I’ve known a few stately ladies in my time. They were ladies with an air about them that set them apart from everyone else. The first is my former pastor’s wife from Georgia. She was not only respectable and gracious in every way, but she was a true Southern belle. Her speech was a beautiful Southern drawl that drew you into her presence. Everything was said in such a comforting way that you immediately felt at home. Her name is Maxine.
Another lady who exuded stateliness was a volunteer in our ministry. Her hair was always done to perfection in that beautiful gray beehive. She walked and talked with eloquence only seen in movies. She held herself in a manner that spoke volumes of her experiences and depth of character. If she could hear this explanation of her she would probably blush with embarrassment and say I was more than a little off my rocker! Her name is Bea.
The last lady was a church member under my father-in-law’s pastorate. She always looked perfect. She had a smile that would melt your heart and eyes that sparkled in a way that invited you in. I remember always looking for her on Sunday because I knew she would lift my spirits by just being present. Her name was Mrs. Gray.
There was something about the way these women walked and talked that made me want to be like them. Was it the way they dressed? No. Was it their smiles and comforting words? No. I never even realized what it was until I became an older woman myself. It was their Christ-like reactions to everything around them. They held wonderment at God’s grace to them. They walked in confidence that whatever happened in their lives He would be in control and they knew whose they child they were.
Maxine was a circuit-riding preacher’s wife for a while. She knew what it was like seeing her husband pastor three different churches trying to balance all it involved. She moved to wherever God was placing her husband and she was content. There weren’t many close friends for a pastor’s wife, but she was an educated woman who had a take-charge attitude and used her calm voice to smooth the ruffled feathers of many a church-goer and parent . She was also the principle of a Christian school. The past few years have seen her health decline and lose some of that sharpness, but the smooth Southern drawl will never go away. Even as her life ebbs toward the end, she still maintains her soothing ways as she speaks with her family.
I don’t know much about Bea other than she’s still the way I’ve always known her. She’s compassionate, loving, kind, and caring.
Mrs. Gray, however, has gone on to glory to receive her eternal reward! Every child in our church adored her. I called her Sunshine because she just looked like a glow of yellow gladness whenever I saw her. She was a simple farmer’s wife. She worked hard raising her family and keeping her home while growing in her faith. She taught Sunday school and worked in Awana and anything else her church needed. I will always remember her as a willing worker who never complained to others about all she had to do. It was just another part of her Christianity that God expected her to fulfill.
All three of these stately women have left a lasting impression on me. They were each different but somehow the same.
So who are the stately ladies in your life? Is one a mother, an aunt, a grade school teacher? Maybe it’s time you checked your stately status to see if you qualify. After all, if you’re a child of the King, you have a right to the status!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Ever taken off your mask?
I’ve met someone like this before, haven’t you?
Walking down the sidewalk in town you meet Mrs. So-and-so from church. She’s a friendly sort and you start up a conversation. You stand in wonder as everything always seems to be perfect in her life. She has the perfect family with a husband who has a perfect job. She never seems to have problems with her teenage children and she’s never on the prayer request chain at church so she must never need help. How can that be? Doesn’t she ever have problems like I do? Is there never any stress or strain on her personal life? Don’t her kids ever cause her any problems at all? What’s up with this lady?
Last year in our Bible study group, we talked about the masks we wear to church and out in public. Through the weeks we studied together it become pretty clear that the real people coming to our study were not the same ones we all saw in public. The people at this table were dealing with bad relationships, children in trouble, deaths of a spouse and a ton of stress in their personal lives—but you’d never know it. So what’s with the mask of everything-is-just-fine-in-my-life when you’re out in public?
We decided during that Bible study to take off our masks whenever we met each other in church, in town, wherever. If we had a bad night, a bad week, or things in general weren’t going well and someone asked us the usual question, “Hey, how are you doing?” we would lay it on ’em, be truthful, and not hold anything back. We made a pledge that whatever was shared in our meetings wouldn’t go any further. Maybe you can imagine how close this group got over the course of a year. We learned about aging parents, troubled teens, hurting husbands and wives, all the stuff we stuff behind our everyday masks. It was a humbling experience for someone like me who was a stuffer.
