreams. To bed time stories and talks about Jesus. To sweet goodnight kisses and childhood prayers. They led me to my children. When I think on it, there’s something magical with every step I take because it brings me right back to a faraway world of a little mama, and the book she read so long ago. A book that changed her outlook on a simple set of stairs. And I cannot help but think of another book~ God’s word~ and wonder how many mamas are taking the time to read that book to their own children. A book that can change their outlook for eternity. A book that can lead them and teach them of a not so far away world called Heaven where they can always have a home with their Father. I’m reminded of a mother who read the incredible story of Noah’s ark to her son. When she finished, her son innocently asked her a simple question~ “why weren’t there any children on the ark?” Her reply was heartbreaking ~ “Their parents didn’t make sure that they were.” That hit my own heart hard. Yes, spend time with your children. Play with them. Let their imaginations dream up far away lands and dreams come true, all while playing on stairways. Read to them to spark that imagination but don’t ever forget to read the most important book of all. God’s word. Make sure they know the greatest story of all. The story of Gods redeeming grace and love and the gift of forgiveness through his Son. The story of Jesus. One day I will go up those stairs for the last time. That day could be today, or many years down the road. I will leave my children and my grandchildren, because Jesus will be calling me home. He will smile and hug me and welcome me there. I want to make sure that I took every opportunity to tell them the story of Jesus and how to have a relationship with Him that is real. That when my hands let go of theirs, there will be no apprehension because I will know my Savior is holding them when I no longer can. Don’t wait to read God’s word to your children. Don’t wait to tell your children about your Savior. They are never too young, and they are never too old. Talk about Him every single day. Tell them the story of Jesus. Write on their hearts every word, Tell them the story most precious~ Sweetest that ever was heard. How often my stairs led me to my children. Our job as mamas is to lead those children to Christ.
3/18/2022
Never Alone AgainI was blessed to have a very unusual high school experience.
I know many others could not say the same. When I look back on those years, I truly believe God used every incident to produce habits in my own life for years to come. For that, I am forever grateful. I went to a very small Christian high school that was a part of our church ministry. The friendships that were forged are the kind that last a lifetime. One thing about those years that really stands out in my heart and mind is this~ I never felt alone. I felt loved by a community of believers and friends who always had my back. Through grief they comforted. When I fell away from God, they lovingly picked me up. When I laughed, they laughed with me. When I cried, they held me close. When God moved in hearts, we celebrated together. There was never a feeling of loneliness, unworthiness or judgment. I never felt the need to be something I was not. Many years have passed since I was that impressionable teenager. Sadly, through the years a few people have now and then made me feel like I didn’t quite measure up. I know that I am not alone in this area, and yet it’s an incredibly lonely feeling. There have been times I have fallen away from God and felt shame. Times I would never dream of sharing my failures with others, or even ask for help because of that shame. I was all too familiar with the inevitable reaction of shaking heads and disapproving judgment. There have been times I find myself knee deep in the insecure feelings of “not good enough”, convinced that I’m doing it wrong, saying it wrong, writing it wrong or sharing it wrong. Convinced that everyone else has their act together and knows what they’re doing in their Christian walk, except for me. Convinced I should be someone else. A much better version of me. What have we become? Why are so many churches filled with people that look the part but have no empathy or compassion for others? Who continually find the speck of wrong doing in others, but can’t even see the log homes of pretense they themselves are building? (Matthew 7:1-5) Churches filled with people, often women, who make others feel “less than” and alone. Our church communities should not be this way. I have found that many churches tend to lean one way or the other. Too many churches are made up of people playing a part. People who look down on others who don’t outwardly measure up. The Bible calls them Pharisees. (Matthew 23:25-28) On the other hand there are churches filled with people who share the “come as you are” mantra, but don’t follow through with biblical teaching on how to grow beyond where they linger. There is no solid ground of repentance and forgiveness, encouragement and change. It’s all just a “feel good” atmosphere. The Bible calls this the seeds that have fallen on stony places. (Matthew 13:4-9, 18-23) Both can leave a person feeling very alone. Jesus never intended any of this to be our reality. What was my high school reality? I can remember a friend sharing scripture with me on the bus ride to a basketball game. I was going through uncertainty, and she lifted me up with God’s words. When I found out my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer, I can remember the comfort I felt in the embrace of a friend as she held me in silence and allowed me to cry. I can remember a group of us sharing tears of joy in the bathroom after a revival service at our church. I can remember testimonies of God’s working in front of bonfires. I can remember sharing the gospel with a new student and friend in an empty room off of the church sanctuary, and her prayer asking Jesus to save her. I can remember that Jesus was real to us, and we were real with each other. What habits did my high school years teach me? That we could be truthful without feeling “less than”. That we could share in the good without the worry that others would think we were bragging. That we could cry without being made to feel weak. That we could share our struggles without condemnation. That we could talk about God without feeling like others viewed us as trying to appear “better than”. That we could be real. Real and never alone. Just like Jesus taught. Just like Jesus was here on earth~ and still is today. That should be our reality. A fellow sister in Christ should never feel alone. We should have each others backs instead of sticking knives in them. We should lend a hand when they fall, and give our heart when they’re hurting. We should rejoice when they rejoice, and weep when they weep. (Romans 12) We should reach down and lift them up. We should be the hands and feet of Jesus, and have the heart of Him who saved us from the wretched sinners we all are. (Romans 3: 10, 23) Somehow I think too many forget that part. Today, search your hearts. Look into someone’s eyes and tell them it’s going to be okay. Give them your hand and your heart and lift them up. Share God’s words of love with them. Empowerment as women should not be our goal. Making sure that others never feel alone should be our calling. Just like Jesus. A habit we should never, ever forget.
3/11/2022
What Hinders PrayerWhat Hinders Prayer
Fair warning~this will be a long post, but it is one that I feel is so important and needs to be addressed. Please bare with me… *My mind has been ruminating on the words I wrote last week. The little things that God kept nudging me about. Why did my prayer life feel so hindered again today? My mind seemed to be everywhere, except on the words I longed to speak to my Savior. Everything kept it wandering, from what I needed to do that day to my grumbling stomach~ and even my grocery list. And I pondered. Why was I so easily distracted? Along with that, my ladies Bible study was on the topic of pride for two weeks in a row. Then the preacher (aka my husband) touched on it in his message. The verse of the day warned against it and I knew God was obviously trying to show me something. I searched deep within my heart. I truly did not feel I had a pride issue, (even though I now realize how prideful that sounds) and yet God continued to bring it up. I almost argued with Him. I know everything I have comes from Him. I am nothing. The words I pen are not my own, they are His. In my humanness I was searching for pride issues in the wrong areas. But still He nudged, so I continued to ask Him to please show me. Today He did. My eyes were opened to something I never even realized. Despite my arguments, I knew I had pride issues. And I repented. I cannot tell you the amount of times in my 56 years that I have “felt” as if God was silent. Times where prayer seemed like a struggle or like my words were just bouncing off the ceiling. The closeness with Jesus was not there. Yet, every single time God was there. He was not far away, despite my feelings. He always made this known to me~sometimes He showed me the reasons in big ways, and sometimes He showed me in the tiniest ways. Today I give you some of those reasons to ponder. Things God has revealed to my own heart in times like these. The first and most important reason we may feel as if God is far away~ We aren’t truly His child. This isn’t a “religion” thing. This isn’t a “come to my church” thing or become my “denomination” thing. This is God and His words. We are NOT all God’s children. (John 1:12) The world might like to repeat that feel good phrase, but it is not true. God in His word tells us that the ONLY way we become God’s children is through His Son Jesus Christ who died for our sins on the cross. (John 14:6) No religion and no amount of confessionals can get you to heaven. No good works can help you gain favor in God’s eyes and no amount of repetitive prayers can magically turn you into His child. (Ephesians 2:8,9) Only Jesus. Jesus and His forgiveness of our sins through grace. The end. This is the absolute most important thing you can ever do. If you cannot recall a time in your life when your heart truly believed this and you asked Jesus to forgive you of all your sins and to save your soul (Romans 10:10-13), please friend~ get that settled today. Become God’s child. The second thing that hinders prayer is unconfessed sin. (Psalm 66:18) When we become God’s child we don’t automatically stop sinning. We are human. Whether it is intentional or something we don’t even realize, we will fall short because we aren’t perfect. (Romans 3:23) Only God is perfect. Because of this, it is important to always check our hearts and make sure we aren’t holding on to something that needs our repentance. Just like my pride. Ask God to show you. Believe me, He will. And once He does, tell Him you’re sorry. (1 John 1:5-10) I cannot emphasize this next one enough. DON’T. GIVE. UP. Too often when it comes to our prayer life, we give up too quickly. If we don’t feel close to God or our prayers aren’t answered in a timely fashion, we just stop praying. (James 4:8) Don’t allow this to be the case. Keep on praying and don’t stop. Even if you feel like you are talking to a wall. You aren’t my friend. God is right there. There are a myriad of reasons you might feel this way, so don’t give up until you get a hold of God and He breaks through the walls that are hindering your prayer life. And speaking of reasons why we “feel” this way is exactly that. Our feelings. Too often we base our prayers on the way we feel. Sometimes we need to look at it like marriage. I mean, let’s be honest~ I don’t always “feel” like being married. I don’t always “feel” like talking to Mike and let me share a little secret with you~ I don’t always “feel” like listening to him talk to me. Does that mean we are no longer married or that I no longer love him? No. It’s the same with our prayer life. We can’t base it on our feelings because we are sinful, wretched humans with crazy, sometimes erratic feelings. But, praise God we are loved and forgiven humans. Humans that God has unlimited grace, understanding and mercy on. (Hebrews 4:15) From the time we become His child, we forever remain His child (John 10:28, Jeremiah 31:3, 1 John 3:1) and He forever remains our daddy who never, ever leaves us no matter how we might “feel”. (Hebrews 13:5) So what do we do when our feelings do get in the way? When we don’t feel that closeness despite our persistence in prayer? We dig deep into God’s word. The Bible is literally God’s love letter to us. (Psalm 1:2, 104:34, 119: 48, 97, 99, Joshua 1:8) I can guarantee you that if you take the time to sit and read His words of promise, comfort, peace and love~your heart will change. (Matthew 6:21)Your prayers will have the solid rock to be built upon.(Matthew 7:24-27, 16:18, Psalm 18:2, 61:2, 2 Samuel 22:2-3) A strong foundation instead of weak feelings. Don’t trust your feelings. They lie. Trust God’s word. (Proverbs 3:5-6) God will always show you something new in His word to help you, if you stay consistent in the asking and don’t give up. I can’t even count the number of times His word spoke directly to my heart. It felt like my eyes were opened. Almost as if I was seeing something for the first time and a heavy weight was lifted. Giving everything to God is so freeing. The more you read, the more you get to know Him and the closer to Him you become. And you love Him. You suddenly realize He isn’t a far away God up in heaven somewhere but is as near to you as your very heart. Always with you. Lean in to Him. He never left. Our feelings just got in our way. And last, why does my mind wander so much? I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s one of two things. I’m either anxious and worried, so my thoughts continually stray to the things I’m worried about. If that’s the case then I’m probably not trusting Christ with the situation and having faith that He will come through for me. Instead, I’m trying to figure out how I can fix it somehow on my own. And the second reason is simply because I’m a spoiled, unthankful child living in a generation full of other spoiled, unthankful children. I don’t have to beg God for my safety from another country bombing my town. I don’t have to beg for food or shelter. I don’t have to hide in order to read my Bible. Instead of being heavenly minded, I sit in my warm bed with a hot cup of coffee in my hand, an iPhone on my night stand and a bible on my lap. And my mind wanders to earthly things. (Matthew 6:21, James 4:2-3) Funny how our prayer life can change drastically when heart ache hits close to home. Our minds don’t tend to wander when we’re on our knees before God begging for His help. If we would just remain faithful in every season and learn to be thankful in remembering the thousands upon thousands of ways God has blessed us, our minds would be on Christ and not everything else. Too often we simply take Christ for granted. If you search your heart and none of these areas seem to be an issue for you then I encourage you to hearken back to my words from last week’s post. Perhaps through it all your Savior just wants you to stop and to be still in His presence, until His presence is fully known and you realize all you ever needed was Him. I realize this post may have stepped on a few toes. Truthfully, my toes needed stepping on. Prayer should never be ritualistic. It shouldn’t be about what we get or don’t get. It should be about spending time with our closest friend. Laughing with Him, crying with Him and being still with Him. Just like every other area of our life~ It should be all about Him because He is everything to us.
