Monthly Archives: July 2011

July 28, 2011 · 11:36 pm

At The Track

I love people-watching.

I find people absolutely fascinating, which I suppose is why I enjoy writing about them and why I chose to get my graduate degree in counseling.

This summer, my son and I have been spending our off days from the gym walking at the high school track and I am constantly intrigued by the people I see there.

Some examples:

***Today, there was an older couple (I would say they were in their 70s). Both were obviously in excellent shape. They each had the long, lean muscled look of runners. The husband alternated his time doing wind sprints, stretching, then finally doing several laps around the track. His wife had apparently recently suffered something akin to a stroke.

She circled the track while holding onto ski poles, her body leaning slightly toward one side. Her husband would periodically come alongside her and rub her back a couple of times while speaking what I am guessing were words of support. It was obvious that this effort took a lot out of her, but the determined look I saw on her face as we passed each other told me that she was willing to do the hard work it took to regain full health. Her spirit shone. Finally, once her workout was over, she headed slowly down the hill to the elementary school in the direction of the swings on the playground.

As I rounded the corner and saw her, a big smile broke across my face. This seventy-plus woman was swinging high and fast with a look of absolute joy on her face. Her body knew no limits on that swing; there was no evidence that there was anything wrong.

It was a reminder to me that a little child still lives inside all of us. Taking the time to enjoy a swing is a good way to tap into that part of us that still delights to play.

Eventually, her husband finished his workout, then made his way to his wife. She brought the swing to a stop, reached out for his hand, then the two of them walked hand-in-hand to their car together. Sweet.

***There are the high school football players who gather on the field around the track, full of testosterone and athletic grace, running play after play in anticipation of another winning season.

Big dreams live in a small town.

***Speaking of football, as we walked around the track one evening, a father and son arrived. The father looked like a former football player. He carried a ball, a towel, and a couple of waters. His son followed his dad at a distance, head hung low, shoulders stooped. His body language screamed, “I don’t want to be here!!!” The dad appeared utterly unfazed as he began to put his son through a workout. The son obediently followed his dad’s instruction, but it was clear his heart was not in it.

Our children are not extensions of us. They are their own people, with their unique hopes and dreams. Whose dream was being played out there?

***A teenage girl comes by herself nearly every day to practice lacrosse. She stretches, sprints, handles the ball and her stick over and over again, making it look effortless. She doesn’t appear aware of anyone else at the track. Her focus is absolutely laser-like.

I marvel, having never known that complete and total dedication to anything when I was a teenager. I admire her determination. How wonderful to have discovered a passion at such a young age.

***But my absolute favorite thing has been walking that track with my son (and sometimes my daughter joins us too). We have walked miles and miles, sometimes in the early morning but mostly at night as the sun slips slowly below the mountains, painting everything with a soft orange-pink glow.

I am a mom of two teenagers and I love that we can share so much laughter.

They ask me to tell them stories from my life and I can sometimes see the light dawn in their eyes as they get a glimpse of “Susan” and not just “Mom.”

I have been able to share honestly about some of the mistakes I have made…things I wish I had done differently. It is deeply humbling…but necessary in striving to keep the lines of communication open.

Forty-six year olds really do remember what it was like to be thirteen and fifteen. 🙂

I encourage them to stay physically fit all their lives and extol the many benefits of regular exercise, just like my dad did for me.

They sometimes laugh at my dorkiness but assure me that they love me anyway.

We share prayer requests, concerns, dreams, matters of the heart.

I know they don’t tell me everything…but I rest in the fact that their God, who created them and loves them more than I can conceive, knows it all and I pray for His protection and guidance over their sweet lives.

I have treasured these days with all my heart, knowing that in a few short years, they will most likely leave our small town to begin their own journey.

And I hope that long after I’m gone, Josh and Julia will remember this summer when we circled round and round the high school track , making memories and sharing laughter and lives.

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July 27, 2011 · 4:58 am

Never Forgotten

A woman told a true story in church a couple of weeks ago that I can’t get out of my mind.

Her husband works for a Christian camp in our area and it came to the attention of the staff that one of the campers had a unique story.

