Please, can I have a drop to quench my thirst?

People Are Thirsty

Every time I come in from this Africa-hot Texas weather I beg for water, sometimes in a not-so-pleasant manner. This heat makes me sticky and irritable. I’ll be “glistening” all summer while searching for refreshment.

Others also look for cold water. Some head to rivers and lakes (my prayers for those involved in Arkansas’ flash flood). Others turn to vendors and waiters. I heard of a rich guy that was burning up in the heat. He could not buy a drop of water and was desperate for a cold drink. No one helped. “Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue” (from Luke 16:24), he begged, while knowing he was shut off from the life-giving water.

Drinks All Around

His desperation created in me a desire to help. I wanted to dig a well, pipe in some relief, do something. It was too late for him, but I could share my life-sustaining drink with others before they reach the same horrifying end.

I decided to tell as many as I could about the water that flows deep, puts out the heat and satisfies our thirst. Such water is found in Jesus. He offers living water and to the one who drinks it, no more thirst (John 4:10-14). I want to be the pipe bringing life, the well that overflows, the spout that pours sweet words of hope, life and redemption. I want no one to go thirsty like the rich guy. I promise to share my drink.

The Choice to Drink Deep, or Not

I may not be able to make others taste, but I can be a pleasant, enticing glass that holds cool and refreshing water. My acceptance and love can leave people with a desire to know more about me and my God. In these irritable, hot, hazy days of summer, fill my cup Lord, and make me a pleasant presentation of your living water.

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him.) (John 7:37-9)

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Some days an extra something special is needed to get a smile. Where contentedness is elusive and stress is the norm, a deep sigh of rest is refreshing. That’s the kind of smile I needed when I looked out my back door window.

On the porch were a bunch of chairs. Red chairs. They had been old, rusty church castaways when I rescued and painted them. Don’t they look fun and inviting?

On this Memorial Day, I’m going to go out into the Africa hot sun, grill some meat and take a deep restful sigh. Yes, sir, I’m going to smile and be thankful for blessings both grand and simple.

Consider grabbing an old rusty chair and either dream of how to recreate it or just sit in it while remembering blessings. May you get to relax and smile this Memorial Day.

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I don’t know when it happened, but my arms changed. They got shorter, weaker too. It was obvious their strength would no longer allow arm-wrestling with the kids. I understood the strength loss, but shorter? I was quite bumfuzzled. Doesn’t osteoporosis diminish height instead of arms?

I hope I don’t have a weird bone disease.

First Symptom

The first short-arm symptom showed when the kids brought me their homework. With their scribbling in hand, I hyper-extended my elbows in order to make sense of it. While doing what I’ve always done, I was astounded with how tired my weak, shortened arms got.

That’s when I decided to get in shape. Surely a strenuous workout schedule focusing on arm strengthening would help. But even with six months of pumping iron at The Nautilus, my arms were still dwindling.

Their length used to be perfect for reading iPhone messages, enjoying Mary DeMuth’s Daisy Chain and studying my leather-like bound Bible. Now, I’m in a quandary. I don’t know what else to do about my incredible shrinking arms.

Some might disbelieve in the profound degeneration of my limbs. They may scoff and tease, or make wild suggestions like it isn’t my arms at all. But I know.

I know something’s wrong.

Diagnosis

Then headaches became the norm, but only when my eyes were open. I decided to see Dr. Means and discovered he is the kindest sort of mean. He laughed at me, spoke truth over my circumstance, then diagnosed me with multi-focal instead of some strange osteoporosis.

Apparently, my incredible shrinking arms were not so . . . Well, let’s just say I was wrong. I now sport new contacts and can’t believe the detail in the leaves on the trees.

Eye-opening Experience

Isn’t it eye-opening how our experience or understanding is limited. We are so sure of what we know. It’s like we’re stuck in the teen years—I know, I know—when we are clueless. God can say in truth, “I know.” He is the wisest. He knows everything and if we allow him to lead, we will not go off in obscure, weird ways of thinking and living.

“A person who has Christ as his Master is the master of every circumstance” (Streams in the Desert, p. 184).

God takes care of me. “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you [God] preserve my life” (Psalm 138:7).

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Today, on the National Day of Prayer, many pointless prayers will go nowhere. There is a time where prayer for our nation, our leaders and our families are noticed by God. But that season is after a reflective prayer where we humbly approach God in repentance acknowledging our wrong doings and dependence upon his forgiveness. Without that personal relationship and preface to prayer, we are participating in meaningless utterances.