3/4/2022
Don’t Stop PrayingIt has been an emotional week.
My dad has been gone for a little over a year and yet, thoughts of his passing have come to the forefront of my mind for no particular reason. At times I can hardly wrap my mind around it. My dad went home to heaven the day after the funeral of one of our dearest friends, who had unexpectedly passed away just the week before. The friend whose birthday would be this Monday~the day before my dads. They entered this earth a day apart and left this earth a week apart. Thoughts of the trials my children have faced, and continue to face have also weighed on me. Thoughts of missing my sister-in-law as I watch her son get married tonight have brought tears of happiness mixed with tears of sorrow. And then, thoughts of the horrors other countries are facing have been a constant, even as I write this. I have struggled with what to post this week. I have prayed and asked God for words to encourage, and yet He has been silent. And I couldn’t understand why. I wondered if perhaps he didn’t want me to write a thing. Certainly I don’t want to post some cliche story that God never intended I share. Sometimes you may wonder why continual “bad” hits you from every direction and God seems to remain silent. Here’s the thing. For me, He hasn’t been silent. He has been speaking to my soul, but my mind was screaming too loud to hear Him. My eyes were focused on the emotions I was feeling instead of on Him. My scripture reading landed on Job this week. I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to read it. I complained. I told God I needed something uplifting, but He knew exactly what I needed. Quotes that I had scheduled a month ago popped up on my Holding Hope page all week, and it still didn’t hit me. Quotes suggesting I pray about what my mind wanders to. Quotes reminding me to keep praying, even if all I have left is a whisper. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Philippians 4:6) Quotes that told me to just Be Still. (Psalm 46:10) My mind was anything but still. My thoughts were running a marathon inside it. But today in the tiny moments of quiet I had, I prayed again. I finally heard Him. His whispers through the cracks of distractions touched my heart. (I Kings 19:11&11, Matthew 14:28-30) He kept telling me to be still and as much as I argued that I was being still, I knew deep down I wasn’t. So I stopped. I stopped trying to figure out all the answers on my own. I stopped and I just sat. I sat on my bed and I asked Jesus to sit with me. Just to sit there and hold my hand and still my heart. (Matthew 28:20, Jeremiah 29:11) And He did. And He told me to tell you to do the same. How easily I allow circumstances to weigh me down and steal my peace and joy as I wonder what’s going to happen. How easily I miss my loved ones and fall into a sadness I don’t want to climb out of, instead of realizing the comfort and hope of heaven.(1 Thessalonians 4:13) How easily I try to control situations and find myself in continual unrest. How easily I focus on the bad and miss all the good. I miss Him. We’re all looking for hope. For answers. We scroll through social media looking for that quote or devotional that will give us those answers we’re seeking. We even open our bibles, as if a verse will magically appear to answer our “whys”. God often uses all of these things to help those in need, myself included, but sometimes in the looking we are striving in our flesh to find the answers that only God knows. Sometimes the answer is simply Him, and that’s all we need to know. (Hebrews 6:18 & 19) Once we get to the place of that realization our eyes are opened. We see life through Him and in His stillness, everything is changed. We suddenly understand that we don’t have to know all the answers, we just need to be still with Him. (Ephesians 1:18) Don’t stop praying sweet friend, even if it feels like God is silent. He is not. Keep seeking Him in the stillness until His stillness pushes out all the distractions and it is just you and your Savior~ And through faith, you once again see your life through His eyes. The eyes of of Him who loves you and gave Himself for you. (Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 4:17 & 18)
2/25/2022
Choose The LaughterLaughter is the best medicine, especially in marriage.
Years ago, my sister and brother-in-law told us a funny story. Back when cell phones first came out, before texting or caller ID, my sister-in-law was in the kitchen and got a call on her new cell phone. Thinking it must be very important she answered, only to discover it was my brother-in-law calling from the bedroom upstairs and asking her to bring him a bowl of ice cream. At the time that was unheard of, and we all got a good laugh out of it. Now couples text each other while they’re in the same room. Back then it seemed so silly~and even lazy~ that he would call her instead of just getting up and getting it himself, and that’s what made us laugh so hard. Yes, it’s funny how time can change things. I think over time we can all get lazy in our marriages if we aren’t careful. And that’s when it seems that the little things really start to get to us. I’m reminded of the wise words of a friend during our Ladies Bible Study one week. We were talking about husbands and habits, and how certain things can drive you crazy after a while. Her simple words had a huge impact~ “I just don’t allow it to bother me anymore”. I was dumbfounded, but then I let her words sink in. What if I decided to not let it bother me anymore? All the silly, little things that I let get on my last nerve. Things that I didn’t allow to bother me in our first years of marriage. Could I possibly do that? With God’s help, that has been my goal. That goal was put to the test the other day when I asked my husband to do something for me. Fifteen years ago his reply might have fueled a fight~ depending on the time of the month or the circumstances of the day. The thought of that makes me very sad. How easily I let things fuel the fire. As women, we don’t like to admit it but we do allow little things to dictate our emotions. In the moment we feel completely justified for our anger, and we don’t like it when our time of the month (or menopause) gets the blame for the words we say to our spouses. My time of the month is a time of the past now, and when I look back I know that 75% of our fights during that time could have been avoided. As wives, we need to be honest with ourselves in this regard. Somehow as the years pass we adopt this behavior in marriage as ok. If we aren’t careful, we can allow little things that really don’t matter to slowly chip away at the foundation of something that started as a beautiful dream come true. And so, I think about my sister-in-law and friend. She passed away at the early age of 35 after giving birth to her 6th baby. None of us could have imagined this would happen when we were laughing about that cell phone call and her husband’s request for ice cream. I’m so glad I have that memory. It always brings a smile but it also reminds me of her husband’s words after she passed away. “I wish I had never fought with her about the stupid things that made us fight”. As much as he cherished the laughter, he deeply regretted the fighting. Just like my older friend’s wise words, his words had a big impact, unfortunately I didn’t let them sink in deep enough. At the time I can remember looking over at my husband and thinking~ ‘I’m never going to fight with him again’. Almost twenty years later and there have been too many fights to count. Because I let the little things get to me and I got lazy. I got lazy in fighting for the foundations of first love. And in my laziness, I got selfish. I didn’t want to talk things out or pray, too often I just wanted to be right. What a waste. Ladies, twenty years from now don’t look back and realize how much better your marriage could have been. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up “in the moment”. We don’t know how much time God will give us with our spouses, so make the very best of every single day you have together. Look at each day as if it could be your last. Don’t let the little things bother you. Don’t let the circumstances of the day or the dot on the calendar dictate your emotions. Give your marriage to God every single day. Don’t fight with each other, fight for each other. Talk things out. Spend time in God’s word. Pray together. Love on each other. And most importantly laugh. Always laugh together. My husband’s reply the other day? I chose laughter. I laughed and I hugged him and we laughed together. And it was sweet. And I just pray that God allows me many more days of laughter with this man I love. Because all those little things, those are the things satan will use to destroy that laughter. Determine today that with God’s help you won’t allow him to do that. We hear the world’s words “choose your battles wisely”, but oh how sweet our marriages would be if we chose never to go to battle to begin with. To have on the armor of God continually, fighting off the wiles of the devil. In the moment we can choose to be stubborn, miserable and right, or we can choose to look past all the silly, little, irritating things that don’t really matter~ and just laugh. God wants us to laugh. Choose the laughter ladies. One day you will look back and be so thankful you did.
2/18/2022
Holding On To TearsHappy memories can dance through the recesses of our minds and bring so much joy to an ordinary day. Memories give us hope, because we can see the entire picture that the happiness was painted around.
