7/22/2022
Help My UnbeliefIt hit me this week
My faith. Or lack thereof. If Jesus said I could move mountains with faith as small as a mustard seed, my faith must be the size of a dust particle. You know, the ones you can only see when the sun is streaming through the windows. That’s me. Boasting on my faith when life is all sunshine and happiness~ until a cloud rolls by~ and just like that, the little particle disappears into nothingness. I’ve had a lot of clouds roll by throughout my life. This past month has been no exception. My husband was scheduled for complete shoulder replacement surgery and I’ll be an open book here~ I was dreading it. The doctor, the nurses, the anesthesiologist and people who have had the surgery all warned me that my sweetheart would be in a tremendous amount of pain, and it would be hard. VERY hard. The doctor spoke with me after the surgery and told me that it was worse than he expected. Lots of muscle to get through. He cut, he drilled, he scraped, he chiseled. This would be a tough recovery. So I did what any Christian would do. I reached out and asked for prayer. Hundreds of people responded. It brought tears to my eyes. And yet, despite this, deep down I was mentally preparing myself for the worst. The “worst” never came. And silly me, I kept looking for it. Day after day. I then questioned it. Something must be wrong. How can he have ZERO pain with everything the doctor did? With everything everyone told me to expect? It has been two weeks and he’s not even taking Tylenol. The worst never showed up. The miracle did. And I realized that I didn’t look for the miracle or even expect it when I asked for prayer. And in that moment, so many other things came flooding to my mind. Pleas that I had been praying about for years. Things that God had miraculously answered. Prayers I had prayed with no faith at all, because I was convinced that the person or situation could never change. Prayers prayed for thirty years that had been answered. And I wept. Because God was so faithful to me despite my unfaithfulness. He showed me today that it isn’t about me and how large my faith is, because God doesn’t need my faith. I need my faith. When I uttered the request, He answered. He saw that tiny dust particle floating around and He created a miracle from it in my life. If someone had told me thirty years ago, or even ten years ago that some of my prayers would be answered ten years down the road, my flesh probably would have whined and complained. “TEN years???? That’s SO LONG!!” But, I blinked and it happened. Miracle after miracle after miracle. I continually find myself saying~ I believe, please help my unbelief. And He does. Over and over again. My great God breathed hope back into situations that seemed utterly hopeless. He restored, He healed, He answered. Always when I was least expecting it. When I wasn’t looking. When my faith was floating around like a dust particle… Think back to when you were a child. Do you remember seeing the sunshine streaming through your windows? Can you remember watching in awe as all the little particles danced in that sunshine? Do you remember thinking that somehow you could grab a hold of one and hold it in your hand, yet somehow they eluded your tiny little grasp? Hearken back to that my friend. That child like wonder and awe. That belief that anything is possible. Because it is. But only with God. That tiny particle of faith that you have never eludes Him. His power resides inside it. *Even a tiny faith holds all of Christ. He grabs a hold of that particle and makes something beautiful. He remains faithful despite our unfaithfulness. Today I look over at my sweetheart. There is no logical explanation for the fact that he has zero pain. Except God. Time and time again He has shown me~ Keep looking for your answer, even when your faith seems small because~ He is faithful. When we are looking for the worst, He is creating our miracles.
6/24/2022
Your No Might Be God’s YesI can remember sitting in Cobo arena with my parents.
Thousands of people were there to hear one man speak. I was probably only in 7th or 8th grade but I can vividly remember looking at that crowd and thinking how amazingly beautiful it would be if I were in that man’s shoes, reaching and encouraging thousands for the Lord. I prayed that someday, somehow I could glorify Jesus that way. I finished high school with a longing in my heart to be a teacher. I enrolled in college with a major in elementary education. I loved teaching and I loved children. I just knew God placed that desire within me and I prayed that someday that desire would be fulfilled. I got married and we started a family. Since grade school I had dreamt of becoming an author and publishing a book. I started with a course on children’s writing. I had so many thoughts in my head that I wanted my pen to tell. I prayed that someday, when my children were grown and my life was less busy God would allow me that dream. In each instance I asked God~ Would You allow this for me? Could You? But as the years went by~ I thought His answer to each of these was no. I have never gotten to reach or encourage thousands of people in an arena. I never was an elementary school teacher. I never wrote or published a book. I married a pastor and eventually we moved to a small town in the thumb of MI. No huge crowds. No large arenas. A pastor’s wife at a tiny church of less than 100. The years went by. I raised my children and watched and prayed as each left our little home and then one day... as I sat and listened to the broken heart of a woman seeking counsel, God whispered to my own heart to begin something new. That was this. The beginning of Holding Hope. And so, yesterday as I thanked Him for this beautiful privilege He has allowed me~ He showed me. He would, He could and He did. 40 years after the quiet prayer of a shy girl in the midst of thousands, He answered. He didn’t answer in the way I expected. No, I don’t get up in an arena and talk to thousands. From my very small town in the Midwest, God chose to use social media as His platform instead. Holding Hope. No, I never taught in a school. God brought me to a church where, for a long time I was the only teacher for the children there. For 25 years He has allowed me to fulfill that dream and today I teach along side my own children in that very same church. And no, I have never published or even written a book, but every week God allows this pen to write the stories He puts in my heart. Don’t give up. Wherever you might be right now, whatever your prayer, whatever your dream~ God has your answer. It might not come tomorrow or next week or next year. It might take 40 years, but He will answer. Hold on to that hope. You might be a student, sitting in a classroom wondering if God could ever use you to reach and encourage others. You might be a mama, sitting in the middle of babies and bottles and diapers with a “someday” dream tucked away in your heart. You might be a grandmother who hasn’t even realized that God has already answered your prayers. He has always been faithful, even in my unfaithfulness. My no was His yes. Search your heart for His yes and when you find it, you will find so many more answers to the prayers you have whispered through the years. Prayers you may have forgotten~ but He never did, and He never will. *Repost from 1/23/20 I was upstairs brushing my teeth when I heard it. My husband was still downstairs, and as he left the den he said~ ”Alexa, turn off the lights please.” “PLEASE!?” He said “please” to Alexa. 😂 In case you aren’t aware, (according to Google) Alexa is a ‘virtual assistant technology smart speaker.’ My rough and tough husband said please to a little, non human speaker. (I love him so much 🥰) I started laughing so hard that I had to sit down. I wasn’t sure he even realized he said it, so I didn’t bring it up. The next night as we were both heading upstairs, he again asked Alexa to turn off the lights. I stopped and looked at him~ and I knew he knew. He was trying to hide the smirk on his face. He innocently asked “what??” Trying not to laugh I responded “you forgot to say please.” And we both burst out laughing. The whole Alexa incident got me thinking about our lives and all the technology and answers that are right at our fingertips. You can Google anything nowadays and get an answer in minutes. As long as it is plugged in, I can ask Alexa a question and get an immediate response. Somehow this need for immediate results has crept over into our spiritual lives. We want answers from God right NOW. Technology has wonderful benefits, but when it comes to the way we think and perceive life, it can have its downfalls. The news is constantly bombarding us with the horror this world throws at us~ all within minutes of when it happened. We fear. We self diagnose. We binge watch. We covet. We buy more. We fear more. We get depressed. We worry. Mental health has spiraled downward. And then we end up questioning God’s love for us. My daughter and I were having this conversation a few weeks back. She made the comment that she didn’t think God ever intended for us to have this much information at our fingertips 24/7. I remember responding that ‘back in the day, all a woman had to think about was taking care of her family and Jesus. Eyes and heart always on the Lord, because nothing else was around to take His place’. It’s time for us to get back to loving God. A tender, fervent, personal love. Get back to digging deep into His word. Get back to seeking Him with our whole heart. Get back to giving our families to Jesus and raising them to love Him with their everything. Get back to talking to Him continually. Asking Him for the answers. Trusting Him for the outcomes. Being still in His presence and having faith in His unbelievable love for us. A love that is ALWAYS for us and NEVER against us. A love that can’t be measured or bought. A love freely given because of His Son. (John 15:10, Romans 8:31-39, Ephesians 2:8-9, 3:18) We are too wrapped up in today. (Revelation 2:4) ‘Loving God with our everything’ has become a passing Christian phrase with no real meaning. And because our love has waned, our laughter has been lost. We often treat God like He’s Alexa, and quite often we don’t even say please. We have forgotten that the joy of the Lord is our strength and in His presence is fullness of joy. (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 16:11) Today I want to encourage you to take a sabbatical from technology. From our phones and laptops and kindles. From the 24 hour news. From binge watching. From Amazon and Google. From Alexa. This summer focus on being still in His presence and growing in our love for our Savior. When we are plugged into His power, He will give us all the answers we need. We will find rest in His presence, comfort and peace. And our laughter will return. When I think about that night my husband spoke to Alexa, I smile when I recall his words but I laugh when I remember the laughter we shared together. When I look back on my life I don’t want to remember all the bad. I want to remember my soul being filled with laughter. My greatest happiness being loved by my Savior. A life completely filled up with the joy of the Lord. (1 Peter 1:8) Long summer days await us my friend. Feed your soul. Fill those days with the love of God and with laughter. (Psalm 16:8-9, 11, 89:15-17, 94:19, 126:2-3, Romans 5:5, 8:38-39, Ephesians 3:16-19, Philippians 4:4, ) Quite often when we read articles on the topic of trust we think about the big, sometimes overwhelming things in our lives. Our finances or future, our country and politics, our children and families, our health or the health of our loved ones. The quotes~ “Trust God, He has a plan”, or “God is in control” come up time and time again. I have used those very words myself. Big issues like these can definitely steal our happiness, and when disaster strikes in one of these areas~ it’s often hard to trust God or try to understand why.