Apparently, this teenage boy lives in California. His mother had searched the internet for a camp that was as far away from California as possible. She found this one and sent him across the country by himself for a week.

Obviously, no one knows the particulars of this story or why this boy’s mother wanted to send him so far away to spend a week in the company of complete strangers.

As it turned out, this boy heard about Jesus’ amazing, unconditional love for him during the week at camp…and Heaven celebrated as one more soul personally met his Savior and began walking with Him.

I could not help but think of this young man when I read these words today in my Bible:

The people of Zion said, “The Lord has turned away and forgotten us.” The Lord answered, “Could a mother forget a child who nurses at her breast? Could she fail to love an infant who came from her own body? Even if a mother could forget, I will not forget you.” –Isaiah 49:15-16

Nobody has had a perfect parent.

In fact, some parents have been downright horrific. When I worked as a therapist, my clients went through boxes of tissues as they sat in my office, broken and emotionally crippled from the wounds inflicted by the very people who should have protected and loved them.

However, this verse clearly states that our Heavenly Father never abandons us, never gives up on us, never forgets us. We are always and ever on His mind and nestled firmly and forever in His heart.

This young man may have felt abandoned by his mother. He was out of her sight…but He was always in the loving sight of God…and God was waiting for Him in a cabin in the mountains of New Hampshire at a summer camp. New life was born. ..and a soul sang. He who was once lost was now found and enveloped in the matchless, unconditional love of God.

Regardless of who your parents were, meditate on the timeless truths about your Heavenly Father:

*He invites you to call Him “Daddy.” (Romans 8:15)

*He calls you the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalm 17:8)

*He is a Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5)

* He lavishes you with His perfect love (I John 3:1)

*He gives every good and perfect gift to His children (James 1:17)

*He knows the exact nature of your needs (Matthew 6:32)

*He has compassion on you (Psalm 103: 13)

*He is ever merciful (Luke 6:36)

*He has given believers (us!) as gifts to His Son Jesus (John 17:24)

*He will never turn away anyone who comes to Him (John 6:37)

*He protects you (John 17:11)

Remember, these are not just words…these are the eternal truths of God’s heart that He has graciously revealed to us in His Word.

He sees you.

His heart is tender towards you.

You are deeply loved.

The Gift of Friendship (Re-post)

(In honor of the fact that my dear friend Ida Mae is visiting me today, I wanted to re-run this post. I wrote it very early in the blog’s history, so it will be new to many of my readers. Enjoy! 🙂 ).

“Are we not like two volumes of one book?” –Marceline Desbordes-Valmore

My friend Ida Mae is one of my heroes.

In 1997, our son Josh was a toddler and I was pregnant with Julia. We were new to town and I was desperately missing my friends in PA and CT. We decided to visit a church in Narragansett one Sunday and that is where Ida Mae and I first met. It didn’t take long before we were talking daily on the phone, which would inevitably result in gales of laughter. Oh, the laughter…the kind where tears stream down your face and your stomach muscles hurt.

We complete each other’s sentences, can read each other’s minds, and joke that we are so similar that surely we must have been separated at birth. Although I left Rhode Island eleven years ago, our friendship has continued unabated.

The first time we went out to dinner with our husbands, we spent most of the night discovering even more things that we had in common…including the unlikely fact that at one time, we were both bitten on our behinds by a German shepherd and as a result, live in fear of this particular breed! After listening to this for quite a while, Jim turned to Doug and said:

“Hey Doug, when you mail a letter, do you put a stamp on it?”

“Why, yes, Jim, I do!”

“Me too!”

Wise guys. 🙂

For the record, here is one of my favorite photos of the four of us: Jim, Ida Mae, me, and Doug:

Our adventures always seem to end in laughter.

In particular, there was one afternoon when we went with Jim and Doug to see Mission Impossible. Like all good girlfriends do, we left the movie at one point to go to the ladies room together. The moment we hit the lobby, we began to talk a mile a minute and our chat continued the entire time we were in the restroom. As we were washing our hands, we suddenly noticed that there were urinals present. Our eyes widened with surprise and we said said to each other, “This must be a uni-sex bathroom!”