Tears can stay with us as well. Just as much as the happy memories can linger, so can the memories that brought us tears. When I set my mind on one or the other, it amazes me how many of those moments come flooding back. The good and the bad. The moments that brought tears are so distinctive to me. Some have stayed with me from a very early childhood. They are etched into my brain and I can remember them like they were yesterday. Kindergarten and the first death of a beloved pet. The stinging words of a supposed friend. Having to move for the first of many times. My parents fighting. My parents separation. Leaving all my friends and moving far from our country home to a city filled with people. A heart broken by young love. The cool girl with her mean words. The word cancer and the death of my grandfather after a year of hospital visits and treatments. Watching the agonizing pain and heartache my mother was going through every single day because of it. Leaving my family to move 700 miles away. The words “your child will have birth defects. Termination is an option”. More moves. Losing my best friend. The mama tears of watching your children through every phase of their lives as they face all the same heartaches you did. A crushing betrayal. 10 wasted years of unforgiveness. Losing my mama. Death upon death upon death. Losing my daddy. Unanswered prayers of a begging heart. Too many tears to mention. In those moments I did not want to hear~ “God does everything for a reason” “We can’t have rainbows without rain”. Or any of the cliche things that people say, because they don’t know what to say. In those moments I just wanted to cry. And I wanted someone to cry with me and understand my pain. Tears are very lonely. Tears have a profound impact on us. Heartache can shape our souls if we allow it. Our days will be filled with misery or bitterness, anger or resentment, self pity or loss of hope. Sometimes even the loss of our will to live. And when the tears beat down on us day after day after day, sometimes we give up the fight, because there’s no fight left in us. But. If we continually look back at our life we can have hope again because we can see that somehow when we truly believed all was lost, God brought us out to the other side. We were never alone. (Joshua 1:9) He was always with us, we just lost sight of him through the tears that blurred our vision and blinded our hearts. Whatever might be causing your tears today will be a memory for your tomorrow. God does not just paint the beautiful pictures of happy moments. He paints His goodness and peace and comfort into every heartbreaking moment we go through. One day you will look back and see the entire picture God had painted. His word tells us that He puts every one of our tears in a bottle, and writes them all down in a book. A bottle is a container. It holds things. Every single one of your tears are precious to Him and when you thought you couldn’t hold it together any longer and it was the end of your story, He was holding you and writing what you didn’t think you could. (Psalm 56:8&9) Yes, if we set our minds on the heartache we will be overcome by the grief and so, our loving Heavenly Father and Friend bids us~ set your mind on things above. (Colossians 3:1) Time passes so quickly and the moments that I thought would break me are the moments I see God putting His loving arms around me, picking me up and carrying me through. (Psalm 34:18&19) I feel the comfort He gave and the peace that overcame the heartache. (John 14:27) I see that He did answer my prayers, despite the tears that blinded me in those moments. And I look ahead to the day I am in His presence when His loving hand will wipe away every single tear that has fallen from my eyes. (Revelation 7:17, 21:4) Each tear He holds in His bottle sets my heart on things above. Each tear reminds me of my Savior’s love. Each tear reminds me that He wept along with me and understands. (John 11:35) Each tear reminds me that my Savior suffered for me, yet He did it with joy. (Hebrews 12:2) Each tear reminds me that I am never ever alone, and as I look back each tear reminds me of the beautiful happy moments God created for me through it all. Because each tear makes every happy memory so much sweeter. And the happy far outweighs the sad. (Psalm126:1-3) Don’t hold on to the tears. Let Jesus hold them. You hold on to the good. Every single good memory~and just believe. You will see His glory. (John 11:40) because everything good and everything perfect always comes from God. (James 1:17) And because He is writing your book, and every story He has ever written always has a beautiful ending. (2 Peter 1:19, Psalm 139:1-18)
2/11/2022
Stronger For ItFor a brief moment I questioned sharing it. This post about love… “to the one needing this tonight: there’s a man waiting to love you how God intended…” The societal screams from thousands of women echoed in my head. ~We are strong and confident and able. ~We can do anything a man can do. Continual shouts have been hurled at this generation~ ~We need to love ourselves, we need to raise strong daughters. ~We don’t need a man to complete us, or to love us. And for a split second, I let the shouts of peer pressure dissuade me and compromise the heart of my beliefs. My finger briefly staggering over the delete button. God’s shouts were greater. I am STRONG. I am CONFIDENT and ABLE. I have raised STRONG daughters. But I am NOT complete without my man, and I will make no apologies for this. Why am I labeled “old fashioned”? Why does the world view this as a weakness? If this is my weakness, I am proud of it. If this is my weakness, I am stronger for it. I was created for my husband. I love him more than life itself. Despite what society claims~I do not cook and clean, do laundry and keep house because I am his slave. I do not do these things because I am weak. I do not do these things because I have been brainwashed by my religion. I CHOOSE to do these things because of love. My choice. I do these things because it gives me so much joy to love on this man of mine. I do them because he is my “Happily Ever After”. He is the love story God wrote just for me. I understand that there are women who will never marry. I understand that there are women reading this right now that are single, but have not chosen to be. Perhaps divorce, or even death has placed this label on you. Whether you have chosen to be single, or perhaps you are praying even now for the man God has for you~ that “man who is waiting to love you as God intended”~ Whatever category you fall into~ make no mistake, neither of these make you weak in God’s eyes. Should we be content to be fully loved by Christ alone, even if we are to remain single? Yes, we should find contentment in Christ alone~ but God never once tells us in His word that it is wrong to pray for a spouse. God never once tells us it is wrong to be made complete by a man. In fact, He tells us the opposite. He tells us that He created us to be a help meet to our husbands. He tells us that when we are married, we two become one. Without my husband, I am only half as strong as I can be. Together with him, we are one. He makes me whole. Don’t allow society to change the very heart of your beliefs. Don’t allow the screams of peer pressure to dissuade you or your daughters. Don’t allow their words to make you feel “less than”, weak, or old fashioned. Open God’s word and show them the beautiful picture of what pure, selfless love truly means. Show them the true meaning of strength. This Valentine’s Day I will be proud to be labeled weak, because when I look at my husband my heart fills with a joy that I can’t even put into words. And that’s what love is. A love that God always intended between a husband and wife. One flesh. Bone of my bone. My soul mate and best friend. My lover. The man who takes my breath away, and the man I want next to me when I draw my last breath. The man I would do anything for. The man who completes me. Does this make me weak? Yes, yes it does, haha~ Weak in the knees~ And I am stronger for it.
2/4/2022
Put On Your Armor And FightHow does this happen?
This little “blue” light that seems to continually lure me in. I constantly find myself repentant for becoming so easily distracted with it. I find myself sorry for this compulsive need to check and eliminate notifications and~ Not my need for Him. I make excuses. I read devotionals and Bible apps. I “like” scripture based posts and quotes. I listen to biblical podcasts. Deep down I know, they could never take the place of that old book. His words. Sitting on the chair in my room. It will never be the same as speaking to Him in humble gratitude upon my knees. I make excuses. I’m writing for Him. I’m posting Godly encouragement. All the while~ preaching the good while missing the best. Time away from that little “blue” light. Time spent reading the ONLY light. (Psalm 119:105) I make excuses. My love for my country. My causes. My beliefs. I need to stay informed. He whispers to my fearful heart. His wisdom is the wisdom I should long for. His wisdom will make me wise. His wisdom has been passed on from generation to generation. (Psalm 145:4-5). This is my weakness. One of so many. It may not be yours. You might not understand how certain things I write about can weaken my soul. How I can allow it to creep in and steal away the most important moments of my day. Those quiet moments with God. It is a battle. It’s a battle I see all around me on a daily basis. Heads bowed to a little “blue” screen. Everywhere. Listen to my words and let me be clear, even if this is not your own personal battle, you ARE IN A BATTLE. Satan knows what your weakness is and if you aren’t prepared, you will lose the fight before you ever pick up a weapon. The weapons of our warfare are not physical. They are spiritual. (2 Corinthians 10:4). God’s word is your sword. Prayer is your preparation. Your local church is your army, this world is the battlefield and your God is mighty! Sadly, we are losing the battle without even realizing it because we have allowed these little weaknesses to creep in. We have allowed them to permeate our lives and the lives of our children. That “blue” light? That’s just one of the many things that appears so innocent, yet destroys without a second thought. This world has conditioned our hearts to feel uncomfortable with the words I’m writing today. This world is whispering to your armorless soul that I am being just a bit overkill. Taking this Jesus thing a little too far. That is a lie. I am in the fight. And so are you. Our minds are continually bombarded by information through social media. (John 8:44-47). We get fearful. We get angry and defensive, or maybe even passive because we have become immune to it all. (Matthew 5:44-48, Psalm 119:51, 53). We have allowed these things to blind us to what this battle is all about. It is a battle for souls and Satan is using his own sly weapons to distract us from that truth. Jesus is what it’s about. His gospel of peace. Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Jesus who loves us despite every weakness we allow to creep in. Jesus who will fight for us and redeem us from an eternity in hell. Jesus who loves fiercely and yet, has a tender compassion on our sin cursed souls. (Psalm 145:8-9). Put on your armor sweet sister. Sweet wife. Sweet mama. Put on that armor and fight for the souls of mankind. Put down the phone and tablet, turn off the TV and make time to saturate your soul with God’s word. (Psalm 119:104) With God’s wisdom, truth and righteousness. Speak to the God who formed all of mankind and beg Him to fight for you and your families. (Exodus 14:14). Get into your local churches and feed on the message from God each week. (Ephesians 6:10-20). Yes, this may seem counterintuitive for me to be singing my little fight song from the very instrument I’m telling you to put away. Friend~if my message can motivate you to put down the nonsense and pick up God’s word, then you fight with your everything to do just that. My fight begins with prayer, because I know I am too weak on my own. My fight continues with boundaries. (Psalm 119:59-60). I will not pick up this phone before picking up God’s word. I won’t even read His words from any “blue” light, because that light can so easily distract. I will turn off notifications. I will keep my phone in another room and I will continually beg God to keep my eyes on what this battle is all about. Jesus. Jesus and the very reason He came to this earth. Souls. The battle is for souls. And that will be my fight song until the day I take my final breath. (Psalm 119:54). We don’t like weakness.