What I don’t think we realize is that our entire lives should be enveloped in the trust of God and His power. All those petty little things I talked about last week (the ones we can’t let go of) are also the petty little things we should trust God with. I seriously think I could write a book about all the different phases a woman goes through in her life, and all the different areas that come to mind when I think about all the little things that so quickly rob us of our joy. Sometimes we allow those things to completely destroy our happiness. We focus on the problem at hand instead of the big picture. In the grand scheme of things, that little bump in the road is just that~ a bump in the road, but we turn it into a ten car pile up. So let me ask you this ~ Do you truly believe in the power of God? Do you truly believe God can do anything? I have heard the argument that~ yes God is all powerful, but man has a free will and his sinful nature can often mess things up. It is true that man has a free will, but what we don’t take into consideration is that God is more powerful than any human’s will. If God so chooses, He can change any situation~ no matter how badly we have messed it up. We are human. He is God. Our God of the impossible. How quickly we forget that in our day to day encounters. So here is where the rubber hits that bump in the road: FAITH. Do you have faith in God’s power in your life? You know that old saying~”Don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill?” Let’s talk about those mole hills~a few of those small petty things. Small things that can erase every ounce of faith in God’s power within seconds. The things we don’t even think about handing over to God and entrusting Him with~ Interruptions in our schedules, our weariness, our relationships, our sadness, our hormones, broken appliances, unexpected guests, long lines at the grocery store, traffic jams, blizzards and thunderstorms, that caramel mocha frappe that slipped right out of your hands, a burnt meal, a crying baby, a stubbed toe, a power outage, a toilet that over flows, overwhelming ‘to-do’s’ and lack of sleep. The flu=sick days, sick babies, sick spouses. Sore joints, acne flare ups, period cramps, menopause and bad hair days, weight gain, insecurity issues, fighting children and inconsiderate spouses….. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but you get my meaning. If we allow it, all of these things can irritate us. All of these things can steal our laughter, and make us impatient with life. What if we changed our focus? What if we looked at each thing as a divine interruption. What if we stopped and asked God what He was trying to teach us through each situation. What if we learned to let things go? (See lasts week’s post) What if we truly believed that God knows exactly what is going on every minute of every day of our lives and He has complete control over it? What if we chose faith over complaining and what if we asked God to make His power real in our lives through every crazy thing that happens to us? Because if we ask, He will. We just don’t ask. We don’t think about God in the small petty things. We think we can control the situations ourselves. Why do we do that to ourselves when He is literally right there next to us saying~ “I can take care of that for you, you don’t have to do it alone.” But when we choose the irritation and complaining, we’re pretty much telling God~ “I’ve got this. I don’t need you.” Today I would like to encourage you to make two lists. One list will be all the areas you consider BIG in your life and one will be areas of interruption or annoyance. Small petty problems you’ve never really thought about giving God control over. Keep adding to that list and then make it a habit to pray over it and hand it over to God. I mean really hand it over. No take backs. It’s never silly to go to God over things we might feel are insignificant in the grand scheme of life. God wants us to know His power on a personal level in every single area of our lives. I’ve said it before and I will continue to preach it to myself~when we truly hand everything over to Him, even the small silly stuff~ when the seriously hard stuff hits we will have that automatic peace that passes understanding because we will be so familiar with trusting God in every detail and knowing He always pulls us through. God will take care of it. You and I will always have the hard days. Today I can look back at so many of them and smile in the realization that they weren’t as hard as I thought at the time, and I can praise God for the countless times He pulled me through. The times We find ourselves in the middle of our own pity party let our cry be this~ “Lord I believe. Help my unbelief”. Then grab a hold of His hand, stand up, dust yourself off, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with faith and walk away. Smile in the complete surrender and knowledge that God will take care of it all. Things to remind yourself today: *I believe, help my unbelief. *God will never leave you. *Faith the size of a tiny mustard seed can move mountains. *Without faith it’s impossible to please God *But, all things are possible with God. Keep asking Him to strengthen your faith (Mark 9:23, 10:27, Matthew 17:20, 19:26, Luke 1:37, 18:27, Jeremiah 32:17&27, Philippians 4:13) *Don’t worry about tomorrow or tonight or the next five minutes. *God is all powerful. *Only God can give us the peace that passes understanding. *Today is a new day. A gift from God. Rejoice in it. When you’re tempted to focus on the bad, praise God for ALL the good. Over and over and over. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:24 “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” I Peter 5:7 “And Jesus said unto them…If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Matthew 17:20 “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalms 34:4 “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9 “They reel to and fro…and are at their wits' end. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, And he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; So he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107:27-31 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18 “…be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear What man shall do unto me.” Hebrews 13:5-6 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 “…that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,” Ephesians 1:12, 18-20 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, Neither have entered into the heart of man, The things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 Remember those mole hills we thought were mountains? Have faith my friend. Trust God. He can move mountains and make all those little mole hills rejoice. 😊 “…And the little hills rejoice on every side.” Psalm 65:12
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)
2/18/2022
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)
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.
12/17/2021
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
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.
9/11/2021
These Are The Moments That MatterHe had no idea how much this moment meant to me.
