Joy to the World!

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

May His love fill your life with wondrous blessings throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus.

Test Pattern

I am a child of the 60s and 70s. Being such a child, one lived under the threat of nuclear destruction at any moment – or so we were lead to believe. In order to prepare for such eventualities by our enemies we were always practicing safety drills.

I recall that at Noon every Friday a huge air siren would blow from the top of City Hall, as an “all clear” signal. If we heard that siren at any other time we were to seek shelter. At school, we would practice seeking shelter by either getting under our desk top or lining up in the hall and crouching on the floor next to the wall. Neither one of these “shelter” methods strikes me as providing much of it, buts it’s what we practiced doing on a regular basis.

The most annoying of all the constant disaster-avoidance preparation had to occur while watching television, however. There you are enjoying a perfectly good program then suddenly and without warning a “test-pattern” appears accompanied by a loud horn. Then a voice is heard stating “This is a test of the emergency broadcast system. This is only a test. For the next 60-seconds the broadcasters in your area are conducting a test of the emergency broadcast system. If this had been an actual emergency the siren your heard would have been followed by …”

It was the most annoying thing in the world. It was sudden and unexpected. It was loud. There was no way to make it go away. It was on every channel, of which there were only three, four if you counted PBS. The only thing to do was sit there and wait for “the broadcasters in your area” to finish the test and restore normal programming.

But as annoying as that test was, it turned out to be pretty good practice. Turns out God does pretty much the same thing. God has this way of suddenly and without warning throwing me into these tests and challenges.

My life appears to be running smoothly then I’ll be interrupted by an event that will really test me. Generally speaking, there is no way to speed up these trials. There is no way to make them go away or avoid them. I just have to be patient and persevere through them.

We are told in James to “count it as joy” when we find ourselves in various trials “knowing that the testing of faith produces patience.” (James 1:2-3). Well, let me say now, that I am one joyful and patient person! Which is really to say, God has put me through lots of trials of faith.

It seems as if I get through one and there not too long afterwards I encounter a new and improved trial. That’s the ladder of faith we are asked to climb. We can stop and stay at any rung on the ladder we choose but if we want to climb higher with our God then we are going to encounter periods of testing. The higher we climb the testier things can get.

However, we are not alone during the testing; we have all the help we need to be successful, although it might not feel like it. David was promised that He would be king and rule the land. But to get there God had to prepare him and test his faith. David went through many, many trials along his way. Many times he felt he was not going to make it. Things got so bad he found himself hiding in a cave. There were times he got so off track and appeared not to be headed in the right direction but in the end David did sit on the throne that God had promised him.

When that test-pattern appears in our lives we need to be not so quick to try and make it go away. But try to embrace it. See it for what it truly is – an opportunity to grow closer to God. Because the test will end, our normal life will be restored but in the interim we will have become so much more of what we and God aspire for us to be.

I'd call that the ultimate safety drill.
~

Bullet Proof

"How do I protect myself?"

"Integrity is a good shield."

    - James A. Michener, The Covenant
     
Ephesians 6:10-20


~

Racing Speed

Have you ever been driving down the highway lost in thought? So lost in thought that if asked you could not report what road side attraction you just passed or even what mile marker you were approaching. You were comfortable just cruising on autopilot.

Then out of nowhere, a car whizzes past you and startles you from your little world. Shaken, you decide in an instant to dare the driver to a duel. You flip off the cruise control and put your foot to the floor catching up to your new buddy. You tail him for a few miles then when you spy your chance you quickly maneuver into the next lane and pull ahead.

You don’t look to the side as you pass but you know your challenge has been accepted. You can feel the car next to you speed up and suddenly the race is on. Wheel to wheel, bumper to bumper you go.

Your eyes become stealthily focused on the road ahead. You and the car have become one. Your grip on the wheel gets tighter. You turn up the radio because the perfect road song has begun playing. That sneaky little grin you get when your heart races and your hair is on fire appears across your face.

The road rises and falls as you go. If there is a cop on the other side of that overpass, so be it. You’ll deal with those consequences later. The two of you are flying now. It’s been a back and forth race for miles. You have no idea how fast you are going and you don’t care to know. The only thing that is important is which one will hit the “finish line” first; that exit sign way off in the distance looks like a good one.

The exit sign screams by in a blur. Who won?! Who knows; it doesn't even matter. You laugh out loud at yourself and for the first time look over at your very worthy opponent. He is laughing too. You both wave as you slow down to something close to resembling the speed limit. That grin glued to your face as you rejoin the regular flow of traffic.

You don’t know how far or how fast you’ve travelled. But you do realize that you have not felt this alive in a long time. This awake. All of your senses are engaged right now. You could even report on each roadside attraction you passed – and who passed it first. Your adrenaline is crashing through your veins and you don’t remember the last time you had such pure fun. "Why can’t life always be lived going mach 2 with my hair on fire?" - you think to yourself. Traffic may return to normal, but nothing else for you on this day will be.

So, has that ever happened? I bet it has. And if it didn’t happen while behind the wheel of a car then I bet it happened while you were doing something else. But I would bet my bottom dollar that at some point – or at several points – in life you have lived going mach 2 with your hair on fire.

You have lived while feeling fully alive.

And that is exactly how we are supposed to live – all the time. Not just for brief glimpses here and there. Not just on weekends and vacations. Not just on holidays and birthdays. Not just during stolen moments or sudden out-of-nowhere moments that startle us awake from our cruise control.

Jesus came so that we may “have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). And He means for us to have that life now, while we are here, not sometime later. That full life is not waiting for us “in eternity”, somewhere in the clouds. That life is here on earth.

A full life is one that is lived while being fully awake, heart racing, senses engaged. It is a life that does not utilize cruise control. It is a life that takes risks and will deal with the fall-out from getting a ticket from the cops on the other side of the overpass later.

When we live our lives trusting our hearts to God, we begin to experience a more full life. A life we can feel in our bones we were born to live. God’s love and strength takes us places we cannot fathom and it takes work on our part to lean on and trust in Him. But when we partner with and trust God and turn off our cruise control our lives become so much more vibrant and well lived. We become fully awake.

Think I’m wrong? Who do you think was your partner and Co-pilot during that race, protecting you from a crash and the cops? God wanted you to get a taste of the life He offers in the hope you’ll come back for more.

He just hopes next time the two of you can do it while obeying the posted speed limit.
~

Super Duper Rubber Ball

Did you ever have one of those little rubber balls as a kid? The indestructible kind that came in a bright swirl of color? It was hard and compact and it could bounce for days. And boy, could those little balls bounce.

I had them. All kids did. I usually lost mine pretty quickly. It would start bouncing and then just bounce and roll out of sight – generally under the refrigerator into no-man’s-land – lost forever. I also lost several on our roof. I recall a time trying to see if I could get mine to bounce higher than our two-story house.

I threw the ball hard against the driveway in an effort to make it bounce skyward. I recall my first several efforts were not successful in getting past the second story window. Then with all the strength my young little arms could muster I crashed that ball into the ground and in turn it was lofted skyward higher than ever.

That little ball flew past the second story, past the gutter and as near as I could tell from my earthly perch it soared above the entire roof line. Unfortunately, I didn’t throw it directly down so the ball didn’t return to me, it kept on soaring. When it came down somewhere on the other side of the house it joined the Frisbee and other paraphernalia stuck on the roof. Didn’t matter though, mission accomplished.

When I think about it now I find it interesting. To get that little rubber ball to accomplish the task I had set out for it, to get it to soar and fly as far I as I could make it, first I had throw it down against the ground as hard as I could. When I didn’t throw the ball down very hard, its bounce back up was not very great. But the harder the fall the greater the ball’s rise.

If it works this way with rubber balls, I wonder what else it works with? Jesus was a kid once, you think He and His Father know about these little balls?
~

Sparklers

When I look at the state of the world it can make me a little depressed, to be honest. We are in the midst of a deep global recession. There is hunger, disease and devastation at almost every turn. It is almost enough to make me throw up my hands and proclaim all is lost, that it’s hopeless. Because after all, what can I do? I’m just one person and one person can’t do much of anything.

Tell that to the governing body of the PGA, Professional Golf Association. They will tell you one person is all it takes. They will tell you that one person can lift up and change an entire industry. Transformation can happen with the spark from just one individual.

Golf can pretty much be divided up into two eras – Pre-Tiger and Post-Tiger. His influence on golf and the world (advertising world anyway) has been so great that he is one of the few people that no longer need to use their last name to be recognized.

I used to play gold growing up. It was back then literally an old man’s game. My grandfather taught me how to play the game. I would play with him and my best friend and her grandfather. I enjoyed it because of the company but really thought the game itself was a snooze-fest.

Tiger came on to the golf scene with hurricane force winds. His father taught him the game when he was just a child. He learned the game quickly and easily. He stormed out of college where he had been winning collegiate and amateur tournaments. Once he turned pro he pretty much won at will for years. He has had some recent trouble and there are those who think he won’t make much difference anymore. (History tells us they are going to eat those words.)

But with his arrival came energy and excitement. Golf was transformed from a slow, plodding gentleman’s game into one of power and finesse. Golf became cool, hip and sexy. And young. I don’t know that golf was on the verge of becoming irrelevant to the next generation but Tiger single-handedly took the game and made it one of the most relevant and happening events going. Golf is now a multi-billion dollar a year industry.

I don’t know what Tiger’s intentions were when he chose to take up the sport. He probably wanted to be the best he could be at it, win and make a living playing golf. I don’t know if he set out to transform an entire industry. But he did. All by hitting a little white ball into a cup. That is some spark.

I can’t hit a golf ball very far. I don’t think my talents will transform much of anything. But I don’t have to try to change the whole world.  Tiger didn’t set out to do that, that was just a consequence of him following his heart and lighting sparks along the way. Those sparks ignited other sparks until a transforming fire began to burn and spread.

I can’t solve the problems of the poor in India, for example, all by myself. But I can send my spark of a few dollars to a charity that works over there. I can help those in my city by giving of my time to an organization that helps those who are less fortunate. I can send a spark of encouragement to a friend who is down. By following what is in my heart I can make a difference. And so can you. It only takes a spark.

There are some who thought One man wouldn’t make a difference. They were wrong. He went about doing His Father’s business and changed the world. He lit many sparks along the way. Those sparks turned into mighty flames and are still burning today. His life is still transforming lives. He also is known by only one name.  Jesus.  His birthday is coming up.

A perfect time for lighting sparklers, don’t you think?
~

Triple Crown Winner

Horse racing is an interesting sport. The central athlete in the competition is a huge thoroughbred. Like it or not this animal generally comes with plans of his own. There is the jockey of course. He is perched precariously atop his mount, urging him on. But really it’s the horse that does all the work and grabs all the glory.

Horses have been raced in organized races for over a hundred years in this country. Each Spring the country sets its collective breath as talk begins anew of the “triple crown” and whether this year will a horse emerge that can actually win it. The Triple Crown is won by winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes in the same year.

Winning the Triple Crown is not an easy feat. It’s not supposed to be. It’s not supposed to be won every year. The last time it was won was in 1978 by Affirmed. But perhaps the most memorable winner in recent times was in 1973 by an unknown, unproven horse named Red.

Red was a big, strong horse with what his owner thought was potential. But before his owner could ever race him, she had to prepare him for the race first. The potential she saw running in her meadows back at the farm was thrilling but all that power and fury and might had to be harnessed, trained and taught. Red had to be broken and taught how to run before he could be allowed to run.

Breaking a horse, especially a strong, fast thoroughbred race horse is no easy task. You don’t just throw a saddle on the horse, jump on and hold on until the horse tires and you win. The horse must be approached with caution. It must be handled with care. The bridle must be introduced. Then the pad, next the saddle and long after those are accepted regularly then a rider is introduced. And even then a rider may find he is an unwanted intruder and summarily dismounted.

Caution is used when breaking a thoroughbred because you don’t want to break his winning spirit when breaking his wild nature. Care is used to leave part of the wild streak in tact. It is that wild heart that makes him so valuable and fast and fuels his competitive nature. It is what makes him who he is and what makes him so valuable as a race horse so care is made to break only as much of him as necessary. The trainer needs his horse to submit to the commands of the rider but still have the wild heart he was born with.

When in the hands of the proper trainer a wild and raw thoroughbred can be turned into a Triple Crown winner. Red was. No one thought that horse had the right stuff to be a winner much less win it all. No one except his owner, trainer and jockey. They saw in him his true potential and worked to break him and train him just the right way to set his wild heart free. And boy, when they set him free – did he ever run.

That’s what our Owner, Trainer and Jockey do with us. We’re already Triple Crown Winners. But we must be taught how to run. They break us and train us all in an effort to set our wild heart free. Of, course we don’t see it that way. We see all that – the being told no, the things that don’t go our way, the endless waiting, the shaping of our character, the letting go of things and people we love, the lack of control, the missed joy, etc. – as pointless. But its not.

We have a heart but like the thoroughbred’s it’s a wild heart and we need to be taught how to reign it in and control its power and potential. We have plans and goals. We want to run straight for that finish line. But our wild heart must have some control or our running will be chaotic and pointless.

If Red was allowed to race just as he was straight from the meadow he would have never have won even one race. He had to be taught how to run and how to win. When his trainer and jockey taught him how he could truly harness and tap into his potential then Red could run as far and as fast as he’d ever dreamed of.

When Red was ready to race his name was changed. Secretariat could run like the wind. And when he did – he out ran them all. And when he won the third and final race, the Belmont, and thus the Triple Crown, he won by a margin that no horse has ever come close matching. It was like he had wings. When he was finally allowed to run he was allowed to run as far and as fast as he’d ever wanted to go. He just had to be taught the right way first.

When we are ready we are made new in Christ. We look the same on the outside but God sees we are new on the inside. And he sets us free to run. And He wants us to run as far and as fast as we desire. God gives us wings – wings like eagles. But He doesn’t give us those wings without teaching us how to use them first.

No one said getting broken in is easy, but just watch a race horse run and tell me it’s not having the time of its life.
~

Spirit of Adventure

Today is my Mother’s birthday. We have planned a fun dinner in her honor. One that incorporates who she is and the traditions she has given our family. It should be a hilarious night if nothing else.

My Mom is a lady in every sense of the word. She is beautiful and graceful, she is loving, kind and generous. She is gentle and down to earth. Although not noticeable at first glance my mother is also quite adventurous. She has this little spirit of adventure in her that likes to peek out every once in a while. And we never know where it will lead when it does.

It’s this little hidden trait which makes her so fun. And causes the family to do a collective shake of the head from time to time. Take for example the summer she decided to spend several months in Colorado without my father. My parents love Colorado and they spend most of the summer there – together.

One summer my Dad had work matters at home and he could not get away for the whole summer. Mom is typically not comfortable travelling alone without Dad or friends but she decided that this particular year she would venture out and go ahead to Colorado and Dad could join her later.

While there Mom decided to make use of her time, branch out and meet new friends. One of the things she did was to take a wildflower cooking class. It seems the point of the class was to take nature hikes, learn about the growing wildflowers, and my stars does Colorado have some stunning flowers in the summer, then pick the edible ones and cook with them.

I have to pause here and alert you that as darling as my Mom is, she is no Betty Crocker in the kitchen, Lord love her. So we were all very encouraged by this class.

Mother loved the class. She learned so much about the wildflowers and cooking while hiking and taking in some magnificent scenery. This would have been wonderful if it hadn’t ended up with Mom getting food poisoning. Twice. It seems that some of the edible wildflowers were not edible after all. (Either that or Mom’s cooking skills really are a danger. As Mom’s cooking has never given the family food poisoning I’m going to place blame squarely with the flowers.)

Who knew something as beautiful and fragile as a butter cup or dandelion could reek such havoc? Chipmunks, marmots and squirrels eat them all the time. But wildflowers for human consumption, while not all dangerous, should be approached with caution. As tempting as it is to use nature’s beauty for other things sometimes it is best to just admire it from afar.

Temptation is like that. We see something we think will be fun or will take care of our desires and we go for it. It appears to meet whatever need we are having at that time and the danger is hidden from view. Just because something is beautiful or helpful does not mean it will be good for us. Just because something works for others does not mean it will work for us. Not every one in the cooking class got sick from the flowers.

We must be mindful of the temptations that are laid before us and first try to uncover the cloaked threat before proceeding. After Jesus was in the desert for 40 days he became very weak and hungry and really wanted the whole experience to be over. Satan tried to tempt Him using Jesus’ weakness against Him. Satan reminded Jesus who He was and that He didn’t have to remain hungry, He could turn the stones to bread. (Matt. 4:2-4). But Jesus knew better.

Was Jesus hungry? Absolutely. Was He tempted to turn those stones into bread? Scripture tells us He was. But Jesus also knew that while God had helped Moses get water from a stone to help the Israelites, in this instance getting bread from a stone would not help Him. He knew that just because something worked and was God’s will for someone else, it was not God’s will for Him. So Jesus told His enemy to take a hike.

Adventure is good for us. God loves it when we branch out and explore His world. He wants us to try new things; He just wants us to be safe and mindful when we do. To be sure that what we are doing is the right thing for us, not for someone else.

Mom never has mentioned how the food tasted with those wildflowers but she never has taken another cooking class or nature course for that matter. However, she still takes plenty of hikes through the wildflowers. In fact, she has since hiked through wildflower meadows all over the world.

She’s just mindful to enjoy the beauty from afar and let someone else do the cooking.
~

Rite of Passage

There are certain milestones in a girl’s life that mark her progression and journey into adulthood. There are milestones for boys too. These milestones are important because as they are met they signify our step up to a higher level of maturity. And the shedding of another layer of infancy.

These milestone’s start small – walking, and grow larger – starting your own family. But in between there are a thousand other little steps. For most shaving for the first time ranks up there on the “I’m a grown-up now” list.

I remember being a little girl and watching my mother shave her legs. Sitting on the edge of the tub, hand full of shaving cream that she would smooth over her leg then she would expertly glide that razor through the shaving cream creating a clean, smooth path in it. Her legs were always so soft and pretty when she was finished. I couldn’t wait to be just like her and do that too.

I remember watching my brother watch my dad at the sink as he would shave. My brother would smear shaving cream on his face and take a razor-less razor and shave with my dad. Two shirtless guys shaving their beards getting ready for the day. My brother wanted to be a man like my dad.

For both my brother and me shaving was a sign of maturity. It was something grown-ups did. We both wanted to do it so badly but we were told “not yet.” “Not yet” are two of cruelest words a child feels like he or she ever hears. We know we are ready for whatever it is we want but our parent thinks we are not. So we get the “not yet” line.

The thing about milestones and taking that step to the next level is that with that next level comes added responsibility. Promotion never comes without added responsibility. We are not always ready for it like we think we are. Our parents could not allow us to start shaving until they knew we were ready for the responsibility.

I wasn’t yet ready at seven or eight to shave my legs. I wasn’t yet ready to handle a sharp razor in soapy water while teetering on the edge of the bath tub. Further, once a girl starts shaving she has to do it about every other day. That’s a lot for a little girl to handle. Not to mention I had no need to shave my legs at that age. Nor did my brother have a need to be shaving his face at 10 years old – thank heavens.

Despite my protestations, my mother repeatedly told me “not yet” when I asked if I could shave. And in the end I’m glad. Some aspects of adulthood are better left to the adults. But I still have not gotten better about being told “not yet.”

My Heavenly Father does the same thing. God has plans for me. God has plans for you. But that unfortunately does not mean we will be fulfilling those plans right away. God loves to say “not yet.” He doesn’t tell us that to be cruel, we only think He does.

Our Heavenly Father, like our parents, is teaching us the responsibility we will need to be able to handle our new level. He is guiding us through difficult times so when it is time for promotion things that would have been difficult will be much easier. God is educating us and equipping us now with wisdom that we will draw upon later.

God knew Moses would one day lead the Israelites out of their bondage in Egypt. God could have given Moses the power to do it right away, when Pharaoh first banished Moses into exile. But first God had to educate and equip Moses for the task that He was asking him to do. Moses wanted to lead them to freedom but he was not yet ready for the responsibility of it. So Moses spent time in the wilderness being prepared.

