Month: December 2017

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. Revelation 21:21

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18

Do you know what’s been on my mind lately? Ha! Normally it would be almost impossible to follow my line of thinking I’m sure, but come on…I’ve already told you in the title…sheesh. That’s right, gates! Oh, I’ve seen the most beautiful gates. Strong gates. Gates that are wrought iron. They’re old and now considered artwork. That wrought iron gets heated up and pounded with tools. It’s malleable and can stand the heat! Does that heat make it brittle and break? Nope. It grows stronger the more it’s “under fire” you see.

Each piece of work made of wrought iron is unique just like Philip Simmons, one of the best master blacksmiths that lived. I’ve been studying this man and have even stood in his workshop. It wasn’t some fancy thing like some of those gates he’s made. Even though you can find his work all over the U.S. and certainly all over Charleston, SC, you would never know it by looking at his small home he lived in. He didn’t worry about that; he was a giver and a worker as we can tell by his favorite quote that said, “If you want your prayers answered, get off your knees and hustle.”

As I reflected on those gates, I thought about the gates we have in our lives. What are the gates there for? Are they keeping us safe on the inside or holding us prisoner there? Are they strong or weak? Are others able to see through them like those decorative wrought iron gates of Philip Simmons?

When I googled about different types of gates, I received more information than I could handle! I have one type of actual gate in my house. Baby gates, even though I don’t have babies, are set up in the doorways of my boys’ rooms. They aren’t so they can’t get out, but so the dog can’t get in! He could easily hop right over those gates (which my boys do quite often…at top speed…instead of removing them…which makes my heart skip a beat when I hear the ensuing crash…which leads to, “I’m ok!”), but he respects that boundary. Sure, he may lean his chin on top and try to get pity from the boys, but he doesn’t barge in where he isn’t wanted. He could easily break that barrier. Will everyone in your life respect that gate (umm…the devil?) or do you need a stronger gate?

A gate that we all have are doors! Today, I watched with curiosity as my hubby opened a door that led from a covered porch to a balcony. He was talking to someone and I couldn’t quite figure out why he was doing a Vanna White gesture to show off the balcony. Who was he inviting out there? I had to get a little closer to get a better view out the window. Next, I see him prop open the door and go back inside. I realized he wasn’t talking to someone at all; he was talking to a bird! I started laughing as the bird made its way outside. I asked him how well the bird understood him, and he asked me if it worked. Well, it sure did…after he got out of the way! Is there a someone or something that you’ve been struggling to get out your door (or gate)? Have you thought about zipping it up and getting out of the way?

Oh, the meaning behind all this! Are you starting to see it? Let’s take a minute to look at something important. During the same visit as the one when I saw the shop of Philip Simmons, something was brought to my attention. I found out about a type of house located all throughout Charleston. They were single houses that had a piazza (porch) along the side, but you don’t realize there’s a piazza when you look directly at the house because all that is seen are windows from a room on one side and a door on the far edge. It looks like you’d walk into that house and have a room off to the side. It’s not true! That door opens into the outside…onto the piazza! It’s what I call an imposter. The actual door to the house is in the middle of the piazza! Just because someone comes knocking, do we need to let them into our inner sanctuary? Should we keep them on our piazza until we know they’re trustworthy?

Oh, the gates! There are gates that will lead to beauty and gates that lead to misery, gates that will keep out or let in, and gates that are weak and those that are strong. I’d sure like to see us tear down the gates that divide and cause separation and segregation. How wonderful it would be to strengthen the gates that protect and welcome!

Also, I want to stop looking at being “under fire” as all negative. It’s miserable, I certainly give you that! It might not be fair, and it may seem like we’ll go up in flames with the heat, but sometimes we need to step outside of our circumstances to get a clearer picture of what’s happening in the midst of the pain. Let’s have faith that God will use it to form us into some of the strongest individuals who will stand through all circumstances and be able to be an inspiration to others…just like wrought iron.

