But wait...There’s more!

I love flowers, all kinds. Flowers in fields, carpeting the hills with their color, Flowers in potted plants with their showy blooms brightening up their little corner of the world, Flowers on tree branches with their perfume that floats by on a breeze. Flowers bring color to the world and make me smile.

The scent of the orange blossom in the spring is always a wonderful surprise to me. I don't have any orange trees in my yard, but every spring its perfume sneaks by on a breeze and makes me pause and enjoy. I stop for a moment and notice the blue in the sky, the colors around me, and the sound of birdsong in the air. How lovely. A blessing.

The orange blossom flower isn't all the tree has to give. Once the tree has flowered, the oranges will begin to grow. Imagine that...beautiful flowers AND fruit!

I stopped to think about that. You and I are a lot like a fruit tree. There are different cycles to our lives. Growing fruit takes time, though, and the conditions have to be right before we can flower, before we can produce fruit. The growth happens in the waiting.

To those of you in the leaf stage who are waiting and wondering why it is taking so long for something to bloom in your life, take heart it will happen, and it will be beautiful!

But to those of you who feel that you have already bloomed and you are wondering "what do I do now" or "can there be anything to look forward to" I say, but wait...there's more! God is preparing you for the fruit stage. You thought your story had already hit the highlights. God, however, is getting ready to reveal a whole new plan for you, another chapter you couldn't even imagine!

God is the gardener, planting seeds, pruning for growth, admiring the flower, and rejoicing in the fruit!

Remember Philippians 1:6, Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

So, grow, blossom, and wait for the fruit! It will be spectacular!

2nd Place Pig

I was 11 years old, in the sixth grade, when our art teacher said we were going to work with clay. We were instructed to create something, and paint it. She would put it in the kiln for us but we would have to wait to see our finished creations until after the kiln process was complete. The kiln, she explained, would get very hot and would dry our clay and set the paint, making a form of pottery.

I decided I would make a small piggy bank for my dad.  I formed it just so and gave it a perky snout and eyes with eyelashes. I finished up with a slit in the top for the coins. I chose a bright red color for my pig. It didn't look red when I painted it on my pig, it looked brown. My teacher said the heat in the kiln would turn the paint to red. She put our creations in the kiln and said we'd have to wait several days to see our finished product. 

The day came and we came to class excited to see our creations! I couldn't wait to see my piggy bank! When I got to my seat, there sat a skinny, brown piggy bank with a spot of red on his snout. I had to hold my tears in, it was so ugly. How could I give it to my dad? I asked my teacher about the color, she said perhaps the kiln wasn't hot enough to help the paint change to red. I was devastated.  The teacher announced that she was entering our artwork and creations in the school's upcoming art show. There would be ribbons for the winners.

On art show day, I ran all the way to the library to see my piggy bank on display. I was hoping against hope the judges would see my creativity and the personality on the face of my pig. I got to the table where my pig was displayed and, wonder of wonders, there was a 2nd place ribbon next to my pig! I picked up the ribbon, so excited, and turned to show a classmate. It was then, I realized, the ribbon wasn't mine...my pig hadn't even won an honorable mention. Well, of course not. Why would I even think my pig had a chance? It really was an ugly pig. I put the ribbon back, picked up my pig, and quietly went back to class with tears in my eyes.

 

That night, I braved up and gave my dad the piggy bank I made for him. I was ashamed it was so ugly. My dad oohed and ahhed over it! He loved the perky snout and bright eyes! He got up and said he was going to put it on his dresser so he could see it and enjoy it. He even gave me a quarter to put in as the very first coin. My dad loved my piggy bank! He kept it on his dresser until he passed away. Then, my piggy bank came home to live with me. 

You see, to my dad, my piggy bank was beautiful simply because I made it. He didn't see the flaws. He only saw that his daughter had taken the time to create something for him. To my dad, it wasn't a 2nd place pig, it was a grand prize!