As a “praying” nation, we fashion a god and clothe him to fit our belief. We are a spiritual, religious people like those in Jeremiah 10:1-10. In our minds we adorn god with garments of gold, making him some sort of controllable idol, boxing him in a manageable package that fit whatever limitation our faith holds.

God is beyond measure, beyond comprehension, beyond our ability to grasp entirely. We cannot explain him. We cannot contain him. We cannot pray to him on our terms. We must read his letter to us, the Bible, to catch a glimpse of the holy God we want to petition in prayer.

When we do . . .

When we seek him, we will find him, especially when we seek him with all our hearts (Deuteronomy 4:29, 1 Chronicles 28:9). God wants to relate with us. He wants us to pray, to have conversations with him—both listening and talking. But we must pray on his terms: humbly, repentant and personal followed by corporate repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14, Romans 10:9-10).

Instead of a national day of religious whims, how awesome would be a national day of repentance, prayer on God’s terms.

Picture: To buy a t-shirt at www.recoveryrocksmesa.com

After the blue moon on New Years Eve, I had a blue Monday. Ever had one of those days where it seems you have nothing to offer? Maybe it was the yuckyness of getting back to work, or a resolution that I didn’t want to make. It could’ve been confusion over what to do or not really wanting to do what I should. Whatever the reason I felt directionless, passionless and pointless.

The dread of Monday built as it approached and hit full force that morning. On Sunday I sent an email to a ministry friend, Renae Brumbaugh, explaining my disillusionment.

I wrote,

I’ve got to rethink my life.
I’m praying this evening and next morning to decide what God wants me to focus and work on for this next year, six months, spring, and this month.
I need his clear direction.
I need him.
I’m so needy.
This adventure with him is difficult.
I would turn around if I could, but I don’t know how.
Somehow, I have to turn off my wishes and listen to his directions. I often wish I could hear him audibly, that we could sit and have coffee together over a calendar and a notepad. That I could look into his eyes, see his smile, his tears, his pain and his magnificent love.
I want to be in his presence so very badly. I need him.
I’d give everything I had for time with him. I would rather meet him in the secret place than all this speaking and writing, leading and mentoring.
I desire him!
Can’t I just have more of him and forget this ministry?
(sigh)
Let’s take a journey together.
Like a quest in The Lord of the Rings, let’s go find God in his sanctuary. Let’s find him at his table. Let’s search for his delicacies that won’t ruin our diet. Let’s make a pact. Let’s do this thing. Are you with me? Let’s go.

I woke up Monday feeling like my hands were tied, my mind was in a fog, and my ability was inadequate. The Monday slump was a shadowy valley with no map or internal sense of where to step, what to do or how to think. The shadow may have been some outside force. I didn’t know anything else to do but pray. Most of the day was spent seeking God, following through with what I said in the email.

Nothing.

A faint, “Do those things you were last supposed to do,” whispered across my fog.

I prayed and tried writing and planning the projects, articles, and interviews from before the holidays.

Still disillusioned.

Workout. I decided to go workout, get the blood flowing. Maybe then the fog would lift. After the workout, I had dinner.

Nothing. Nothing was working. Maybe I should go back to being a wife and mom and forget this ministry, this headache.

After 9:00 p.m. the phone rang. Edna Winkler, a SBTC Area Missions Coordinator who booked me for an event two years ago, called to say I was on her mind, and had been for over a week. She had been praying for me during that time and couldn’t go to sleep until she found out how I was doing. She had called the office of local churches to see if they had heard anything. When that turned up nothing, she had found my number and called.

She encouraged me saying my ministry touched many lives, hers included. She believed many more were yet to be touched. She told me not to give in or listen to the discourager, Satan. Then she told a story from one of her struggles.

I prayed. I thought I was giving my problem to God. I felt oppressed. An evil darkness lingered for two weeks. Then I said, “God I can’t do this anymore!” I gave up and the oppression lifted. I guess I didn’t really give it to God while I struggled with it in prayer.

She ended our conversation with a commitment to pray for me and help in any way. I was in tears. My God is so good to give me all I need, a phone call as his audible voice over a warm cup, and his eyes filled with love.

May God show himself and his love to you in your days ahead.

*Pic by science.nasa.gov
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I married into a wonderful family.

Oh well, they have their quirks. Like on the first Christmas Eve with them, I was awakened by people yelling at me.

“Christmas Eve gift!”

“No, I got her first!”