I challenge you to ask yourself, “Who are my gates for and why are they there?” Make adjustments as needed. Don’t forget to keep the enemy from entering your gate!  Be sure he isn’t disguising himself as someone trustworthy when he’s really an imposter.  He’s pretty tricky.

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galations 3:26-27

“Who?” That’s the question that was asked to me repeatedly during the hours of darkness for two consecutive nights. It became too much, and I started searching for answers to the questions that were being raised. Who are you? Who do you want to be? Who does God want you to be…who does He see? Who do you put your faith in? Who do you surround yourself with? Who supports you? Who’s helping you? Who are you helping? Who’s holding you back? Who can you trust? Who should you invest in? Who do you need to spend more time with?

All those questions were raised as I listened to the great horned owl that was grilling me from outside our house. I was in awe listening to that magnificent creature, and it gave me an opportunity to think about the close of this year and the start of the next. I focused on who I was and if that person lined up with who God wanted me to be.

An example is when I was out with the boys on a fossil hunt the other day when my oldest found a fossilized tooth that I walked right passed. My eyes were on the ground and I had to have stared right at it without even seeing it. He asked me how I could’ve missed it. I thought about it and realized that if I was given a second chance, without being told any differently from the first time, I would’ve passed over it again.

My son was confused when I told him this because it was quite large, and I’d been spotting fossils much, much smaller. I had to explain how I wasn’t seeing it because I wasn’t expecting it. I was expecting smaller; therefore, my eyes were only seeing what I was expecting to see. My eyes were searching for what I had envisioned. That’s what I was focusing on. What my vision was became what I saw rather than what was actually there. My expectations changed my view of reality.

Just like those fossils, who we expect to see in the mirror is who we become. So, when the question came up of who I was, I realized that my perception was changing the answer to the question. Instead of answering the question of who I was through God’s eyes, I was answering the question with who I saw myself being from my own eyes. I was missing the big picture, because of my small vision. I was overlooking all the things that was placed directly in front of my eyes.

The answer to the question is no! I wasn’t seeing who God was seeing. I needed the owl’s questions to help my vision line up with His. I challenge you to ask yourself those same questions by looking through the lens of God. Are you passing over the big because you’re focused on the small, even though it’s right in front of you?

Who are you? A good first answer should be, “A child of the Most High God.” Try using that lens to start answering the other questions and get in alignment with Him. Don’t let your preconceived perceptions change the reality of who you are when you’ve clothed yourself with Christ!

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9

In the middle of a little town square there was a large Christmas tree decorated with beautiful, big ornaments just calling mothers to take a picture of their children standing in front of it. My hubby and youngest were in front of us while my oldest and I were walking a few feet behind. We were enjoying the festive feeling when my eyes were drawn to a little boy standing in front of that Christmas tree. His mother was attempting without much luck to get that coveted Christmas photo. She was standing there telling her son to smile while the child glared at the camera with a face of bored disgust.

My oldest saw what was happening and turned to me. I’m not sure if it was my imagination, but I swear he was wearing a wicked grin on his face. I kept myself under control for a short while, then I lost it. I leaned over and between laughs I said, “That’s the exact same face you make when I want to take your picture.” I got no disagreement from him, just a big smile. His response made me laugh even harder which caused him to crack-up too.

After convincing my hubby we weren’t making fun of him, my youngest cringed and had a look of commiseration on his face for the young boy after being told what we saw. What about the poor mother? She probably just wanted a picture to make Christmas cards like I do every single year…which I don’t have…for the first time…EVER! It wasn’t that we didn’t have the perfect settings because we did. It wasn’t even that it’s a miserable thing every year because we tend to have fun.

I learned early on that if laughter wasn’t involved, we weren’t getting a good picture. It may take a hundred silly ones to get that one good one, but it eventually happened. Granted, there was one year that I thought a broken arm would be a possibility too, since the boys insisted on climbing trees in their good clothes just because it would look cool for the picture.  That year my eye may have twitched just a little more than normal.