Quite a few of our ladies didn’t know what to say at first, but soon I heard them talking to other people in the same fashion. I was floored! They were actually opening up to each other and bearing one another’s burdens! That’s what God commands us to do in Galatians 6:2. With this opening up came the assurance that they would be prayed for; knowing someone is praying for you is an emotional lifter, an encouragement, and a joy! If that’s what happens when you take off your mask why have we waited so long?
So are you brave enough to take off your mask today? Open up and share what’s on your heart with a trusted believer. Pray for each other. Get involved in each other’s lives by being a good listener and don’t hold anything back when it comes to being REAL!
Walking down the sidewalk in town you meet Mrs. So-and-so from church. She’s a friendly sort and you start up a conversation. You stand in wonder as everything always seems to be perfect in her life. She has the perfect family with a husband who has a perfect job. She never seems to have problems with her teenage children and she’s never on the prayer request chain at church so she must never need help. How can that be? Doesn’t she ever have problems like I do? Is there never any stress or strain on her personal life? Don’t her kids ever cause her any problems at all? What’s up with this lady?
Last year in our Bible study group, we talked about the masks we wear to church and out in public. Through the weeks we studied together it become pretty clear that the real people coming to our study were not the same ones we all saw in public. The people at this table were dealing with bad relationships, children in trouble, deaths of a spouse and a ton of stress in their personal lives—but you’d never know it. So what’s with the mask of everything-is-just-fine-in-my-life when you’re out in public?
We decided during that Bible study to take off our masks whenever we met each other in church, in town, wherever. If we had a bad night, a bad week, or things in general weren’t going well and someone asked us the usual question, “Hey, how are you doing?” we would lay it on ’em, be truthful, and not hold anything back. We made a pledge that whatever was shared in our meetings wouldn’t go any further. Maybe you can imagine how close this group got over the course of a year. We learned about aging parents, troubled teens, hurting husbands and wives, all the stuff we stuff behind our everyday masks. It was a humbling experience for someone like me who was a stuffer.
Quite a few of our ladies didn’t know what to say at first, but soon I heard them talking to other people in the same fashion. I was floored! They were actually opening up to each other and bearing one another’s burdens! That’s what God commands us to do in Galatians 6:2. With this opening up came the assurance that they would be prayed for; knowing someone is praying for you is an emotional lifter, an encouragement, and a joy! If that’s what happens when you take off your mask why have we waited so long?
So are you brave enough to take off your mask today? Open up and share what’s on your heart with a trusted believer. Pray for each other. Get involved in each other’s lives by being a good listener and don’t hold anything back when it comes to being REAL!
Accomplished anything great lately?
Accomplished anything great lately?
A small, bent-over, aged woman once said, “We can do no great things—only small things with great love.” That woman was Mother Teresa, a powerhouse for God who gave her life helping those who were the unloved and forgotten of the world.
Mother Teresa was born the daughter of a grocer. When she was a young woman she joined the Sisters of Our Lady of Lareto, a Catholic order that did charity work in India. She studied nursing for a while and then the slums of Calcutta began tugging at her heart strings. There she served the blind, the old, the disabled, and the dying. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her unselfish work loving and caring for these people.
I remember seeing her for the first time on TV and realizing just how aged and wrinkled her face was. As a young adult I wondered what had happened to her to create those lines. Then, as I began to read about her work and how her heart was reaching out to the unloved, she became the most beautiful lady I’d ever seen.
Her beauty was not without but within. I remember wanting to draw her wrinkled face because of the wealth of love I saw there. Her smile was infectious and her words…my…her words were certainly God-given. The phrase quoted above was copied from an email I recently received and it once again reminded me of my love for this beautiful woman.
