We are now a week into the new year. The celebrations are over, teachers and students returned to school, and daily routines are beginning to feel normal once again. People who made resolutions, or set goals, for 2019, are taking the first steps toward breathing life into their new vision, but dreams are fragile in their infancy. Without care, we fall back into old patterns, get distracted, and even give up.

Now is the time to accept that there will be challenges, surprises, and obstacles, to acknowledge that our resolve will be tested. It is also the perfect time to embrace the possibilities awaiting in the year ahead. Whether the new year greeted us with unexpected concerns or we find ourselves enmeshed in the mundane, we can lift our eyes, dream God-sized dreams, and have faith.

The new year did not begin the way I expected. I planned to be on vacation, celebrating the holiday with family. I believed the time away would be refreshing and inspirational. I also believed I would be healthy. Unfortunately, sickness visited our home on Christmas Day, changing our plans, and creating an unplanned staycation. Except for two trips to the pharmacy and grocery store, we spent our vacation in our house.

The circumstances created some disappointment and discouragement, but it also came with hidden opportunities: significant time to catch up on needed rest, time to read several books, and opportunities to capture fresh vision for the year ahead. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it seems it was what I needed. There was temptation to whine in frustration, and I gave in on a few occasions, however, a little holy perspective allowed me to redeem the time. As I reflect on this time of illness, I find an increasing number of blessings and opportunities.

Vacation illness may not be the most significant challenge, but it is a great illustration. Achieving our goals and fulfilling our resolutions will not happen without rising up in the face of resistance, taking our thoughts captive, and embracing the Spirit-filled power to overcome. In the face of my initial obstacles, I added one more goal for this year. In addition to my original dreams, I resolved to savor every day, not because every day will be easy or desirable, but because it will be the day I am given.

Our attitudes and actions may not change our circumstances, but they will change us in, and through, our circumstances. If we stand our ground, if we embrace the call to be strong and courageous, if we keep moving forward, we will accomplish more than we can imagine.

So, the new year is here. What it holds is a mystery, but as we persist in embracing the possibilities, we will discover Jesus’ words to be true, “seek and you will find.” May our search be fruitful and our future blessed as we walk our days by faith.

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As we enter the season of Advent, I brought back a post from eight years ago (with a little editing).

I still remember our first Christmas with our children. It was an awesome season filled with a special wonder and joy. Our long season of prayerful expectation was now replaced with three precious lives come to share life with us. What a wonderful Christmas that was and what wonderful gifts from God they were and continue to be. We are so blessed.

There was a time when we wondered if we would ever see the blessing of children in our lives. We had no doubts in God, but our human nature grew weary in waiting. It seemed like we were stuck in a season of expectation that had no end. We were not alone, and we were not the first.

For centuries people waited for God to fulfill the promise of a savior. They heard and received the prophecies with great hope and faith, but they too began to wonder, “How long, O Lord? How long?” Generation after generation waited for the day when God would fulfill the promise and life would be forever changed. That is why the Gospel writer Matthew wrote, “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophets…” (Mt. 1:22)

Matthew had the joy of declaring the prophecy fulfilled. Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, was the living promise awaited for so long. In this precious life was God in flesh, come in human form that we might be saved through Him. Jesus was Immanuel, for He was, God with us. The expectation of multitudes was replaced by elation. The time of fulfillment had come.

Many of us come to this special season knowing that behind all of the parties and presents, there is an inner heart of expectation that cries, “How long?” We are seeking the fulfillment of God’s promise in our lives and we wonder if it will ever be more than a dream. At times the celebrations may even make it worse. We wait and we hope, wondering when God will remember the promise in us.

Take heart! In this season of miracles is the evidence that God keeps His word. God never failed to fulfill the promise and never will. There is no vision placed within you that God will not bring to completion. There is no Word of God written that will not be fulfilled. Here, in the season of Advent, we remember that God brings great gifts in small packages, and the waiting is worth it. These are more than pretty presents, they are treasures that bring life. Here, looking toward the face of Jesus we see the promise and the answer.

This is a season of anticipation and celebration. For some it is the celebration of promises fulfilled, for others, the celebration comes from knowing the answers are on the way. God has given us the deposit of His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance. Lift your eyes and gaze into the face of the one who is here to declare that fulfillment of the promise in on its way. You have a destiny in Jesus Christ, and God is with you, empowering you to reach that destiny.