He might not even remember it. A little knock at my front door. My visitor stopping by after piano lessons at the church. Barely inside, he began to tell me all about it. His eyes danced as he told me his ideas. Deep breaths were taken between each sentence. Excitement made it hard to get the words out fast enough. Even though I was smiling and laughing along with him, I wanted to cry. I wanted to grab him and hold him and somehow make him understand how much I loved him. How much I loved this moment. Every part of it. My home next to our church. My grandchildren living so close. My grandson wanting to talk to me. I wanted him to be this way with me as long as God allowed me to live. Sharing his ideas and dreams with grandma, no matter how old he was. She might not even remember it. She might not ever know how much it meant to me, my oldest granddaughter coming to me with her drawings. Telling me she remembers when she was “little” and how I taught her to draw a cat after school one day. He might not ever remember, my middle grandson with his tough exterior and big “muscles” hugging me and whispering “I love you” when his little heart needed reassurance. My youngest granddaughter rearranging the pottery bowls she and her sister made for me so that hers was on my top shelf, and the much needed smile it afforded me in a lonely moment at 2am. The look of pure joy on my 2 year old grandson’s face as he ran into my home like it was the greatest place in the whole wide world. The times they are all together and I catch them playing church and talking about Jesus and even praying together. No they might not ever remember, but it is a beauty God has given me that I will never forget and it is my prayer that it will always be this way. The closeness. The sharing. The smiles. The joy. The love. One day… When my oldest grandson comes home and stops by to tell me he met “the one”, excitement in his eyes as he shares every detail of his future plans. My granddaughter one day reminiscing and remembering the precious bond we had as she told me about school and friends and growing up and the many things I tried to teach her in the moments she was in my care. My grandson whispering he loves me and brushing away my tears as he leaves for college or the mission field or maybe even the military. My granddaughter inviting me over one day and making me smile as my crazy, silly girl takes pride in her home and family and shares it with me. My grandson coming over “just because” and always making me feel like it’s the greatest place in the whole wide world. My grandchildren one day telling me all the amazing things Jesus has done in their lives. Parenting doesn’t stop when our children leave our homes and start having families of their own. It doesn’t stop when our grandchildren arrive and it doesn’t stop no matter how old they become. We will always be mom and grandma, maybe even great grandma if God allows. So invest in their lives now. Listen, share, teach, pray, love. Turn off the TV. Turn off the phones. Push them on the swings, take walks with them. Don’t just talk to them about Jesus, show them the wondrous miracles He performs daily in your life. Let them see Him in every area. Teach them what faith truly means. Share with them the blessings He has poured out upon you time and time again. Listen to them. Listen to every little thing they want to share. Show them a picture of Christ in the listening. I don’t want my grandchildren to have to remember the moments, because I want those moments to be a regular part of their everyday lives~no matter their age. I want them to live in those moments and I want them to see Jesus in those moments. I want them to cling to those moments when life becomes unbearable, holding onto the knowledge that God will never leave them or forsake them. I want them to know beyond a doubt that I will always be praying for them and more than anything~ I want Jesus to be their best Friend. I want them to truly know Him, not just about Him. As life so quickly slips by and the days become months and years faster than you could have ever imagined, you will one day catch your reflection in a mirror and wonder for a moment who that older woman is looking back at you. You will stop and look deeper into her eyes and you will see the heart of the young mama you once were. You might have changed physically, but your heart will always remain the same. You are mom. You are grandma…. With the realization of all that entails, allow it to encourage you to make every single moment count in the lives and memories of those you love, because those moments are fleeting. Hold fast to the promises of God’s words. One day you will be remembered. Let that memory be one of unfeigned faith. A faith that will last from generation to generation, and in the mean time~grab those babies and hold them a little bit closer, love on them a little bit longer and pray for them a whole lot more. Make sure they know how much you love them. How much you love these moments, because these are the moments that matter. Philippians 1:3-6, 2 Timothy 1:3-5, 3:15, Psalm 44:1,8, Psalm 45:17
8/27/2021
Don’t Run From Him, Run To HimI found her there, all alone.
Joy filled laughter echoed from the other room. The room she had just left. It didn’t seem logical for a child to leave all that fun behind. To be sitting in the dark, alone. She was staring out the window in complete silence. I wrapped her in a blanket and asked if she was okay. Her tiny face was so forlorn as she looked up at me and whispered~ “I miss mommy and daddy.” My heart melted in that moment. Just like my granddaughter, how often have I felt those exact emotions. My parents are gone now. Somehow, even though I am a grandma, having my dad so close had given me a sense of security. The sweetness of childlike comfort. There are days I don’t want to do the hard stuff, I just want to be that child again. And then I thought about Jesus. When did we make Jesus so hard? So complicated? When did we grow up and turn Jesus into “adulting”? When did humanity turn our Savior and Redeemer into a religion of self reliance where we constantly feel we come up short? When did we begin to believe the lie that we have to be a certain way for Him to love us? That we have to do all the “things” for Him to accept us? Jesus Himself tells us that we need the faith of a child. Not an adult with all the adult complications and responsibilities. A carefree child. What is it about being a child that brings so much comfort? Perhaps the idea of knowing that our parents will take care of everything. When we were tiny beings, we had no responsibilities. We were freely given the gift of life the moment we were born. We did not have to do one thing in order to receive that gift. As infants, our lives were completely and joyously surrendered to our parents. We didn’t have to make the hard decisions. We didn’t have to worry if our needs would be met. When we were born, we didn’t have to perform or be perfect to be loved. We were simply loved because of who we were. But then, things slowly began to change. One day, the innocence shifted. For one reason or another we decided to muster up our four year old courage and pack up our tiny little suitcase with our teddy bears and baby dolls, and we ran away from home. Maybe we made it to the end of our street. Maybe we hid in our backyard for a while. But soon we realized, we missed mommy and daddy and even though we were just a child, we somehow understood how very much they loved us and how much we needed them. We came home, and if we couldn’t find our way, they always found us. But each day the “hard” took over the “carefree” a little bit more. We grew up. We became an adult. And now, too often as adults we are running away from God. God our Father who asks us to simply have the faith of a child. God who wants us to have joy and comfort and peace, simply because He loves us. He doesn’t ask for perfection. He doesn’t ask for performance. He asks for us. Our entire hearts. And yet, we hide. We think we have to be different, better, changed in order to come to Him. We think we have to obey all the rules to be loved. We think we have to do this life on our own. We think we have to “adult” when it comes to Jesus. Oh friend. Unpack your suitcase. Jesus wants you. He wants to give you a new life. A life born into His family. Forever His child. He asks for nothing from you, because there isn’t a single thing you can physically do. Jesus did it all already. He simply wants you. With childlike faith, accept His gift of life. Let your Father make all the hard decisions. Let Him meet all your needs. Let Him love you. Somehow we have convinced ourselves that a life with Jesus is hard. Complicated. If I’m being honest, there are times I fall into that mentality myself. Sometimes I make my relationship with Him too hard. I make life complicated in my own mind. Jesus never leaves me there though. He always finds me. He always comes through for me and I know without a doubt that I could not do this life without Him. Do you find yourself alone, sitting in the dark, missing that childlike innocence and the comfort it brings? You may have tried everything in your quest for happiness. You can hear the echo of laughter from long ago in the background of the years you let slip away. Always running, always searching, yet never finding joy. The joy of just being a child. It’s time to come home. Slip your hand into His. Let Him wrap His love around you like a warm blanket. Don’t lose that childlike wonder. Look up into the face that loves you. Pour out your heart to Him and let Him take away all the “hard”. Or maybe, simply whisper in the quiet~ I miss you.
8/14/2021
I Kept A Secret From My HusbandI had been looking forward to this day for months.