Her statement about us not being able to do great things but “small things with great love” is so true. I’ve watched people who have assumed greatness in their own right. They seek to do things in their own strength and to get the glory themselves and the only great thing they accomplish is failing. Mother Teresa’s strength was in God’s grace and His hand on her life. She sought after securing help for others, not her own comforts or safety. Her life was a testament to God’s care and she was able to accomplish many small things with His great love.
So what great thing are you trying to accomplish? Who will benefit from it? Who will get the glory? Is being known for this “great thing” more important than actually doing great things for others? It’s a soul-searching question.
A small, bent-over, aged woman once said, “We can do no great things—only small things with great love.” That woman was Mother Teresa, a powerhouse for God who gave her life helping those who were the unloved and forgotten of the world.
Mother Teresa was born the daughter of a grocer. When she was a young woman she joined the Sisters of Our Lady of Lareto, a Catholic order that did charity work in India. She studied nursing for a while and then the slums of Calcutta began tugging at her heart strings. There she served the blind, the old, the disabled, and the dying. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her unselfish work loving and caring for these people.
I remember seeing her for the first time on TV and realizing just how aged and wrinkled her face was. As a young adult I wondered what had happened to her to create those lines. Then, as I began to read about her work and how her heart was reaching out to the unloved, she became the most beautiful lady I’d ever seen.
Her beauty was not without but within. I remember wanting to draw her wrinkled face because of the wealth of love I saw there. Her smile was infectious and her words…my…her words were certainly God-given. The phrase quoted above was copied from an email I recently received and it once again reminded me of my love for this beautiful woman.
Her statement about us not being able to do great things but “small things with great love” is so true. I’ve watched people who have assumed greatness in their own right. They seek to do things in their own strength and to get the glory themselves and the only great thing they accomplish is failing. Mother Teresa’s strength was in God’s grace and His hand on her life. She sought after securing help for others, not her own comforts or safety. Her life was a testament to God’s care and she was able to accomplish many small things with His great love.
So what great thing are you trying to accomplish? Who will benefit from it? Who will get the glory? Is being known for this “great thing” more important than actually doing great things for others? It’s a soul-searching question.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
What have you done?
When I say these words my mind goes back to when my kids were little and learning right from wrong as a matter of experience.
One time my youngest son, Phil did something that will go down in the annals of family history as a huge mistake. He was three years old and for some odd reason he wanted to see what would happen if he flushed my husband’s official timepiece for his railroad job…you guessed it . . . down the toilet! We looked all over for that watch the evening of its mysterious disappearance. Finally, my son said he had done the dastardly deed.
What can you say to a three year old? He had no idea it was a very expensive piece of jewelry that his Dad used to keep the trains on time. He just knew it was big and he wondered if it would go down that drainpipe. It was just a new experience in his life. That’s all!
Another time I used that phrase was when my oldest son, Matthew was four. I took him and his younger brother Jonathan shopping. I had Jonathan in a backpack for kids. It was time for the annual sidewalk sales in the mall so I thought this was a good time to get them some new clothes. Our mall had a few fountains in it at that time and my kids loved to watch and listen to the water.
One of the sidewalk sales was right next to a fountain so I told my son to stay right by me and hold on to my pant leg while I looked through the rack of clothes. Well, as you can guess, that didn’t happen. I was only two or three hangers into the clothes rack when I realized I didn’t feel his tug on my pant leg. I looked up and there were his shoes and socks neatly placed on the side of the fountain. My son had climbed in and was knee deep in water. He had a huge smile on his face and his cargo pants pockets were full of the pennies he had collected during his 45 seconds of freedom. “What have you done?” was used again but this time with a little more embarrassment on my part!
Sometimes I wonder if I need to turn that phrase on myself. I can hear God saying it to me. What have you done…with that opportunity I gave you to witness? What have you done…with that voice I gave you to speak for me? What have you done…to that person with your hurtful words and smugness? Boy, that’s painful. It takes some soul searching and Scripture reading to bring my focus back to where I should be. In Psalm 15 it says, “…a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” I sure want to be known for speaking good words, not bad ones or no words at all.
So the next time you get ready to shout, “What have you done?” to someone else, remember that someday you will have to face an Almighty God who will ask you that same question! And the answer will be…?
