What You Will Be

As I gazed up at the mountains, I was awed by their majesty;

I bowed my head and asked myself, "Why should He care for me?

I am not great like the mountains that tower so high above,

What is there about me that God can find to love?"

"Father, I am not strong like the wind that makes your tall trees sway,

I cannot sing sweetly like your birds; will you love me anyway?

But most of all, I am simply me, and often have cause to fear,

In spite of all my weaknesses, do you promise to be near?"

With eyes closed tight against my tears, I wished He could hear me pray.

Then I felt His Spirit tell me, "Child, look up, I have something to say.

"You are simply you, the spirit I love, a part of my great plan.

I put you here to learn of life and to return to me again."

"You are more beautiful to me than the loveliest mountain I made,

And your strength exceeds that of the wind's, so do not be afraid.

I love you not for what you are, but for what I know you will be.

I am always beside you watching you grow, you are very special to me."

A smile touched my lips - I knew it was true, my Father had always been there

Giving me comfort and blessings and love and my own special talents to share.

So I do my best to make Him proud. I am not afraid, for you see,

He loves me not for what I am, but for what He knows I will be.

Pancakes and Love

ix year old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.  Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove, and he didn't know how the stove worked!

Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky.  And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was make them proud.  He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process.

That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend or we can't stand our job or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes," for God or for others.  Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried...

Sandbox Rock

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox.  He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox.  The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very huge.)

When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn't roll it up and over the little wall. Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved -- but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy's father watched from his living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but firmly he said, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had available?"

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, "But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!"

"No, son," corrected the father kindly. "You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me."

With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.

Do you have "rocks" in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don't have what it takes to lift them? There is One who is always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need. When the apostle Paul faced times of a broken spirit and sapped strength, he proclaimed to the Corinthian church, "My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you" (2 Corinthians 12:9b NCV). When we are broken in spirit and our strength is spent, we can turn to our Savior Jesus.

The Awakening

Please read to the end!

A time comes in your life when you finally get it...when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out - ENOUGH!
Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening.

You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change...or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that neither of you is Prince Charming or Cinderella and that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you...and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of what you are...and that's okay. They are entitled to their own views and opinions. And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself...and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it's not always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself...and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging others and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties...and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained in your psyche. And you begin to sift through all the junk you've been fed about how you should behave, how you should look, how much you should weigh, what you should wear, what you should do for a living, how much money you should make, what you should drive, how and where you should live, who you should marry, the importance of having and raising children, and what you owe you parents, family and friends.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with...and in the process you learn to go with your own instincts.

You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for you next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn to that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you lean about love.

How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them to be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. And you learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK...and that it is your right to want things and ask for things you want...and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands. You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less.

And you learn that your body really is a temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise. You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear and uncertainty so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels the soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve...and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. Most importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone...and that its okay to ask for help.

You learn the only thing you must fear is the robber baron of all: FEAR itself! You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometime bad things happen to good people. On these occasions, you learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn't punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. Life is just happening. And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state - the ego.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls. You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself, by yourself and you make yourself a promise never to betray yourself and never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. And you hang a wind chime outside your window so that you can listen to the wind.

And you make a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

CONDUITS OF COMFORT - Part Three: Overcoming

In this short series, I’ve talked about pain and loneliness. I want to end it with an explanation of the title, Conduits of Comfort and how to overcome not only pain and loneliness, but everything that sends us to a bad place and causes us to take our focus off the most important entities in our lives; our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the Father of us all, the Almighty God.

According to Merriman-Webster, a conduit is defined as: 1) a pipe or tube through which something (such as water or wire) passes; and 2) someone or something that is used as a way of sending something (such as information or money) from one place or person to another. 