I imagine there were many days, weeks, years that Moses thought God had forgotten about him and the Israelites. But God never forgets. The whole time God was getting Moses ready for a mighty step up to another level. But Moses and the Israelites had to hear “not yet” a few thousand times first.

We may think we are ready now for the dreams, goals and desires that God has placed within us but we don’t know the added responsibility that will come with fulfilling those dreams, goals and desires. God does. So we must be patient. We must trust. And we must try not to whine when He says “not yet.” “Not yet” does not mean “never.”

After all, you did finally get to start shaving didn’t you?
~

Opposites Attract

“Opposites attract,” it’s a phrase we’ve heard all our lives. It’s said as a compliment, particularly when said of two completely wrong for each other people who have found themselves in a relationship and it somehow works. To the uninformed sometimes it doesn’t make sense. The republican and the democrat, the nerd and the beautiful actress, the millionairess and the pool boy (no wait, that one I understand).

But you get the idea. Negative and positives are attracted to each other. Generally this is not something to be alarmed about unless you are a millionairess. But there is an opposites-relationship we must look out for and that we all must deal with though we are not millionaires and even if we are.

Everyday we are faced with opposite but not necessarily equal forces. Both are competing for our lives. One is stronger than the other. One, when given the proper chance, will always beat the other. But it must be given the chance or it stands no chance and in turn neither do we.

We are given the choice almost daily in myriad different ways to choose between trusting or fearing. If we are given the chance to stretch ourselves and do something new, if we are given the opportunity to lean on God, if we are reaching beyond ourselves and striving for more, if we are trying to succeed then we are being asked to trust God.

And if we are being asked to trust God – fear is knocking on our door. Fear is telling us we’re crazy to trust. Fear is telling us we will fail. Fear is telling us it will never work out. Fear is telling us we don’t measure up, that we are not good enough, that God will not come through for us. Fear is telling us not to trust.

Here is the little lie fear does not want us to know – trust always beats fear. Trust is a fear killer.

Don’t believe me, ask Peter. Jesus asked him to get out of the boat in the middle of a raging storm and walk on the water to him. Peter didn’t think much of the idea. He paused to double check. Fear was holding him in place. He said to Jesus “if it is you” command me to come to you. Fear told him, he was seeing things, that the Man he’d seen perform miracles couldn’t walk on water, so he waited. When Jesus responded for Peter to “come”, Peter did. Peter trusted Jesus and in the middle of a huge storm climbed out of a boat and tried to do the impossible because he trusted Jesus. And Peter walked on the water. (Matt. 14:25-29).

Well, he did until he lost his trust and fear took hold again. Peter “saw” the wind. He took his eyes and focus off Jesus and his trust was replaced by his circumstances. He replaced his trust with fear and doubt. His thoughts turned most likely to things like – “What am I doing? I am a man, I can’t walk on water. I’m going to drown out here.” And indeed he began to sink. Until he began to trust again. (Matt. 14:30-31).

Fear stands no chance against trust. Trust wins each and every time. But fear is a joy killer. Worry and anxiety crushes our joy faster than the speed of light. If we are experiencing anxiety we are not trusting. We cannot trust and worry at the same time.

We have to pick one.

Fear is the easier choice. For some reason we think worry is the natural way to go. We like to think forward and project the future and usually that future turns out well for others but not for us. Other people are talented enough to do things but not us. Other people succeed but not us. Fear, worry and anxiety will always fight for our attention in an attempt to suck the joy and happiness out of our lives.

But if we choose to trust we will have our joy to the fullest.

If we choose to get out of the boat and keep our focus on God and our thoughts on the fact that He put the talents in us, if we choose to keep in mind that we are all created with the same love from God and He is the strength by which we get things done, if we do not lose sight of the fact that God does what we cannot do, and that a job done to the best of our abilities but that still might fall short is still a success then we will never lose our joy and fear has no power in our lives.

Trust and fear are not compatible. We must keep our eyes off the wind and on God.

Opposites may attract, but like the millionairess and the pool boy, some relationships are doomed from the start.
~