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."

The Scenic Route

I don't know about you, but I'm a planner. If I'm going on a trip, I make a list and check off the items as I complete them. If I'm going to be traveling by car, I check which route would be the best to travel. Even if I'm just going someplace in town, I'll check the maps to make sure I'm going the right way. If I am in town, I want the shortest route possible, because I'm probably trying to get someplace on time. If I'm going on a road trip, however, I may choose a longer route to see other places along the way.

The other day, it occurred to me that I tend to live my life the same way. I plan things way ahead of time so there are no "surprises" along the way. If I have a plan, I know what to expect, right? Maybe planning ahead helps me to feel that I have some control over the way things happen in my life. Maybe if I'm "always prepared," I can avoid the stress of sudden changes because "I have a plan for that."

The only trouble with that, is that life rarely "goes as planned" and if I'm always following "the plan," won't that be boring?

I've notice something else. God prefers the scenic route.

When I'm all about getting from "Point A to Point B," He's all about what happens BETWEEN "Point A and Point B."

All this time I've been so busy planning when He's had a plan for me since before I was born. In Psalm 139:16, it says "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (NLT)  Not only that, but He has GOOD plans for me! (Jeremiah 29:11)

So, why I am so busy trying to plan every little detail?

The thing is, I LOVE road trips and the scenic route!!! I love seeing new places and all the interesting things along the way. I love going through the little towns with the "mom and pop" stores. I love seeing the different types of trees and flowers as I go from place to place. I love meeting the people in the different places, too.

Just maybe...God already knows that. Maybe He's trying to tell me to leave the planning to Him.

It's OK to have a plan and to plan for things. Trying to have a plan for everything, though, means that I might miss some really wonderful things along the way.

Yes, there might be some surprises and changes, but maybe the plan is for me to travel through them. Maybe there are valuable lessons to be learned that I wouldn't know if I took the shortest route, or even a longer route around them.

Oh, I'll probably still have a plan for a lot of things, but I think I'm going to leave most of the planning up to my Travel Agent (since He already has a plan). Wherever it takes me, I'm going to do my best to enjoy the Scenic Route!

Act Your Age?

Have you ever heard someone say "Act your age!"? Now I ask you, how can anyone act their age? It's the first time they are that age. They've never been that age before. There are no manuals or guides telling you how to act at any particular age. There are, however, countless people with opinions of how one should act, dress, or live, at every age. I'm not sure where they get their information from or how they became the "Age Sage," but they sure seem to know how everyone else should live.

For example, growing up I would overhear things like "She should cut her hair. At her age, she shouldn't have long hair." Or something like, "Is she trying to look younger? She's too old to wear that outfit!" I'm quite sure that there are no rules for either. And how would you know the cutoff dates, anyway?

This year, I've decided to start acting my age. The only problem is that I don't know which age to act. Should I act my chronological age? Should I act my creative age? (I feel like I'm just getting started so that would be closer to 6 years old.) Should I act my fun age? (It would be hard to choose just one, as I have had many fun ages!) Should I act my "just graduated high school with the whole world ahead of me" age? (That was a good one, too!) I have so many ages to choose from and since I have so many...I can choose a different age for each day!

I have a very good friend that lives her life to the fullest. She has, and continues to be, an inspiration to me and to many others. She is a joy to be around! Several years ago, my friend started referring to Tuesdays as Tutu Tuesdays. On the day she retired, someone gave her a tutu and she wore it! What fun! (When I grow up, I want to be just like her!)

Yes, I know that there are times in life to be serious and to think as our "chronological age" should think, but for all of the rest of the times, we should be free to think and act whatever age we feel like!

Life was meant to be LIVED, so I'm going to do just that!

How about you? What age do you want to act today? Pick one and go have fun!

Wait...I think I hear laughter at the playground. Gotta go, there's a swing with my name on it!

How Long Would You Hold Onto a Hurt? 100 Years? Maybe It's Time to Forgive.

I read an article, recently, about Olivia de Havilland's relationship with her sister, Joan Fontaine. From the information in the article, it would seem that the sisters were frequently at odds with each other to the point of going many years without speaking with each other, and, in fact, had been at odds since childhood. Each side had their own version of the hurts the other had caused and felt they were justified in their hurt. The recent article was from an interview with Ms. de Havilland, who turned 100 years old earlier this year. Ms. de Havilland mentioned an estrangement between them that did not change in the last years of her sister's life. Ms. Fontaine, who was 1 year younger than her sister, passed away in 2013 at 96 years old.

Let the sadness of this sink in for a moment. If these sisters were truly at odds with each other from childhood, their hurts impacted their lives for almost 90 years. Imagine all that was lost or all that could have been gained had there been a true reconciliation and forgiveness from each, for each. Imagine the impact this had on their families' lives. Each sister probably had what they thought were valid reasons to hold onto their hurts and not to extend forgiveness.

Life hurts. Whether the hurt comes from a loved one, a friend or a stranger, it is no less a hurt. Some hurts are so big, we don't know how we can move beyond it. We can't even think about, and won't even think about, forgiving. "They don't deserve it and never will!" is the thinking that often keeps us chained to the hurt.