Let’s be enlightened by the second definition; for that someone is Christ and that something is His Word, the Bible. The information being transmitted is hope. We have hope in Christ through the Word for overcoming every –and I mean every – obstacle in our lives! No matter how much pain we have been in or are in, there is no comfort like that found in Jesus Christ. No matter how lonely we are, there is no friend on whom we can depend on to be with us like Jesus Christ. Don’t you just love saying that name! Jesus - “Jehovah is salvation” “the healer” “the Soter or Iesous” (meaning savior of his people)” and Christ – “Christos or the anointed”  “Excellent” “Messiah or anointed of God”. Just the meaning of His name should give us immeasurable comfort! I love Jesus with every fiber of my being! When I think about the pain that has been inflicted on me, when I think of the pain I go through daily just by living in this world, I counter the pain with beautiful, wonderful, tearfully happy thoughts of my Savior. Have you been so happy until you can’t do anything but cry “thank you Lord!” Well that is just what we need to do when that pain hits us; thank Him! Thank him that we can go through it that we’re not so hard until we don’t believe He is going to help us get through everything! When I become lonely and feel like crawling in a dark corner, I counter the loneliness with thoughts of my Lord, Jesus. I know that the loneliness will only be for a season and when the season has come to an end, I emerge stronger, more ready to do His work!

Jesus and His Word are our conduits of comfort. See for yourself; know that He loves us and gives us strength to face the pain, to face the loneliness, to face to the ugliness of a selfish, cruel world. Remember that the Lord is good and kind, our ever-present protector and provider of comfort in times of need: Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Psalm 119:76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Finally, the 23^rd Psalm says it better than I ever could: ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, ³ he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

As I complete this post, there are tears in my eyes because I know that as this day goes on I may experience both bouts of pain and loneliness. But the tears are not for that, they are for the knowledge that I am going to make it through because I know the Lord! I know Him! He is my everlasting conduit of comfort!

CONDUITS OF COMFORT - Part Two: A Disease Called Loneliness

Depression. Insomnia. Sleeping too much. Weight loss. Weight gain. Lack of Appetite. Hypertension. Digestive Problems. Ulcers....Sounds like a disease diagnosis doesn't it? It is! And the disease is called loneliness.

Many of us has had, and some still suffer from this disease. The malady of loneliness has been widely studied. Health care professionals and social scientist alike all agree that loneliness is a real, serious disease. University of Chicago's social psychologist, John Cacioppo suggests that chronic loneliness can have significantly adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, causing a chain reaction that consequently leads to other problems that are just as serious, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

You can be socially connected to 1,000 people on Facebook and still be lonely. Not because your life isn't crowed, but because your world is empty. Being lonely is not the same as being alone. People are usually okay being alone. Being alone are the times that help us to renew our minds, discover our inner-selves, and commune with an awesome God! But loneliness? Loneliness is like looking in the mirror and nothing stares back. It is like an echo; when you cry out, the only voice that comes back to you is your own; hollow, blank, lifeless.

God did not make man (woman) to be alone. He knew that it wold be an unhealthy state to exist in. That is why being lonely is so devastating. It is so easy to see how this disease can strike. The mental immune system is weak, allowing the germ of loneliness to infiltrate the system. It can become all-consuming, reeking havoc on the mind and body.

However, as with most diseases, there is a cure. Also, as with most diseases, the cure is not a simple or easy fix. There are steps that must be followed; guidelines to adhere to or the results sought will not be realized. First and foremost we must remember that if God made us (which he most certainly did!) He knows our needs. It is not His desire for us to be alone. If we've never experienced real love, He wants us to. But we have to be willing to understand our role and be amendable to following the instructions on the prescription bottles.

One thing we do know is that Christ also suffered loneliness in a very brief moment when he felt His Father had left him. Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Also take comfort in the fact that Christ absolutely understands our loneliness.Hebrews 4:14-16 "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

We also have to remember that God will never leave us; he will never forsake us! He will give us what we need. What we need to do is first of all trust in Him and know that He will provide us with what we need to get through the next day of loneliness, and the next day, and the next day. Give it over to Him and wait on Him. Do I think it's easy? Heck no! Sometimes the loneliness I feel is so overwhelming that I cry, and cry, and cry; so hard until I wonder how I am able to even breathe! Do I lose faith sometimes? You bet! But then I remember that "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147.3 He will hold me up, hold my hand, hold it so tight that I can't let go! Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Am I still scared? You better believe it! However, I've found that focusing on the needs of others helps tremendously. Taking me out of the way and putting my energies in working for His kingdom feels takes away the pain.

We need to learn to trust God to provide for our needs. We cannot expect Him to answer our prayers, to provide for our needs and to comfort us in times of loneliness and we do nothing in return.  Our prescription includes reaching and encouraging others; believing in God and doing  what He says to do - [like] keeping  His Commandments! We have to live by every Word of God. The entire Bible is written by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16), so we must believe the Bible and live by it.

Do I get tired sometimes? Absolutely yes!  Loneliness is a disease can tear us down, cause depression and negatively impact our health.. But our Father says He will take care of everything! He provides for the sparrows; He can certainly provide for us (Luke 12:6-7). God is a loving Father who loves us even more than any parent loves his or her little child. Learn to trust Him to care for every need you have. Lean on him; when you find yourself falling, wrap your arms around him. When you want to give up, wrap your legs around him, feel the warmth of Him; hear the steady heartbeat and don't let go! Your battle is won, just let Him do it in His own time!

With You, I’m Born Again!

There are so many “old school” songs about love that simply move me to great thought, or maybe wishful thinking, depending on your interpretation of this post. Anyway, although I am fully aware of the worldly connotations of these songs, I can examine them from a spiritual aspect to interpret a love that is beyond comprehension; a love so beautiful and lasting until the very awareness of its existence, for some, is inconceivable. One of those songs is, “With You I’m Born Again”, a duet with Billy Preston and Syreeta. For those of you who aren’t old school and don’t know it, here are the words, without the stanza repetitions:

Come bring me your softness
Comfort me through all this madness
Woman [man], don't you know, with you I'm born again

Come give me your sweetness
Now there's you, there is no weakness
Lying safe within your arms, I'm born again

I was half, not whole
In step with none
Reaching through this world
In need of one

Come show me your kindness
In your arms I know I'll find this
Woman [man], don't you know, with you I'm born again
Lying safe with you I'm born again

WOW, what a love! But I am going to step outside of the boundaries of this song being about a male and female relationship and look at it from the lens of a spiritual relationship with the Lord. Contrary to those who say, “I don’t need anybody or anything”, we all need comfort in our lives and the Lord is there to shower us with His softness. He is our comfort, one that will never elude us. “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will never forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” Deuteronomy 31:8. “Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” Matthew 11:28-29. 

The world is in a perpetual state of confusion and Satan’s only goal is to trap us, get us caught up in the madness and keep us from looking up and seeking the peace that only God can provide. “And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:7. And the Lord is so very sweet to us! “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” Psalm 34:8. Furthermore, there is no weakness in the Lord for our safety abides in His love because “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” 1 John 4:28. “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” Psalm 4:8.

We are whole in the Lord, we have all that we could ever want…ever need! “[We] have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [us] who live, but Christ who lives in [us]. And the life [we] now live in the flesh [we] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [us] and gave himself for [us]” Galatians 2:20 and “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17. We reach out to the Lord and the world cannot touch us since “[We] can do all things through him who strengthens [us]” Philippians 4:23. [We] can conquer the world because [we] know the nature of what it has to offer; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12 and “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” Romans 12:2.

However, we have a significant role in our transformation. We have to radiate kindness, we have to love; and that means everyone! We cannot pick and choose who we will love based on our perceptions of them, biases, prejudices, whatever! “Above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” Colossians 3:14 and “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins” 1 Peter 4:8. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” Ecclesiastes 12:3.