I’m not sure what it was this year that made the boys not really want pictures taken. I’m not even positive why I didn’t force the issue. Was it simply being a little lazy or could it have been something more. I’m aware that if they didn’t want to have pictures taken, they would’ve gone into it with the wrong attitudes. This would not have made it an enjoyable experience like the previous years. I didn’t want a miserable day being a part of our lasting memories even if there was a fake smile on their face for everybody else to see.

It wasn’t that the boys were totally against pictures for Christmas cards, they were against the typical posing while forcing a smile just to send to people they don’t get to see very often. They wanted to do a more unconventional card. They wanted me to take pictures of them fishing…catching the big one. You know, even Jesus liked fishermen. They wanted me to catch them doing the things they loved. They believe in showing real joy, not just a fake smile to plaster on a card. I respect that.

Since I’m missing a Christmas card, maybe I can get a picture of them fishing with their wide grins and say something like, “We hope you had a Merry Christmas and you keep reeling in love, joy, and peace all through the New Year!” Why are we sending pictures of our children on the day we celebrate Jesus’s birth anyway? It’s not about us, it’s about Him!

Now that I’ve worked out the whole picture thing in my mind, I must tell you what really stuck with me. My boys didn’t want to have fake smiles…you know the ones I’m talking about. The ones where it looks like the sun is in their eyes even though they’re inside, where it looks like they’re in pain and their faces are all scrunched up, where it looks more like a grimace than a smile on their faces.

How often do we go around with a smile on the outside, but unhappiness, pain, jealousy, or even bitterness on the inside? Are there ever times when we aren’t genuine with our smile or our love? Like a sincere smile, sincere love can be discerned by others. Those compliments given that weren’t really meant, the kindness that was shown because it would look good, or even the smile (yes, that smile) that was flashed to someone without brotherly love behind it can be seen by the receiver.

I challenge you to work on your sincerity and let a genuine love shine through your smiles today. Too many times we turn people away with hypocrisy. As Christians, we need to turn away from what Satan loves and turn toward what Jesus loves. That’s the best way to find sincere love. If not for that, we’ll keep putting on our fake smiles and even if we aren’t grimacing on the outside, we’ll certainly be doing it on the inside.

For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers. Proverbs 11:14

When I was feeling incredibly off the other day, I sent an email to a trusted friend that simply said, “I’m overwhelmed. Can you help me put things into perspective?” I recognized that I wasn’t seeing things right. I was very thankful for the blessings in my life, but I was aware that my feelings were messing with my mind. I needed some wise counsel.

After I opened her return email, I realized she didn’t give me a figurative pat on the head and tell me to take a deep breath. Sometimes we need that, but more often we need to allow our eyes to be open to things we forget about as we live in our own little world. I can count on her to see deeper and help me recognize I’m having a pity-party for one.

It’s so easy to get trapped into all the stuff that isn’t going right or how our bodies are feeling, but if we just put a hold on all that for a second, a new perspective can totally change our attitude. She took quite some time and put a whole lot of thought into her response for me that made a huge impact. I opened her email to find a list.

The list I received contained many items that I don’t have to suffer through that so many do. It also listed what I can do that many can’t. It even focused on what I have, but take for granted. She told me that I just needed to be smart and not let the devil make me feel down. What she did was give me a view of my life through her eyes. She didn’t just write a bunch of stuff to make me feel bad; she did it to make me know how loved by God I am.

My friend and advisor has lived through some rough times, loss, and things that I probably will never understand without experiencing. Through her eyes, I was able to see my life in a new way. It was hard to hear some of what was on that list because of the harshness that is out there that others have to face. The cruelty that I haven’t faced, along with the blessings that my family has, gave me a new appreciation of my life. I just need to refer to that list when I feel that negativity coming over me. I start thanking God for the blessings that I wouldn’t have even thought about, if not for her.