One time my youngest son, Phil did something that will go down in the annals of family history as a huge mistake. He was three years old and for some odd reason he wanted to see what would happen if he flushed my husband’s official timepiece for his railroad job…you guessed it . . . down the toilet! We looked all over for that watch the evening of its mysterious disappearance. Finally, my son said he had done the dastardly deed.
What can you say to a three year old? He had no idea it was a very expensive piece of jewelry that his Dad used to keep the trains on time. He just knew it was big and he wondered if it would go down that drainpipe. It was just a new experience in his life. That’s all!
Another time I used that phrase was when my oldest son, Matthew was four. I took him and his younger brother Jonathan shopping. I had Jonathan in a backpack for kids. It was time for the annual sidewalk sales in the mall so I thought this was a good time to get them some new clothes. Our mall had a few fountains in it at that time and my kids loved to watch and listen to the water.
One of the sidewalk sales was right next to a fountain so I told my son to stay right by me and hold on to my pant leg while I looked through the rack of clothes. Well, as you can guess, that didn’t happen. I was only two or three hangers into the clothes rack when I realized I didn’t feel his tug on my pant leg. I looked up and there were his shoes and socks neatly placed on the side of the fountain. My son had climbed in and was knee deep in water. He had a huge smile on his face and his cargo pants pockets were full of the pennies he had collected during his 45 seconds of freedom. “What have you done?” was used again but this time with a little more embarrassment on my part!
Sometimes I wonder if I need to turn that phrase on myself. I can hear God saying it to me. What have you done…with that opportunity I gave you to witness? What have you done…with that voice I gave you to speak for me? What have you done…to that person with your hurtful words and smugness? Boy, that’s painful. It takes some soul searching and Scripture reading to bring my focus back to where I should be. In Psalm 15 it says, “…a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” I sure want to be known for speaking good words, not bad ones or no words at all.
So the next time you get ready to shout, “What have you done?” to someone else, remember that someday you will have to face an Almighty God who will ask you that same question! And the answer will be…?
That's not just a light at the end of the tunnel...
There’s not just a light at the end of the tunnel; watch out for an explosion of atmospheric proportions!
There is this little thing that God keeps telling us to look at, inquire about, and seek. It’s a tiny word compared to some and it links us finite beings to the absolute mind-blowing, existing God! It’s called…hope.
I have watched people I know and love go through some awful, painful circumstances in life. They suffer, they have heartache, and extreme agony and they survive these intense emotions without an ounce of hope. They say there is nothing left for them to live for and that life is not worth living.
They don’t know my God.
Because I do know God and have His Son as my personal Savior, I have hope. I carry with me the knowledge that my Savior died for a purpose and that purpose was to give me the freedom to hope. What is my hope in? It’s in knowing that all the sickness, death of loved ones, and trouble I experience here on this earth is done in God’s perfect timing and knowledge. He knows what character tests I need to go through. He knows that trouble will show my true colors as a Christian. He knows that hope and victory will always be mine and never lost because of circumstances I get in.
That short word hope tells me that when my meager existence is over, I will go to heaven and I will see Jesus. I will see all that He has been preparing for me since before I was born! I will never experience pain or loneliness again. I will never cry another tear or have bad thoughts or stand in judgment about something. No sin will be allowed in heaven at all. There will be no need of lamps or electricity because the glorious light of heaven will come from God alone. For eternity I will praise the God of all creation! That’s where my hope lies and it keeps me going on a daily basis.
These friends and loved ones I’ve watched go through trauma in life seem lost. There is no spark of life or light at the end of the tunnel for them. I’ve bombarded the doors of heaven with prayer that they would not commit suicide to end their struggles. I’ve prayed for my hope to be seen as a witness to them that they can make it through and they can have that bud of hope grow in them.
