Five Minute Friday - Beauty

A Mother's Day Knockout!

I was given a great gift for Mother's Day this year.  

My kids found a list of honey-do's that I wrote several years ago.  

It was long list.  ~  It required some extra cash.  ~  It required extra time.

But....it worth it.  

They love me so.  The gift was simple.      

 They knew that I wouldn't make time for tasks on the honey-do list.  

They planted some flowers and made two new flower beds. 

 In this one gift.... they brought beauty.  

Beauty is now the first thing that greets me when I come home.    

It allows escape from the troubles of the day and brings a smile to my heart.  God's beauty helps me to not take life so serious.  It brightens.

I am so proud of them for knowing how this gift would love.  

Beauty has been unspoken for a while.  Oh how I crave more.

When God brings beauty into your life, embrace it.  

It always simple and unexpected.  

It heals hurts more than you can imagine.  

Beauty brings new life to my tired and weary.  

Give beauty to someone who needs a smile.  

Their need for beauty is unspoken too.  

God's got plenty of beauty to give.

Sorry, We're Closed

Closed

You've seen the Doritos chip commercial where a dog owner is tempting a dog with a Doritos nacho cheese chip.  The dog is salivating, he wants it real bad.  Motivated by his hunger (so we are led to believe) the dog starts running to get the chip.  There is one problem when the dog tries to retrieve the tasty chip.  Between him and his owner, there is one hurdle that stands between him and his consumption of the entire bag of chips.  It's very clear...very quickly...it's a glass patio door.  He can taste the chip from inches away but the moment he face plants into the glass door, his hunger wanes...and he lays defeated only dreaming of the dangling temptation.  The door was closed on the opportunity to munch.  

I have to wonder if Paul spent anytime laying defeated at the closed door he encountered as he preached the gospel.  

Acts 16:7 "When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to."

Paul encountered a ministry closed door.  I know he had great motivations and intentions, but because it was not God's plan he was not allowed to enter. Do you wonder if Paul scratched his head...asking what?  Do you think doubt crept into his calling?  Was he disappointed?

The next verse tells us that Paul just passed by the closed door and went to his next stop.  The Bible makes it sound like it was no big deal, Paul didn't pause in his gospel-spreading-mission.  Was there a message on the town gate marquee that said "Paul and company, don't stop here!  Gospel not welcomed".  

When God closes doors in my life, I ask why.  In fact, I have spiraled into great turmoil because of some closed doors.  I don't want to miss any opportunities that God presents nor be caught in disobedience in direction.  So when a closed door slams in my face, and it was one that I thought had my name on the overhead marquee, then I confess, I have had some disappointments in their closing.  

Have you ever questioned God on an unforeseen slam?

I can say by faith when a door closes—God has a better plan in the slam. In my disappointment, I shall cling to that. I understand that His ways are higher than my ways; that His timing is perfect; and that He sees the end from the beginning. And I also know there’s no door He can’t open. So if it’s closed, I must trust that there’s a divine reason . . . even if I never know why.  

With a divinely-closed door...

I will..

deepen my trust. 

demonstrate submission to His authority.

deny something I love for something I love more.

develop obedience in waiting.  

God...

discerns that I'm not ready to walk through it.  

displays a hidden purpose for His greater good.   

delays a greater later door to open.  

God's ways are higher than our ways. He does know the end from the beginning. When a door closes, it’s a mercy. Thank Him. He’s redirecting you elsewhere, and you can trust that it’s a better elsewhere.

Has God closed a door in your life lately? Have you gained any insight as to the reason? The next time my face plants into the next set of glass patio doors, I'll know that there is a higher reason as I pause and step back, licking my wounds.  There is a greater purpose and ours is not to question why.  Trust is key and I know my trusting Savior.  He has cleared my tomorrows for holy reasons all His own.  And that...my friends is reason enough for me not to look twice at His slammed plans.  

Goodbyes and Hellos

Saying goodbye is hard.

Saying goodbye and offering hello can create awkward circumstances. Even though I am one who can talk to complete strangers, it's still hard, good and awkward.

I have the gift of gab. 

I have a hard time saying goodbye. My reasons are that I might enjoy your company, or there are those times when I don't like being alone. And while I say that, I know there are times that I need to be alone.  My ever wandering mind keeps me company most conversations.

If you are wondering if I am one who stands out on my porch and to watch you drive off...yes, I am one of those who linger. I want to remember the good times we have had. I want to stay in those shared moments. I don't want to let go of what you mean to me.

Sometimes I want to look at the past...back in time. I wish time would freeze or stand still. "Oh...remember that time...." yes, those loving memories bind our hearts. When it's a faith building transition, and there is struggle involved, that makes our bond strong. That's when it is especially hard to let go.

I am in a season of goodbyes and hellos.

