Monthly Archives: July 2014

July 30, 2014 · 6:52 am

Finding (And Offering) Mercy and Grace

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy for our failures and find grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help, well-timed help, coming just when we need it).—Hebrews 4:16, Amplified version.

Those words hit me right between the eyes this morning.

As a Christ follower, I have been given the unspeakable privilege and honor of being able to approach God’s throne, assured of a warm and delighted welcome from my Savior. The wonder of it is that that welcome is not the result of sappy, sentimental feeling. On the contrary, that staggeringly gracious welcome is the result of Jesus giving everything He has in order to redeem my life and make me eternally His.

He then bids me to freely give as I have freely received. (What was a free gift for me came at infinite cost to Him). He asks me to love others as I have been loved by Him. (He gave no thought to Himself as He literally poured out His life on behalf of others).

So, this question hit me like a thunderbolt: “Do I extend the same mercy and grace to people who come to me?”

How can I not?!

But yet I so often don’t.

My face burns and my eyes well up with tears as memories of unloving thoughts and unkind words rear their ugly heads. I want those things for myself, yet I can still be so unwilling to offer them to the unlovely, the ungrateful, the unrepentant, the foolish. All things that I can still be if I am honest with myself.

In the original Greek, the word mercy means: “kindness, goodwill toward the miserable and the afflicted.”

Grace (is there a more beautiful word?!) means: “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, goodwill.”

I have received these things from Jesus without measure…full, abundant, free.

It is my prayer that as I go throughout this day, that I will remember the constant grace and mercy that He shows to me every single second of my life…and that I will extend those same beautiful gifts to everyone who crosses my path.

Join me?

A Tale Of The Tails

The local high school prom was two months ago.

Our son Josh had long wanted to wear a pair of tails for this momentous event, but it was not to be. He was incredibly disappointed.

Fast forward to this morning when he and I walked into our local thrift shop just to look around.

As soon as we walked upstairs, it was as if the heavens opened up and shone a beam of light on a fabulous find: a jacket with tails!

As soon as Josh tried it on and realized it fit, he made a beeline for the checkout with a huge grin on his face.

“What are you going to do with it?” I, being the ever-practical mother, asked.

“Wear it to the first day of classes at college, of course!” was his reply.

I was speechless.

“And then on the second day of classes, I’ll just wear a T-shirt and jeans.” He grinned. “Keep ’em guessing, you know.”

As I followed him out to the car, I found my voice and said, “Are you really going to do that?”

He gave me a look as he hung up the jacket in the back seat. “Do you really have to ask?”

I guess I didn’t, I thought as we drove home.

Josh has always marched to the beat of a different drummer. He is a true original, with no interest whatsoever in fitting into any particular mold. He is always perfectly himself, one of those rare people who know from an early age exactly who they are and make no apologies.

He taught himself to play every instrument he currently plays (saxophone, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, piano) and parlayed that into playing in four different bands and making the All-State band. He wrote his first novel when he was a sophomore in high school and published his first collection of short stories last year. He will get up in the middle of the night and find himself inspired to write a poem. He learned how to crochet and sold his scarves and hats for a profit. He runs 5K’s and lifts weights. He made a documentary about his senior class and the guidance department is going to show it to incoming freshmen as part of their orientation. He does hilarious impressions and can make people laugh until they cry. He has photographed one wedding and been the videographer at another one. He is a New Hampshire scholar. He is fluent in French. He is a loyal friend. He does not suffer fools. He has wickedly funny sense of humor and can be snarky at times. He was baptized at our church when he was 16 years old and he loves Jesus.

Josh would no doubt agree that something Arnold Schwarzenegger said in his auto-biography: “What is the point of being on this Earth if you are going to be like everyone else?”

I am so proud of him. I am in awe of the fearless courage and joie-de-vivre with which he approaches life.

I asked him if I could take his photo in the tails when we got home and he happily obliged, knowing this was too good an opportunity for his photographer mother to pass up.

True to form, he also sported bare feet, which is how he enjoys walking through his days.

He also loves his grandma, who was thrilled that he found his long-awaited tails. 🙂

I sure am going to miss this boy when he leaves for college in three weeks.

And I wish I could be a fly on the wall during that first day of class.

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July 24, 2014 · 7:09 pm

Why Not?

Recently, my friend Janet suggested that I read a book called Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It is the first in a wildly popular series that is a unique combination of history, romance, intrigue, adventure, and even some science fiction (in the form of time travel).

I loved it.

I finished the 640 page novel in two weeks and am already into the second book in the series.

I was intrigued by the author, so I checked out her YouTube channel and listened as she talked about her writing process. She shared that she had always wanted to write a novel since she was 8 years old.

Several years later, she just decided to begin. The time was hardly ideal: her husband had just started a new business, she had a full time job as a college professor, and her children were small.

She seized the one time of day where she had time and quiet (which happened to be 12-4 in the morning) and she started to write with only a vague idea of a character. She had no expectation that anyone would ever see this work, but she was willing to try.

What I loved most about that story was that she did it!

She just didn’t talk about it; she just didn’t think about it. She certainly didn’t wait for the perfect time to begin (is there really such a thing? I think not).

She simply took the first step toward her dream.

I find that so inspiring!

That day was different from all the rest because she took action…and that was the first day of the rest of her life. Eight books later, she is successful beyond her wildest imaginations.

But that isn’t truly the point.

The point is that she wasn’t afraid to attempt her dream.

We only get one turn on this planet.

What is your dream?

Will you let one more day go by without taking a step toward living it?

What do you have to lose?

Nobody else has your vision, your experiences, your unique way of seeing this world. If you don’t release what is on the inside, we will all miss out. You have a creative voice! Decide to use it.

Try.