May your Advent and Christmas season be blessed with the fullness of Christ and may you see in Him the heart of God leading you to the place of blessing.

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Sometimes, we have to work through the mess. Once again this year, I am participating in Inktober, a challenge created by artist Jake Parker to crest one ink drawing a day for the month of October. My first year was 2016, and the process was helpful in strengthening my drawing skills. This year, I am a little behind, but enjoying the process.

Day one of this year went much better than expected. I was thrilled to see how well my first project came together. It was not, however, a harbinger of what was yet to come. The second day came with the prompt “tranquil.” With a great vision for a fishing boat resting on still water, I worked for an hour only to end up with something that simply wasn’t going to work. It was hard to start over, but the result was worth it. I went in a new direction and ended with something I was very happy with.

On the third day, I started with an ambitious project that had to be cut short, and day four things fell apart. The drawing was a simple cup of coffee with latte art. Two attempts later, it was just plain bad. It was extremely hard to post that one online, but that is part of the challenge.

Reflecting on the process so far this year, I am increasingly aware of how much it represents all of life. Sometimes, things go the way we expect. Sometimes, things exceed our hopes, and then there are the times when things become a mess. The messy moments can steal our joy and derail our passion. When things go awry, we begin to doubt and we are tempted to give up, but that is precisely the time we need to keep moving and work through the mess.

In the midst of the struggle, we cannot allow self-doubt, fear, or any other negative emotion to steal our hope and our faith. When things get messy, we work through the mess until we see the possibilities. Even what seems like failure is a learning experience that helps us see with new eyes, and develop new strategies. The messy moments are training ground, opportunities to learn and grow stronger.

It is hard to have that perspective when things are not working out. In those times, I often find myself echoing the classic prayer from the Gospels, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” Then, it is time to keep moving forward, through the mess to the beauty God is creating.

I have a good friend who, when I tell her I am going through something, always says, “Thank God!” When I mentioned that was not the response I expected she said, “Well, I am glad you are going through. Don’t stop. God is bringing you through to something better.” I confess that is not always easy to receive, but, so far, it has always proven to be true.

So, when the mess arrives, give thanks. Rejoice that you are not alone, that God is bringing you through, and that God is creating something beautiful in and through you.

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

I don’t know if I’ve seen any particular scripture reference used more poorly than the one above. In my own life, and in the lives of many others, people used this verse to suggest that God allowed, even caused, bad things to happen in order to accomplish something good.

When my father suddenly abandoned our family when I was 14, numerous people quoted this verse in a strange attempt to comfort me. They kept implying that, if I waited, I would see that God caused this situation so that something better would happen. I can assure you this created anything but comfort. All I could think as I pondered these comments was, “Really, the all-powerful God of the universe could only accomplish a good thing in my life by putting my family through pain?” It didn’t inspire much faith.

As a pastor, I’ve listened as people quoted this verse to others in the midst of grief and tragedy. I am sure it is meant well, but it hardly represents the compassionate God who stands with us in our pain, who is broken-hearted by our suffering, and who grieves the pain of sin and brokenness in the world. It is a cold word that comes all to easily from a “everything happens for a reason” theology. The truth is, sometimes the reason is that there is evil in the world.

At the same time, we cannot simply negate this verse. While we were never meant to use it to dismiss someone’s pain, there is a promise of hope that lies within these words. God does not need bad things to produce good. God is the source of all goodness. However, it is God’s power and goodness that works in the midst of evil, suffering, and pain to redeem every situation. In our times of struggle, God is with us, comforting us, and speaking life over us, even in the face of death.

I see this loving power of God in situations small and large. Sunday, I caught the flu, which is also why I missed Tuesday’s post. I hated being sick, and I was disappointed in the way it disrupted my plans. I missed out on things I truly value. At the same time, left with little I could do, I found time for some much needed rest, time to pray, listen to God, and saturate myself with Scripture. I did not need to be sick to accomplish these things, but the days of sickness were not lost or wasted because the presence of God redeemed them.