My new husband laughed at my bewilderment then explained the family’s ritual of tagging everyone before they can tag you. You become “it” if you get tagged with, “Christmas Eve gift.” It’s a fun game where the person that gets tagged has to give the one who tagged them an extra Christmas gift. Nothing big, but acknowledgment of the winner is a must.

The game has gotten very competitive at times. Often a phone call in the wee hours of the morning would wake you up with hollering on the other end. Some would not go to sleep until after midnight to make sure they get the Christmas Eve gift. The game isn’t played by children only. Granny wins the prize more often than not. (You ought to see the competitive way Granny hunts eggs at Easter.)

Your Free Gift

Putting family competitiveness aside, I’m pretending you tagged me. I am giving you a Christmas Eve Gift. Please don’t call me in the wee hours of the morning.

Your gift is a copy of “Tips to Keep Your Audience Engaged.” For teachers, leaders and communicators of all kinds, this gift will help get your point across, keep your audience’s attention and make your presentations memorable.

Sign up now for your FREE gift “Tips to Keep Your Audience Engaged.” This link may become defunct in the future and the Christmas Eve Gift may disappear.

Christmas Eve Gift! on you…

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Perspective – You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. ~Joseph

It will happen. Bad things happen to good people all the time. What is our perspective on the bad things happening to us? If we have enemies, backstabbers, and nay-sayers, we can say to them, "Beware. Good will come." It’s a matter of perspective.

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” (Gen. 50:20, NLT).

Amazing leadership gets complete buy-in and financial backing from their enemies. I’d love to know how to change my circumstances, my enemies, and my world. Ezra, a student of the Law of Moses, demonstrates such awesome leadership that powerful leaders, kings, and even his historical enemies became his servants. His example gives leaders an application.

He [Ezra] came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the LORD his God was on him.  …[He prospered in his work quickly], for the gracious hand of his God was on him. This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the LORD and to teach those decrees and regulations…(Ezra 7:6-10, NLT)

Ezra was determined. He had a focus, a passion, a mission. He resolved how he would live and what he would pursue. Good leaders know where they are going and what they want to do. They are not easily deterred from their path. It’s obvious a good leader can go in a bad direction, but Ezra focused on a wise pursuit, which made his efforts successful.

S.O.S. Flag

Ezra’s determined path proved both wise and successful because it included God. He decided to consistently study and obey God’s word, and boldly show others what he learned. But shouldn’t he focus on planning, organizing, vision casting, recruiting, budgeting, and the like? Isn’t Ezra’s direction too simplified and off target? The discipline to study, obey, and share God’s word gives bearing and muscle to the tasks of good management. Ezra’s S.O.S. delivers the wisdom and guidance that best practices give good leadership.

The S.O.S. of Wise Leadership:

• Study: Seek God and study his word to know how to live.
• Obey: Obey his word and the Spirit’s promptings to know where to go and what to do.
• Share: Share what we’ve learned and how to implement it, or the temptation takes over to become legalistic and snobbish about what we know and do. It helps to remember what we were like without knowledge or obedience.

Whether in a position of ministry or business leadership, the results of following Ezra’s practices are the same. Our worst enemies may become our best supporters when we determine to study, obey, and share. Like Ezra, God’s gracious hand will rest on us.

Unpacking the Pastor’s Workload: 7 Tips for Women to Help Out

All hands on deck! The job is big and the pastor can’t do it alone. Women can help unpack the pastor’s workload and make a powerful impact in the lives of those in the community and the church. As I mentioned in the previous post, Partnership with Pastors, I have a desire to help the ministries of the church be effective in their mission. The following is part two of that post and lists seven tips for women ministering to women. Ladies, you can do this.

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1. Realize you have something to offer. A listening ear. Wise counsel. Party planning. Training expertise. Organizational skills. Bake and Take friendship talent. You can always offer relationship to women who need relationships.
2. Pray for a discovery of where you can help both in the community and in the church.
3. Look for opportunities to serve women by determining their needs
4. Communicate your availability and interest in helping your pastor reach the women of the church and community. Be sure to express your intentions of strengthening the church and families.
5. Ask the leadership, pastor, or women’s ministry leader, what needs they see and how your skills and talents can help meet those needs.
6. Learn the skills necessary to become more useable. Be teachable and always adapting to changes.
7. Believe that God can use you to make a difference in the lives of others. No task is too small to make an impact, nor too big for you to do your part.

You can make a difference. With so many needs in our communities and churches, you have a great opportunity to assist life change by joining others and partnering with pastors.

* photo from www.jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu.