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My country, ’tis of thee
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrim’s pride,
from every mountainside, let freedom ring

My native country, thee,
land of the noble free, thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills, like that above

Two generations taking photos of the third generation. 🙂

Let music swell the breeze
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom’s song;
let mortal tongues awake;
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong

Our fathers’ God to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom’s holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King

Last night was the spring concert at the high school. Our son Josh plays the oboe and the saxophone and our daughter Julia plays the flute.

The kids all did a fantastic job and everyone enjoyed a wonderful night of music.

Afterward, Doug, Julia, her friend Diana, and me struck up a conversation with the father of one of my friends who is well into his eighth decade. In fact, he and his lovely bride have been married for 64 years.

He began to share his love of music with us, including the fact that he still performs shows at nursing homes…”for the old people,” you see. 🙂

I motioned to Diana and told him that she plans to be a Broadway star one day.

His eyes lit up and he said, “Do I have a piece of advice for you!’ He paused for a moment then said, “Every song tells a story. You have to believe  the story with every fiber of your being. Then you look people in the eye and you sell that story! They’ll never forget you!” 

I thought about his advice long after we went home that night. Specifically, how it relates to the greatest story ever told…the Gospel of Jesus.

As Christians, we possess the most incredible, surpassing, breathtaking, beautiful story that this world will ever hear. And we have been given the privilege of sharing that story with those who cross our paths…some for a lifetime, some for a moment.

Do we believe it with every fiber of our being?

Are we courageous enough to look people in the eye and boldly but gently tell them about the unfathomable love of such an extraordinary Savior?

No, we do not “sell” the story with slick words or fancy techniques.

Rather, we share out of the overflow of a heart that is forever grateful for so great a salvation.

We share out of a heart eternally in love with the One who was willing to die rather than live without us.

We share out of love for those who are still living in darkness and desperately need the Light.

We share from wounded hearts that have been made whole by the Healer.

We do not need to be brilliant theologians. We just need to tell our stories about how we came to know Jesus and the difference He has made in our lives, both for time and for eternity.

Then we pray that they will never forget the words of life that we have shared.

Who will you tell your story to today?

My cell phone rang just as the Moms In Touch prayer meeting was ending.

When I saw my husband’s name, I was surprised since he was supposed to be at work.

“I hit a deer,” he told me.

It felt like ice water was suddenly running through my veins. Relief flooded my heart when he told me that although the car had been damaged and the deer was dead, he was okay. His next step was to contact the insurance company and obtain a rental car.

When we disconnected, I left the meeting and headed for the high school track where I had intended to walk. The entire time I drove, I was praising and thanking God that Doug was okay.

It was a fresh reminder how life can change in an instant. 

We can never take it for granted.

I turned on my iPod as I started to walk and Chris Rice’s song “Life Means So Much” began to play. So appropriate.

“Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
That somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much…

Every day is a gift you’ve been given
Make the most of the time every minute you’re living

Life means so much…

I looked all around me with new, appreciative eyes. Elementary school kids were running around the track, bursting with energy and excitement. High school kids played flag football on the field. An English class was taking advantage of the glorious spring day by discussing their assigned book on the bleachers instead of inside the four walls of the classroom. An elderly man was also making his way around the track talking quite loudly on an enormous cell phone. A dear friend and I texted back and forth.

On a sun-drenched spring day in New Hampshire, we had all been given the privilege and the gift of being alive.

And it was beautiful.

Cherish today.

Photo credit: punkmarkgirl

Since my blog is called “The Power Of A Moment” I am always on the lookout for moments that reach out and grab me by the heart and don’t let go.

Between that and counting my 1000 gifts, it makes life a wonderful adventure and fills me with joy.

I witnessed one such moment last week. I pulled up to the high school entrance to wait for my son to finish jazz band practice. At that very moment, the sky opened up and the rain began to fall.

Seeing movement from the corner of my eye, I glanced down at the football field to see about 20 teenagers. The rain had clearly interrupted whatever they had been doing. However, rather than running for cover from the raindrops they…danced.

Every single one of them.

Their arms were open wide, faces upturned to catch the raindrops. They twirled with joyful abandon.  They locked arms and skipped round and round. They ran the length of the football field and made it look as effortless as if they were being carried by the wind. I slightly lowered my window and could hear the sound of their laughter wafting up the hill to fill my car.

I was transfixed and wished I had my camera with me to capture the moment. (I really need to just take it with me everywhere I go at this point!).

It was a moment of such joy, such freedom, such playfulness that it made my heart sing.