Hal Donaldson told us in his book Your Next 24 Hours: One Day of Kindness Can Change Everything to provide perspective. He said, “You may have physical or emotional scars of your own, which serve as a reminder of what you’ve been through. No life experience should be wasted, because crises teach patience, empathy, and perseverance. Don’t hesitate to pass along the lessons you’ve learned to a friend or family member who is searching for understanding.”

We’re all on a path to good things and a journey from God. If there’s a problem we can fix, it’s not really a problem. If it’s a problem we can’t fix, we know Someone who can. Either way, what do we have to get overwhelmed and down about? We always have the Source to get the resources. During that difficult time for me, God provided the resource that I needed. If she wasn’t willing to take the time and thought to put together a list that combined what she’s experienced, I wouldn’t have had that new understanding of what I’ve been given in my life.

Don’t let your life experiences be wasted. Don’t brush off someone who’s asking for your help. Take the time to invest in someone’s life today. I’m so thankful for the many people who really care and who are willing to invest in me. It’s important that I pass on the kindness. I challenge you to do it too.

Also, know that you never have to shoulder burdens on your own. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help like I did because you never know how a response could change your life. If you don’t get what you need from the first person you go to, it probably means that person just doesn’t know how to respond to your request.  Try someone else until relief is found. It’s hard to be vulnerable like that, but even harder to feel alone.

It’s much easier to go to someone who is trustworthy and who strives to give Godly advice. It’s important to cultivate those relationships that will build you up and hold you accountable. Part of my prayer every single day for years was that I’d be a good friend, and that God would put people into my life who would build me up and hold me accountable. I recognized one day that he answered my prayer in abundance…thank you God! If you don’t have that network of friends and advisors, start praying. He’ll provide!

You might even want to ask someone today to make you the kind of list I received.  If they want, you can do the same for them.  It’s important to realize our own blessings, but it sometimes takes the perspective of another person to see our life in a greater way.

 

 

And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11

I got a fantastic Christmas present the other day! I was so excited for my Ihre Weihnachtspyramide from Germany…a Christmas Pyramid. My oldest decided he was going to read the instructions for me, and I was so proud. Those years of studying German were paying off because he was reading them with a fluency that absolutely amazed me! No wonder I was amazed at how well he was doing, he found the English translation.

Anyway, I had seen one of these traditional German decorations years ago, but they aren’t something I encounter often. The history talks about how these were substitutes for Christmas trees. You see, only the wealthy had real trees. Today, we see elaborate Pyramid designs that usually show the birth of Christ, winter scenes, or Christmas themes. They have candles on them that when lit, they create warmth that makes a propeller at the top spin and the pyramid turn.

As I was watching the pyramid (which I thought was just a circle) for several days, I kept thinking how our life is a lot like that. I was feeling like there are times when I just circle around the same issues over and over again…round and round I go, but I was challenged to look at circles in a deeper way. That’s when I started seeing circles everywhere! Keep your eyes open today to see if you can understand what I mean. It’s amazing how they pop out when you’re looking for them.

Here are some of the circles that I was challenged to look a little deeper into, and what I came up with:

Archery Target: Like an archery target, the bullseye is God. It’s what we aim for and keep our eyes on. It isn’t always easy though. We can think of a baby’s bottle. The nipple for the bottle is necessary for a baby to get what is needed to survive and thrive. However, most of the nipple won’t get them what they need. They need to find that tiny opening within that nipple, just like we need to find the one way for us to get nourished.

Orbits of Planets: God is like the sun shining so brightly in the center. Whenever things are going right, we’re like Mercury orbiting the sun. The people in our life are like the other planets. We have our inner circles and outer circles, but when everything is orbiting correctly, no other planet gets between Mercury and the sun. We may keep going in circles like on a track, seemingly getting nowhere. What isn’t seen on the outside is that with every lap, we’re getting stronger inside. As long as we are going in circles with our eyes on God and our ears hearing Him and learning from Him, we’re getting stronger too. This has a lot to do with priorities.