Because who wouldn’t come to that conclusion???

Until we came into the lobby and saw a man standing there, arms crossed. Unsmiling and clearly not amused, he said, “Ladies that is not a ‘unisex bathroom.’ You were in the men’s room!”

We laughed so hard that we could not even go back into the theater for at least 10 minutes.

When Ida Mae came to visit me in Florida, we decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory one evening. As usual, the line was a long one, so she volunteered to leave our names with the hostess and we sat down to wait our turn. When the hostess finally stepped forward with two menus in hand, she called out “Bubbles Yablonksy, party of two?”

To my great dismay, Ida Mae jumped up and propelled me forward. “That’s us, Bubbles!” she said loudly, barely able to contain her laughter at the quizzical looks of our fellow patrons.

Laughter is the constant thread that runs through our friendship and I treasure that.

Yet, as we all know, life can be hard and we have also shared many tears as well. We have been there for each other through the death of our fathers, health scares, heartaches, parenting difficulties, hospitalizations, moves, job layoffs, etc.

Jim and Ida Mae have four children and two of them have special needs. Their two oldest, Meagan and Andrew are now in the their 20s and are accomplished young people. Emily and Daniel are both school age. I have watched in amazement as Ida Mae has selflessly served as caretaker, absolutely fearless and tireless advocate, nurse, head cheerleader, and above all, loving mother to Emily and Daniel. Their needs are vast and numerous and at times, can be overwhelmingly heartbreaking. Their pain pierces Ida Mae’s (and Jim’s) heart like a knife. Sometimes there are just no words. Only tears and anguished prayer.

Yet, my friend is a fighter. She clings to her God tenaciously and chooses to believe His promises even when she doesn’t understand. She does not indulge in self-pity; she revels in the privilege of being a parent. She would be the first to tell you that the joys of parenting special needs children far outweigh the hard times.

Emily and Daniel both have a light that I have rarely seen in other people. They know they are loved unconditionally. They take the greatest joy in the simplest of things. Daniel has a delightful sense of humor. He loves swimming, playing outside, popcorn, wrestling with his older brother Andrew, and can recite entire scenes from his favorite movies. Emily is a people-person who has never met a stranger. She is passionate about motorcycles, Nascar, and chicken nuggets…not necessarily in that order. 🙂 Both have won gold medals in the special Olympics. I consider myself all the richer for having known them.

Emily proudly displaying her new Nascar outfit

Daniel

Over the years, Ida Mae has taught me what it means to live like Christ: to lay one’s life down for others. To serve. To love. To give. To pour out one’s life like a drink offering. To trust that we are always in the loving care of our Heavenly Father, no matter what our circumstances may be.

This weekend, Ida Mae told me that one of her favorite songs that she turns to again and again when life is hard is a song by David Phelps called “No More Night”. It is a daily reminder that this life is not all there is. There is coming a day when all tears will be wiped away by the nail-scarred hand of our Savior forever, all will be healthy and whole, and the very heavenly air we breathe will be joy. I’ve included the link to the song below and I hope it blesses you.

And don’t forget to celebrate your friends today. They truly are gifts.

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July 22, 2011 · 9:03 am

What Do You Know? Part 4 (The Best Is Yet To Come)

“…I can hear it in the distance and it’s not too far away

It’s the music and the laughter of a wedding and a feast

I can almost feel the Hand of God reaching for my face

To wipe the tears away and say,

“It’s time to make everything new…make it all new.”

—-Steven Curtis Chapman, Beauty Will Rise

This life is not all there is.

This present world is a mere shadow of the glories that are to come in Heaven.

Contrary to popular myth, Heaven is hardly a boring place, where we sit atop clouds and strum harps all day long. Our great and beautiful God is many things…but boring? Never!

