Bloom Where You are Planted

This morning when I was leaving the living room I happened to glance over at my Christmas Cactus that sits near our picture window. The blooms have started to pop open and many more promise to grace our home with their beauty in the coming weeks. I always enjoy their delicate appearance and look forward to seeing them return each year around this time.

This plant was a gift to me from my mom. Actually, she gave it to me in hopes that maybe I could get it to bloom because in the years that she was the owner of it - it never bloomed. She had been given this plant by a dear friend of hers many years ago and for whatever reason it just was not happy at my mom's house.

So I carefully loaded it into my truck and brought it home. I remember it being in a really nasty old pot and so I gingerly lifted the root ball out of the pot and put it into a nice new home and added some fresh soil. I place it in a spot where I knew the light would be just right and carefully watered it. One year went by and no blooms. I was disappointed but not surprised. That summer I took the cactus outside and let it live all summer out on our carport. It seemed to enjoy the warmth of the summer sun and I was concerned about how it would do when it was time to bring it back in.

I decided I would try a new location in our living room. The window in the living room faces east so the plant gets a nice warm touch of the sun each day. And apparently it likes it! For the past two years now we have been blessed with its beauty. Now all I do is water it and rotate it and treat it with tender care. My hope is that I will have this plant to enjoy for many years to come.

This all led me to think about how I have been somewhat like this plant. I have lived many places over the years. Some places I have bloomed and some places I have just sat dormant not blooming at all. There were places where I soaked in the healing rays of the sun and drank the cool waters without much tangible sign of development and change. But, now it seems that God has me in a place where the soil is rich, the light is right and the moisture permeates deep into my soul. I am praying that now I too will bloom where I have been planted. No longer seeking to be moved somewhere else but content to allow the Master Gardener to prune and to feed and to tend to my growth. I will put my roots down deep into His love and pray that I will bloom with the love of the Savior that all who know me will see Him through me.

Walking Away from Regret

Romans 8:1-2 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."

For quite sometime now regret has dogged my every step. Everything from eating that one last piece of pie when I knew I didn't need it to reminding myself again and again about the losses sustained in my personal life because of poor choices and outright sinful rebellion. The pile of regret continued to mound up until it took on proportions which blocked my path of growth and joy.

Why is it that we struggle so much with regret when we know that if we have asked God to forgive our sins He is faithful to forgive? Is it because we find it difficult to forgive ourselves and by wallowing in regret it somehow makes us feel better because we punish ourselves? In doing that we are putting our sin, our shame, our disobedience beyond the reach of God's grace. That must wound the heart of our Father.

I have determined that I am through living in regret. I have allowed regret to steal my joy. I realize that the consequences of choices are forever with us. But, God has promised that there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. If I am no longer condemned by the creator of the universe then I have no right to stand in condemnation of myself. The sin is covered. The blood of Jesus Christ covers it all. And to go back and revisit that sin is simply wrong.

And so, the path away from regret is before me. I am wearing shoes that are sturdy. They will see me on this journey and protect me from the onslaught of the evil one as he tempts me to return to regret. These shoes have no tread that leaves a trail back. I cannot go back. I can only move forward. Thankfully, I do not walk alone. The Holy Spirit is there to guide and encourage my walk. Faithful family and friends uphold me in prayer. Regret and its chains no longer bind me. Praise God for the freedom that comes in Christ Jesus!

Autumn Color

Today while walking my dog, BG I came across this beautiful tree arrayed in all its color. The colors of autumn always bring a sense of wonder to me. The seasonal changes of the trees is a reminder to me of the constant and faithful nature of my Father.

The summer has passed away and we are now approaching the cold blasts of winter. Yet in between is this quiet, beautiful period of autumn. It is a restful time. The leaves as they glisten in the sun blow gently down to the ground in the winds that blow. The trees themselves go into a much deserved rest as they prepare for the coming of spring. Year in and year out the cycle of birth, life, death and rest is seen in their limbs.

God is faithful. His mercy is new every day. He provides for us today as He did in ages past. His forgiveness and grace are available today as they were yesterday. The question becomes - will they be available tomorrow? If the Lord tarries then the answer is yes. But we do not know when the Lord will return. We know only that God calls us to be ready. Ready to meet Him. Ready for the judgement that is yet to come. There will come a day when the cycle of life on this earth as we know it will come to an end.


As each year passes I know that I am one year nearer to meeting my Father. I anticipate that. But I also am fearful of that. Not that I fear that I will not be with Him in eternity. Christ paid for my sin with His precious blood. I am saved from the wrath to come by His great grace. I fear being empty-handed. I want to be able to bow at the feet of my Savior with crowns to cast at His feet. Oh that I might put away the foolishness of this life and be pursuing the life that is yet to come.