Just like when they were little. Little children, little problems. Today, big children, big problems. And so~ We needed time away. Time to focus on each other. But my heart held a secret from him. The moment we drove away, I missed them all already. (They all live on our block) How could this be? I had felt the need to get away from the chaos for so long. I needed to just be a wife, and not a mom for a short amount of time. He needed me to be just a wife and not a mom for a short amount of time. This has happened time and time again, since they were babies. The chaos gets to us mamas and we become desperate for alone time. Desperate for time away just to gather our thoughts and feel sane again. The crying of little ones, the fighting toddlers, the cleaning and cooking and laundry and endless chores. The noise level and continual talking. The lack of adult conversation. The constant. We feel our minds screaming inside to have some time with our husbands so we can feel like a wife again, like a woman again. But when we finally get it~we miss them and suddenly we can’t remember all the bad, we only remember the good. The soft smell of their little heads, their kisses and hugs, their giggles, their smiles, their unconditional love, their joy at just being in our presence. We remember them snuggled into us, fast asleep and our hearts just want to burst. And when they become adults, that mama life doesn’t get any easier. When your adult children are hurting, the pain in your heart manifolds itself into every area of your life, as does their joy. Even when they’re adults, it’s in a mama’s DNA to take care of her children but you can’t just put a bandaid on all the bad that they will go through. You feel it deeply because you know a kiss and a smile from mom won’t take that pain away any longer. It hurts a mama’s heart to the core. Not only can their hurts lay constant on your heart, but their stresses, their arguments, their jobs and spouses and children… all of it becomes bigger than life and as a mama, your heart just wants to make it all better~but you realize you can’t. And you realize that it takes a toll. It can take a toll on you spiritually and if you aren’t careful, it can take a toll on your marriage. That weight was never meant for a mama to bear, it was meant to be carried by God. You realize your mama’s heart of worry has drowned out the heart of His word and all His promises. And then you know, you NEED that time alone with God, because you aren’t God. You can’t fix everything. And you NEED that time away with your spouse, to reconnect with the one who has been in it with you for the long haul. Who loves your children as much as you do, but also needs that time away. Mama, go away. Go away with God. Go away with your spouse. You will fight it. Your heart will feel guilty and the second you drive away, you will miss them terribly. But you NEED it. Your heart NEEDS it. Your spouse NEEDS it, and you both will be better for it. Figure out a way to get away, and make it happen. He will be a better husband and daddy for it and you will be a better wife and mama. And so~I looked over at my husband as we drove in silence. He was smiling. He had no idea what my heart was feeling. I prayed and God reminded me of how much we needed this. I knew He was right. I needed to let go. I asked God to give my heart peace in leaving it all with Him and focusing on my relationship with Him, and our relationship as a married couple. It didn’t take long. God’s good that way. He gave me a comfort in that moment that this was what was needed. I would return home with a restored soul. With a better appreciation for the beautiful life God has given me. With a deeper love for my husband and a deep peace in my heart. I would be a better mama for it and my marriage would be that much sweeter. So, I reached over, I took his hand in mine and I smiled at him~ Because I knew it already was.
8/6/2021
When I Am WeakAfter I gave birth to my second child, I began hemorrhaging. Those moments in time are so vivid to me and yet, they almost feel like a dream~The team of nurses rushing me down to surgery, a cold surgical room composed of nothing but steel, the anesthesiologist telling me to count backwards, and then waking up next to my husband.
Of all the things I remember, there is one memory that stands out the most to me. The absence of fear and the incredible, overwhelming peace that washed over me as my last thoughts were~ I am going to die and I am going to wake up with Jesus. Words cannot express the comfort I felt. It will last with me my lifetime. In that moment there wasn’t a single thing I could do to control that situation. My life was in the hands of God and in my weakness, He was my strength. It’s easy to talk about fear and having faith when you’re on the other side of it looking back. As the saying goes “Easier said than done”. We might think our faith is strong, but in a split second life can change. In times like those, we don’t have the chance to say- “hold on Crisis, let me get out my bible and notes and uplifting music so I can be in the right frame of mind”. Our dependence is totally and completely in the power of God. This is why meditating on His word every single day is so important. He promises that His promises will stay with us in those split second times of crisis. But what about the moments in our lives where time is not our friend? Where split seconds turn into weeks or even months? The moments that time allows us to get inside our head and become overwrought with worry and fear? The times we know we should be meditating on His words but we find ourselves constantly meditating on the problem instead? This is where I have been the last few days. The same child whose birth caused my faith to go into high gear in a matter of seconds is going through a trying time with her own unborn child. As a mother, it’s times like these that I have no idea how people can lean on their own strength instead of the power and strength of God. Because I would crumble. I readily admit that I am weak. Not only is it in a mother’s heart to worry and sometimes fear for our children, it’s in the heart of everyone who loves deeply. When we love deeply we will do anything to help the one we love. To take their pain away. To make everything okay again. To give them comfort and peace and joy. Even though time has been tempting me to worry and to fear, even though the nights have been long and my heart hurts for my child~ I know that there is not a single thing I can physically do to change the situation, just like the day that she was born. The only thing I can do is to cling to my faith in God’s promises and place all those worries and fears (over her worries and fears) into His hands. Because when we are weak, He is strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 Because He loves us infinitely more than we could ever imagine. In fact, He loves my children infinitely more than I ever could. Isaiah 49:15, 66:13 So I will praise Him through all of this. I will praise Him because no matter what happens, I know of His steadfast love for me. I know of His steadfast love for my daughter and for my grandchild who has yet to be born. I know that His Mercy is new every morning and that He is forever faithful. Lamentations 3:22-23 And I know that He is in complete control. I am not~ But praise God because He is the I AM! Exodus 3:14, John 14:6, 15:5 Today I want to encourage you. What is your heart and mind meditating on? The problem or the promises? Are you worrying or worshipping? We need to come to grips with the fact that we are not in control and stop allowing fear and worry to control us by giving it our hearts and minds. Give it all to God. Believe me, I know it’s hard, but every time my mind starts meditating on anything besides His promises to me I know that I need to give it back to Him~ even if I have to repeat the process over and over again. Because I know in my heart that He is the only One Who controls the outcome and that outcome will be what’s best because it’s given from the One Who gave everything for me. John 3:16
5/15/2021
Your Head That Is BowedYesterday.
Her head was bowed. A worn and tattered bible lay softly on her lap. She read each word as if it were the greatest treasure she ever held. Her head was bowed. Bills lay all over the old kitchen table. A jar of loose change that came up short. Her words were barely audible as she spoke to her Savior. A smile was on her face. Full of assurance that He would take care. Heads were bowed all over the restaurant. Simple meals sat before them. Prayers of thanksgiving abounded for the goodness God had blessed them with. Laughter and conversation ensued. Joy was present. People were present. Heads were bowed as they knelt next to their bed. A tiny bedroom with only a small nightstand. Soft singing could be heard in praises to their Heavenly Father. A roof over their heads. A soft pillow to fall asleep on. Contended children in the bedroom next to them. Children whose little eyes captured each of these moments and remembered. “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” 2 Corinthians 6:10 Today. Her head was bowed. Scrolling mindlessly on a device filled with staged perfection. Unhappiness furrowed her brow, yet she could not avert her eyes. Psalm 107:8-9, 119:105 Her head was bowed. A device filled with objects sure to bring happiness, one of many credit cards in her hand. “Purchase now” was always such an easy option, yet happiness always alluded her. Philippians 4:19 Heads were bowed all over the restaurant. A fork in one hand and a phone in the other. A mindless murmur of conversation could be heard. No thankfulness. No laughter. People without presence. Proverbs 18:24 Their heads were bowed. Next to each other in bed, yet both in their own little worlds. Each looking at their device. Almost lost in the immense size of the bed they lay in, yet a bed that seemed small for the room that held it. Both still working late into the night. Worlds apart, yet in the same room. Promises to spend time with children had been broken. Again. Psalm 127:1-3 Children whose little eyes captured each of these moments and remembered. What will our children grow up remembering? As they see your head bowed will it be bowed to your Savior or to your device? Devices will always be around. They will become easier and faster. They will always pull us in. They will lie to us in making us believe that the grass is always greener. That other people’s lives are better. That it’s ok to go into debt because you deserve that new outfit, purse, shoes, furniture, vacation. That it doesn’t matter that you work 90% of your life to pay for what you deserve. To pay for happiness. That God is not in control and He will not help you, that only you can help yourself. That it’s okay to check those notifications, to scroll, to answer emails. That you are present with your husband, your children, your family because they are sitting next to you in the same room. Yes, your device is lying to you. I once read~ “Your cell phone will be small forever. Your children will not”. We only have our children for a short amount of time, and then they will be gone. Tomorrow. All your children’s tomorrow’s. What will they remember of your head that is bowed? Teach them to go to Jesus. Isaiah 54:13 Not their device.