In Your Presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand, there are pleasures evermore.–Psalm 16:11

In fact, “our desire for pleasure and the experience of joy come directly from God’s hand. He made our taste buds, adrenaline, sex drives, and the nerve endings that convey pleasure to our brains. Likewise, our imaginations and our capacity for joy and exhilaration were made by the very God we accuse of being boring. Are we so arrogant as to imagine that human beings came up with the idea of having fun?”—Randy Alcorn, Heaven p. 394

Obviously, an in-depth study of Heaven is beyond the scope of this humble blog post. However, I would ask: How much time do you give to the study of the place where you will spend eternity as a Christ follower?

God tells us in His Word that compared to eternity, this life is a vapor, a puff of smoke, a mist (James 4:14). If all we do is concern ourselves with just this temporal world, that isn’t very wise, is it?

When we travel to someplace new, we tend to do all kinds of research about where we will be going. Why would we not do the same for the glorious place that will be our eternal home?

So, with the help of two excellent books on the subject: Heaven by Randy Alcorn and Heaven: Your Real Home by Joni Eareckson Tada, I would like to just list a few of the highlights of Heaven:

1) Above all, we will see Jesus—God in human form— face to face in all His glory.

“…And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride beautified and adorned for her husband. Then I heard a mighty voice from the throne, saying…’See! The abode of God is with men and He will live among them, and they shall be His people and God shall personally be with them and be their God. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish, sorrow and mourning, nor grief nor pain anymore for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away. And He who is seated on the Throne said, “See! I am making all things new!”—Revelation 21:2-5

“Being with God is the heart and soul of Heaven. Every other heavenly pleasure will derive from and be secondary to His presence . God’s greatest gift to us is, and always will be, Himself.”—Alcorn,

We will look into the very eyes of Jesus. And He will be glorious and dazzling in beauty. (Revelation 1:10-16) So dazzling in fact that there will be no need for lamps in Heaven…because the Light that will blaze from Jesus will absolutely fill every single square inch of that place. (Revelation 21:23).

We will live all eternity in His Presence and we will never learn all there is to know about Him! There will never come a day when we say, “Well, that’s it. I’ve finally discovered everything there is to know about Jesus.”

Jesus is infinite. In Him are “endless treasures” (Ephesians 3:8). We will always be discovering new facets to Him who is the source of everything good and beautiful and joyful.

And because He is infinite, Jesus will be with me at all times and He will be with you at all times. We will not have to wait while He visits another part of Heaven. He is ours…and we are His…for all eternity.

2) Heaven will be a pure place of perfection. There will never again be sickness, death, disease, darkness, confusion, jealousy, chaos, pain, betrayal, poverty, shame, burdens, fear, no more sin and no more curse. We will, for all eternity, breathe the air of joy and peace.

3) You will have a resurrected, physical body, just like Christ does (Philippians 3:20-21). That body will be beautiful…because everything is beautiful in Heaven. After His resurrection, Jesus was seen in a real, glorified body. He walked, talked, even cooked some fish for the disciples. The Bible speaks often of the fact that we will eat in Heaven (imagine how incredible the food will be!). Your body will never get sick or wear out ever again. Your mind will be renewed: whole and peaceful, filled with light and joy. You will retain your identity (the disciples recognized Jesus after His resurrection).

And best of all, you will be physically reunited with fellow believers who have gone on ahead of you. Death for the believer is never a permanent goodbye…it is a temporary “See you later!”

And I don’t know about you, but I am so excited to finally meet the people whose lives played out across the pages of Scripture and have inspired me so often: King David, Moses, Abraham, Queen Esther, Mary Magdalene, all the disciples, etc. Can you imagine?!

4). You will be busy in Heaven. We will all have work to do, but unlike here on earth, our work will be completely joyous. We will actually help God run the universe! We will reign with Jesus. There will be culture and creativity, science, athletic events, art, and technology. There will be music, singing, and dancing, and laughing. We will still dream dreams…uncorrupted, huge, beautiful, God-honoring dreams…and this time they will always come true.