It has taken me this long to remember the story and to share it. There have been many opportunities to think of myself as 2nd place, or not good enough. But then I remember, I am exactly who God created me to be. I might have some flaws and might not always do or say the right thing, but I am still going through my heavenly father's kiln process and I am not finished yet. I will never need a ribbon to prove my worth because I am already loved, just as I am, perky nose and all!

Are Your Blinders On?

You've heard the expression, "they must have their blinders on." This is usually in reference to someone who looks clueless as to what is happening around them, things others think they should be paying attention to. I think there are times, however, when wearing blinders is exactly what we need to do. Too often we get caught up in what is happening around us, and that distraction keeps us from focusing on what is really important.

When worries about family, jobs, health, or even what's going on in the world overwhelm us, it is time to put our blinders on to keep us focused. Blinders do not block our sight, they narrow our focus. Our focus should be on the One who who is creator of all things and is above all things. He knows our every situation and already has has a plan for us. We need only to focus on Him and not on what is going on around us. He will carry us through whatever our current circumstances are and can give us peace in the process.

There is a story in the Bible about Peter being in a boat and seeing Jesus walking on the water. Peter said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you." Jesus said "Come" and Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). You see, as long as his focus was on Jesus, he could walk on the water. When he took his focus off Jesus and focused on his surroundings, he began to sink. Jesus reached out his hand and saved him. Jesus can reach out his hand and save you, too.

In Proverbs 3:5-6 it says"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." We are not to focus on our understanding, our perception, or our circumstances, but instead focus on Him and trust him, with all our hearts. We can submit our ways and concerns to Him, and He will make a way for us.

Friends, when circumstances and our surroundings are overwhelming to us, let's "put our blinders on" and narrow our focus to the One who can give us peace and will carry us through.  

Sometimes blinders are a good thing!




Prov 3:5

Giftwrapped People

Don't you love a beautifully wrapped gift? The colored paper, the multi-looped bow with curly tendrils cascading over the side all seem to say "open me, first!" What about a gift wrapped in plain brown paper with a homemade bow? Let me ask you this...is the gift any better in the fancy wrap or any less in the plain wrap? I know you are probably thinking what matters most is what's inside and the meaning that is behind it. 

People are a lot like this. Some may be fancy, some may be plain. Some may be sparkly, some may seem dull. Some might dress fancy to be better accepted. Some might dress plainly so as not to be noticed. Some may even dress in a seemingly attention-getting way, but it may be more about the attention on the wrapping and less about the attention on them.

Too often we judge someone by their "giftwrapping" and don't take the time to get to know them. When we judge someone by what we see or by our rules and feelings, etc., we miss out on the treasure they really are. Each person is unique with their own "amazingness" built in. Each and every person is a gift. People are put in our pathways for a specific purpose and reason. It is our job to learn more about their gift. 

What happens, though, when we judge our own giftwrapping and think "I'm not good/pretty/handsome enough" or "I'm no fun, I'm boring"? Maybe we need to take time to look beyond our "giftwrapping" and see the gift we really are. Each of us was created with our own gifts, talents, and "amazingness." 

Always remember, whether it's about others or about ourselves, it's not about the giftwrapping, it's what's inside that counts.

The Perfect Puzzle Piece

Do you ever feel like you don't fit in? Like a puzzle piece that doesn't fit no matter which way you turn it? Even if you could force it to fit, you know it wouldn't fit the picture. 

Well, there's a reason why it doesn't fit. You may be trying to fit your puzzle piece into the wrong picture. God created you to be unique, special, gifted with your own talents, your own ways, your own smile. You are exactly perfect for the picture of your life he is creating. Even though you may only see small sections of the picture, trust that each piece is carefully planned, carefully placed.

Sometimes we look at another's life picture and wish ours could be just like it. They seem to have a perfect house, a perfect job, and a fun group of friends. The thing is you can't see the work behind the picture, and all it took to build it. What might work for their picture may not be right for yours.

Your puzzle picture is a masterpiece in progress. Get excited about it coming together. Live in full color! Take time to admire the picture as it builds. Don't be a missing piece in your own picture. You are the perfect puzzle piece for your masterpiece!