I’ve seen God do even bigger things, in more extreme circumstances. I’ve watched cancer survivors become support for others facing the disease. I’ve seen people who walked through the darkness of great grief become light to others traveling a similar path. I’ve watched those who go without provide care for those with less. The list of such occurrences is long, but in each case I know I am watching God work for good in every situation, as people comfort others with the same comfort they received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:4)

Not every circumstance is good, but God works for good in every situation, and it is for our good. This is why we can rejoice always, because God is always near and at work. We may not choose our circumstances, but we can choose faith, hope, and joy in the midst of them, because God is at work and that is always good.

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Yesterday was challenging. Mid-afternoon, we received a call from my wife’s new doctor informing us that that her recent tests showed that she was in serious condition and that we needed to go to the emergency room right away. It was a life-threatening situation. You can imagine the fear, and a host of other emotions, that flooded us in that moment. Things can turn upside-down in a moment.

Things can also turn in good ways just as fast. After some time at the hospital, and consultation with a previous physician, we discovered that there was a misunderstanding in the interpretation of the data. My wife was completely fine, and she was able to return home with me a few minutes later. It was a wild ride and, while we may not be happy about the process, we are elated at the end result.

As I processed my emotions last night, I took some time before we went to sleep to read some Scripture and to pray. I typically work my way through the Psalms before bed. I opened to where I left off, and began reading right at Psalm 91.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

It is funny how God provides just what we need to hear when we are attentive. As I read through the remainder of the Psalm, I found my peace increase, and I gave thanks for God’s presence in every circumstance.

As I approached the end of the chapter, I found the closing words especially helpful. I know these words were probably written for the king of Israel when they were composed, and I strongly advocate reading the Scripture in context. Still, last night, I felt these same words applied to our situation and so I claimed them for our lives as well. So, pardon me as I change the pronouns in the text, and I pray that you might find hope in them as well:

“Because she loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue her;

I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name.

She will call on me, and I will answer her;

I will be with her in trouble,

I will deliver her and honor her.

With long life I will satisfy her

and show her my salvation.”

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“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” – Psalm 108:1-4

I am not a morning person. Although I am more used to rising early, it never quite seems like my natural habitat. People often talk to me about the joy of seeing the sunrise, but I tend to think, “If God wanted me to see the sunrise, it would be scheduled later in the day.” Nevertheless, my schedule, and daybreak, do coincide occasionally.

Some sunrises are spectacular, rivaling any beautiful sunset. Others, like this morning, are not immediately inspiring. The growing daylight reveals overcast skies and rain clouds. There is no flaming ball of fire, rising over the horizon; no glorious splashes of red, orange, and yellow, set against the backdrop of the dark blue sky. The light brightens, revealing grey skies and muted colors. It doesn’t seem quite as spectacular.

The psalmist declares he will, “awaken the dawn.” I hear those words and immediately picture the light breaking through the mists on the field to reveal the vivid color of creation. In my mind, it is always a wondrous display, as light overcomes darkness and the full spectrum of life is made visible. I never picture gray, cloudy mornings, until today.

Although the clouds and rain are hiding the glory of the morning sun, the sunrise is no less wondrous. It’s brightness and color are as beautiful as ever, even if it is hidden from my sight. Today, I must trust my knowledge of what I cannot see, and bring to mind the memories of the beauty of previous experiences.

It is in the gray mornings, and seasons, of our lives, that our hearts must remain steadfast. It is in the moments that do not seem glorious that we need to sing and make melody, and in the darkness that we remember that God’s love and faithfulness are higher than the heavens. The joy of faith is easy when things are bright and beautiful, and we should declare our praise in those times, but we are blessed when we remember continue to declare our praise, and maintain steadfast trust in God when it is not easy to see.

We are all tempted to let our experiences and feelings dictate our faith, but we are much better off when we let our faith inform, and shape, our experiences and feelings. Jesus told his disciples, “In this life you will have troubles, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) As people of faith, we do not ignore the realities of life, nor do we pretend everything is good. Instead, we see life for what it is, yet we choose to remember God’s love and faithfulness, and look beyond what we can see in the moment. We choose to trust that the sun is shining even when we cannot see it. We choose to walk by faith.