Why do we lose that? When do we begin to look at the rain that falls literally and figuratively in our lives and always run for cover rather than fully embracing the moment and allowing our spirits to soar?

No, life is not always fun and storms do come. Yet in the midst, if we look hard enough…there is joy to be found. Just a sliver of light to pierce the darkness. Gratitude for even the smallest grace.

“Whenever thanks is possible, joy is possible.”—Ann Voskamp

The next time it rains, I will remember that scene on the football field. And I just may leave my umbrella at home. 🙂

If you do nothing else today, please take the time to read this article and watch the short video at the end.

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/why-we-got-married

I don’t think I have ever seen anything so heartbreakingly beautiful in my entire life. I sit here with tears streaming down my face, absolutely amazed that I have just seen the unconditional love and power of Jesus Christ on display in a way I have never seen it before.

I have been painfully humbled by my shortsightedness, by my sometimes petty concerns, by my frequent lack of an eternal perspective when I allow the tyranny of the urgent to eclipse what really matters.

On a day when the subject of marriage is in the national news, this is a shining and glorious example of the exquisite beauty of a Christ-centered marriage.

“When God stands as a witness to the covenant promises of a marriage it becomes more than a merely human agreement. God is not a passive bystander at a wedding ceremony. In effect, He says, ‘I have seen this, I confirm it, and I record it in Heaven. And I bestow upon this covenant by My Presence and My purpose the dignity of being an image of of My own covenant with My Wife, the church.’ ” —John Piper

My son plays in a band called New Horizons. It is an international organization that was established for the purpose of giving adults who have always dreamed of playing an instrument an opportunity to do just that.

At 16, Josh is the youngest member of the band but he loves it. He enjoys the people and it gives him another venue to play his beloved oboe.

This past Saturday was their first concert of the year and it took place at the local Veteran’s Home.

The band arrived an hour before the show to practice. Some of the residents came early so they could listen in, including one man who seemed particularly excited to be there. He asked the aide to wheel him right up front and his face was wreathed in smiles.

However, it soon became apparent that he didn’t understand that the band was only practicing. As soon as they would begin to play, he moved  his arms enthusiastically, as if he were conducting. But when the band would stop in order to go onto the next piece of music, he would drop his hands back into his lap and plead loudly, “Continue! Make melodies!”

When this happened a couple of times, an aide walked over to him and explained that the band was just practicing and the concert would begin soon enough. He waited patiently from that point until the concert began. Once it did, he continued to “conduct” with abandon and joy. The look of sheer happiness on his face was wonderful to see.

I was particularly intrigued when these two women were wheeled into the room…

What beautiful faces of two brave women who chose to step up and serve our magnificent country during WWII.

In a room full of mostly men, their lights shone brightly.

I so wanted to hear their stories but uncharacteristic shyness kept me in my seat. Instead, I asked one of the aides where the women had served. I was told that some were nurses, some served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, and one of the women was actually a gunner on a battleship!

Amazing.

The room was full by the time the concert started.

When the band played the service anthems for each branch of the military, the veterans were asked to raise their hands when the song representing their branch was played. Hands shot up proudly all over the room.

As the first strains of “National Emblem” filled the air some felt the need to stand (most with great difficulty) and salute the flag at the front of the room.

Tears filled my eyes as I watched these great American warriors proudly salute. I felt so honored to be in the same room with these incredible men and women. My father served in the Korean war and both of my uncles saw combat in World War II. They are my heroes.

Will America ever see such a spectacular generation again?

I wanted to personally thank and shake every single veteran’s hand once the show ended.

Someone I was thrilled to meet was the “conductor.” His name is Robert and he served with the Navy. I was able to shake his hand and thank him for his service.

He was very intent to meet the band’s conductor, Mary.

He thanked her over and over again for coming to the home.

I am continually amazed at the power of music to unite people, to soothe, to bring joy, to cause one to go back and relive times that now exist only in the memory.

It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. I am so grateful for the band members for giving of their time and talent to bring such joy to these men and women who have given so much.

“Freedom isn’t free.” —Anonymous

Today…

***I was blessed to wake up and see these visitors in our back yard:

The poor turkey was mightily strutting his stuff in pursuit of a female. Sadly for him, she was not interested in the least. Deflated, he lowered his feathers and disappeared behind the rock wall at the edge of our property.

This doe stood completely still for at least 5 solid minutes. I ran to get my camera, thinking she would be gone by the time I got back but  there she stood, as if to allow me to get a good shot. The only thing that moved was her head, as she surveyed her surroundings with an alert eye. Every time the shutter on my camera clicked, her head would snap back in the direction of the sound. It seemed as if she was looking right through the sliding glass door at me, despite the fact that we were 65 feet away from each other.

We have all kinds of wildlife meander across our property: black bears, turtles, foxes, coyotes.

I am still waiting to see a moose!

***I am missing a lady who was very special to me.

Her name was Carolyn and she was like a second mother to me. She and her husband Dale lived next door to our family for over 40 years and we loved each other through thick and thin. Our parents were the best of friends and their kids were like siblings to my brother Jeff and me.

Carolyn left this earth three years ago today.

Life just isn’t the same without the phone ringing and hearing her say, “Hi Suz!” Or getting a handwritten recipe from her in the mail. (To the end, she remained an optimist that I would one day love to cook. 🙂 ).

On my wedding day, she looked right into the video camera and said, “I love that girl like she was my own daughter.”

I loved her too.

***I still can’t quite believe that my son attended his first Driver’s Ed class last night. I am wondering where the time has gone. How did he go from this:

To this…

so fast?!

***I will be cheering Josh and Julia on at their track meet…

***I am looking forward to getting out on the lake with Doug on this…

***I am so happy that my oldest friend in the world finally joined Facebook this week. 

We grew up next door to each other. I love him like my own brother.  His work takes him all over the world now, so far from the little dead-end street where our lives began. Months (and sometimes years) may go by until we are back in our hometown at the same time, but when we are, all that time melts away and the familiar rhythms return.

When his mother died, I flew home to honor her life. He and I stood just outside the viewing room, greeting visitors. Without fail, every time one of the parents of our neighborhood friends arrived, we said (almost in unison), “Hi Mr. _________ or Hi Mrs._________.” There we were, in our mid-40s, still  reluctant to call them by their first names. 🙂

You know how the time flies
Only yesterday was the time of our lives
We were born and raised in a summer haze
Bound by the surprise of our glory days
—Adele

There is something so special about childhood friends who have known you through the good and bad, your worst days and your best days.  We share an unbreakable bond.

***I am wondering what has become of my mind. 

Since I turned 47 years old last month, I seem to be forgetting things right and left. Just this morning, I was walking on the high school track after dropping the kids off, and I was thinking how great it was to have a free morning.

At that very moment, I remembered that I did not, in fact, have a free morning…the previous week I had agreed to meet a friend  this day….in 15 minutes!!!!

I rushed home just in time for her to arrive. I immediately apologized for the fact that she had to see me in sweats and no makeup because I had totally forgotten that she was coming!

On the other hand, I may be losing my mind but I am apparently not losing my looks. Just yesterday, I was talking to a beautician who works at a local spa and she expressed amazement when I told her that I had just turned 47. She said she never would have guessed.

So there’s that.

Happy Thursday everyone! 🙂

Photo credit: DIZ

Jesus Christ was without a doubt the most shattering Person to ever walk the face of this earth.

Through the four Gospels we get a thrilling eyewitness account of His life when He lived in first century Judea.

As God in human form, He raised the dead to life.

He cast terrifying demons out of people.

He restored withered limbs.

He healed diseases.

He calmed ferocious storms with just a word.

He welcomed people from all walks of life to come to Him…from the religious elite of the day, to terrorists,  to tax cheats, to prostitutes and adulterers.

He gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.

He gave the paralyzed the power to walk.

He fed 5000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.

He faced extreme torture and a horrifying criminal’s death on the cross with astonishing bravery, dignity, and supernatural peace.

And on the  third day, He triumphed over death itself and burst from the tomb, fully ALIVE forevermore.

To know Jesus is to be totally and completely transformed…to be encompassed in an eternal, divine love story for the ages.

To know this Jesus is to know JOY.

To know this Jesus is the very reason for our existence.

To know this Jesus is to “have and enjoy life, in abundance, to the full, til it overflows.” (John 10:10).

***

This past Easter weekend, a certain church felt it necessary to feature explosions and armed rapelling commandos during the service, leading one terrified member to frantically text her friend in another state with the following words: “Guys on stage with assault rifles, weird vibe, please pray for us.”

This friend then called the police, who rushed to the church, only to find that the pastor had staged a fake raid for a theatrical lesson on Christ’s resurrection. A statement by the unamused police lieutenant suggested that in the future, the pastor let the attendees know when fake weapons are being used.

You may wonder what in the world such a thing had to do with the glory and power of Christ’s resurrection.

Absolutely nothing at all.

It was simply a cheap, pathetic ploy to generate buzz, to fill seats, to prove how “cool” they are to the unchurched. At one point, the pastor actually said how neat it was to “blow up things in Jesus’ name” and how the creative team at the church “could teach Vegas a lesson.”

Because that is what you want to ask yourself when you attend a church service: “How does my church compare to a show in Las Vegas?”

This entire scenario really got my blood boiling.

Why?

Because such ludicrous and idiotic behavior mocks the sheer beauty, simplicity, and power of the Gospel. It is as if the pastor feels that he has to jazz up poor, boring Jesus by staging these ridiculous stunts. This is not the first time this church has done something outrageous in an attempt to prove how “hip” it is to the surrounding community. Case in point: some recent series were entitled: “Dropping F-bombs” and “Sexpectation.”

This is nothing but  a perversion of the gospel, pandering to man’s flesh, and playing to the lowest common denominator in our society.

In his excellent book Unfashionable, author and pastor Tullian Tchividjian warns against the church trying to copy the culture: “Christians make a difference in this world by being different from it, not by being the same…we need to remember that God has established His church as an alternative society, NOT to compete with or copy this world, but to offer a refreshing alternative to it. When we forget this, we inadvertently communicate to our culture that we have nothing unique to offer, nothing deeply spiritual or profoundly transforming. Tragically, this leaves many in our world looking elsewhere for the difference they crave…the more we Christians pursue worldly relevance, the more we’ll render ourselves irrelevant to the world around us.”  (pp. 22, 15-17).

I realize the tone of this post may sound like I am angry but the truth is, I am heartbroken. I know that there were unbelievers in that church auditorium that Easter. What  message does that send to them? That you should come to church to be entertained by explosions and gimmicks, a pale imitation of a Hollywood action movie set?

Jesus does not need special effects!

I would like to ask that pastor a question. If the people who were alive and actually interacted with Jesus when He walked this earth  and saw Him do all of the things that I listed at the beginning of this post still turned away and refused to walk with Him…what makes him think that all of this manufactured razzle-dazzle will be successful at reaching a stone-cold heart?

When we have people coming back to church to see how that service will top last week’s extravaganza,  those are not people who are truly seeking Jesus. They are not people whose eyes have been open to the fact that they are guilty in the eyes of a holy, righteous, and just God and are desperately running toward the shelter of the  Cross, which is their only hope of salvation from His wrath against sin. These are not people who are overwhelmed by the glorious beauty of His grace in taking the punishment that was due them.

They are exactly like the people over 2000 years ago who followed Jesus just because they got a kick out of all the miracles. And when the excitement wore off, when Jesus began to tell them that to follow Him meant dying to self in order to fully and truly live, they faded away because they were too enthralled by all the shiny objects this world has to offer.

And it broke His heart (John 6:57-68).

Followers of the risen Jesus spend a lifetime being totally captivated and enthralled and transformed by the sheer beauty and wonder of the Gospel. He offers fullness of joy and pleasures evermore (John 16:11). The riches He offers are described as: “boundless, fathomless, incalculable, exhaustless” (Ephesians 3:8).  He promises to do “superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams” (Ephesians 3:20). His grace is “immeasurable and limitless” (Ephesians 2:7). He has delivered and drawn us out to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:13). He rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17) and eagerly awaits the coming day when He will “present us unblemished, blameless, faultless, before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation, with unspeakable, ecstatic delight” (Jude 24).

No, this Jesus does not need any “help” from earthly and slick marketing schemes.

This Jesus stands alone in all His transcendent beauty and magnificence.

Now He is the exact likeness of the unseen God (the visible representation of the invisible…For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers or authorities; all things were created  and exist through Him…and He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things are held together. —Colossians 1:15-17

Photo credit: TMurph51

A friend of mine told me a story today that I just loved. She has given me permission to share it on her behalf.

Shortly after becoming a believer my friend Ann (not her real name) attended her first Mary Kay retreat. She was just beginning her career as a consultant and was excited—if a little nervous—about the weekend.

Shortly after arriving, the ladies were instructed to dress for dinner. Apparently, MK consultants are to wear dresses or skirts much of the time and Ann was dismayed because she had only packed jeans.

She was very upset and shared her dilemma with the other ladies.

Before I go further, I have to share that Ann is always dressed to the nines.  Even when she wears jeans and a sweater, she looks perfectly pulled together; whereas  I would look like a scullery maid in the same outfit.  And don’t get me started on her fabulous jewelry. She sat in front of me on our first Sunday at our church and I spent the entire time admiring her beautiful earrings that sparkled and shone in the sunlight that streamed through the stained glass windows. She really is a marvel.

So, she is very particular about what she wears and was a little nervous when several women immediately jumped into action to offer her  borrowed outfits.

Before she knew it, Ann was being offered a lovely skirt and jacket that matched perfectly.

Just as she began to fret about what shoes she would wear (she is very particular about her shoes) someone handed her a pair of cowboys boots, which she loved.

As they headed out for dinner, one of the ladies noticed that Ann seemed somewhat hesitant, despite her fabulous outfit. After receiving an inquiry, Ann admitted that she wished she had packed some more jewelry, as she only wore a simple pair of turquoise earrings and she is known for her striking jewelry.

Without hesitation, this lady removed a silver turquoise cross from around her neck and gave it to Ann to wear. It perfectly completed her look and Ann was able to walk into that dinner with confidence.

Despite being a relatively new believer, she knew that Jesus was the one who had ultimately worked on her behalf that evening. He knew how important her appearance was to her and that she needed to feel confident as a professional in this new situation. A different outfit would have been easy to supply but the one Ann received was perfectly tailored to her taste and her personality.

Jesus does things like that all the time. He deeply cares about every single facet of our existence, no matter how small. Nothing concerning us is trivial to Him. (Psalm 139:1-18). He loves to answer our prayers in ways that will delight us if we leave room for Him to work as only He can.

That was an evening Ann would never forget.

She was reminded of that night earlier this week.

The same woman who lent her the turquoise cross became a good friend to Ann. She is moving away and called Ann to tell her she was coming by to leave her something. Ann wasn’t able to get to the door when her friend arrived and by the time she made it to the front door, the car was  gone. However, there was a gift hanging on her doorknob.

It was that same turquoise cross from that evening all those years ago.

Tears sprang to Ann’s eyes as she held that cross in her hands.

It was another message from her Savior that came at just the right time.

Ann had experienced a disappointment recently. As often happens, her timing was not Jesus’ timing and she was learning to live in that tension where we so often find ourselves as we follow Him.

The cross she held in her hand was a reminder that just as He had taken care of her that long ago night, He is still in full control.

So, if you are in a place where you are awaiting God’s movement in your life, take heart.  As John Piper has said, He is always at work in a thousand different ways that we cannot see.

His timing is perfect.

He knows what He is doing.

He is so good.

Photo credit: Flickr

When Doug and I were looking to buy our first home in 2000, we found two houses that we liked.

We had no idea which house to buy. Which one was God’s best for us?

One night I went to church for a meeting and told a friend about our dilemma.

Her answer shocked me.

She said, “It sounds to me like God is just letting you choose between the two.”

She walked away and the meeting began but I didn’t hear much of what was being said. No one had ever said anything like that to me before. Didn’t God have a specific house He wanted us to choose? What if we made the wrong decision and bought the wrong house?

I went home and told Doug what my friend had said. He agreed with her. So, we chose the house we liked best and moved in shortly thereafter. It was the perfect house for us at the time and we filled it with many wonderful memories.

I thought of that time in our lives this afternoon when I listened to James MacDonald teach a series on God’s will.

According to James, “God doesn’t have a detailed blueprint for your life that you have to figure out.God’s will is not anchored in the minutiae of this temporary life. God’s will is about bigger things, more eternal things. God’s will is about the kind of person you are…’The will of God’ is mentioned 27 times in the Bible and every single time it is speaking about the moral will of God (God’s Word…His prescription for how to live this life)  or the sovereign will of God (He is in control and nothing can thwart His will)…the Bible gives no plan for discovering God’s individual will for one’s life.”

James rejects the idea that there is a “dot” that God has in mind for each of our lives and it is our job to figure out where the dot is and get on it.  This leads to much pain, heartache, and stress, as we worry about whether we’ve found the dot and  then worry about falling off. Rather, Ps. 31:8 tells us that God has set our feet in a spacious place. James said, “You are not in danger of falling off the dot and missing God’s best for your life. Get free from that!” 

God does care about the decisions we all make (Ps. 31:3) and of course, He knows our every single decision,  but His primary concern is our relationship with Him. His most important plan for your life and mine is for us to have intimacy with Him: “You will call on Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”  (Jeremiah 29:12-13). After all, He is Who we were created for.

What do you think? Is this new to you? Is it freeing to think that God will use you regardless of which job you take or  which college you choose, or which house you buy? That all He asks of you is to live in the security and freedom of His sovereign and moral law and not be paralyzed in fear that you will make the ‘wrong’ decision?

I still have some questions about this myself and plan to talk to my pastor about it. I’d love to hear your thoughts.