It’s pumped into us from early childhood that we can do anything we put our minds to. We don’t like to ask for help. We want this persona that we can do it all. That we’re strong and capable. I recently found myself in a weak situation. I didn’t want to bother anyone, so I didn’t ask for help. I thought I could do it alone. I may have screamed a little in the frustration of the moment. I was determined to put a storage container larger than myself (and filled to the brim with heavy outdoor greenery) up onto a shelf that was above my head. I assessed the situation and came up with a plan. I got the container up and balanced onto the first shelf and then with a heave, lifted it above my head to slide onto the next shelf up. For a split second I was proud of myself. Until I realized the container was too big to slide onto the shelf. And so, that huge container that was larger than my body frame rested on top of my head and I screamed (just a little) in anger and frustration. I could almost feel my spine turning into an accordion. I was home alone in 5 degree weather out in my garage. This was going to come crashing down, and me along with it. I was weak. Somehow in that moment I prayed and asked God not to allow me to fall off the ladder I was balancing on, and to be able to set that container down without anything breaking. Bones included. To be honest, I don’t even know how I got it down and looking back, I wish I had just prayed ahead of time and perhaps God would’ve shown this proud, stubborn woman that there was no way that huge container would fit on that shelf. (Proverbs 3:5-6) I placed all power on myself, and guess what? I am powerless. We all are. I used to quote that verse in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10~’when I am weak, He is strong’, but it dawned on me recently that that is not what the verse says. There is truth in that statement, but the verse actually says~ when I am weak then “I” am strong. It almost doesn’t make, sense until you read the entire context. When we realize we have no strength, we have no power and we are weak~ that’s the moment we become strong, because it’s in that moment as a Christian that we come to the realization that the power comes from Christ alone. It’s not something most people would brag about. In fact, I am sure many would see that whole idea as being weak. The world is constantly shouting at us that we are strong, and how utterly ridiculous it is to have to lean on Christ for our strength. Too often we allow their screams to drown out God’s promises to us. So my question to you is this~ Why do it alone? Why try to muster up the strength to conquer every thing this world throws at you~ alone? Most likely~ pride. (Proverbs 16:18) Do you know how often Christ tells us that through Him we can have peace (Philippians 4:6-7) and comfort (1 Peter 5:7, 11 Corinthians 1:3-5) and love (John 3:16) and strength (Isaiah 41:10-13) and power (2 Timothy 1:7)? Throw any situation in the mix, it doesn’t matter what it is~Christ will take that yoke upon himself and bear it right along side of you. (Matthew 11:30, Psalm 55:22) You will never be alone. (Hebrews 13:5-6) Not even in 5 degree weather in a garage. On a ladder. With a Christmas container perched on top of your head. Satan knows our weaknesses. Sometimes he knows them better than we do. He fools us into thinking we are strong on our own, and it isn’t until that moment we fall apart that we realize that our weaknesses are much stronger than our resolve. Don’t let pride harden your heart, (Hebrews 3:8, Psalm 95:8) and quite literally make you fall. (James 4:6, Psalm10:4) Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re being humble by not asking for help. Humility is not weakness, humility is strength wrapped up in Jesus. (Isaiah 41:10-13) Ask God for help today. Ask Him to show you areas that you are weak, not physically but spiritually. Ask Him for His strength and power. Don’t wait until you are broken to finally beg God for help. (Hebrews 4:16, Psalm 34:18) And then, allow yourself to ask others for help as well. Put aside your pride and let someone be a blessing in the serving. One day you will look back at whatever problem you find yourself in at this very moment and say~”I honestly don’t know how I got out of that situation except for God. He heard my prayers. He strengthened me and gave me the power to overcome. He did not leave me broken and because of Him, I am strong. Because of Him, I can do anything.” (Philippians 4:13) It’s all Him. Realize that now, rather than later. Ultimately you show your strength by showing your weakness. The strength that only comes from God.
1/21/2022
Let Them Be LittleRemember when they wanted to be held?
Remember when they snuggled? Remember the make believe days when fairies were real? When bad became good with just one kiss? When beds became forts, and pillows were made for happy dreams? Remember when they thought they could fly? They believed in fairy tales and kingdoms. They played with dolls, and built cities with Lego’s. They played outside for hours. On tire swings and monkey bars. Or just staring at cloud shapes that came alive to tiny eyes. And you loved the innocence their lives beheld. Remember when you would tuck them in and they would smile and giggle and say this was the best day ever? Remember when they were little? Remember when they got sick? One child after another? When fatigue had you crying right along with them? Remember when they were sad and the tears of their tiny broken hearts was more than you could stand? Remember when dreams became bad, and they didn’t want to go to bed at night? Remember the peer pressure and teasing and the sadness that ensued? And you hated that sin had made life so cruel. Remember when you tucked them in, and they begged you not to send them to school in the morning. Remember when they realized they couldn’t fly? Clouds were just clouds. Fairy tales weren’t true. Dolls were for babies. Remember when they weren’t little any more? Remember them now. Remember the times they had to go through heart wrenching circumstances in their lives, with their own little families? With their spouses? Remember the nights you sat alone with your husband in the very house they were raised in, and shed tears for the heartache your adult children were facing? Or could be facing even now. And you cried more than you ever did from fatigue when they were little. Remember the helplessness you felt because this was life? This was adulthood. This wasn’t something a kiss could make better. And you hate that sin has made life so cruel. Let them be little mama. Let them be little for as long as possible. Don’t fall into the trap of making your oldest responsible for your youngest, when he’s just a baby still himself. Don’t tell your children to grow up. Don’t yell at them for ‘not thinking’. Don’t expect them to react like an adult. Let them be little, because you will blink and the heartache this world throws at them will break your own heart. And then you will wish they were little again. Don’t dwell on the bad days. You are mama. The same mama who helped them believe in fairytales and made their childhood days the best days ever. Remind your adolescent and adult children of the beautiful days. Show them there will always be a kingdom, one far better than a fairytale could ever capture. Luke 1:33, Isaiah 9:7, Psalm 145:13, Daniel 7:27. Show them the sunshine through the clouds. Encourage them to see those beautiful shapes. To lay down and rest once in a while. To play and to believe in good again. Because God is always good, and his kingdom is being prepared for us even now. John 14:2, Psalm34:8, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 107:8, Psalm 145:9, And His goodness will always, always prevail against the bad. And He loves them more than your mama heart ever could. And then, as hard as it might be, choose to believe that yourself. And give Him those tears you cry for them. Knowing how much He loves you as well. Let them be little mama. Show them they can fly. Even when they aren’t little anymore. Remind them of how much God loves them. Remind them that He will never leave their sides, that He is in control even when they can’t see the good. Help them believe in that good again. And remember that He is holding them when you no longer can. And as they fall asleep at night, be that mama that made them believe that pillows were made for happy dreams again. The mama that whispered encouragement to their grown up hearts. The hearts that once held so much innocence. Be the mama that continually reminded them that day~ That every day can still be the best day ever.
1/14/2022
A Bump In The PlanI lay in bed in the darkness, listening to my husband pray.
It’s been a week. But tomorrow, tomorrow looks promising. I have a well thought out plan of how it will go~ New Year’s resolutions I want to start on. Organizing my home. Getting on the treadmill. But most important, spending time with God. Writing my blog post. Surely He will bless me. My blog is for Him after all. My words of hope. Words of encouragement. But then tomorrow comes. A headache. Notifications screaming at me to be acknowledged. Writers block. Cold coffee. Interruptions. Phone calls, texts and seemingly wasted hours. And I get frustrated. I get irritated. Not one prayer uttered and not one word written for my blog. This wasn’t supposed to be my tomorrow. I often find it easy to preach this idea of “divine interruptions” to my adult children~those moments when you have a well thought out plan. A course of action. Limited time. Goals to achieve. A project to start or finish. But then~ someone bumps into those plans and your entire day is rerouted. When my children get frustrated with moments like this, I remind them that it’s all God. He knew exactly what was going to happen. He knew exactly who was going to bump into those plans and change the whole course of the day. Moments like these are divine interruptions and we shouldn’t be upset with them. But when it happens to me? It’s not divine. It’s difficult. It’s displeasing. It’s depressing. It’s “drive me crazy” interruptions. Because~ isn’t my scenario different? I’m doing God’s work. But I’m not. When I get in those moods, it’s all about me. I’m doing Charisse’s work. Not God’s. I argue with myself that I’m justified in my irritation, because I’m looking for those perfect words to write and that perfect story to tell. I’m looking for something to encourage people and give them hope. God’s hope for His people. The whole goal of Holding Hope. And that’s when it hits me. People. People ARE God’s work. Why did Jesus come? For people. To seek and to save those who are lost. People are the plan. Whether that’s your husband, your children, your parents, your neighbors~or even a complete stranger. All that other stuff comes second. If I never write another word because my life is interrupted with people and my moments are made up in ministering to others, then that is all God. That’s His plan. I’m not saying that having goals or making plans is wrong. It’s not. But putting your plans and your projects before your people is wrong. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that we could achieve those New Year’s resolutions. He didn’t die so that we could get into better shape or organize our homes or get that promotion at work. He didn’t even die on the cross so that I could write an amazing blog post for Holding Hope. He died for people. His amazing, unending, grace filled love of people. And so, my New Year’s resolutions will look a little different this year. I will look for God in every interruption. He knows exactly what’s going to happen as each new day unfolds. He knows exactly who needs to cross my path and who’s path I need to cross. He knows exactly who needs to bump into my plans. His plan is the plan I want to be a part of. God’s project. His divine interruptions. There will always be projects to accomplish and plans to achieve, but there is not one moment in time that is wasted when that moment is given to people. We do not know what tomorrow holds~ but God does. In His sovereign, omnipotent love He interrupts our days, because of that knowledge. Resolve to remember that God’s plans are so much better than ours. Our people may not be with us tomorrow~ So please remember that when they bump into your plans today. “…And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again…”