So what if it isn’t perfect? If you wait for perfection, you will never begin. Trust me, you will learn something valuable from every attempt.

Let no one else define you. Be who you are. You have been created in the image of God. In fact, He declares you to be His masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10).

Don’t get to the end of your life and be filled with regret for never chasing your dream.

Make the decision to take one step toward your dream today.

Who knows where that first step will lead you?!

“Don’t die with the music still in you.”—Wayne Dyer

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July 18, 2014 · 12:23 pm

Letters From Jesus

He is solid Rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul. (Ps. 62:2)

It has been said that the Bible can be seen as a love letter to our hearts from the heart of God.

I have never forgotten a piece of advice that our pastor once gave us from theologian Tremper Longeman III: “It is helpful to read the Psalms as if they are about Christ and are spoken by Christ.”

This makes perfect sense. Jesus was the Word of God in the flesh. (John 1:1). The Bible is His Story, His heart on a page. It is the primary way that He speaks to us and reveals who He truly is.

I have been doing this exercise for years and it has been life-changing. I have seen and known and discovered the heart of my Savior in His own words. As a result, my faith has soared. I can tell others who He is and what He is like. I am captivated by His beauty, which is more wondrous that I could have ever imagined. I am courageous. I can look life square in the eye and take whatever comes because Jesus lives and He reigns.

He knows me! And I get to know Him!!! Wonder of wonders! Ultimate joy!!!

Yesterday was full of bad news (the Malaysian jet being shot down and the Israeli ground forces advancing into Gaza). It was just another reminder of how fragile life on this war-torn planet really is. As I thought about what to write, I realized that nobody needs to read words from me. What we all need is to hear what Jesus has to say.

So, I am beginning a series entitled Letters From Jesus where I will write out a psalm as if it is spoken by Jesus Himself. Because it is. I will begin today with one of my favorites, Psalm 27.

I hope that this blesses you. Try it for yourself. Be willing to leave behind any preconceived notions that you have of who Jesus is. When you see who He is, as revealed by His own words, those illusions will be (rightfully and necessarily) shattered into a million pieces. Seeing Him as He truly is will lead you deeper into His heart…and deeper into true joy and peace.

Psalm 27, Spoken By Jesus

“I am your Light and your Salvation. So whom should you fear or dread? I am your Refuge and your Stronghold. Of whom should you be afraid? I will cause your enemies to stumble and fall.

Because of My Presence with you, your heart does not need to fear; even if war rises against you, you can be confident in Me.

I desire that you would ask one thing of Me: to live with Me forever; to gaze on My beauty and to seek My face.

I will hide you in My shelter when you are in trouble. I will hide you in the secret place of My tent, just you and I. Sing to Me there. Offer shouts of joy to Me. Thank Me.

I hear you when you cry out. I am full of mercy and grace and I will answer you.

Seek My face. Require Me as your most vital need. I will never hide My face from you. I will never turn away from you in anger. I am your constant help. I save you. I will never cast you off. I will never reject you. I will never forsake you, even if your father and your mother do.

I will teach you My ways and I will lead you in a straight path, even in the midst of your enemies who lie in wait for you. I will never give you up to your adversaries who break out in cruelty and violence against you.

You will see My goodness in your life, not just in eternity but here in time. Here is the attitude I want you to have: Wait for Me. Hope in Me. Expect Me to act. Be brave and full of courage. Endure.

Yes, wait for, hope for, and expect Me.”

Releasing Expectations

This past weekend, I joined a friend and her daughter on a trek to my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA.

My friend’s daughter had been accepted at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University summer theater group. They had never been to Pittsburgh before so I offered to go along to show them the way. (There is no rhyme or reason to the streets in Pittsburgh and it can be quite daunting to navigate).

My expectations were that we would travel as my family travels when we drive to Pittsburgh.

Knowing what a long drive it is, we focus with laser-like intensity on one goal: getting there. We make as little stops as possible. If we stop to eat, it is strictly fast food. Sometimes we don’t even bother to get out of the car. We just go through the drive-thru and eat in the car as we whiz down the highway.

(There are also some in my family…perhaps someone who is writing this blog…who sometimes tends to take the speed limits as suggestions and perhaps occasionally may go a tad faster than the posted signs allow).

That isn’t what happened on this trip.

The pace was leisurely, unhurried. Every meal was at a sit-down restaurant. There was a visit with another family. There were sightseeing and photo opportunities. And the speed limit was observed rigorously.

It was really quite lovely and I enjoyed it a lot.

However, at first, I was extremely freaked out.

My thoughts went along these lines: ” What are we doing?! We have such a long drive ahead of us! We don’t have time for this!!!”

I texted my husband about the latest turn of events and this was his response: “Look at it as a chance to practice not being in control.”

Not exactly what a Type A person wants to hear.

But it was exactly what I needed to hear.

As we meandered along the highways and byways of Pennsylvania, I thought a lot about expectations. Expectations have a unique power to cause tension in relationships, sour an attitude, ruin a situation, and create unrest and unease. Expectations can choke joy.

How tightly do you hold onto your expectations? How willing are you to let them go…and perhaps discover a detour that delights your soul?

“A wonderful gift may not be wrapped as you expect.”—Jonathan Lockwood Huie.

There is a time in all our lives when we have just sit back and enjoy the ride.

The truth is, the ONLY thing that we can control is our own attitudes.

I was not in the driver’s seat during this trip. I was strictly a passenger. So, I accepted my role…and immediately relaxed. I was along for the ride and I intended to enjoy the journey.

Even when we got to the hotel in the middle of the city after midnight. Did I mention that there was a water main break, which did not allow us to shower?

Good times. 🙂

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Monthly Archives: July 2014

Finding (And Offering) Mercy and Grace

A Tale Of The Tails

Why Not?

Letters From Jesus

Releasing Expectations

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