The colors of autumn brought all of this to mind today. How many more springs will I have? How many more will you? Are you prepared? Have you found your answer in Christ Jesus? No matter where you are in your life stop and think about it. Don't let another day go by without surrendering to His limitless grace. Don't be deceived - judgement day is coming.

I Don't Want to be a Dried Out Sponge

Lately I have been struggling with feeling sort of "blah". Kind of like this sponge. Dry and very useless. Even trying to scrub the sink with a dried up sponge will not get me very far. It is only when that sponge contains water does it take on any useful characteristics. Although even the makeup of the water makes a difference.

So consider this. If you take a sponge and dip it into a bucket of ink and then start to clean with it - wow - you are in for a big mess. Or if the water you are using perhaps has sat for a long time it may make your sponge smelly. It is only when the water is pure and clean that it makes the sponge useful for its intended purpose.

John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Scripture gives us instruction that tells us that living water will flow from the person who believes in Jesus Christ. This is the only way that our lives can be totally full and able to be used. How then do we become dry and useless? I know for me it comes when my attitudes are not what they need to be. When I am struggling with an attitude of complaint, or criticism or coveteousness then I am in danger of not being filled with the living water. Not that I have lost the source - it is that I am not choosing attitudes that would allow the water to flow through me and out to others.

It is a constant struggle for me to deal with the attitudes that have become so ingrained in me. I have found over the past few years that my heart has struggled with having an idolatrous attitude. And the idolatry is that of pride. I have put myself above others and often times above my relationship with God. This prideful attitude is what causes me to feel dry and lifeless. It is only as I disconnect from the brackish water of pride and connect into the living water of humility that I can experience the life giving flow.

I feel like there needs to be a cleansing in my heart. Father, I am praying that you will take this dry heart and remove from me those attitudes that keep me from being connected to your lifegiving water. I pray that my life would be renewed with the attitudes of thankfulness and love. Take from me any of the past that also tends to plague me. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.

Ever Try and Go Through Life on E-ZPass?

Many of you can relate to this story. Some of you more than others. But, I have discovered that you can't get very far in life trying to get by on E-ZPass.

E-ZPass has been implemented on many of our nation's toll road systems as a way to eliminate the human element of tollbooth attendants and to help the frequent traveler get to their intended destination without having to stop. Just put that token on your windshield and you can whisk your way from one place to another with nary a care in the world.

Well for those of us who are not the frequent tollroad traveler it can be confusing when negotiating the system. Case in point, several weeks ago my husband, daughter and I were traveling the PA Turnpike over near Philadelphia. We planned on a stop at the IKEA store to do a bit of apartment shopping for my daughter. We exited the NorthEast extension and never came across a tollbooth. Thinking this odd we questioned what had gone wrong but then giggled in delight that we had perhaps outsmarted the turnpike system and saved a little over $3.00 in tolls.

Fast forward three weeks. When heading up to bed, I noted an envelope on the table addressed to me. In it was a photo similar to the one at the top of this page. It was a bill for over $45.00 for failing to stop at the tollbooth and not having an E-ZPass. So much for the delight. We certainly had not outsmarted the system.

This whole episode got me thinking about my life. And this is where the relating thing comes in. Have you ever thought you were outsmarting God? Like you could go through life without paying the "toll". "No one will ever know." "I can get by with this and not get caught." Ever had thoughts like that?

Isaiah 29:15-16 "Woe to those who go to great depths
to hide their plans from the LORD,
who do their work in darkness and think,
"Who sees us? Who will know?"
You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
"He did not make me"?
Can the pot say of the potter,
"He knows nothing"?

How foolish we are to think that the all-knowing, all-seeing, ever present creator of the universe would not know every thought and intent of our hearts as well as every action we have either done or contemplated. Just as we discovered with our little turnpike illustration - the price will be paid.

We can rejoice that God loves us despite our failure to consider the cost. He loves us with an everlasting love. His grace is poured out upon us day after day. His mercy is new every morning. But, we ought not to ever think that we can skate by without thinking that He knows. We need to live with the knowledge that whether we like it or not all of our decisions come with consequences, good or bad.

My prayer is that I will not try and outsmart God. What a foolish jesture. And the bill is way too high to pay.

When the Pen gets Cold

My pen has grown cold. Not a literal pen but a figurative one. Try as I might, the past few months were difficult for me to put words to my emotions. I am not sure even now that I can really write effectively.