We are all familiar with the lyrics to this classic Christmas song, except I wasn’t that mom. I didn’t want school to start again. I wanted to hold on to every minute I had my children home with me during Christmas break. I was the mom watching school cancellations on the television during every snow storm, hoping the name of our school would come across the screen. Snowy days in front of a cozy fire. Hot chocolate and sledding. Movie Mondays where we’d all pile into our tiny den with a big bowl of homemade popcorn. My family. My kids. My heart. Yes I had those days when they would drive me absolutely crazy, but I wouldn’t trade one second of this glorious ministry God has placed me in. The ministry of motherhood. A ministry I often messed up. Motherhood is a high calling and one that far too many take too lightly. Every single second God gives you with your child is of utmost importance and will make a lasting impact on their lives. The words you say, the reactions you have, the love you give and the prayers you pray will mold them into the adult they will one day become. They will notice what is important to you without you ever saying a word, because mama that old saying still holds true today~ ”Actions speak louder than words”. Far too often my actions spoke louder. I wanted that clean house. I wanted that 5 minutes of peace. I wanted time to do projects and to write stories and to fulfill dreams. Today, I have all of that. I have all the time in the world to keep a clean house. To sit in the peace and quiet and write. Today the same rooms of this old house gaze back at me. The rooms I thought had to be cleaned and organized “right now” or I might lose it. The rooms I allowed to get between me and my children, because they were constant interruptions in my schedule. The rooms now empty of toys and children and laughter. Today I realize God did fulfill my dreams. He wrapped them up in four beautiful souls. All that other stuff was just stuff. The furniture has been arranged and rearranged and the paint in this house has been changed multiple times in the past 27 years and I will have multiple moments to change it all again, but those moments with my children are gone. And yes, that can break my heart. I messed up a lot in this ministry of motherhood. At times, we grandmas can often feel that pain of wishing we could have a “do over”. I know I do. But then God reminds me of the little miracles He made of the messes. He reminds me of the laughter. Of holding our breath as we wished for snow days, and the squeals of delight when they were gifted to us. Of playing hide and seek in the house and Barbies in the bedroom. Of making homemade popcorn and cookies and fudge. Of four little bodies snuggling in with mama on the couch. Of the prayers I prayed as tears flowed from an abundantly blessed heart. Yes I messed up, but God was in each one of those messes. He heard my sincere heart as I cried out to Him for the ‘now’ and for the ‘futures’ of my children. He was the God of my mundane days. He was the God Who sat with me as I cried out in prayer. The God Who was next to me as I washed dishes and vacuumed and painted that room one more time. The God Who made my home a safe haven of coziness for my kids. The God Who somehow allowed my children to look at my heart and not just my actions. The God Who turned my little beings into my best friends and my mistakes into lessons made. The God Who answered my prayers despite my problems. My God Who takes this ministry of motherhood seriously. I wasn’t the one who made this house a home. I wasn’t the one who raised my children to love the Lord. It was Jesus in me. Jesus in the messes and Jesus in the beautiful moments. Jesus in the very middle of this ministry of motherhood. No matter what that ministry looks like for you today~Invite Jesus in. Invite Him into every single thing you do. The cooking and baking. The laundry and dishes. The dusting and vacuuming. The painting and the rearranging. The bath time and the bed time. The prayer time. Fall to your knees for that newborn, that toddler, that teenager and college student. That wayward adult. When you invite Jesus in, He makes miracles out of messes. It is a high calling mama. One we need be on our knees for continually. It is a ministry that never ends. A beautiful, glorious, life changing ministry. That sweet, sweet ministry called motherhood.
12/31/2021
What Is Your “Because”?It’s going by too fast. Faster than I want it to. Fear of the swiftness grabs a hold of my heart. I try to reach behind me and grasp at it, but it has already moved past me. Time. I want more time. Time with my kids and grandkids. Time with my best friend of 36 years.
What happened to this year? What happened to this Christmas season? What happened to yesterday? I want it to slow down, but it pays no heed to my desires. This year I watched as beloved friends lost their best friends and soul mates, and it crushed me. How could they move on? Is that the reality of what we thought would be our “Happily Ever After”? To fall more in love as each year passes, to grow old together and then to face the heartache of losing one another? Of losing your whole life? And then, the other night I watched as the story of Christmas came alive on television. And the message spoke to my heart. It went beyond the good tidings of great joy to a message of hope for all mankind. A message of hope because of Jesus. Do not be afraid. That message was spoken to Zacharias, to Joseph, to Mary, to the shepherds. The beautiful message tucked away within the pages of Christmas. Do not be afraid. That message spoke to me. I watched the television as Mary, the mother of Jesus, lay close to death. I couldn’t help but think how excited she must have been with the knowledge that her life was drawing to an end. The fear of death did not grip her. She did not try to grasp at the past, because she knew Who was waiting for her. Her Son and her Messiah. What love her heart held for Him. And it humbled my own heart that the love I have for Him does not reach that level as it should. I used to pride myself in the fact that I wasn’t afraid of death, because I had no doubt a home in heaven awaited me. Not because of anything I had done, but because of everything Jesus did for me. As each year passes, the reality of death has changed for me. I realize that there is a fear~not for myself~but a fear of loss. Loss of what I hold so dear. And I do not want to face it. I fear the loss of my husband. I fear the loss of time. Time that goes too quickly. Time that I want back. Death has become so much more real to me as the years go quickly by. If my eyes are not on Jesus, fear can consume my thoughts. But the angels words whisper to my fearful heart over and over again. Do not be afraid. God speaks those very words so often in His word, that it is easy to pass them by. Just like time. To not be intentional in the regarding. The regarding of every minute of every day. The regarding of choosing to truly hear God’s words spoken to a fearful heart. Do not be afraid. If God allows, next year I will be writing words of encouragement as another year ends. Next year. It will fly by even faster. I will look back and wonder where the time went. And so, I will purpose in my heart to let the message of this Christmas season soak into my soul. Do not be afraid. I don’t know what next year holds. So much can change, but God’s words will never change. They will be a constant until I behold Him in glory. I will cling to His unchanging promises as I step into the future and I will choose to believe them. Do not be afraid. Why? Because~ Jesus.
12/24/2021
The Greatest JoyToday is Christmas!!
Today we celebrate the day that changed the entire course of all mankind. The birth of our Redeemer. How we celebrate will look different for everyone. Whether you are surrounded by the squeals of happy, little children, whether you are yearning for the cries of a newborn of your own, whether you are holding the aged hand of an elderly parent~ who once held your tiny hand in theirs, whether you are awaiting the arrival of adult children and looking forward to a house filled with laughter or whether you are alone, perhaps looking at the empty seat of a loved one you lost this year. Whatever your story~ today is the celebration of THE story. The story of good news. The story of glad tidings. The story of great joy. The story of hope, and not of fear. And so, whatever story this day holds for your heart, let us celebrate the JOY that came down from heaven for us and let us grasp the gladness that story holds. No matter how different your story may look from that of others~ God’s story is the same for us all. The story of sacrificial love for you. Allow the story of Christmas to wrap around your happy heart, but also your hurting heart. Lean into it and let it’s gift illuminate a weary soul. Let it’s wonder light up your room and let it’s message move you to merriment. Today, allow your soul to sing that glorious message along with the angels~ Good news. Glad tidings. Great joy and~ a very, Merry Christmas. 
12/17/2021
Not A Day~ But A DelivererShe sat in catechism and listened to the story she had heard every year on Jesus birthday. The story of a Savior being born to save His people from their sins. Her eyes wandered to the Christmas tree and it’s beautiful twinkling lights. As her teacher spoke her eyes gazed upward to the star on top of the tree and then down, down to the manger where the little baby lay. In that moment, it was almost as if the words of that familiar story came alive.
God came down. Down to earth from heaven for me. I was beginning to grasp the significance of a religious story I had heard my entire childhood… And today, I cannot help but think of another little girl. Sitting in a synagogue on the Sabbath, hearing a story of the promised birth of a Savior who would one day save her people. A story that had been told for over 4,000 years. A promise she had been taught her entire life, having no idea the significant role she would have in that promise. We know the story. That story of Christmas. That story of Jesus. We rejoice this time of year. We thank God for sending us such a gift. But to some~ it’s just a religious aspect of Christmas. A story. Have we truly grasped it’s meaning? Even though Mary had been taught the scriptures, (Isaiah 7:14) she did not grasp the truth of what she had been taught. When the angel Gabriel told her that she would be the one to carry the Messiah, her simple words~”How can this be?” reveal this truth. Thousands of people have read her very words and know the significant miracle of that moment, because we have read the last chapter. Mary did not and yet, she received it. Despite an unknown future, she put her faith and hope completely in God. When Gabriel explained the very scriptures she probably knew by heart, she believed the words spoken to her. And that moment changed her entire life. I am sure as the months went on, the significance of Who she carried so close to her heart became even more real. I am sure she wanted to tell everyone in her little town that the coming Savior was alive inside her, and I am sure that no one believed her. We know this because we have read the story. Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem when she was 9 months pregnant. No room in the inn despite the fact that everyone (including family and friends) was required to go there to be taxed. Maybe they rolled their eyes when she spoke of the One she carried so close to her heart. Maybe they thought- ‘She’s taking this Jesus thing a little too far.’ Or maybe they were kinder in their reasoning. Perhaps they thought that this whole “Savior thing” might be what SHE believed, but it wasn’t for the them. It must have been incredibly hard for Mary to hold such a Miracle inside. I am sure she wanted to tell everyone that everything they had been taught from scripture was coming true, and yet no one believed the truth in her words. Pondering the thoughts of Mary brings me to thoughts of my own little town. It’s very easy for me to sit down and write something for hundreds to read~ ladies I will probably never meet. It’s very easy for me to hide behind a social media screen and be brave in the words that I pen; but actually stepping out of my front door and telling that story to my little hometown is something entirely different. My town. There’s a comfort in those words. I love my tiny little town so much. And I wonder~ what do they think about the words that I write? Do they look at me and think~ ‘she’s taking this Jesus thing a little too far.’? Or maybe they reason~’that religion thing might be okay for HER, but it’s not for ME.’ Maybe the story of Christmas Day is one they have heard in church their entire life, but for them it has never come alive in their own heart and soul. A day but not a Deliverer. We can be taught “religion” our entire lives and still not fully grasp the truth of Christ. We can have a basic concept of church and the meaning of Christmas, but not have His new life living inside of us. I’m not here to tell you that once you receive The Gift of Jesus life magically becomes better. Heartache has hit home for me time after time. Health issues have been prevalent. No, life doesn’t magically get better, but I know Christ is right there with me through everything. I am never alone. He has given me strength when I couldn’t stand and joy when heartache was all too prevalent. And despite an unknown future, peace and hope in Him. A peace and hope He longs to give all of mankind, if we will put our faith in Him. Do I take this Jesus thing too far? Perhaps some might think so, but can I tell you that in my heart of hearts, I can never take it far enough because Jesus took his love so far for me. His love reached down from glorious heaven to a sin cursed world. Without His love there would be no hope of heaven, because there would be no forgiveness of sins. His love went from heaven to earth, from a manger to the cross~ For me. For you. That magnificent love took our sins as far as the east is from the west, farther than our finite minds can ever comprehend. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 “As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 The knowledge of this changed my entire life. But it wasn’t just the knowledge, it was the very fact that Jesus is alive and that love lives inside of me. My heart longs for you to understand these tidings of great joy. The greatest joy. My heart longs for you to receive His gift this Christmas. Not the gift of religion, the gift of God. Forgiveness of sins, a home in heaven, a Savior with you always, through everything. The only Gift that will change your entire life. “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing…The LORD hath done great things for us; Whereof we are glad.” Psalm 126:2-3
12/10/2021
The Empty Places At ChristmasOur children’s Christmas play might look a little different this year. Sickness has seem to hit our little town very hard. School activities have been canceled and our children’s midweek program has suffered. Attendance has been light to say the least, and because of this our Christmas program has also suffered. A program that we look forward to every year. A program that fills our little church with parents, grandparents and friends. A program that tells the good news of Jesus birth.