Palm Sunday: A Time of Celebration, a A Time of Reflection - His Love Cannot be Canceled

Palm Sunday...a day of celebration, a day of reflection. "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Blessed is the king of Israel!" " John 12:13

Jesus had come into Jerusalem during Passover and the crowds were shouting and celebrating him. They had either seen or heard of the many miracles he had done and of his message. They thought he was coming to be their king. Yet...in less than a week some of the crowd called for his crucifixion. What happened? Did he change? No. They did. When he didn't meet their expectations, when he didn't "fit" their perspective of how things should be, that crowd not only no longer supported him, they sought to cancel him completely...and they thought they did. But God had other plans. God cannot be canceled. His plans were and are beyond any this world can conceive.

On the morning of the third day after Jesus' death on the cross, they came to the tomb, saw the stone rolled away, and found it empty. "Two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning said, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, he has risen!"" Luke 24:1-6

Jesus came to show God's love for each of us and that love is beyond anything we could think or comprehend. Beyond "group choice", beyond societal agendas, beyond cancel culture. Before you or I came to be, before we could even make any of the mistakes we would surely make, he had a plan to show us his love for us and to reconcile us to him.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the wold, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)

You see, God had a plan to include us...not to cancel us. We can be forever loved, forever His. We need only to accept this incredible gift of love that He offers us. Believe. That's it. Believe. His love for us cannot ever be canceled. We cannot be canceled.

"Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height  nor depth, nor anything else in ALL creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38)

Do you feel canceled? Feel unloved? Run to the Father today and receive the love he already has for you. Bask in that love. It will never go away, you will never be canceled, you are loved forever ❤. 

It is Finished - Turning the Page

Well, it's finally done. My sister and I completed the sale of my mother's house. In August, it will have been two years since she's been gone. It has been a difficult two years. A long journey. A journey we did not choose.

God could have made the journey go quicker, but quicker isn't necessarily better. He knew that in order for us to get to the other side of this journey, we would need to go through it...and he would be beside us every step of the way.

Emptying a house of lifelong memories, and all that entails, feels almost like you are erasing your loved one. You are afraid to let go, afraid you'll "forget." Navigating through those two years required us to revisit the different decades of our lives with our family. With every picture, every memento, every saved birthday card, we paused...and remembered. There were a lot of memories, relived and reloved.

The closing of the house was difficult. With this pandemic, only the people signing the papers were allowed to attend. Since my sister was the estate representative, I could not go with her. I waited in the car in the parking lot and prayed for her. While waiting in the car, the thought came to me, "It is finished." As time passed, I opened up my phone to Facebook, just to think about something else. The first thing that appeared was a friend's "like" of a pastor's message called "It is finished." I had the distinct feeling that this was a message for my sister and I, that the long journey we had endured was finally over.

We had spent nearly two years enmeshed in the journey and saying good bye to what once was. We were stuck in time and couldn't even allow ourselves the chance to grieve. There was so much that had to be done. If you've walked this journey, then you know it's kind of a "put one foot in front of the other and keep going" mindset. So when the "It is finished" thought came, it was like a message saying, it's ok. This journey is finished. It's time to breathe, again.

Going through the house contents and the memories, saying good bye to the house, handing over the keys, were all hard things. We couldn't rush through it. God knew we needed the time. Time to remember, time to heal. With the keys handed over, it was time to take a step into our new journey. The journey where there would be new memories made. We will never stop missing our mother but she will always be with us in our hearts. We know that we'll see her again, one day, in heaven.

If you've lost a loved one, you know how hard the journey is. Moving on can feel like you would be "forgetting them" and leaving their memory behind. The truth is they were always a part of us and will always be a part of us. They are a part of our story.

Each of us has our own journey to follow and each journey takes its own measure of time. I know now, that "It is finished" is not a closing of the book, it is merely a turning of the page into a new chapter. I can go back and "re-read" the memories any time I want to, but it is ok for me to step forward and take those memories with me.

May God bless those of you in the midst of your own journeys. I pray that you are held by the one who will never leave you and who will walk with you through your own journey, to help you as you "turn the page."