God wants us to say "goodbye" to some habits, some ideals, some of who the world says we are supposed to be, leftover parts of our hearts. I have to be honest with you...its uncomfortable here in these newly decorated hallways. He's caught me standing still and frozen in time. I was fast becoming a pillar of salt as my neck was straining on past memories. There are seasons in our life in which we have to say goodbye before God can give you a new hello, a new beginning.

I believe the root of the reason of hard goodbyes is a matter of trust. We like to trust our feelings. We like to trust our past to take care of our future, we like to trust in people more than God, and we like to trust in ourselves more than Him. When we transition from goodbyes to hellos, we have to keep our focus on God. This game called life is more about Him than we can really understand, it's certainly not about us. 

Transitions towards His tender heart are my ultimate desire.

If we are hanging onto toxic emotions and habits, then we have no room for change, no room for new beginnings, and no room for God to greet us with His "hello". For God to work, we have to allow Him to give and to take away.

So what do you need to say goodbye to? Is it a misplaced trust? A love replaced? Is it your pride? Toxic emotions you need to expell?

For God to do the work in us, we must be willing to wave goodbye. As our hands are open wide, then and only then, will He do his hello work. We can't receive what He has for us as long as we are clutching to the old, the tired or familiar patterns. We can build on our faith memories and recall His strength to say hello to the new things He has called us to.

Saying goodbye isn't always bad, it can be better. Hello to new beginnings. Say welcome to a new wing of your heart with doors open wide. 

God seasons us as we go through seasons we grow to.

Music Monday [Letting Go]

Free falling

The other day I set a Favorite Song Alert to this song...Letting Go by Stephanie Smith.  I don't want to miss this song when it comes on the radio.  It's a reminder of what God is trying to teach me, to let go and trust Him.  So far...and I've read the Book, and in trusting God....He wins everytime.  Daily I get the opportunity to let God control something. I'm pretty sure that is His plan for my life.  The Heavens know that I am pretty good botching things...so I am rather thankful that I can't control my world.  Last time I looked God is doing good at that.  


There are times that I like to think I know what I am doing...and then it's in those times that God will ask me a simple question...Do you trust me?  When you are faced with a closed door, those are hard to handle.  When I can't see the key to unlock the mystery that is Christ, he gently reminds me that I don't have to hold the key just yet.  I just need to hold on for dear life.  


White knuckles are common in my faith rollercoaster ride.  Comfort comes when I know my Master is at the controls.  In letting go it really gives me freedom to enjoy the ride he has mapped out for me.  So yes... it is funny that it feels so good to let go of those petty details that don't matter.   

"A lock without a key

No one no way was ever gonna 

get the best of me

The lines were drawn

But now I'm ready to be free"

In my surrender, God brings freedom.
In my stupidity, God brings wisdom
In my fear, God brings peace
In my loneliness, God brings His presence
In my grip, God brings comfort
In my letting go, God brings control.


Letting go for God's wisdom is a daily priority.  I don't know what I am doing, but as He captivates, He holds my big picture in His heart.  If He has the controls, I don't have to worry.  I know that I couldn't do better than His best.  That's reason enough for me to let go.  He has every part of me in His hands.  He catches me every time, He's always there where I land, even anticipating the point of impact of this free fall from the edge.  


Look out below...


P.S. Here's a video to the song.

Five Minute Friday - Normal

What is normal?  What does normal mean to you?  And why am I even asking this question?  I ponder.  Did you know that on this blogger template there is a normal font and a normal size of print?  Normal is used a lot in our language.  


Normal means the same, common, usual, average, customary, habitual, ordinary, regular, run-of-the-mill, and typical.  Normal is what we crave when things go awry.  Normal invades our daily habits.  Normal equates our activities to an apathetic level.


A normal day brings sameness and regularity.  Normal brings consistent patterns of behavior that can run you into a rut.  We can aimlessly go through a normal life.  We tend to caught up in our own little worlds, traveling in our own little circles, then all of a sudden...out of nowhere...life happens in the middle of our normal.


We get slapped with cancer, money issues, surgery, hate, the Spirit, kindness, injury, death, loss of job, pride, etc.  The list of bad things can go on and on.  So could the list of good things.  My point is when there is a shift in either direction, we want our lives to return to the same, the normal.    


After thinking about this, what I crave is something completely atypical.  That's the "normal" that I want.  I have convinced that I will always have the not-normal.  That means I will have problems but it also means that I will have many opportunities for God to work in and through my life.

Normal means that I am just drifting through this life unchanged.

Normal controls so that we stay within the limitations of our own strength.  We choose life events so that things will go according to our wills.  We defy God's directions to experience Him.  Normal is safe.     


With my recent inconsistency in normal, I have realized that I don't really want what I thought was normal.  I don't want calm waters, I don't need God there.  But in the not-normal, it forces me to be dependent on God, which is where I want to be.  I can be consistent in God's path to peace, which requires my total dependence on His strength.  

I am good with being a not-normal-changed-follower of Christ.  

Are you content with your normal?