As I prayed about this Sunday, my heart wondered who would even attend? We only had a handful of children participating ~ half of whom were my own grandchildren. I thought about empty pews, and how that might affect them. But as I prayed God whispered to my heart that it would all be fine, because He brought to my remembrance the very first Christmas. The night the good news of Jesus birth was proclaimed by an angel. Not to a large auditorium full of people, but to shepherds in a field who came to a manger and worshipped a Savior. Thousands of people were in Bethlehem that night, but God came into the stillness of a silent night and spoke to the humble hearts of shepherds. And I knew that whether one person came and sat alone in our little auditorium, or 100 people came, God knew all along that the ones who needed the message would be there. Listening to the words of children proclaiming the good news. Watching the faith of a younger generation and having hope again in their hearts. And I knew that God would be there. Jesus among us~ no matter how small the attendance might be. This year your Christmas might look a little different, for one reason or another. Lack of family and friends and empty chairs might affect you. Don’t be tempted to look for Jesus in the big. Don’t look for Him in the parties or in the shopping and wrapping. Don’t look for Him in the Christmas music and movies. Don’t look for Him In the festivities filled with all the big Christmas things. Don’t look for His joy and peace in a place. Look for Him in the silent night, with the faith of a child. That’s where Christmas will be because that’s where God will be. His love fills all the empty places. Jesus among us. The precious gift of Jesus~right here in the stillness of your humble heart. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 ◦
12/3/2021
Practicing The Perfect ChristmasWhen my kids were little, they would “practice” Christmas morning. It was the sweetest thing to watch.
They would come up with “what-if” scenarios, then practice their solution to each. ~what if Michael wakes up first… ~what if Andrea wakes up first… ~what if Jessica WON’T wake up… ~what if Kathryn sneaks downstairs… ~what if it’s too early… Then they would act out their solutions. Michael would go in to wake the girls, Andrea would wake Michael, all of them would jump on Jessica, Kat would be strictly admonished to stay upstairs until given permission, and if it was too early they would tell mom and dad they had to go to the bathroom and couldn’t wait any longer. Funny thing is, all that practicing for the perfect Christmas went right out the window once that day arrived. The excitement made all the perfect planning and good ideas disappear, but that was alright. They will forever hold memories in their heart of running downstairs in complete chaos on Christmas morning and in their eyes, it was always perfect. It seems like so many Christmas movies revolve around someone trying to pull off the perfect Christmas, and utterly failing in one way or another. Apparently this is a hot topic during the holidays. As I look back on my little family and all the Christmases we have shared, I realize that too often I have fallen prey to practicing the perfect Christmas myself. My goal to make everyone happy ended in me being miserable at times, because my focus was misconstrued. I have come to the Christmas conclusion that you will never make everyone happy and~ only Jesus can give the gift of true happiness. I certainly am not Jesus. Year after year I got caught up in striving to make things perfect for everyone, and ended up taking my focus off of Him. Instead, my focus was placed solely on others. I found myself in tears last year because I was afraid that Christmas wouldn’t be special enough for my kids. That old saying~’practice makes perfect’ doesn’t always hold true. 35 years of practicing and planning to make the perfect Christmas for my children, and in my eyes I have yet to perfect it. Now that my kids are adults, they are no longer oblivious to the amount of work that sometimes goes into the perfecting of the perfect Christmas, and they are fully aware of the stress it can bring IF your focus isn’t on the entire reason for celebrating. Last year my girls bore witness to my little breakdown of emotions over my felt failures and they didn’t like it, because they now wish for ME to experience (and not just provide) the perfect Christmas as well. So what is the key to the perfect Christmas if it isn’t in the practice? The key is the peace that passes all understanding. My words might seem counterintuitive but when pleasing others becomes more important than pleasing Christ~we have no peace. Aren’t we always told to focus on others and not ourselves? Yes, we certainly should. I’m not saying that focusing on others is wrong, I’m saying that if that is our only focus, Jesus will become an afterthought. The words to the song Silent Night hold so many truths we need to grasp when December comes around… All is calm. All is bright. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. When we keep our eyes on Jesus and remember that He is the ONLY reason we celebrate the season, things will change. Christmas might be chaotic, all the perfect planning and good ideas might go right out the window, but that’s alright. Our hearts will hold the peace that passes understanding... All will be calm. All will be bright. All because of the Holy Infant born for us. And we will forever hold memories in our hearts of what a truly perfect Christmas is all about.
11/26/2021
Christmas CrazyI could hear their little feet tiptoeing down the stairs. They were trying to be quiet, but the old stairs could not lie. Each step made their presence known. I looked over at the clock in the darkness~4:30am. Hadn’t I just gone to sleep a few hours before?
(New rule this year, they will not be allowed out of bed until at least 6am.) I rolled over and nudged my husband. “The kids are awake”. He let out a quiet groan, but didn’t move. I slipped out of bed and went to the stairway door. It was still shut, at least that rule stayed in tact. I opened it slightly and saw 4 little faces. Excitement was written all over them. “It’s 4:30 in the morning!” I whispered. They giggled and squealed~ ”But mom! It’s Christmas!!!” That’s all it took. Yes, I gave in. That old saying~”I’m only a morning person on Christmas” is 100% me, and their excitement was contagious. Nothing compares to Christmas morning. When you are a child, it’s the most wonderful day of the year. For a whole month life becomes magical. Christmas countdown calendars are made. Letters are written, cards are signed, cookies are baked, presents are wrapped, music is blaring, lights are twinkling, snow is wished for and excitement abounds. Smiles and dreams lay on pillows at night, and every new day is more exciting than the last. Oh to be a child again at Christmas. Oh to be a child again for the entire month of December. We forget. We grow up. We have responsibilities, and the list of things that brought so much magic and joy to December when we were younger are now on a long checklist of things to do that cause us stress. We have shut the door on December excitement and groaned in the darkness of “to-do’s”. Yes, we have forgotten that we are still children. There is so much hope in the wonder of a child. No matter your age, there is still wonder to behold and there is still magic and joy in that beholding. Because we are GOD’S CHILD. That in itself should be so exciting to us. This is the month we celebrate the birth of our Savior. This is the month we celebrate the gift God has given us of eternal life in Heaven one day with Him, all because of His gift. The gift of His Son who would take on every sin~ past, present and future~ and die on the cross to take that sin away. If we have received that gift with humble penitence, our lives should be different. Excitement and joy should permeate every day and December should be the most wonderful time of the year. Don’t lose that excitement as you head into December. Determine in your heart to find the joy of a child in the “to-do’s” and the wonder in each thing December brings. Instead of dreading the calendar and how quickly each day passes, ask God for the childlike wonder and thankfulness for the gift of salvation that became yours. Experience the happiness in baking and wrapping and Christmas music and yes, even snow. Each thing that makes December so special to a child can be a reminder of all God has done for us~ Blessing us with the delicious ingredients that go into those Christmas cookies, reminding us of the gift of His Son as we wrap each gift we will give this year, gazing at the soft, twinkling lights and remembering the star that shone over a manger so long ago, looking out over a winter wonderland and thanking God that He has washed our sinful hearts and proclaimed them white as snow. Go to sleep each night with smiles and dreams upon your pillow. Dreams of a different December because of a different heart attitude. The heart of a child. God’s child. Be a little Christmas crazy. Be contagious in your excitement over the most wonderful time of the year, and when others look at you like you are a Christmas lunatic, smile and respond~ ”It’s Christmas!!” Because that truly says it all.