5) Scripture speaks of Jesus awarding crowns to us for the lives we have lived on earth. These are probably not actual crowns, but as Joni writes: “Heavenly crowns must represent something He does, something He gives, as when He crowns us with salvation.(Ps. 149:4). “–p. 73

The crowns are:

*The crown of life—for those who persevere under trials (James 1:12)

*The crown of rejoicing—often called the “witnessing crown” —for those who introduce others to Christ (I Thess. 2:19)

*The incorruptible crown—those who are found to be pure and blameless (I Corinthians 9:25)

*The crown of glory….for Christian leaders who have faithfully guided others in the faith (I Peter 5:2-4)

*The crown of righteousness—for those who are actively looking and waiting for His Second Coming (2 Timothy 4:8)

Reading about this is so exciting! How we live our lives on Earth will have an effect on our lives in Heaven. This knowledge spurs me on to live every single day for His glory.

Does reading these marvelous things whet your appetite for Heaven? I would encourage you to dive into the study of Heaven on your own and allow Jesus to open your eyes to the wonder, beauty, and delights of your eternal home.

It. is.going. to. be. GLORIOUS!

For I am Christ the Savior’s own bride,

And redeemed, I shall stand by His side.

He will say, “Shall we dance?”

And our endless romance

Will be worth all the tears I have cried.

—Joni’s Waltz by Nancy Honeytree

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July 20, 2011 · 10:58 pm

What Do You Know? Part 3 (No Fear)

Fear stalks all of us.

It is nasty, paralyzing, demoralizing, frightening, crippling, and dream-killing.

It is one of the things I have struggled with for much of my life.

Yet, as I have listened to Pastor Steve’s series, “What Do You Know?” I realized anew how often God directs us in His Word to not be afraid. (I have heard it said that the command “Do not fear” appears in the Bible 365 times..that is one “Do not fear” for every day of the year!).

God never tells us not to feel fear because we all will.

However, we either let fear have the upper hand or we take our stand on God’s Word and refuse to live our lives controlled by fear.

I am making this choice today. If I let my mind venture into the land of “What if?” fear will overwhelm me.

But Jesus never invites us to journey to that place. In fact, He forbids it. It’s not real. If I choose to go there, I am placing myself in a position for Satan to terrorize me with all manner of scary scenarios. Nothing good ever comes from it.

So, I have made the deliberate choice to stop making the trip to the land of “What if?” and plant myself firmly in the NOW.

Now is the only place where I can encounter Jesus. And He is never the author of fear (that’s Satan’s specialty and he is a loser who has been thoroughly and eternally defeated by Jesus at the Cross. He can presume absolutely no authority over us).

Instead, Jesus always speaks courage to my heart, no matter how scary my circumstances:

“Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm.”–Luke 12:7

“Peace I leave with you, My own peace I now give and bequeath to you…do not let your hearts be troubled , neither let them be afraid. Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.”–John 14:27

“God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven, and cringing and fawning fear), but He has given us a spirit of power and love and of a calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” –2 Timothy 1:7

This is what I know. I am commanded not to live my one short life in fear.

In today’s “Daily Bread” devotional, the author said the following: “Only one thing will conquer our fears: tenacious faith in God’s presence, protection, power and promises.”

His Presence: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”–Matthew 28:20

His Protection: It is the Lord who goes before you; He will march with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; let there be no cowardice or flinching, but fear not, neither become broken in spirit—depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm. —-Deuteronomy 31:8

His power: He gives power to the faint and weary and to him who has no might, He increases strength, causing it to multiply and making it abound. –Isaiah 40:29

His promises: …God Himself has said, “I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (or) relax My hold on you; assuredly not!”—Hebrews 13:5

So, I ask you (and myself) particularly in light of that last verse, what in the world do we ultimately have to fear?

Not one thing.

Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God…will come and save you.” —Isaiah 35:3-4

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July 19, 2011 · 7:06 am

What Do You Know?: Part 2 (No Doubt)

As Christians, we have been given a simple choice: we either believe God as He has revealed Himself in His Word…or we don’t.

We either place our confidence in His promises…or we rely on our circumstances to tell us what is true.

We either trust that He is in full control and seated firmly on His throne…or we anxiously look all around us and allow ourselves to be swallowed by panic and fear.