3/27/2021
Palms and PromisesWhoever finds a palm tree first gets a pickle...
I don’t know where my granddaughter Clara came up with this game, but we all started laughing. Five grandkids in the back of our vehicle, only minutes away from our vacation destination. The excitement could not be contained. It got me thinking about Palm Sunday and the excitement Easter holds, and I couldn’t help but think of the verse~ “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard... the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” I Corinthians 2:9 Do you know what I like about Palm Sunday? Despite knowing the future anguish Christ would endure for all of mankind, God did not stop there. We can praise God for the promise of Easter and the knowledge that one day in heaven we will have eternity to shout Hosanna! So today, I’d like to share with you a place, a problem, a Person and a promise. I’d like to tell you about a place. It’s a place that isn’t popular to talk about in this “feel good” generation, when so many are scared to even go out of their homes, and just want to escape into the unreality of television and social media. It’s a place whose destination has been joked about, and even bragged about at times. It’s a place called hell. It isn’t great material for jokes, it’s a horrifying place of fire and darkness. It’s real and it’s eternal. (1) It’s a destination for all sinners. There will be no so social gatherings there. There will be no parties or camaraderie. Only torment and pain. (2) The cost of our sin. (3) I’d like to tell you about a problem. The problem that lies within each and every one of us. A problem we are all born with, myself included. (4) That problem is sin. From murdering to the little white lie, sin is sin. None of us are sinless. I am as much a sinner as the murderer on death row or the sweet, little old lady down the street. (5) Being a pastor’s wife does not make me exempt. No one is exempt. There is nothing we can do, no good deeds we can accomplish, no church we can attend, no charity we can give to that can take away that sin. (6) And because of the depravity of our sinful hearts, the punishment for that sin is separation from God and eternity in hell. (7) I’d like to tell you about a Person. The only sinless Person Who took all our sins upon Himself so that we would not have to face that punishment. That Person isn’t me. It isn’t my pastor husband. It isn’t the priest or the preacher down the street. That Person is Jesus. (8) Born in a manger, He took the form of a human baby for the love of a people who don’t deserve it, but desperately need it. (9) Jesus Who, with joy endured the brutal beating and death on a cross to save our wicked souls from eternity in hell. (10) Jesus Who rose again from that death and sits on the right hand of God the Father, making intercession for us, praying for us even now. (11) That person Who we owe everything to. That person is inviting you to a promise. (12) I’d like to tell you about that promise. To believe. To have faith in that belief that Jesus took your sins upon Himself on that cross. (13) To joyfully except His invitation by repenting and turning away from the blindness sin has caused (14) in allowing you to somehow be fooled into thinking that hell isn’t that bad, and heaven isn’t that good, and Jesus death was just a bible story for little kids in Sunday school. The lie that the Bible and church is for religious people or fanatics and that you’ll be just fine, because you aren’t that bad a person. You’re actually pretty good. There is nothing good about us. (15) Our hearts need the grace only Jesus can give. (16) Our hearts need the faithful believing that His shed blood on that cross washes away sins. (17) Our hearts need sorrow for that sin and repentance. Our hearts need Jesus. (18) And once we have Jesus, He promises us that we are forever His child. Nothing will ever separate us from Him. He promises us a home in heaven when we leave this earth. He promises to never leave us or forsake us. He promises to be with us always. (19) A palm tree and a pickle. A place, a problem, a Person and a beautiful promise. Are you excited about your destination after death? We have hope in the Person and His promise. Freedom from the fear of death. (20) The hope of heaven and not hell, but so much more that that~ The hope that we get God. We get Jesus. Our Father, our Friend, our forgiveness. Our Savior. We get a love beyond anything our human hearts have ever, or could ever comprehend. (21) Yes, there is a place and a problem, but there is a Person with a Promise. And that embodies peace. (22) (1) Psalm 11:6 (2) Luke 16:22-31 (3) Romans 6:23 (4) Romans 5:12 (5) Romans 3:23 Revelation 21:8 (6) Ephesians 2:8-9 (7) Romans 5:10 (8) I John 2:2, 4:9-10 (9) Philippians 2:7 (10) Hebrews 12:2 (11) Romans 8:34 (12) Revelation 3:20 (13) I Peter 2:24 (14) 2 Corinthians 4:4 (15) Romans 7:18 (16) Romans 5:15 (17)I John 1:7-9 (18) 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 (19) Hebrews 13:5 Matthew 28:20 (20) I John 4:18 Hebrews 2:14-15 Romans 15:13 (21) Ephesians 3:16-19 (22) Philippians 4:7 “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.” Psalms 86:12-13
1/23/2021
Small Frames Hold Big LoveBig magic in the mundane, the big picture in a small frame, everything is sacred when you take time to notice, big love happens in the small moments.... Can I just be honest here? Sometimes my adult kids really frustrate me. When the frustration hits, it’s usually due to worry. Am I allowed to say that as a pastor’s wife? Most of my kids read my blog posts. Not sure how that will go 🤣, but if they’re honest, they’re kids or spouses frustrate them now and then too. I know I’ve said it before, but you mamas who think it’s so hard with little ones... Just wait. When they’re little it seems like their hearts are bursting with unconditional love for you, plus~ you get to tell them what to do. 😂 Sure, they might not obey every time, but when they’re really little, it’s SO much easier to teach them why your words of wisdom are so important. And when they’re really little, they usually listen. I tend to let the “not listening” part of adult children really get to me. Often my feelings get hurt and I feel unloved when I don’t understand the direction they’re going, and it seems like they’re disregarding me as a parent and the things we taught them when they were little. But then God gives me mama moments. Moments filled with comfort. They might not be living under my roof anymore or doing things the way that I taught them, but if I’m truly praying for them, if I’m truly leaving my children in the hands of God and trusting Him, then I should not be worried at all. And He always ends up showing me just how loved I am. This past Christmas was one of those mama moments. The kids gave us a video they put together of pictures of our grandchildren set to music. Ten years earlier they gave us a similar video, but it was full of pictures from their own childhood-My husband watches that video all the time, and every single time he gets teary eyed. So, we all jammed into my tiny 10’ x 12’ TV room to watch the new video. Some were standing, grandkids were on laps and the room felt like chaos. But when the video started, magic happened~ silence filled the room as everyone watched. As I watched. I watched the video, but I also watched my adult children and their spouses. Every single one of them was wiping away tears as eyes were glued to the screen. They weren’t tears of sadness. They were tears filled with love. The love their hearts were feeling. And man, my heart was full. So much love filled that room. God was in that room. This was a big moment in a small frame and I don’t think any of them probably realized that at the time. But I did. And God told my fretful, worrying mama heart that I was too often trying to hold on to this big picture and freaking out about what I thought life for my adult children was supposed to look like, when all the while He was giving me small frames to hold onto every single day in the mundane. Beautiful pictures inside those frames to show me how truly wonderful life with my adult children was. I was trying to control what was inside that big picture instead of realizing that He is the only One who can. I was doing the same thing to God that I thought my adult children were doing to me. I wasn’t listening to what He had been teaching me all along, but instead I was doubting His love and goodness. I was doubting that He would take care of them. That big moment in a small frame will forever be etched in my heart and I will look more often for those small frames that my life holds. Small frames God gives me every single day. So moms of adult children, don’t fret, don’t worry, don’t let your heart hurt. Don’t feel unloved. I know it’s hard. I’ll probably never stop parenting or wanting them to listen to my advice, but if we’ve been praying for our children, if we’ve truly given them to God, then we can’t let the frustration and worry control us. Allow Him to hold your big picture. We might not ever see the finished portrait here on earth, but we can rest in the fact that our Heavenly Father is still perfecting every stroke. One day when we take our last breath and stand face to face with our Savior, He will show us that beautiful picture and it will be so much more glorious than we could have ever imagined. Until then, enjoy all the beautiful small frames He hangs on the walls of your heart every single day~and trust Him. Because those small frames hold big love.