11/19/2021
A Guaranteed Happy ThanksgivingA Guaranteed Happy Thanksgiving
A Thanksgiving Devotional For weeks I had been planning this holiday with an excitement that could not be contained. My family would be traveling 700 miles to visit me for Thanksgiving. I poured over magazines with pictures of beautiful holiday table settings. Wonderful memories flooded my heart as I remembered the countless Thanksgivings spent with family, sitting around just such a table. Despite my apartment being tiny, we would all squeeze in and make it work. Mike and I had been married less than 3 years, with one child and another on the way. Morning sickness prevailed but I didn’t care~I missed home, I missed family, I missed all of us sitting around the dinner table together. Everything began just as I had planned, but it all went downhill on Thanksgiving day. One family member after another came down with the stomach flu~in the very worst way. Everyone ended up sick except for me. It is an understatement when I tell you that our apartment was tiny. There was barely enough room to walk by each other and with only one small bathroom and 5 sick people… well you can only imagine. I had a lot of cleaning… and then more cleaning to do, with no time to rest or even celebrate. Add morning sickness to the equation and my picture perfect Thanksgiving turned into a nightmare. No sitting around a table filled with a cornucopia of delicious foods and thankful spirits. Just misery. We all want that picture perfect Thanksgiving dinner, Martha Stewart style. We have high hopes that the Turkey will turn out a beautiful golden brown, that family will all get along and that laughter along with delicious pumpkin pie will ensue. That we will all truly be thankful. Sometimes life just doesn’t work out the way we hoped, especially during the holidays. The turkey is too dry, we burn the biscuits, we wonder why we’re the only one doing all the work, the stress levels in the kitchen are at an all time high and that one family member gets on our last nerve. And then we lose it. Our frustrations boil over just like our mashed potatoes. And so, as we approach this week of gratitude I would like to challenge you to focus on a different table setting. That of the last supper. There is so much we can glean from the scripture passage in John 13, and it stirs my heart. Who is sitting at your table? The focus in John 13 was not the food or even the fellowship. The focus was Jesus and the example He set for all of us as we sit down to our Thanksgiving meals. I would like to leave you with five things to meditate on this week. It might seem lengthy, but if you choose to focus on one every day~ it’s a guarantee your Thanksgiving supper will be a happy one. 1. A gift in the gratitude~Jesus gave thanks despite knowing what was ahead. Despite the wicked betrayal in the heart of Judas, despite the foreknowledge of Peter’s denial, despite the coming abandonment of the disciples who professed their love for Him. (Luke 22:17-18, Matthew 26:26-27, Mark 14:22-23.) Maybe you are excited about Thanksgiving, or maybe you are stressing over it~ whatever your case may be, you can change your outlook by choosing to give thanks. There is so much to be thankful for, starting with our Savior. How could He possibly be thankful in that moment? And yet, He was. Emulate His gratitude. Find something to be thankful for every day leading up to the big day. A habitual heart that beats a thankful rhythm will not easily be dissuaded when faced with difficult circumstances or people. Look to Jesus and just be thankful. 2. A gift in the giving~ Jesus became a servant. He never complained, but in humble love washed His disciples feet~ even the feet of the one who would betray Him. (John 13:4&5) Prepare your heart to be a servant this Thanksgiving, even to those you feel don’t deserve it. Judas certainly didn’t deserve it, but that didn’t stop our Savior. Serving others should never be viewed as an unwanted duty. Choose to bless others by the love you put into that service. Determine not to have a grumbling heart, but instead a thankful servant’s heart that God can use. Have the heart of Jesus. 3. A gift in the guidance~Despite knowing Judas would betray Him, Jesus chose to love and serve him and told us that we should follow His example. (John 13:11, 14-15.) We are human, there will always be that one person that annoys us (because they are human too) despite the little idiosyncrasies that get on our last nerve, none of them compare to sitting at supper with Judas. As you sit to supper this Thanksgiving, remember Jesus example and His words to us in admonishing that we follow that example. 4. A gift in the getting~Jesus actually told us something simple, yet profound. By following His example we will in turn be blessed with happiness. (John 13:17.) Okay, who doesn’t want happiness during the holidays? Who doesn’t want to fall into bed at night after a wonderful meal and precious moments with family and friends on Thanksgiving, and have your heart full of happiness? It doesn’t have to be something we wish for. Happiness can be our reality this Thanksgiving if we put into practice the steps He outlined for us in His word. Become a servant of love. 5. A gift in the glorifying~The last thing I want to leave you with in preparation of your week ahead is the very gift you will give to others by following Jesus example. (John 13:31&32, 34&35) You will be loving others with a true servant’s heart and in the doing, that love will glorify God. Isn’t that the ultimate goal? It’s not about us. It’s not about the food or the Pinterest perfect table setting. It’s all about the joy in sharing the love of Jesus. It’s all about the happiness in the serving. It’s all about the glory of God. Remember that Jesus is sitting at your table with you this Thanksgiving. He is all you will ever need in making beautiful God moments and memories. As I look back at that Thanksgiving so many years ago and the disaster that it was, it still holds precious memories to me. I can even laugh with my brothers at the events that holiday held and cherish the time spent with my mom and dad, who are no longer with us. Yes, there was a lot of serving, but there was also so much love; and the happiness my heart holds at the time we had together is one that I will treasure forever. A gift in the gratitude. A gift in the giving. A gift in the guidance. A gift in the getting. A gift in the glorifying. All because of Jesus. A Thanksgiving gift of God. Philippians 4:6 1 Thessalonians 5:18
11/12/2021
What Can I Give Him?His eyes twinkled as he hid a surprise behind his back. You could feel his excitement when he announced- “I have a present for you! “ he handed me the bag and watched as I pulled each item out. A ruler, some pencils, his mom’s best pair of scissors, a brand new tube of toothpaste and a folded up piece of sandpaper. I exclaimed over each thing, and then explained to him that mama might need her scissors and she would be looking for that toothpaste later. He agreed to put everything back, except the sand paper. He handed it to me with a smile and said “in case you want to make something”.
We played for a while and then, when I knew he wasn’t looking, I tucked that sand paper far behind some of my daughter’s things on the kitchen counter. I would tell her later that it was there. As I opened the front door to leave, he came running around the corner. “Grandma you forgot this!” he said, and proudly handed me that sand paper. HOW had he found it??? He wasn’t even in the same room when I hid it!!! I couldn’t stop laughing when I got home and told my husband the story. So often I believe we see the love of God through the lens of our human hearts. We gage the goodness of God on the big picture of our lives. If things aren’t going the way we would like, we tend to feel miserable and defeated. We complain and become ungrateful. We miss the abundance of small gifts tucked away in our lives. Gifts that God has already given to us. We miss the tremendous love God has poured into every single thing we have been so blessed to receive. In our eyes that small piece of sandpaper is worthless and we disregard it. Or, we look at our own heart and what we have to offer the Lord and often feel just like that piece of sandpaper. We see the talents and possessions of others and wish for what they have. We tend to think we have nothing to offer God because we compare ourselves to others. If only we could give God that shiny pair of special scissors or the brand new tube of toothpaste. But those gifts belong to someone else. They aren’t ours to give. And then we look down at ourselves and think we are worthless, just like that piece of sandpaper. How could God ever love or use us? Surely He must disregard us. When Little Gabe came running to me, holding that piece of sandpaper that I had so flippantly disregarded, God opened my eyes. He gave me a glimpse not only into all He has blessed me with that I so easily disregard at times, but also the love He has for me when I humbly come to Him with nothing to offer except myself. You see, I wouldn’t want anything else from my grandchildren. That innocent love they have in the giving is enough to make your heart burst, and I realized that’s exactly the way my Heavenly Father sees me. He doesn’t want fancy, shiny Charisse, He just wants Charisse. God wants us to come to him like a child. We need to stop looking at what we have to offer through our human lens. God wants us to know that He only wants us, not the gifts and possessions we can give Him. If he has our heart, He has everything. That piece of sandpaper is lovingly displayed on a stack of bibles in my home. It means so much to me. A little piece of paper filled with love and assurance that God my Father can use any of us if we are willing to give Him ourselves. Don’t look for the shiny and the new and forget all the little pieces of beautiful sandpaper He has already blessed you with, and don’t tuck away what you feel doesn’t measure up in God’s eyes. Today I will whisper thank you to Jesus for all the blessings He has given me that I so easily disregard in seasons of discontent. I will open my eyes to the love and grace He has so readily poured into my life and I will be grateful. I may not ever know how God can possibly find something in me to be used for His glory but as I give Him all the love in my meager, willing, folded up, sandpaper heart, with a smile I will say- “in case you want to make something”. And I will know that that is all He ever wanted. I Samuel 16:7 Acts 3:6 James 1:17 Luke 18:15-17 Mark 10:24 Micah 6:8
11/6/2021
Your Gratitude GarlandOne of our nearby towns used to have the very best dollar store.