Do you have hope? Not in yourself but in a Holy, reverent God who loves you more than anyone else does here on earth. Do you know that He has a place reserved for you in heaven where you will be safe, protected, loved, and cared for forever? If you don’t have that hope today, seek it out. Begin by looking for answers in His Word, the Bible. Start by reading through the book of John first, then Romans. God will lead you the rest of the way. Email me if you want and I’ll try to help you through the tunnel so you can see that blast of eternal light at the end!
There is this little thing that God keeps telling us to look at, inquire about, and seek. It’s a tiny word compared to some and it links us finite beings to the absolute mind-blowing, existing God! It’s called…hope.
I have watched people I know and love go through some awful, painful circumstances in life. They suffer, they have heartache, and extreme agony and they survive these intense emotions without an ounce of hope. They say there is nothing left for them to live for and that life is not worth living.
They don’t know my God.
Because I do know God and have His Son as my personal Savior, I have hope. I carry with me the knowledge that my Savior died for a purpose and that purpose was to give me the freedom to hope. What is my hope in? It’s in knowing that all the sickness, death of loved ones, and trouble I experience here on this earth is done in God’s perfect timing and knowledge. He knows what character tests I need to go through. He knows that trouble will show my true colors as a Christian. He knows that hope and victory will always be mine and never lost because of circumstances I get in.
That short word hope tells me that when my meager existence is over, I will go to heaven and I will see Jesus. I will see all that He has been preparing for me since before I was born! I will never experience pain or loneliness again. I will never cry another tear or have bad thoughts or stand in judgment about something. No sin will be allowed in heaven at all. There will be no need of lamps or electricity because the glorious light of heaven will come from God alone. For eternity I will praise the God of all creation! That’s where my hope lies and it keeps me going on a daily basis.
These friends and loved ones I’ve watched go through trauma in life seem lost. There is no spark of life or light at the end of the tunnel for them. I’ve bombarded the doors of heaven with prayer that they would not commit suicide to end their struggles. I’ve prayed for my hope to be seen as a witness to them that they can make it through and they can have that bud of hope grow in them.
Do you have hope? Not in yourself but in a Holy, reverent God who loves you more than anyone else does here on earth. Do you know that He has a place reserved for you in heaven where you will be safe, protected, loved, and cared for forever? If you don’t have that hope today, seek it out. Begin by looking for answers in His Word, the Bible. Start by reading through the book of John first, then Romans. God will lead you the rest of the way. Email me if you want and I’ll try to help you through the tunnel so you can see that blast of eternal light at the end!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Are you experiencing The Great Adventure?
Life is such a complex physical and spiritual thing. It fuses our actual being, like the way we live and our family connections with our spiritual minds, our character and our soul. When we consider how we affect the space we live in or those around us, it becomes even more complex!
Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song a few years ago that certainly stated what our lives should be. The words to the song are: “Saddle up your horses, we’ve got a trail to blaze, through the wild blue yonder to God’s amazing grace. Let’s follow our Leader into the glorious unknown. This is a life like no other. THIS is the Great Adventure!” OK, I’m standing up singing those lyrics right now because they get me all fired up and ready to take on the world. That’s what adventure is all about, right?
In Jim Cymbala’s book Fresh Power, he makes these statements, “How we live is more important than how long we live. What is the sense of living a long life just to hang around and take up space?” If there’s one thing I don’t want to be known for it’s just taking up space. I want to pounce on life like a bucking bronco and experience it all. Sure, I’m aware that they’re not all going to be good experiences, but aren’t those the times when you grow the most? Those times when a trial comes along and you make a decision in your heart and mind to forge ahead and cover ground—because if you don’t you’ll end up hanging back, waiting to see how others do it for fear of how it will turn out. Those are called missed opportunities—and I truly believe some of them are more like missed steps of faith.
What are you accomplishing with the space God’s given you? I’ve know people who think constantly ”Life will never get any better than this. It’s all just work, work, work, and then you die.” Is that what life’s all about? I don’t think so. I’ve always considered this life an adventure like the song mentioned above. Every single day is something new to explore, do, or go to. Even going to the mailbox can be an adventure!