At the end of the day, we either listen to the Enemy of our souls (Satan)…or we listen to the Lover of our souls (Jesus). We choose who will have the prominent voice.

If we choose doubt, we will never reach our full potential…and we will not please the God who went to the grave and beyond to rescue us from our hopeless condition.

Jesus is ultimately the Author of our stories…but it is up to us to submit to His pen.

He is an amazing Storyteller (after all, all of history is His Story). He has a part for you in mind that only you can play. He will marvelously fill in the blanks for each of our individual lives, but the Bible does give a broad character sketch of what a Christ follower should be:

*courageous

*bold

*gifted

*joyful, even in the face of suffering

*thankful

*fearless

*filled with peace

*full of godly wisdom

*defined by supernatural love for everyone

Does that list describe you? If so, you have chosen to believe that those things are true, regardless of whether or not you feel like they are.

In response to His disciple Thomas, who refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, Jesus appeared to Him and said the following:

“…reach out your finger here and see My hands; and put out your hand and place it on My side. Do not be faithless and incredulous, but stop your unbelief and believe!“–John 20:27 (Amplified)

The original word for ‘faithless’ in the opening verse is apistos and it means: “unbelieving, not to be trusted, without trust in God.”

The original word for believe in this verse is pistos and it means: “faithful, one who trusts God’s promises, one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead, one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and Author of salvation.”

Based on this, imagine Jesus saying to you, “(Insert your name), do you realize that when you doubt My Word in any way, you are in essence saying that I cannot be trusted? I AM Truth. I cannot lie. I am always and eternally faithful to you and I desire your faithfulness to Me in return. You are faithful to Me when you believe what I say. I am your Savior. I can only do good to you. From this moment forward, stop doubting and believe.”

There is coming a day when faith will become sight and we will come face-to-face with Jesus.

When that moment comes, I guarantee that we will want to know that we used this brief time on earth to believe Him.

We are all human and we will all feel doubt. The real issue is what we do with our doubt. Do we let our doubt cloud our vision and drag us down into despair? Or…do we take our doubts straight to Jesus and tell Him all about them? Do we then we go to His Word and focus on verses that speak to God’s absolute rule and reign and truth?

Do we choose to hear the voice of Jesus say to us: “Stop doubting and believe!”

So, start today. Start small. Pick one promise from Scripture that applies to your situation and decided that you are going to believe it, regardless of what you can currently see. Ask Him to give you the strength to do it, especially when the going gets hard. He will honor your desire.

I have found that to be true in my life. I have stopped allowing circumstances to dictate how I feel, how I behave, and what I believe. I have countered my doubts with the eternal truth of God’s Word and in return, He has given me His peace. It has made all the difference.

Let this be the day that you fully begin to live the story that He is writing for you.

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July 18, 2011 · 5:27 am

What Do You Know?: Part I (Perfect Peace)

This summer, our pastor has been doing a series of sermons entitled: “What Do You Know?”

It has really had a powerful impact on me, so I decided to do a little series of my own on the blog by the same title. Each day will focus on one important aspect of something Jesus has been teaching me in recent weeks.

Pastor Steve began the series with the premise that as Christians, we all have a ton of head knowledge…but an important question must be answered: Has that head knowledge permeated our hearts so that it in turn affects our actions, how we live our day-to-day lives?

What do you know and what do you do with what you know?

This Christian life we live really IS meant to work! It is not just a nice theory or pious-sounding platitudes. True Christianity is a dynamic relationship with the living Christ. The same Jesus who walked the dusty roads of first century Israel is the same Jesus who walks with us today through the gift of the Holy Spirit (the very spirit of Jesus).

I like the way J.I. Packer puts it in his classic book, Knowing God: “…when the New Testament tells us that Jesus Christ is risen, one of the things it means is that the victim of Calvary is now, so to speak, loose and at large, so that any man anywhere can enjoy the same kind of relationship with Him as the disciples had in the days of His flesh. The only difference is that…His presence with the Christian is spiritual, not bodily and so invisible to our physical eyes…knowing Jesus still remains as definite a relation of personal discipleship as it was for the twelve when He was on earth. The Jesus who walks through the gospel story walks with Christians now and knowing Him involves going with Him, now as then.” –pp.33-34

Even a cursory read through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) will show that the lives of the twelve ordinary men who Jesus called to be His disciples had their lives turned utterly upside down. They went from living their day-to-day lives to seeing the dead raised to life, ferocious storms calmed by Jesus speaking a simple command, all manner of illnesses healed, miraculous provision, etc.

Most importantly, being with Jesus utterly transformed them, in the midst of incredibly tumultuous, fearful times.

They truly experienced life as it was meant to be lived: in the Presence of their Creator and Savior, enveloped in a tsunami of joy.

He will do the same for us.

We live in very scary times: economic crises, natural disasters, horrific crime, social unrest..not to mention the trials, heartaches and stresses of our individual lives…the list could go on and on.

What does the Bible say about how to handle times such as these?

Very simply, Jesus speaks peace to us.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord your God is the eternal Rock. —Isaiah 26:3-4, NLT

A look into the original language of this verse is very helpful.

The word for “keep” means: “to guard from danger, to watch over, to preserve, to observe, to guard with fidelity, to be kept close.”

The word for “perfect peace” means: ‘completeness, safety, tranquility, contentment, friendship with God.”

The word for “fixed” means: “to lean upon, to rest, to sustain, refresh, revive, support.”

Lastly, the word for “trust” means: “to have confidence, to be bold, to be secure, to feel safe.”

In light of these rich definitions, imagine coming to Jesus with all your cares and concerns, just pouring it all out. Then imagine Him taking your hands, looking you right in the eyes, and saying the following:

“(Insert your name here), “I’m glad you came to Me and shared all that is on your heart. I want you to know that I am guarding you from danger. I am watching over you, preserving your precious life. I am and always will be faithful to you. You are safe in My embrace. When you stay focused on Me (and not your circumstances), I will give you contentment and tranquility in the midst. I want you to lean on me and find rest. I will sustain you. I will refresh and revive your spirit. I am the One who upholds you, especially when you feel weakest. My will for you is that you have utmost confidence in Me and My ability to care for you. You can be bold because I walk with you. I am your Friend. Go through this day secure in the knowledge that you are loved with a perfect love. Know this: I am your Rock. No matter what else is shaking in your life, I am in full control, steady and unmovable. You are in a safe place.”

My head has known all that for a long time.

Now my heart knows it too.

And it is glorious.

Really, what is the alternative? Jesus desires to give us His unshakable peace…such a gracious and magnificent gift! Yet we would refuse what He freely offers so that we can hold on to our worry, allowing it to eat us alive?

I am done with that. I am choosing to accept His gift of peace.

I pray that you, too, will truly know His perfect peace today. It is yours for the taking if you are a Christ follower. All you have to do is ask Him for it.

“Peace I leave with you; My own peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated, cowardly, and unsettled).”–John 14:27 (Amplified version)

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Tagged as Isaiah 26:3-4, J.I.Packer, peace

July 15, 2011 · 10:02 pm

Weekend Moment: The Legacy of Fitness

My dad was a physical fitness nut.

He had his own home gym, spearheaded the building of a gym for fellow employees at work, took an enormous amount of vitamins and supplements everyday and played for his work softball team well into his later years.

From the time my brother and I were little, he encouraged us to stay in stay in good shape, forever extolling the many benefits of exercise. He was front and center (along with my mom, of course) at all our sporting events, cheering us on.

I have so many memories of walking with him at the park near my childhood home. He was always fully equipped with an odometer and a stopwatch because he had goals he wanted to reach.

I have passed this same love of fitness onto my kids. We have walked, hiked, biked, swam, etc. Both kids have qualified to win the Presidential Fitness award three times.

Even when he was two years old, Josh loved to run. He would tell me, “I need to run Mommy!”. So, we would walk to the cul-de-sac in our neighborhood and he would run around and around until he collapsed in the grass, happily tired. Today, he runs 5K’s and is a member of the track team.