1/16/2021
Run and PlayIn that moment, I saw God.
Not an angry God. Not a disappointed God. A forgiving God. A loving God. A God full of joy. Let me take you there... My grandson’s big blue eyes held a lot of fear for such a little guy. He was confessing to his parents. He was asking for forgiveness. You see, moments before in Sunday school I had taught a lesson on that very subject. Forgiveness. His little 5 year old mind couldn’t seem to grasp the concept, so I made up a story to illustrate. A fictional story about him, a little boy who broke something of his moms without her knowing. The little boy hid what he broke, but later that night as he lay in bed his heart seemed to hurt. He knew he had to tell her what he had done. He needed to confess. So he went to her bedroom and explained everything. With tears he told her he was sorry and asked her to please not be mad for what he had done. He asked for forgiveness. As I told that fictional story his eyes seemed to increase in size with every detail, and then I found out why. He told me his own story. We both decided it was something he needed to confess to his parents. So here we were, in the front pew after church. With his sweet little lisp he spoke- “Last summer, I climbed up on top of the shelves in the garage and reached for some of your pottery and one piece fell and broke... so I buried it in the dirt behind the garage. I’m sorry”. There was no hesitation in his parent’s reaction. They could see his repentance. He was their child. They smiled (and almost laughed) they pulled him close and hugged him and told him he was forgiven. And with childlike faith, it was over. He smiled and ran to play. In that moment I saw forgiveness. I saw freedom and release. I saw unconditional love. Little Gabe did not carry that weight with him. He let it go and with unabashed joy he laughed and played as if it never happened, and in amazement I watched it all unfold. This 55 year old grandma was reminded again of the love my Father has for me. This was God. Our Father. How often do we feel the weight of guilt for the things we have done? How often do we worry that God is angry with us? We might try to hide our sin, or we might recognize it, repent and ask for forgiveness, but deep down we struggle with believing that our past truly can be forgiven. We might view God as an angry God who expects perfection and if we don’t measure up, punishment will ensue. But this is not God at all. Our God is the God of that little child. You are that child. He is our God full of mercy, grace and love. Our “It is finished” Father. Our God who wants us to have faith as a little child. To leave it all with Him and to experience the freedom, joy and peace of repentance and forgiveness. At times I think we make it too hard. We’re human and we tend to look at God as if He were human too. He holds no grudges as we do. Whether it’s broken pottery or a broken past, with absolutely no hesitation He pulls us close and hugs us. He tells us~ “It is finished my child~ All has already been forgiven”. With the beauty this knowledge holds, how can we not be filled with unadulterated, pure joy in that freedom? Our Father is smiling down at us~ let us run and play again. No thought of the past. No fear of the future. As little children. Children full of faith in the love and forgiveness of our heavenly Father. Psalm 103:12 Romans 5:20b Hebrews 7:25 I John 1:7, 9 II Corinthians 5:21
12/30/2020
Dear Mom, You Can’t But God CanWhen my children were little, each night I would go upstairs to check on them before going to sleep myself. Seeing them nestled peacefully~all snug in their beds, made my heart feel so incredibly full. Every Christmas I wanted to make all their Christmas wishes come true. Perhaps it was my heart’s way of trying to show them a picture of the incredible love their Heavenly Father had for them. After checking on them, I’d quietly tiptoe back downstairs and I would always stop at the window in our stairwell to check for snow. Snow was always on their wish list for Christmas, something I knew would truly bring them joy, but something I could never provide. Every single night I would stop at that window and look out at my quiet town below. Wishing for snow. Tonight I stopped at that same window and all those memories came flooding back. My heart wished for snow for my children. My grown up adult children who still get excited when beautiful white snowflakes appear in the sky. My adult kids who still text me to tell me it’s snowing outside. I know many of you think I’m crazy. Many of you hate the snow, but you have to admit~ there’s something breathtakingly beautiful about a world covered in white at Christmas time. Especially this year. Maybe this year my heart longs for that blanket of white because our world has been so dark. Maybe for a moment I want my kids to be free from the cares of this world and once again feel like little children. As easy as it seemed to provide happiness for them when they were little, it is almost near impossible when they are adults, and that’s hard. Life is hard. 2020 was hard. But tonight as I sat in our stairwell, looking down at our little town, wishing for snow and pondering all these things, God whispered to my heart~ “Just like you couldn’t provide snow when they were little, you can’t provide snow for your children now Charisse. You can’t take the cares of this world away. You can’t lift the heavy burdens off their hearts. You can’t provide true joy”~ “But I can.” My heart knew that all those Christmases we didn’t have a single snowflake, it didn’t matter. My children never doubted my love for them. They knew they were loved. They knew they would be taken care of. And that’s exactly what I want them to know when they’re adults. As Christmas Day approaches and a new year is on the horizon, I want them to believe like little children again. I want them to trust that they are loved and that God will take care of them. That has been God’s message all along. The message of Christmas. He sent His Son to a little town in Bethlehem to show us His love. To show us He will always take care of us. To wash our hearts whiter than snow. My heart is filled with peace as I look out that window at my own little town and remember. I know my God will take care of my children no matter what the year ahead holds. Joy floods my soul as I think about how much He loves each of them. I don’t have to worry about a thing. He will provide. And as I smile in the darkness~ beautiful, white snowflakes begin to fall.
11/12/2020
He Still IsWhen my children were tiny, I was a very naive young mom when it came to politics. We didn’t have cell phones or internet or the constant swell of social media that bombards our lives today.
In fact, Mike and I didn’t even have cable TV. With the facts that we were given, I assumed that the majority of the people would vote the way I did. I was wrong. We were driving home from church when we found out who won the presidency. My three little ones were oblivious to the change that was happening in our world. They were giggling in the back seat without a care in the world. We had the radio on in our car when the announcement was made. I was in complete shock. This had to be wrong. There was no way our country could’ve voted this way. But it was true. I hugged my stomach a little tighter. My fourth child would be born soon. What kind of world would it be when she was an adult? What would become of this country I loved so dearly? I turned and looked at my children playing happily in the back seat and I was afraid. Fear touched my heart in a deep way that day. Fear for our future. Fear for my children and what kind of world they would grow up in. But that fear was not from God. God tells me fear not. Lamentations 3:57, Luke 12:7 God tells me to trust Him. Proverbs 3:5,6 God tells me to have faith, faith like a little child. Luke 18:17. Faith like my children had that day in the car. Faith that their daddy was in the driver’s seat and would get them safely home. But we grow up. We become skeptical. We are inundated with information, constantly at our fingertips. We worry, we lose faith, we fear. Just like I did so many years ago. Yes, God is “in control”. Sadly, that phrase has become so cliche that it bears no meaning to us at times. God knows exactly when you will draw your next breath. He knows the rhythm of your heart. He knows your very thoughts. He makes the sun rise and set. He throws beautiful stars into a sea of darkness. He creates individual snowflakes that cover our world like a breathtaking tapestry. He hears the laughter of your children and with indescribable love, it brings Him joy. God is the very One Who created that president you didn’t vote for. In His image. I can look back at that day in the car with different eyes now. The eyes of a mother of adult children. The eyes of a grandma. The eyes of someone who has consistently seen God’s hand upon my life. The eyes of someone that God has always, always , always taken care of. The eyes of a child who knows her Daddy is in the driver’s seat and He will take her safely home. My kids did not go through the future horrors my heart feared. God has always remained faithful. Even when I felt like my world was out of control, He has always been in complete control, and let me just share a secret with you~ HE STILL IS. Whoever you voted for, whatever concerns and fears are gripping your heart today over your future or the future of your children, let me assure you that God will remain faithful. He already knows who won this election. He already knows what your children’s future holds~ and with a love far greater than we could ever fathom, He holds that future and your children and grandchildren in the palm of His hands. The very hands that bled for you. Fear is not from God. Lay it down at His feet and have faith. Faith like a little child. This country belongs to God. He wants you to trust Him. He is worthy of that honor. He is worthy of all glory. He will always bring you safely home. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18 “Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.” Psalms 66:12 “Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.” Psalms 94:17-19 “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Psalms 37:25 “Thou hast put gladness in my heart. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” Psalms 4:7-8 I worry about tomorrow.