Opening God’s Word is another adventure. How can I read that book so many times and get something new out of it every single time? I have thousands of books but I’ve never read any book as many times as I’ve read the Bible. I’ve never, ever opened the pages without finding something I didn’t know before or some encouraging words I needed to read. Just try to name another book with as much adventure and as many thought-provoking words as the Scripture.
What’s your adventure going to be like today? Is it merely work, work, work, and then you die or is it more like…Let’s take this day by the horns and ride’ em, cowboy?
Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song a few years ago that certainly stated what our lives should be. The words to the song are: “Saddle up your horses, we’ve got a trail to blaze, through the wild blue yonder to God’s amazing grace. Let’s follow our Leader into the glorious unknown. This is a life like no other. THIS is the Great Adventure!” OK, I’m standing up singing those lyrics right now because they get me all fired up and ready to take on the world. That’s what adventure is all about, right?
In Jim Cymbala’s book Fresh Power, he makes these statements, “How we live is more important than how long we live. What is the sense of living a long life just to hang around and take up space?” If there’s one thing I don’t want to be known for it’s just taking up space. I want to pounce on life like a bucking bronco and experience it all. Sure, I’m aware that they’re not all going to be good experiences, but aren’t those the times when you grow the most? Those times when a trial comes along and you make a decision in your heart and mind to forge ahead and cover ground—because if you don’t you’ll end up hanging back, waiting to see how others do it for fear of how it will turn out. Those are called missed opportunities—and I truly believe some of them are more like missed steps of faith.
What are you accomplishing with the space God’s given you? I’ve know people who think constantly ”Life will never get any better than this. It’s all just work, work, work, and then you die.” Is that what life’s all about? I don’t think so. I’ve always considered this life an adventure like the song mentioned above. Every single day is something new to explore, do, or go to. Even going to the mailbox can be an adventure!
Opening God’s Word is another adventure. How can I read that book so many times and get something new out of it every single time? I have thousands of books but I’ve never read any book as many times as I’ve read the Bible. I’ve never, ever opened the pages without finding something I didn’t know before or some encouraging words I needed to read. Just try to name another book with as much adventure and as many thought-provoking words as the Scripture.
What’s your adventure going to be like today? Is it merely work, work, work, and then you die or is it more like…Let’s take this day by the horns and ride’ em, cowboy?
Friday, August 13, 2010
The secret places...
The secret places…
When I was a young child and things happened that upset me I often retreated to my secret place. I’m not even going to tell you where that was, but it was a place where I felt protected, cared for, and loved. It was a safe, quiet, peaceful place.
In that secret place I created things. Sometimes those things were only in my mind and other times I physically created things to work through whatever had happened to me. Somehow, physically working through those problems helped me concentrate on making good and right decisions. It all fell into place after creativity happened.
As an adult I’ve realized there is only one secret place I want to be. You can read about it in Psalms 27:5. To think of a God who personally takes time to protect me, hide me in the secret place of His tabernacle is very comforting. I can’t physically go there but in my heart I’m right there next to God, the ultimate creator. We talk things out together. We sing praises and shout, cry or whatever it takes. I listen to Him and for Him, and He always listens to me. It’s exhilarating, peaceful and a stress reliever at the same time. I can never explain it with the right words.
Do you have a secret place where you find comfort and peace? God can be that for you today. Look for Him right outside the perimeter of your busy life. Seek Him out and go with Him to a secret place only you and He know about. Pour out your heart to Him about your cares, concerns, troubles. Praise Him for all He’s done in your life. Ask Him what you need to do to have peace. You’ll never find another spot so sweet as your secret place with God. He’s your protector, your shepherd, and the One who loves and cares for you most.
When I was a young child and things happened that upset me I often retreated to my secret place. I’m not even going to tell you where that was, but it was a place where I felt protected, cared for, and loved. It was a safe, quiet, peaceful place.
In that secret place I created things. Sometimes those things were only in my mind and other times I physically created things to work through whatever had happened to me. Somehow, physically working through those problems helped me concentrate on making good and right decisions. It all fell into place after creativity happened.
