Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Time Is of the Essence



I haven’t had a really good idea for this blog in weeks, most likely because I’ve been running around like a Jack Russell Terrier, my brain overloaded with holiday checklists and catalog copy, plus the details of a few other projects I have going (i.e., projects I’m behind on).

“Be still.”

This is how it usually works: On the rare occasion when God can get my attention (typically in my car, on the way to work), He’ll let me know what He wants to say through me and, if I’m especially attentive, how He wants me to illustrate His point.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

To let everything else go and respond to this invitation is sweet relief. If you haven’t really experienced His presence recently, I highly recommend some “still time.”

But what happens if I don’t make time for Him? I feel “off”… not grounded … without perspective. And my thoughts are jumbled, like they were this morning in the murky slumber punctuated by the radio going off again and again as I kept hitting the snooze button. I was dreaming of New Years resolutions, making lists of all of my good intentions in my sleep. Later in the day I took a few minutes to read my blog entry from last December 31st and decided I’d already covered the topic of resolutions thoroughly.

I love the idea of a clean slate on January 1st, and I believe there’s some truth to the saying, “If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere else.” But I also believe every day offers a fresh start, and I hate the idea of people who are supposed to be living a victorious life being defeated by their own failed resolutions.

Further review of my blog entries this year reveals a “time” theme. The older I get, the more aware I am of the passing of time, and of my need to make the most of it.

You know how you see people in passing and ask them how they’re doing? Sometimes they say, “Well, I’m here….” Often I’m guilty of replying, “Well, sometimes that’s all we can ask.” It’s an offhand response, intended to be lighthearted. But while just existing may be enough for us on any given day, I have a feeling it’s not enough for God.

I also imagine it’s not enough for my friends Andy and Beth. Over the holidays Andy, who serves in the National Guard, received a phone call to join a unit going to Afghanistan. He will be leaving on or near January 12 and will be gone for a year. He told me, “I was expecting to get called up, but not this soon. It will be a challenging year, but with God, our family, and friends close by we will overcome the challenges that lay before us.” I admire what Andy's doing, and I'm thankful for the things he's willing to sacrifice—a year of his life here at home...a year of his marriage...a year of watching his daughters, ages 3 years and 14 months, grow up. Please pray for Andy and his family, and for the 54 soldiers of the 1033rd who have already left their families in Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee.

One of my favorite new bands is 33 Miles, and their latest hit—One Life to Love—includes these lyrics:



You only get just one time around
You only get one shot at this
One chance, to find out
The one thing that you don't wanna miss
One day when it's all said and done
I hope you see that it was enough, this
One ride, one try, one life...
To love....


So how does all of this tie into the New Year? Well if you’re like me, there are many things you’d like to do better in 2009. There are the things that are all about me: Get back to the gym, clear out the clutter in my life, eat healthier, read those books waiting patiently on my shelves, blah, blah, blah. Then there the things that might actually make a difference in someone else’s life…the “more” things: Live more, love more, and extend more grace to the people in my life.

The New Year is the ultimate do-over, but where to start?

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." ~ Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Trust Him. He’ll show you the way.

Joy to you in the New Year!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Christmas Blessings



I'm making my list and checking it twice this morning. And right after I finish my second cup of coffee ("Santa's Buzz") I'll be off and running toward the Christmas end zone.

Writing a rambling yet insightful blog post isn't on today's list, but I do want to wish you and the ones you love a Merry Christmas. I pray we won't be so consumed by busyness that we miss the gifts the Christ Child yearns to bring to our hearts today and every day: His abiding hope, incomprehensible peace, overflowing joy, and boundless love.

God bless us every one!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Entertaining Angels



Hey, how does that song go again? Something about angels…on something...high…?

Actually, these guys—from L to R: Pastor Jim, Tony H. and Greg G.—aren’t angels at all, and I promise you they’re not high. They were just good-natured enough to let the kids dress and accessorize them at last weekend’s Birthday Party for Jesus. I thought they looked heavenly.

This picture (which I promised Jim I would post) is also a good reminder to keep a sharp eye out for angels among us. You never know when or where one might turn up…just when you least expect him and most need him.

"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
~ Hebrews 13:1-2 (NIV)

Monday, December 15, 2008

Snow Days

There’s nothing much more exciting to a kid that waking up to a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. And if it gets you out of school that day, then all the better. In fact, I was once informed by my Hannah that snow on a weekend or holiday is just a waste.


Little kids can’t wait to get out and play in the snow…then come back inside to warm up…then go back out to build a snow man…troop back in for lunch…head back out sledding…drag in for hot cocoa and to dry out… The whirlwind of coats, scarves, hats, earmuffs, gloves, mittens, and boots is dizzying. I imagine snow days are hard on stay-at-home parents.

Teenagers, on the other hand, embrace a snow day like their pillow as they crawl back into their cave-rooms for another five or six hours of sleep. It’s a little like a bear deciding hibernation isn’t over yet, and they can be just about as grouchy. They’ll even tell you their brains are hard-wired to need more sleep, but I’m not buying it.

I remember being at Radford, where falling snow triggered much giddy celebration and general craziness. Of course, it doesn’t take much to get the festivities going on a college campus. My son Ben is actually taking a skiing class for college credit at ASU next semester, so he’ll be all about snow this winter.

As you age, your opinion of snow continues to change and how you feel about snow as an adult typically depends on how likely it is to inconvenience you. When you get a real job, with all that usually entails—house, job, family, pets, etc.—snow can be downright annoying. I watch the weather with great interest these days, wondering if getting to work will be an issue and, to a lesser degree, if I’ll be able to wear jeans to the office tomorrow. Are we only expecting a “skiff” of snow, or should I lay in supplies, just in case?

Even for an adult though, snow on the weekend can be a manifestation of grace…a wonderful excuse to stay at the house and enjoy a rare chance to really rest before the work week madness repeats itself. A Saturday spent inside where it’s warm can be a blessing when you spend the day watching flurries in the woods outside.

Occasionally snow mirrors my life circumstances, like when I’m trying to navigate through a driving snowstorm that pummels my windshield like problems and worries that just keep trying to chip away at my faith. I feel like I’m hurtling through space, pushing through a dark tunnel …and the light at the end is nowhere in sight.

Other times I feel as though I’m living my life in a glass snow globe, subject to being picked up and shaken against my will until the blinding snow has me feeling my way around a circle of belief. I can’t see a thing, but if I hold firmly to my foundation the snow will eventually settle and I will be able to see again….maybe even more clearly than before.

My sweet friend Connie has a beautiful collection of nativity snow globes. We protect our childhood image of that first Christmas, fleshing it out in our imagination and daring anyone to suggest it may have been different. But Mary and Joseph likely felt as though they were blinded by a veritable snow squall of problems, with no shelter in sight besides a dirty, smelly stable. And the deity of their son demanded that they step out of their comfort zone and into the spotlight to share Him with the world. Talk about God shaking up your snow globe.

Connie once also confessed to me, “One step out of today and I’m in a world of trouble.”

I’m not urging you to step out ahead of God. But don’t be afraid to step out of your globe. Even though we may sometimes feel constrained in our own spheres of influence, that’s not our reality. True, we’re each dealing with our own problems, insecurities, and weaknesses, but we are not trapped inside glass walls. We’re afforded the freedom of moving beyond our walls to reach out and touch others with Christ-like hands. We are free, indeed!

“Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.” ~ Proverbs 25:13