It wasn’t like dollar stores today. It was a quaint little store downtown with old wood floors, and aisles upon aisles of treasures. Because money was sparse, it was a favorite spot to shop when my kids were little. Going all out with your decor for the holidays wasn’t as big a deal back then. Perhaps because we didn’t have social media to compare our decor, (or lack thereof) to others. At the time, I can remember watching a Thanksgiving special on television with my children. I saw a mantle lit up with an incredible array of Autumn radiance, and I wished for that. Beautiful Fall leaves in rich colors, with fruits and berries and twinkling lights. That week when we stopped by the dollar store, I knew I wanted to recreate the look. That wonderful old store had a section full of exactly what I was looking for. Because I couldn’t afford to buy it all at once, every week I would purchase five items to add to my leaf garland, hoping that the following week there would still be more to choose from. I did this for a whole month until I finally had the look my heart had longed for… With the holidays quickly approaching, it can become easy to lose sight of the bountiful array each holiday represents. Going into a month of humbling gratitude that leads us right into a month of adoration for a Savior born to man. The whole world seems to skip past the gratitude of this month and fast forward to the “happy” holiday with its festive music, presents and decorations, myself included. It makes us reminisce back to traditions and “feel good” moments. Everyone wants that happy feeling. But in the rush to achieve this happiness, it ends up alluding us. With the frenzy of skipping right past the gratitude, the stress of all the “to do’s”(with not enough time to do them) comes too quickly and overwhelms us. Instead of enjoying what should be a beautiful time, we miss the wonder of it all and the gratitude for it. We want that bountiful array, but we want it all right now. Suddenly you’re being asked if you have your decorating and shopping done. If you have your cookies baked. If your tree is up. If you are going to attend the many Christmas activities and parties being held. And in all of that, we miss the gratitude for Jesus. As the end of 2021 quickly approaches, I want to encourage you today to slow down. Determine to take in every single moment of this month. Don’t rush right past it. Each week pick out 5 things to be thankful for. Ponder them. Cherish them. Treasure them. Don’t try to fast forward to the whole package, instead take one day at a time and with a heart of thankfulness, move into the season of our Savior with overwhelming gratitude instead of overwhelming stress. You won’t have to worry if there will be enough to be thankful for as each week passes, you will have a bounty to choose from if you’re truly looking and your garland of gratitude will become fuller and fuller as you add to it… I still have that garland and all the items I purchased for it so many years ago. I still put it up every year. I still wonder in amazement as I add each piece and look at that beautiful array when I’m finished. I’m sure that nowadays I could just purchase a pre-made garland full of all the things that make mine beautiful, but I would lose the special joy in adding each piece and remembering. Years and years of thankful memories flood my heart as I slowly put mine together, and I am reminded of all the gifts God has bestowed upon this undeserving soul of mine. Savor in the sacredness of the season to come by slowing down and focusing on today and the bountiful array of glory God has given you to be grateful for. Don’t miss it. Don’t try to grasp for happiness without thankfulness. Happiness comes from a thankful heart. Thankfulness for the little pieces of beauty God adds to every day and gratefulness for a Savior born to take away the sins of all of mankind. Yes, savor in the sacredness and sacrifice of your Savior and look back on this season in grateful amazement at the array of wonder you hold in your heart. Wonder you will treasure for years to come. Matthew 6:34 I Thessalonians 5:18
10/29/2021
How Beautiful Are The FeetI watched the young couple walk up onto the platform. The old recording was barely visible at times. I listened to the pastor read a biography the young man had written in the second grade. I heard my husband choke up with grateful tears as he tried to say thank you to all those who invested in his life. I saw the future in their eyes and I remembered. This was my husband’s ordination into the ministry. We were that couple. Young hearts full of aspirations of glory for God. 35 years in the ministry. I have watched him. I continue to watch him~ I watch him make hospital visits. I watch him get phone calls in the middle of the night. I watch him leave to help a shut in. I have watched him weep at the deathbed of members that have become family~ and then somehow speak encouragement to the grief stricken at their funeral service~ again and again and again. I watch him pray over scripture. I see his excitement to share his love of God’s word with others. I know he has kept gut wrenching secrets told in confidence, and the burdens of members heavy on his shoulders and in his heart. I hear his prayers. I watch him during building projects and additions, working from sun up till sun down. I see him repairing roofs, cutting grass, shoveling snow, cleaning bathrooms, fixing what is broken~ not just in the building, but in the hearts and lives of others. I see selflessness time and time again. I see him love every single minute of being a shepherd for Jesus. I see Jesus in and through him. That little boy who wrote in a biography that one day he wanted to be a minister. That young man with big dreams for the love of his small town. That pastor with a deep love of God and a burden for others. And I know, no matter how much I am praying for him~ it needs to be more. Whoever your pastor might be, let me encourage you to see that he needs more than a note of appreciation inside a Hallmark card once a year. Yes he is blessed by your encouragement but more importantly, he needs you to go to war for him on your knees~ because the work he is doing is for God’s kingdom. The hearts he is reaching are for God’s glory and the enemy wants nothing more than to beat him down to the ground and leave him in the dust. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things! Romans 10:15, Isaiah 52:7. Feet that bring strength to the sick, encouragement to the weary, comfort to the broken-hearted, rest to the anxious and hope to the lost. Pray for your pastor as he brings the gospel of peace and good tidings to a tired, hurting world. Because that world needs your pastor.
10/23/2021
Your ValidationWhen my daughter was in grade school, another student made an allegation against me that was not true.
My sweet daughter became so upset after hearing the words, that she made sure everyone knew it was a lie. She wanted to defend me because she loved me. Anger was her initial reaction, followed by tears and a phone call from the principal asking me to come in and help settle the disagreement… When you put yourself out there on social media, you have to be prepared for some backlash from time to time. I know this and yet, I am never prepared. This week, when I received not one but two comments on something I posted~ ~initially my heart became angry, and then sad. I knew they weren’t attacking me personally, they were making fun of my relationship with Christ, and it bothered me to my core. I didn’t want to defend “me” or even my post~ I wanted to defend Christ because I knew that what they said was not truth. I wish my simple, inadequate words could somehow convey all He has done in my life. He is everything to me. I was told to grow up, and informed that my life was depressing if Christ was my entire validation. Maybe today you are reading this and thinking those very same thoughts. I know that there is no way for Charisse to convince you otherwise, but I know God can. Even if you don’t believe it. My life is anything but depressing, because He is real in my life. Every time I have felt lost and alone, He showed me that I wasn’t. He never left my side and He always made a way out. His undeniable breakthrough into the sorrows I have helplessly clung to have been little miracles in my life time and time again. To have joy when you think there is no joy to be found. To have peace when your situation is daunting and the world around you is a mess. To have comfort through every diagnosis or loss of a loved one. To have a weight lifted from you that you were sure would drown you in sorrow. To be known when you feel like you don’t even know yourself. To have Someone love and forgive you no matter what you do, or have done, or might do. To have a relationship with a perfect God Who gave His life for you. Yes, my identity is in Jesus. Yes He is real in my life. Yes, every single thing my eye beholds is a blessing from His hands. That is my truth. I have pondered all of this and come to the conclusion that there are people who refuse to believe such a relationship can exist~or choose to believe it, but fear holds them back from defending it. People who have learned how to mask pain. How to push away negative feelings by staying busy or finding a cause to work for, a charity to give to or a medication to make it all better. I guarantee if you sit still long enough you will realize that there is something missing deep down in your soul. The pretense of a strong identity and self worth cannot cover up the void that dwells in the deep, innermost parts of your being. We are a generation of people that look for joy in everything around us so that we don’t have to face our inner emptiness, and then with a plastered on smile of pretend confidence we try to convince ourselves and others that we have it all together. Until Christ becomes your Redeemer, there will always be an emptiness. He is the only one who can fill it. My words can never fully illustrate the majesty and glory of being fully known and loved by Jesus. Knowing Him and being known of Him is the life He always intended for you. And then there are those who claim to believe this. They hear the mockery this world throws at the very One who took their sins upon Himself when He died on the cross, yet refuse to acknowledge that the world’s view and allegations couldn’t be further from the truth. Fear triumphs over faith. The world’s perception of them becomes more important than the beautiful perfection of a relationship with Christ. Allow me to give you a truth to hold on to~ it’s a lot easier defending someone you deeply love than defending yourself and the more love you have for that person, the easier it becomes to defend them. Fear becomes present when we lose sight of Who it is we are defending. The situation with my daughter and her classmates was quickly resolved. The student admitted to lying and justice was momentarily restored. Was that the last time something like that has ever happened? No. And because of social media, I am sure things like that will continue to happen. But my daughter’s love for me that day triumphed over any concerns she had on how she was perceived~ and I will never forget that. Today I want you to know truth because I love you, but more importantly because God loves you. Because I want you to experience the love of God in your own heart. In the middle of your hurts and in the middle of your happiness. To know a true and lasting joy that cannot be explained with the mere words of my pen. A joy unspeakable and full of glory. That’s what I want for you. The incredible, sacrificial love of Jesus~ the only validation of our existence. I Peter 1:3-9 I watched her Fall home tour on Instagram. She stuffed a few pillows into a basket and carefully placed a soft throw blanket on her couch. It wasn’t folded neatly, it was perfectly displayed as if someone had just gotten up from under its cozy, warm goodness. And it hit me. There seems to be a trend that has become quite popular among women. It’s this whole idea of “messy” perfectionism. Influencers create videos on how to achieve the perfect messy bun, how to master the undone look, how to get beach waves and apply makeup so you don’t look like you’re wearing makeup. How to display those perfect blueberry muffins, with just the right amount of crumbs sprinkled across your countertop and how to properly place your cozy fall throws so that they look perfectly messy. Everything everywhere is perfectly messy. Influencers have turned us into imitators. Scroll through any social media feed and you will start to see trends that all look the same. Uniqueness is obsolete. We’re trying to achieve a look that isn’t real. A facade of messy prettiness and a perfect “lived in” home. In one way or another, we all want to be like someone else. And this reminds me of God’s words in Titus 2:13 & 14. God wants us to be peculiar. Not imitators but special, different, unusual people belonging exclusively to God through Jesus. He doesn’t ask us to be perfect. He doesn’t ask us to pretend to be something we are not. He simply desires us to be His. His child. Perfectly messy and all. There is no creating, achieving or mastering characteristics that deem us loved in His sight. We can’t imitate Christianity. God knows us inside and out. He knows and He loves us “as is”. He doesn’t want some fake version of you, He just wants you. That’s it. Mess and all. When we ask Jesus to save us from our sins, God looks at us and sees the sacrifice of His perfect Son because in the asking, Jesus takes all our sin upon Himself and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. When God speaks of being peculiar, He’s not talking about a fake imitation of outward characteristics, He’s talking about your inner heart shining through. Christ in you. Perfectly peculiar. So, how can we be perfectly peculiar despite our messy lives? Here’s a few things I’ve come up with. Be real. Share struggles, heartaches and real life moments with others. We all go through them. Jesus Himself became flesh for us. He dealt with sadness, anger, fatigue and heartache. He never tried to pretend that He didn’t. He was real among us. Too often we try to appear as if we have it all together, despite the inner struggles we might be dealing with. We try to imitate those who influence us. Maybe it’s time for influencers to be real and share their struggles. Personally I know that when I am struggling, it helps to know that others I look up to have struggles of their own. You can help someone out of a lonely, sometimes desperate situation just by being real. Some of us have too many messy bun days…and not in a good way. We need that encouragement from others that we are not alone. Be real. Share Hope. Don’t complain about your struggles on the bad days but forget to praise God on the good days. Tell others how He delivered you, how He has come through for you again and again. Share the knowledge that even though your life might be incredibly messy, God is in the middle of that mess with you. Share His light and love. You become peculiar to others when you share the hope that even though you have your own dark days and personal struggles, you know God’s promises are truth. When the hard, overwhelming days hit, you crawl under those promises like a warm, cozy blanket. And in that moment of peculiar faith, you feel His comfort and immeasurable peace wrap around your tired, overwhelmed, anxious soul. I struggle with this. I want to look like “her” with her cute messy bun and perfect makeup. I want my home to look like “that” with its perfectly messy, yet cozy, warm interiors. I want to be that girl who has her life all together, living for Jesus and sharing Him on her perfect Instagram account. But I’m not. And I shouldn’t be trying so hard to be. I should be me. God in me. Peculiar, unusual, loved beyond measure, forgiven and redeemed, shining from the inside out~ All because of His influence on my life. An imitator of the only perfect One. Jesus who was real among us. Jesus who died for messy me. Peculiar me because of my perfect Redeemer. That’s the real I want to be. |
© 2020 HOLDING HOPE