As an adult I’ve realized there is only one secret place I want to be. You can read about it in Psalms 27:5. To think of a God who personally takes time to protect me, hide me in the secret place of His tabernacle is very comforting. I can’t physically go there but in my heart I’m right there next to God, the ultimate creator. We talk things out together. We sing praises and shout, cry or whatever it takes. I listen to Him and for Him, and He always listens to me. It’s exhilarating, peaceful and a stress reliever at the same time. I can never explain it with the right words.
Do you have a secret place where you find comfort and peace? God can be that for you today. Look for Him right outside the perimeter of your busy life. Seek Him out and go with Him to a secret place only you and He know about. Pour out your heart to Him about your cares, concerns, troubles. Praise Him for all He’s done in your life. Ask Him what you need to do to have peace. You’ll never find another spot so sweet as your secret place with God. He’s your protector, your shepherd, and the One who loves and cares for you most.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Are you engaging or disengaging?
I’ve caught myself in this predicament one too many times. Sitting across the table from a good friend having a wonderful dinner and they’re talking in a soft, familiar voice. I don’t understand how it happens but from out of nowhere…I completely zone out! I totally disengage and put a white noise space between myself and them. The curtain comes down, the next act starts and I’m off in another world solving a problem at work or running errands or who knows what! There is no way in this world I can tell you what the person across from me has just said over the past few minutes…or more! I really don’t like it when that happens and I'm upset when people do it to me.
Where is that world we go to when we zone out? Why can’t we be better listeners? Are we so caught up in the busyness of our own lives that others become insignificant? I surely hope not.
To find out about a good listener I’ve gone to the Scriptures, Psalms specifically. Can you imagine what David’s prayers would have sounded like if God had not listened? This is what Psalm 61 would have said: “Well, I cried to God and he never, ever heard me. He never answered my prayers when I cried from the end of the earth and my heart was overwhelmed. Why should I go to the rock if He never hears?” Now, there would be a discouraging Scripture! But what David thought was not what the Scriptures say. The Bible says God heard David’s prayers because He was listening! He wasn’t listening a little, not partially, not preoccupied, but listening to David’s every word. That’s my example for what I need to do.
I’ve come to realize that to be a good listener I have to totally involve myself with whomever is talking to me. If I really want to be known as a good listener I have to engage in their life to the point of undivided attention. Then, and only then, can I be given the right to reply or comment or help them in any way. My opinion lacks commitment or credence if I am not involved in the listening part of their story. I’m up for the challenge.
So how about you? Isn’t it about time you engaged yourself fully as a listener?
Where is that world we go to when we zone out? Why can’t we be better listeners? Are we so caught up in the busyness of our own lives that others become insignificant? I surely hope not.
To find out about a good listener I’ve gone to the Scriptures, Psalms specifically. Can you imagine what David’s prayers would have sounded like if God had not listened? This is what Psalm 61 would have said: “Well, I cried to God and he never, ever heard me. He never answered my prayers when I cried from the end of the earth and my heart was overwhelmed. Why should I go to the rock if He never hears?” Now, there would be a discouraging Scripture! But what David thought was not what the Scriptures say. The Bible says God heard David’s prayers because He was listening! He wasn’t listening a little, not partially, not preoccupied, but listening to David’s every word. That’s my example for what I need to do.
I’ve come to realize that to be a good listener I have to totally involve myself with whomever is talking to me. If I really want to be known as a good listener I have to engage in their life to the point of undivided attention. Then, and only then, can I be given the right to reply or comment or help them in any way. My opinion lacks commitment or credence if I am not involved in the listening part of their story. I’m up for the challenge.
So how about you? Isn’t it about time you engaged yourself fully as a listener?
Sunday, August 8, 2010
I'm a dreamer...
Ever since I was a little girl I can remember dreaming about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I remember thinking about being a famous artist, or musician, or...something renown! Because of the God-given makeup of my character, I've achieved one of my most valued dreams. To become a growing believer, learning more and more about Christ and His plan for me every day. Now...on to those other dreams!