Today, things may appear gray and gloomy, but we can still sing and give praise in our heart. When we do, we will let that inner truth turn even the darkest day into a glorious sunrise of the Spirit.

Our hearts are steadfast, O God, our hearts are steadfast!

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Life does not always feel like it is supposed to for the season we are in. Our circumstances, emotions, and thoughts may not be in sync with what we expect for the timing of our lives. We may feel joyful when we could feel sad, and we may feel discouraged when we have many reasons for encouragement and hope.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the beginning of the most meaningful season of the church year. It is a week I look forward to every year. I know that I will end the week exhausted and ready for some rest, but the power of these days is amazing, and truth they proclaim about God’s love for the world, and for me, is profound. Every service is full of meaning, and the time in between is laden with reasons for reflection, revelation, and expectation.

This year, I confess that I don’t feel very much like the season suggests I should. Like the weather that doesn’t yet appear like spring, I am not overly inspired to wave my palm branches in celebration tomorrow morning. In many ways, I still feel like I am at the very beginning of Lent and that Easter is a long way away. Thankfully, the season does not wait for my feelings to be ready. Instead, it calls out to them saying, “Wake up! The time is at hand! Embrace what is coming for the resurrection is on its way.”

I can only imagine what Jesus felt as he entered Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday. Clearly, he knew where the journey would lead him. The hope of the resurrection must have been mitigated by the reality of his betrayal, and the pain of the crucifixion that were yet to come. The week ahead likely seemed overwhelming, yet he put his trust in God and walked out the path that was before him.

Thankfully, none of us is required to be led by our feelings. We can take every thought captive by the power of the Spirit, and we can choose to live by a deeper connection to the One who promises resurrection, and a stronger conviction that, through Jesus Christ, joy truly does come in the morning. In just a little while, all of nature will declare that spring is here, and in just a little while, the Dawn from on high will break upon us. We may feel out of season, but we are called to wait and believe until it is fully revealed in our lives.

May our Holy Week be blessed as we embark upon this sacred journey with hope in the One who calls us to believe.

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We all have moments when we want to quit. The battle we face may seem too big, or too long. We begin to grow weary and that exhaustion weakens our resolve and wears on our thoughts. We begin to imagine that there is an easier path than the one we are traveling. Our pace slows, and we can even choose to simply stop where we are. Many people remain stuck, sitting alongside the path of their life, unable to go any further.

As I write this, my thoughts keep coming back to Sailor Gutzler. She is a 7 year old girl who recently survived a plane crash in Kentucky. The lone survivor, having lost her family in the crash, she freed herself from the wreckage and walked a great distance through some of the worst terrain to find help. She was not trained for the path before her, which was overrun with obstacles, nor was she prepared for the journey. However, she pressed on through the briars, ditches, and downed trees, and through her emotional pain and trauma, to reach a place of safety. Her story is amazing!

The past few days, I faced some challenges and obstacles that I would have rather avoided. At times, I felt like I wanted to avoid the path in front of me and sit down for a season. Then, I thought of Sailor, knowing that my journey and obstacles are nothing compared to what she faced, and I kept moving. Then, I thought of Jesus, and the journey he faced, and found more inspiration. Then, God reminded me that Jesus is walking with me, going before me, and giving me strength for the journey, and I allowed the Holy Spirit to renew my strength. Somewhere between the tenacity of a 7 year old girl, and the great grace of God, I lost my weariness, and moved forward .

Many people are talking about how miraculous Sailor’s successful journey was. I agree. I also am overwhelmed with the miraculous strength she found to press on, to overcome. I do not know if she had an awareness of God as she pushed through her circumstances, but I do know that God was aware of her, and empowering her to keep moving.

We all face unwanted and difficult things, some are far worse than others. Many times, we dig deep and try to find the strength to keep going, yet that strength can be quite elusive. Then, we discover a strength that exceeds our situation, a power that gives us more than a hand, it lifts us up on wings like eagles. God’s strength has no limits, and the Holy Spirit shares that strength with us.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need.” No matter what we are facing, God is bigger. No matter how difficult the task, God’s power is stronger. No matter how great our need, God’s willingness to meet it is greater. We are not alone, and we are not left to our own strength to continue. When we hope in the Lord, God renews our strength with his inexhaustible supply.