I know~that’s exactly what Jesus tells me NOT to do (Matthew 6:34), and yet I do it all the time. I am a planner, but I also have control issues. That is a terrible combination. When I look at a future I cannot control, it scares me. I get anxious, I get stressed and I worry. Funny thing is, I don’t really have control over anything. I have no control over next year or next month or even next minute. My mind tricks me into a false sense of security when I plan and have everything written down in a neat, orderly fashion. But, just because I have a perfect little list of what I want my life to look like doesn’t mean I have any control over any of it. I know this, but somehow I always forget it. God is the only One in control. I remember the first summer after my last child graduated from college. It happened to be a very stressful time for me. On top of a multitude of other burdens I was carrying, Mike and I decided to renovate the upstairs kids bedrooms into our master bedroom and bath. I specifically remember calling my daughter several times and saying, “are you sure you’re okay with this?You will no longer have a bedroom here.” She promised she was fine with it. Florida was her home now. So, we began the work. And then~ the day I was kneeling on the floor, scraping 100 years of carpet glue up, she called. She was crying. She was homesick and wanted me to try to come down to visit. I talked to her a while and when I hung up~ I sat and cried. I had so much on my plate, so many things on my little list that I wanted to accomplish and I desperately wanted to finish this project before the school year started. I was exhausted and overwhelmed, but my heart hurt for my daughter. What was I going to do? I did what I do way too often. I cried helpless tears and I stressed myself out. I didn’t give it to God, I didn’t ask Him for help. I had a pity party and worried for a week over that decision. When I look back on it now I think it should’ve been a very easy decision to make. Go see my daughter. The bedroom could wait. The responsibilities that were so heavy on my shoulders could wait, but sometimes when you’re in the middle of the storm everything seems like “too much” and you can’t think logically. You can’t see past the storm clouds to the rainbow of God’s promises beyond. (Proverbs 3:5,6, Hebrews 13:5) I wish that I had just stopped and said~ God show me and then give me the peace to leave it in Your hands knowing You will take care of it. (Philippians 4:7) But I didn’t. One week later, despite me and my worries, miracles happened.(Revelation 3:8) My daughter called to say she had prayed all week and felt God leading her to move back home, she just needed God to provide a job (and a bedroom 😂). That very afternoon a job was provided, before she even had a chance to look. A great job in our tiny town, where jobs like that aren’t available often. Before I knew it, she was home. Our bedroom was done. (Her bedroom was moved downstairs) The responsibilities were taken care of. The burdens were lifted one by one. And God knew it all along. He knew it when she called. He knew it as I sat there crying. He knew it as I worried day after day. He knew it as I lay in bed unable to sleep. Jesus tells me to focus on today because God has already taken care of all my tomorrows, and yet I find myself focusing on the tomorrows way too often. (Matthew 6:34) If I had just trusted Him and given Him all that worry, all those burdens, all those tears~ all of it could’ve been avoided because in return He would have given me peace. I can’t tell you the number of times God has done this in my life. Time after time after time He has shown me that He had the situation under control before it ever became a situation. You would think I would have learned one simple truth by now~ God loves me and He will always take care of every situation in my life. He knows all our weaknesses and wants us to be strong through Him, but somehow we think our strength is enough. It isn’t. It never can be. (II Corinthians 12:9) So my friend, this is a reminder to myself, because this past week I allowed this to happen yet again in my life. And this is a reminder to you~ Whatever you are facing today that has you worried and stressed and anxious, please give it to God. He’s right there waiting and whispering~ “Find peace and joy in this very minute right now. Trust Me. I’ve got all your tomorrows already taken care of.” (I Peter 5:7, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” Psalms 46:1-3, 5
6/17/2020
My Bike Got StolenMY BIKE GOT STOLEN
It’s sort of a silly thing to write about. I live in a very small, safe town. I’ve had the same bike for 20 years. Weather permitting I ride it every day, usually back and forth from my dad’s condo or my kid’s houses. And weather permitting I often leave it outside at night, because I know I’ll be on it again the next day. And because my town is safe. We have an excellent police force that patrols our neighborhoods often. It’s like family here. It’s home. We look out for each other. We trust. I loved that bike. My dad gave me this silly little basket to put on the front of it. It says “I ❤️ my bike.” Just the other day as I was riding that bike home, I smiled at that basket~as cheesy as it was~it was a gift from my dad and it was special. It often held his dinner as I drove it down to him. So yes, it’s silly but I’ll miss that bike. I was angry and then sad that someone felt compelled to come and take it. My heart kept thinking about what was taken from me. But then God nudged my heart. He always does. I argued with Him a little~ “But God, I used that bike to take care of my dad. I rode that bike with my own children when they were little. I used that bike to go babysit my grandchildren, I used that bike to stay healthy...” And He said~ “Charisse instead of focusing on what was taken from you, focus on what you’ve been given and how that gift can still be used for my glory, even when it’s no longer yours.” I couldn’t help but think about that basket my dad gave me and how it reminded me of the baskets of bread and fish the disciples gathered up after Jesus fed the 5,000. All from 5 loaves and 2 fishes. The lunch of a little boy who was willing to give it all to Jesus. Am I willing to give it all to Jesus? Even the things that are precious to me? My family? My husband and children? My possessions? Even my bike? Am I willing to let go of what I thought was mine, realizing everything I have is God’s and that even when the people and things I cherish are no longer in “my possession” God can continually use them for His glory? Are you willing, or are you like me~arguing with God and telling Him all the reasons why His plan can’t work? Maybe whoever decided to take my bike is laughing right now, thinking that it was all just a joke to them. Maybe the person who took it really needed a bike, a bike with a cheesy basket attached to it. Whatever the case may be, I’m going to choose to believe that the reason behind it no longer belonging to me is ultimately for God’s glory and He wants me to trust Him. If I can’t trust His reasoning behind the small things in life~ like my bike getting stolen~how will I ever trust Him with the big things~whether that means the scary things like pandemics, quarantines, floods, hornets, shootings and riots~ or the precious things like my family. And so, to the new owner of that 20 year old burgundy bike with the cheesy basket, I am smiling and hope that you enjoy it as much as I did and that you smile every time you read “I ❤️my bike”. It might sound silly to trust God’s reasoning behind a bike getting stolen but even something small like 5 loaves and two fishes or a bike with a cheesy basket, can somehow bring glory to God long after it’s no longer in our possession. We just have to trust. “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” 2 Cor. 6:10 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” Ephesians 1:12
4/23/2020
Stop Freaking OutSTOP FREAKING OUT