The biggest problem with holding onto a hurt, is that we are the ones who are mostly likely to be damaged by it. The longer we hold onto it, the more of "a hold" it has on our lives. It begins to affect our outlook, our everyday life, our mental health, and our physical health.

Another big problem with holding onto a hurt is that it also begins to affect our loved ones' lives. There are families so estranged by the hurt between two family members, that all contact is lost among the family members. In many cases, no one really knows what the estrangement is about. In some cases, the reason is remembered and repeated throughout the generations, lest the reason "to hold the hurt" is forgotten.

Maybe it's time to forgive.

When we forgive someone else for hurting us, we are not saying we are "ok with" or accepting of what they did. We are also not saying that we'll act like it never happened. A true hurt is never really forgotten, but true forgiveness will enable the person to move beyond the hurt and break free of those chains holding them to the hurt.

Extending forgiveness is one of the hardest things there is to do in life. In many situations, we can't do it on our own. There is a line from Matthew West's song, Forgiveness, that says "It's the opposite of how you feel, when the pain they caused is just too real, it takes everything you have just to say the word...Forgiveness." He goes on to say that when you forgive "It'll clear the bitterness away, it can even set a prisoner free; There is no end to what it's power can do. So, let it go and be amazed, by what you see through the eyes of grace, the prisoner that it really frees, is you."

Holding onto a hurt keeps you a prisoner. Forgiveness sets you free.

Do you want to be free? Are you having a hard time forgiving? Tell Jesus about it. Ask him to help you forgive. He will give you the grace to do what seems to be impossible.

How long will you hold onto your hurt? How long will it keep you from all that could be in your life? I'm not sure that the de Havilland sisters intended to hold onto their hurts for almost 90 years, but they did. So much time lost.

If you'd like to hear the incredible story behind Matthew West's song, Forgiveness, I've provided a link, here. It's a story about someone who had every right to hold onto their hurt and did, for a period of time, but they chose to forgive.

Don't let a hurt keep you prisoner one day longer than it already has.

Forgive. Be set free.

Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts!

There is a fun ride in Disney World® (and in Disneyland®) called the Haunted Mansion. You are in a slow moving ridecar and meander through the Haunted Mansion. Toward the end of the ride, you hear the narrator tell you to "Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts" and you see an image of three ghosts hitchhiking. You pass a mirror in the final part of the ride and you see yourself and one of the "ghosts" appearing to be riding with you. It's all in fun and you know it's not real.

Thinking about that ride and the "hitchhiking ghosts" made me think about real-life ghosts. No, I'm not talking about spirits or ghosts from "another world," I'm talking about ghosts from our past. The ghosts of regret, past mistakes, past pain or even bad memories. These are the real-life ghosts we need to beware of.

You see, we all have things in our lives that can pop up at any point and try to "hitchhike" along while we try to live our lives. Sometimes we don't even know that we've allowed them to come along for the ride. We may even have thought we were "finished" with whatever has reappeared and are surprised to find that it's back on our minds, weighing us down.

It is difficult to live our everyday lives while carrying the "ghosts" of yesterday.  And we shouldn't.

We can learn from past regrets or mistakes and change things, going forward, and we can seek help for those things in our past that caused pain to help us know how to live, going forward.

Today and tomorrow are new days. In order to make the most of them, we need to truly live.

Life is an amazing ride, live it to the fullest....and beware of those "hitchhiking ghosts!"

What's Your Wattage?

Shopping for lightbulbs, nowadays, can be a confusing experience. They come in all shapes, sizes, and wattages. There are spiral CFL ones for lamps, yellow bug lights for front porches, long flourescent ones for over kitchen sinks, and on and on. You also have to know the wattage that you need for the fixture. (Why do there have to be so many different kinds? Did Thomas Edison know it would get this complicated?) It is important, though, to have just the right bulb with just the right wattage to get just the right amount of light.

We are a lot like lightbulbs. We come in all shapes and sizes, too, but our wattages can vary from day to day or from moment to moment. Some days we really "shine brightly" and other days it's like someone hit the "dimmer switch." Sometimes, we can even be like one of those "3-way" bulbs, that with a turn of the switch we choose to be brighter or dimmer based on the situation or who we are talking with.

Did you ever walk into a dark room and turn on a lamp? Didn't it fill the room with a nice glow? Have you ever met someone like that? Someone that just seemed to glow from within, that their smile just brightened up the room? Have you also met someone for whom "the light within seemed to have gone out?"

Our "light" is important. To our families, to others, and to ourselves.

We have the ability to shine a light in the lives of others and in our own lives, but we need to be aware of our wattage. Some situations require only a soft glow. You wouldn't want to use a 100 watt bulb in a small, study area, would you? Similarly, a friend might just need only the soft glow of friendship during a difficult time. There are times, though, when the glare of a spotlight might be needed, especially if it's an area of your life you need to work on.

The most important thing to know about your wattage is that you need to be "plugged in." Without power, it won't matter how many watts a lightbulb has, it won't shine.

There are many verses in the Bible about light. The two below, I believe, really speak to how we can shine:
John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke, again, to the people he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Matthew 5:14 - You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
If we have "the light of life" within us, we can shine like a town built on a hill.

You see, it is up to each one of us how we choose to shine. You just might be the light that makes a difference in someone else's life. Your light can encourage others to shine.

How do you shine today? What's your wattage?