I thank God for grace, power, and hope. I am thankful for Sailor’s tenacious witness. I pray that God continues to strengthen her for the difficult journey ahead, and hope that one day she will see how her actions, in the face of great pain and adversity, inspired the nation and the world.

Let us not grow weary. Let us not faint. Let us hope in the Lord and be strong and courageous.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his might power.” – Ephesians 6:10

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This morning, I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping as they enjoyed breakfast in our yard. The air was fresh, the foliage lush, and the flowers much more vibrant. Although it is overcast, the day is quite beautiful.

Looking over the beauty around me, I was drawn to Psalmist’s words, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) Of course, it is easy to rejoice when things are calm and beautiful, but I began pondering if I would have claimed those same words as nature turned violent last night.

If you read some of my older posts, you will see that I am a big fan of thunderstorms, so the easy answer is, yes, I would rejoice because I love a good display of lightning and thunder. As I thought about the broader definition of storms however, I realized that is where a great difficulty lies.

When life is full of obvious blessings and things seem to be going our way, it is easy to rejoice and praise God for our circumstances. When the sudden storms come and turn things upside down, dampen our dreams, and shake us to the core, that is a different story. Fear steps in and tempts us to run from the chaos, toward something that appears safer. If we surrender to that temptation, we may actually be running from the storm, and from our blessing.

Certainly, not every storm is appreciated, and acting foolishly in the storm can be a destructive choice. There is wisdom in knowing how to face a storm, and when it is the appropriate time to retreat. Such decisions are the result of sound decisions, not of fear. When we take the hand of Jesus and the hands of those who love us, we ride out the storms together. We can come through chaos to the gift that is waiting in the other side.

The rich beauty surrounding me this morning is the result of the impact of last night’s storm. The grass, trees, flowers, and plants are drinking up all of the rain that fell and turning into dramatic beauty. The intense downpour turned my yard into an avian smorgasbord. The lightning ionized the air, removing dust and other particles, and making it fresh, clean, and energized. The very shaking of eight hours ago, became a loosing of beauty now.

Few people desire storms in their lives, but many of our storms are not without purpose. Sometimes, the very thing that frightens and intimidates us, is a divine tool for re-creation and new life on our journey. Old things are shaken off so new things can come forth. Dusty places are cleansed, and the air of our spirit is energized and filled with the fresh wind of God’s Spirit.

The beautiful days are indeed, the days The Lord has made, but so are the stormy ones. In all of our days, we can rejoice and be glad, for we are not alone. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, said it best on his deathbed, “The best of all is, God is with us.” In this, and the promise of a new day, we can find hope in the midst of the storm.

The post The Storm is Over appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

I have a list of experiences I regret. Actions and choices that seemed to fulfill at the time led to personal pain, and often had a significant negative impact on the people around me. There are words that were better unspoken, choices that were tremendously unhealthy, and actions that were based in great selfishness.

Like many others I know, I frequently commented on how I wish I made better decisions, often pondering the, “If I had it to do over again…” thoughts. Certainly, I can see many ways I could have made better choices, but I see those options because of what I learned by making the wrong choice. In fact, it is these very painful experienced that shaped me into the person I am and demonstrated the immense, transforming love of God.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesian Christians, said he prayed that they would, “know the love of Christ that surpassed knowledge.” (Eph. 3:19) What a powerful and important prayer that was, for it is one thing to know about the love of God, but is something quite different to experience the greatness of that love. Far beyond knowledge is the awesome gift of God’s gracious, forgiving, and transforming love!

Too often, I try to fix the broken places in my life which leads to even greater feelings of frustration and regret. Maybe you can relate to those feelings. What I really need is not another round of trying to work harder. I need to experience God’s healing grace that renews the wounded, broken places of my life and frees me for the new life that lies ahead. Instead of lamenting my past failures, I can allow God to help me leverage them to shape my future.

All of the guilt, regret and sorrow we can muster will never change the past and will only hold us captive where are. The touch of the gracious love of God will free us from the bonds of our history and the present and prepare us for a future of destiny. God does not want to hold us captive to the sin and mistakes of our past. Instead, we were meant to see the door that is now opened to a redeemed and renewed life in Christ.

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