Life often gets in the way of letting us achieve our dreams. We grow up, go to school, get a job, start a family and those things seem to take precedence over our dreams. Why is that? Can't the dream live on while we're doing all that other stuff? I've never considered my family an obstacle in the way of my dream. They've been more like the cheerleaders alongside of me, urging me on to accomplish all I can with my life. But there are obstacles in the way of achievement. They're called doubts, naysayers and ridicule. These three tend to pull you back into dreamlessness faster than anything I know.
If you have doubts about achieving your dream then you need to begin a closer contact with the dream giver, God. He's the best encourager I know. Doubts can creep into any dream and cause you to second guess everything you're trying to achieve. Stop, re access and press forward!
Naysayers are those outer edge friends who tell you it can't be done. They haven't achieved much in their lives and they don't want you to succeed either. You can kindly listen to them but you need to press their advice up next to God's. You'll see an amazing contrast!
Ridicule by someone close to you can stop you dead in your tracts. You begin to second guess yourself. Maybe I can't achieve this goal. Maybe they are right and I don't have what it takes to go ahead. Let me ask you this. Did you ever hear God ridicule anyone in Scripture? Did he ever make backhand comments to people that discouraged them from being what He created them to be and achieving the dream He placed inside them? Take a little advice from His book and become an Encourager. Ridicule is a lost cause and never produces winners.
So...dream. BIG! He has created that little something inside of us that we've always wanted to do. That little spark that makes us smile whenever you think about it. That warm glow that makes your heart just know it's what will make you happy. That's God-given. Listen to it. Seek after it. Find encourager's along the way who will help you achieve it. Give God the credit for the dream in the first place, then, run toward it!
Life often gets in the way of letting us achieve our dreams. We grow up, go to school, get a job, start a family and those things seem to take precedence over our dreams. Why is that? Can't the dream live on while we're doing all that other stuff? I've never considered my family an obstacle in the way of my dream. They've been more like the cheerleaders alongside of me, urging me on to accomplish all I can with my life. But there are obstacles in the way of achievement. They're called doubts, naysayers and ridicule. These three tend to pull you back into dreamlessness faster than anything I know.
If you have doubts about achieving your dream then you need to begin a closer contact with the dream giver, God. He's the best encourager I know. Doubts can creep into any dream and cause you to second guess everything you're trying to achieve. Stop, re access and press forward!
Naysayers are those outer edge friends who tell you it can't be done. They haven't achieved much in their lives and they don't want you to succeed either. You can kindly listen to them but you need to press their advice up next to God's. You'll see an amazing contrast!
Ridicule by someone close to you can stop you dead in your tracts. You begin to second guess yourself. Maybe I can't achieve this goal. Maybe they are right and I don't have what it takes to go ahead. Let me ask you this. Did you ever hear God ridicule anyone in Scripture? Did he ever make backhand comments to people that discouraged them from being what He created them to be and achieving the dream He placed inside them? Take a little advice from His book and become an Encourager. Ridicule is a lost cause and never produces winners.
So...dream. BIG! He has created that little something inside of us that we've always wanted to do. That little spark that makes us smile whenever you think about it. That warm glow that makes your heart just know it's what will make you happy. That's God-given. Listen to it. Seek after it. Find encourager's along the way who will help you achieve it. Give God the credit for the dream in the first place, then, run toward it!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
It'll cost you a dollar!
Along with the pleasure of knowing each other better is the threat of owing a dollar. Yeah, this is the part that's not so fun. Long ago one of our employees got tired of talking and hearing about work at lunch so she set up the policy that if you start talking about work anyone can say, 'That'll be a dollar'. Then, you have to put a dollar in a cup (supposedly). Somehow, that cup has never surfaced but the conversation stays away from anything work oriented! I think it's just the threat of owing a dollar these days that keeps things going. Or maybe it's the gal who invented the idea glaring at you with piercing eyes!
Give this a try at your work place and see what the reaction is. Being a part of people's lives is so much more gratifying then owing a dollar!
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