Bohr Model: God is positive like the nucleus in the Bohr model. Like the sun and planets, we want to stay closest to that nucleus. Satan is negative like the negative electrons. We have to be careful that the people around us aren’t being used by Satan to send out his negativity. The negativity will keep them from getting too close to the nucleus. That’s why we have to stay close to the nucleus, so that we can’t get too much negativity that will exhaust us.

We need to be careful who’s closest to us in our inner circles. I’m not saying that we don’t have contact with those who could affect us negatively. I’m saying that we need to move those people into our outer circle where we’ll be able to positively help them, but they won’t pull us away from where we’re heading.

When the negative people in our lives have free contact with us and grasp us during a vulnerable time, it would be easy for us to be turned away from God and to their issues or our “feelings”. It’s like glow in the dark clothing. It needs to be charged from the light first before they’ll glow. Leave it too long away from the light, then it loses its glow. We need to be able to stay charged so we don’t lose our glow when dealing with the challenges.

Electron Cloud: The electron cloud picture made me think of that ride that I stepped into at an amusement park. I was able to walk all around the inside until it started to spin. The centripetal force pulled me further from the center and the “eye of the hurricane” and into an area where I had no control of my body. God is the eye. This is a lot like being around people who are poison to our thoughts because of their thoughts and choices. Too much of that makes their grip on us so strong that moving forward again is almost impossible.

Tunnel: When we first enter a tunnel, it’s scary and dark. We’re uncomfortable. However, our eyes become acclimated quickly to our new surroundings. If we continue on the journey, the dark gives way to a beautiful light. We’re walking into new areas that have been made just for us. It’s worth facing our nerves and unease in order to get to the other side. That other side has unimaginable paths for us. Paths that God has put in place.

The tunnel helps us realize that even though we made it through and gives us more confidence to walk through the next tunnel, it’s not worth facing the dark places again to go back to what we’ve already experienced. You see, the Lord is guiding us in those dark, scary places. He’s making us stronger! We’ll be glowing in His glory as we come out the other side. If we turn back…He’s not there. He’s left our past path and is excited for us to step with Him into our bright future.

Wheels: Wheels go round and round, repeating the same motions over and over again. The important thing is that they aren’t standing still. They are being propelled forward. Also, as wheels turn in circles, they allow the mud to be flung off and become cleaner just like our baggage and negativity can be flung off. This is a lot like water being thrown off during the spin cycle of a washing machine.

Caterpillar: I was told that if you look at a caterpillar from an end, it’s a circle before it turns into a butterfly. Circles transform, transport, and cause you to transcend.

We could find circles and meanings all day long, but what I really believe is that we need to remember that every end has a new beginning. Like a target, let our bullseye be God at the center of our lives. Like the planets, continue to orbit The Son. Like the Bohr Model, don’t let the negativity pull us away from the positivity. Like the Electron Cloud, stay in the eye of the hurricane when the storm is raging all around. Like a tunnel, go through, but don’t go back. When we feel like we’re just going around in circles, let’s remember the wheels that might be turning in circles, but are being propelled forward. Finally, like a caterpillar, transform, transport, and transcend.

I believe that there is a rearrangement going on. People and activities are being put in the best possible place within the circles of our lives. We may start out with our Creator and end with our Creator, but the journey in-between can be an exhausting trip or an exhilarating adventure. We just need to follow God’s guidance in where the proper places for those people, activities, and even our thoughts are put within our circle. Some just may need to be sent to outer space!

During those hard times when you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere and are going around in circles, realize that’s ok! When we’re going in circles, it doesn’t mean we aren’t going forward. Let’s keep our eye on the Lord who will guide us and take care of us. The One who doesn’t fail. The One who has the answers and who will make us strong. The One is He who will transform, transport, and allow us to transcend!