I recently came across these photos from 2003, the year we moved to south Florida. Our plan had an exercise room and the kids and I went there nearly everyday. They would wait patiently while I worked out, then we would go swimming. I took these photos one morning when my mom was visiting. Josh was 7 and Julia was 5. The age of my mom will remain a secret. 🙂 :

Today:

I love that they know the joy of regular exercise and continually challenge themselves to reach new levels of fitness.

Just as I used to walk with my dad, my kids and I enjoy walking together as well, strengthening our bodies as well as our relationship.

My dad would be thrilled. His influence lives on.

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July 13, 2011 · 5:18 am

Straight Talk

“Get out of my car!!!”

A man’s angry voice cut through the summer evening as my brother and I approached his truck.

We had just walked out of the local Walmart to discover that a couple in the car parked next to us were in the midst of a heated argument.

The man’s voice was angry and loud; the woman’s voice was muted. I could hear the words “please” and “don’t do this.”

Suddenly her wallet, coupons, and keys were tossed out of the passenger window onto the pavement, followed by another harsh order to vacate the car.

I could see my brother tense up, his eyes focused like a laser on the man, ready to take action if he got physical.

Just as we finished loading our groceries into the truck, the man quickly backed out of his space and pealed out of the parking lot.

Left behind was a young woman with tears streaming down her face, long hair blowing in the breeze, eyes following the car as it turned the corner and disappeared over the hill.

She then kneeled down to retrieve her scattered belongings.

“Are you all right?” I asked quietly. Before I could bend to help, she had gathered everything up and held it all against her chest.

She nodded.

“Are you sure?”

She practically whispered, “Yes.”

“Can we give you a ride somewhere?”

“No.” The smallest of smiles…embarrassed, full of sadness, tentative. “Thank you. I’m fine.”

She turned to walk away, dialing her cell phone.

Shortly thereafter, she met up with others and got into the car but not without first looking back in the direction where her boyfriend had driven away.

Her face haunted me as my brother and I pulled into Burger King for a quick dinner. While he ordered the food, I sat looking out the window, praying for this young lady.

Why do women put up with men like that? Men who are cruel and willing to humiliate them in public, leaving them alone among strangers as darkness approaches?

A man like that is not worth her tears or another second of her life.

I was very blessed to be raised in a home where I was taught that I was treasured and valuable. Before Dr. Phil famously coined the phrase, my parents basically told me the same thing: “You teach people how to treat you.”

My dad, especially, was always very frank with me about what boys had on their minds and the importance of my role in relationships with them.

“You never let any boy or man disrespect you,” I can still hear him telling me. “If that happens, you move on. A guy like that will drag you down every time and you don’t need that in your life.”

He provided me with examples of warning signs and red flags that I would need to be aware of . Since he was a wise and realistic man, he would always tell me that if I was ever in a situation where I was in over my head, I could call him anytime of the day or night and he would come and get me, no matter what.

He encouraged me never to settle, that a good man was worth the wait, even if it took a long time (and given the fact that I didn’t get married until I was 27, I would say that I took his advice! 🙂 ).

One of his favorite sayings was, “It’s better to be single and happy than married and miserable.”

He told me that a secure man would not be threatened by a strong woman.

He made sure I was not naive and above all, he wanted me to love smart.

I am absolutely certain that because I had a father who cared enough to tell me the truth that I was saved from a lot of heartache.

As a result of my dad’s straight talk, I was one tough cookie. My trust was not easily given…it was earned. I didn’t put up with nonsense and wasn’t easily flattered by pretty words.

I am not saying that I could never have found myself in the place that this young lady was in tonight…we’re all human, after all. However, I will be eternally grateful that I had parents who took the time to teach me that I possessed great worth and dignity since I was created in the image of God.

My husband and I are raising our daughter the same way. Sometimes I can almost hear my dad’s voice as I find myself saying the exact same things to Julia that he said to me.

Above all, we teach her that she has a Savior who loves her with a love that is both fierce and tender, as well as pure and eternal.

Jesus has no dark side.

Her ultimate worth is found in Christ alone.

I am going to pray that the young lady I met tonight will come to know that too.

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July 12, 2011 · 6:13 am