Life continues to throw curve balls my direction. It makes me wonder at times just what God is up to. Not just some times but most of the time. The path winds down some steep and bumpy slopes fraught with confusion and at times feelings of fear and dread. I know that God promises that He would never leave me nor forsake me but at times it seems as though I walk this journey alone.

Words fail me. I lift up my pen and put it to the paper and find I have little to say. Really. I lift my voice in prayer and murmur confused words of pleading to God asking for a measure of understanding to come over me. How does one respond to circumstances that are out of their control yet impact us so profoundly?

Perhaps it is because I finally have come out of the fog of deception that I lived under for so long. This may explain why I feel so lost now. I am trying to understand living in truth. I am trying to understand how people do not always respond favorably to that position. And I am fervently praying that God will sustain me through this growth process so that I do not regress back into the person I once was.

I am praying for direction. What would God have me write about? What value does my writing have to anyone? Does it even really matter? Is my writing meant to be shared privately with my Father or does He intend me to share my journey more fully, more transparently to others? I want to be a vessel that is used. I want my life to have some real value to others. I want to know that my life has purpose.

In time, maybe the flame of my pen will burn brightly again. I pray that will be true. I pray that my words will be fitly spoken and that they would portray the truth of God's unfailing love to others. More than anything, I pray that my words will be s symphony of praise to my Father.

Remembrance

It has been said that Confederate women were seen decorating the graves of their fallen heroes and continued on to do the same for those of the Union soldiers. This heralded the beginnings of Decoration Day or as we more commonly call it, Memorial Day. The lack of concern about whether or not the fallen were friend or foe truly speaks to the solemn beauty of the day. It is a time for us to remember those who bravely fought and died for the freedom that we enjoy today. And also, those from generations past who greatly influenced the people we have become.

For many years, while growing up, Mom and Dad would load us kids into the Oldsmobile and take off for the different cemeteries where our grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins or friends lay at rest. The trunk of the car would be filled with blossoms of various colors and types all meant to garnish the markers and to let others know that these people were cherished and remembered.

Little American flags waved brightly by the tombstones of soldiers from long ago wars and some were even marked by an occasional medal or remembrance of a particular event in history.

As a child, I must admit, it was not always something that I enjoyed. In fact, sometimes it seemed really like a waste of time and money to go traipsing all over the country going from plot to plot when I would have been much happier playing outside or reading a good book. But, still we went. And now, I am glad that I did because it taught me lessons about life and death and remembering, something that many people don’t do enough of.

While decorating the graves of relatives and friends who have passed away does not carry with it that same significance as decorating the graves of soldiers it does help to bring to mind the brevity of life. How often we take for granted the presence of a loved one only to find them taken from us by the cruelty of death. The small gesture of remembrance is only a token of what could or should be done during the lifetime of those that are near and dear to our hearts.

It has been nearly five years since my father passed away. In recent days memories of my childhood have resurfaced to remind me once again of the principles he lived by and the man of integrity that he was. It has been a time of remembering what was and seeking to understand what is. His influence continues to live on in the lives of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Remembering that propels me to a greater desire to live the legacy those generations before me lived.

The author of the book of Hebrews wrote a verse that has often come to mind when I think about my Dad and others who have gone on before me. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” I like to think about my Dad being in that cloud of witnesses, cheering me on, encouraging me when the going gets tough or sometimes even chiding me as he used to when I was a child.

Remembering him as he was is also a lesson to me of many attributes of godliness that I would like to believe is becoming a part of my heritage as well. Integrity, humility and a contrite spirit were all marks of my father. One of the greatest gifts that he gave to our family was a dedication to walk in truth and to teach us about our need of a Savior and the love of God.

Heritage and remembering is so much a part of the essence of Memorial Day. While we watch the parades and listen to rousing speeches of patriotism and honor it would be a good time to take stock of what is going on within our hearts and lives. Are we passing on to our children the same values and virtues of our forefathers or have we so lost our way that we cannot even remember the good of the past? Do we take time to sit down with our children or their children and remind them of the goodness of God? Or have we become so wrapped up in our own way that we have lost the reverence for the One who holds the earth in place?

This is a time to remember. This is a time to put aside the laissez-faire attitude that seems to permeate our country today. The sacrifices, the honor, the desire to put others ahead of self are attributes that were a part of the generations past. Let us put off the foolish behaviors of greed, deceit and selfishness as we honor those who have gone on before.

Load up the cars with your children and the flowers. Decorate the markers of those who have left your earthly life. Remember them for the lives that they lived and the sacrifices they made. Thank God for their lives and then dedicate yourself to live on in a manner that would bring a smile to their lips and a song of praise to their hearts.