2 minute read I was having a particularly stressful week. I got bombarded daily with unexpected inconveniences that continually messed up my plans. I tried to remain calm. One more week and we would be on vacation. I would be laying in the sand, soaking up the sun and listening to the ocean waves. I was pretty sure I had the following week free to get my “to do” list accomplished before we left. I looked at the calendar and, I kid you not~ I almost had a panic attack. Every single day before vacation was booked with activities and appointments. And I had a freak out moment. I am a big planner. I’m one of those people who has a daily “to do” list written out for the next month. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with planning but~ There is something wrong when those “plans” cause you to freak out because they aren’t going “as planned”. And that happens to me more than I care to admit. God is constantly having to remind me to~ “Be where your feet are Charisse. Today is all you need think about. What do I have for you today? Right now? Right this very minute?” “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself...” Matthew 6:34 So what happened? A virus hit so hard that everything shut down. All those activities and appointments, all the worry I had about finishing everything before vacation~ it all came to naught. Vacation didn’t happen. The sun, sand and ocean waves didn’t happen. The only thing that did happen was me freaking out about something that God already knew wouldn’t matter. I wasn’t trusting God. As I look at social media, it is very evident to me that our entire country is freaking out. We’re complaining about our plans getting canceled. We’re either complaining that the government isn’t doing enough to protect us and heal this virus, or we’re complaining that the government is doing too much by not allowing us to work. Instead of God’s plans, instead of God’s purposes, instead of God’s peace~ it has become either personal pouting or political. We are constantly fighting or griping instead of just being where our feet are. Right now. Today. “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:15 Perhaps Gods plan all along has been this day, this moment. Maybe His plan all along was just to stop. To enjoy today. The extra time He has allowed us to spend with Him and our families. But we aren’t doing that. We are wasting our today’s by fighting over our tomorrows. Every single time I have freaked out about my plans and my future, every time I have cried and complained and worried over how I would do it all~ God always, without fail pulled me through and showed me that His plans were not mine. That I couldn’t do it all, but He could and would. His plans were always SO MUCH better. And yet, for some reason~I continue to place my trust in myself instead of remembering the thousands of times He has shown Himself faithful. He knew all along I had no reason to freak out about my week ahead. Today, stop and look at where your feet are. Look at today. Look at your parents or your husband, look at your children, look at Gods word. Look at everything God has blessed you with. Enjoy this day God has given you and trust Him with your future. Ask Him to show you what His plans are for you TODAY~ what He wants to teach you TODAY. How you can choose joy TODAY. How you can be like Jesus TODAY. Our country has a 3 phase plan in place, but can I encourage you~Gods plans for your tomorrows are so much better. God’s got this. He’s going to take care of this virus. He’s going to take care of our finances. He’s going to take care of our families. He’s going to take care of you. Not the government. Not the doctors. Not us. GOD. So let’s all leave it with Him~ And stop freaking out. “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
4/16/2020
Fix Your Eyes On JesusI’ll never forget the Easter my cousin Erick decided to dress up as the Easter bunny. We were in middle school, and both our brothers were much younger. He thought it would be fun to surprise them. It had the opposite effect. When his younger brother Peter saw him, he was petrified. He started crying and wouldn’t stop. We tried to comfort him but nothing helped. My cousin repeatedly told him- “It’s me, your brother. You don’t have to be afraid. I’m right here.” But the crying persisted. My poor little cousin was looking into the face of fear, despite the words of comfort he was hearing. It wasn’t until Erick took off that bunny mask that Peter finally calmed down and realized, it was his brother all along. This Easter many of us are looking at all the quarantine masks and our hearts are petrified. We are looking into the face of fear, instead of the face of our Savior. His words of comfort are constantly reminding us that He is with us always, but fear has such a grip on our hearts that we cannot be comforted by His very words... “fear not”, “be not afraid”, “I am with you always”. Can I encourage you today to trust the One Who loves us so much that He sent His very Son to die for us? To trust the One Who promises us a home in heaven if we accept the beautiful gift of His Son. To trust the One Who tells us He will be with us always. ALWAYS. Why is it that we can have the faith to trust that God will take us to heaven when we die, but our faith falls short when we have to trust Him to take care of us physically or monetarily? I think it’s because we know that what Jesus did on the cross for us is what assures us a home in heaven~not anything that we ourselves have done, or could ever do. Our sins are completely forgiven because of Jesus alone. The situation changes when it comes to our physical bodies, and the well being of those we love. Somehow we think we are the ones in control of things here on earth. Our health. Our finances. Our futures. When things become out of control, fear invades our hearts instead of faith. Romans 8:31,32. Stop looking into the face of fear and dwelling there. Stop watching the news all day. Stop the googling and social media. Sit at your Savior’s feet and soak in His comfort and peace. When you stop looking into the face of fear, you will realize your Heavenly Father has been with you all along. Romans 8:35,37-39. Fix your eyes on Jesus. He is in you. He gives you the power to overcome. The power that we could never achieve on our own. Power, even when things of this world are out of control. John 1:12. The Coronavirus is no surprise to Him. I John 3:20. My cousin asked his brother if he wanted to hold the bunny mask. Reluctantly, Peter took it. He looked at it, and with tears still streaming down his little cheeks~he gave it right back. We all laughed and soon he was laughing too. We don’t have to wait until we remove the quarantine masks for our fears to subside. We don’t have to wait until we remove the masks to realize God has been right here with us all along. Exodus 33:14. Give all that fear right back to your Heavenly Father. Find your laughter again. And hear him reassuring you over and over- “It’s me. Your Father. You don’t have to be afraid. I am right here.”
4/8/2020
Everything Will ChangeEVERYTHING WILL CHANGE
2 minute read When my husband’s sister passed away in 2003, all our lives were torn apart. Everything changed. She left behind 6 children. Her youngest only 6 days old. I saw how it affected my husband and my children. I saw how it affected her husband, her children, her parents and siblings, her church family. I saw how it affected me. I decided my life would be different. I would give of myself more. I would invest in other’s lives. I would spend more quality time with my children instead of stressing over a clean house, schedules and “to do’s”. I would love on my husband more fiercely, forgive more readily. I wouldn’t get irritated and argue with him over stupid things. I would be selfless and put his needs before my own. Because I did not know how much time I had left with the ones I loved, and I wanted it to be precious. Yes everything changed.... for a while. Slowly, as the years went by and life became more normal again~ I forgot those decisions. And every once in a while my heart would be pricked, because I wasn’t following through. I always blew it off. Surely God understood how busy I was~ I had schedules to keep. I had a house to keep clean. I had too much on my plate to help that person. I had every right to get irritated with my husband. But deep down, I knew that wasn’t true. We make the time for the ones we love. We forgive, we give of ourselves, we love selflessly. Deep down, I knew~ I just loved myself more. As we sit in our houses and reflect on this time~As we think about our lives and what will change~As we pray desperately for the safety of our loved ones~As we give God our moments~As we search His promises for peace~As we watch the news and cry and pray~As we realize how very precious our families truly are~As our eyes are opened to what is most important in our lives. Let’s not ever forget. One year from now. Two years from now. If and when our lives become our normal again. We cannot ever forget. We will make new choices. We will determine to put God first. To spend time with Him. To make the time for our children despite our list of “to-do’s” and love on our spouses more fiercely. We will determine to forgive more readily. We will not allow busyness to take over our family time. We will give of ourselves to others. Until we don’t. Until the years go by and we slowly forget this horrible, terrible, life changing virus that has encapsulated our entire world. Because our lives will be our normal again. But for some, their lives will forever be changed because this virus took someone that was precious to them. Mark this day and the next and the next. Write notes in your bible to remember. Take pictures. Cut out newspaper articles. Create memories. Remember. Please remember. And pray for the future God has for us. Pray that we don’t ever forget. And one day, let us look back on our memories and notes and pictures. Let us relive it and be reminded how good God is to us. How much He has blessed us with. Then hug on your babies a little tighter. Kiss on your spouse a little longer. Give of yourself to your neighbors a little more and give God every part of every day. Because we don’t know how much time we have left. Maybe this virus has made us all more aware and because of that, we can be thankful, because of that~ Everything will change. |
© 2020 HOLDING HOPE