What You Really Need to Know About Marriage

It was close to nine years ago that they all wished us well with a “Congratulations” or something of the like.  They were joyful and celebrated our special day with us, showered us with cards and gifts.  But no one ever told us what marriage really meant, what it really meant for two to become one.

The "unity candles" you light don’t end when that white pillar is placed in a pretty box.  You will take your light and unite it with that of your love, making one single light burn bright.  And you’ll snuff your old light out to find a new togetherness.  And it’s no wonder those pretty candles burn on the altar because when that pretty candle is tucked away, your lives need to stay right there where they became one - at the altar.   

       “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be  joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”  Genesis 2:24 

The honeymoon may have it’s share of road bumps and maybe even road blocks.  There will be things that catch you off guard and you may not have the island getaway that some do.  But you should soak in it, and be there - totally there, because when life comes at you, you’ll go back here and reminisce on those first days together.  Take lots of pictures.  One day you’ll pull out those photos and remember the innocent bliss of new found territory and you’ll fall in love all over again.  

 Everyone will have their opinion on your children.  When you should have them, how many you should have, when to try again and when to quit.  But this journey is one that only you and your spouse will travel together.  Others may be on the sidelines cheering you on but it is one another that you will need to lean on.  And as you do, make that known to one another:  hold her tight when the blue lines don’t show, and let him be there with you, let him hold you and know it’s okay to break for one another.  It’s okay to not be strong, because you aren’t in this alone.  If you are both weak, together you can lean on Him who is your Strength.

 “Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you."  Isaiah 41:10

There will come a time when bills need paid, jobs need finished, the car needs repaired, the house needs work, the in-laws need visited, the chores need done…and times when it all happens at once.  There will be too much of it and you’ll both be stretched thin - emotionally, financially, physically and spiritually.  During these times you will be tempted to blame one another.  Do. Not. These are the times that miracles happen.  Literal, parting the Red Sea like miracles, when God can display His work in your lives.  It may be painful but put down your pointing finger and reach out your hand.  Go through it together because when you look back you will find that these were the times that refined your faith and you’ll be better for it.

“Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.  But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, lacking in nothing.” James 1:3-4 AMP

We are all human and we all have this nagging tendency to do it our own way.  When everything inside of you is screaming to get in the last word, instead of holding your ground, hold your tongue.  It has the power to destroy that heart you love so dearly.  Don’t let it.  And if something is said, don’t let it go thinking that you didn’t really mean it.  Go to them and humble yourself to ask forgiveness and speak life.  

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue”  Proverbs 18:21

Two lives don’t always come together with ease.  You will need to sacrifice some of your own wants and desires, your own habits and even your own dreams.  When you need to, it doesn’t make your spouse any less of a lover.  They too are making sacrifices even if you don’t realize it.  When you set aside your own wants, you become a tangible Jesus.  It was He who gave it all for you.  

 “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all.” 

Romans 8:32

One day the sparks and butterflies will begin to fade.  But don’t settle for it, be intentional about it.  Society will tell you it’s chemical and try to put out the spark or encourage you to find other ways to keep it burning.  

So when life pulls you away

    the work…the kids…the family…the friends…
                            the groups…the sports…the deadlines…
                a society overwhelmed with pornography, prostitution,
                                                    masturbation and lust

                                                                         you need to pull in close to each other.  

As with any spark, it is up to you to make it a flame burning hot.  That may mean filtering your schedule:  taking on a less demanding job and trusting God more; quitting the team because your other half needs his/her teammate;  saying no to the outing with friends because what you really need is time with your best friend.  It may mean intentionally planning a date night. It may mean staying up late because it’s the only time you can be alone.  Make it happen.  And not out of duty or obligation, but out of love for one another and out of a passion whose fire can burn long and beautifully.  

          “Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.” 

Proverbs 5:15

               “Flood waters can’t drown love, torrents of rain can’t put it out.”

              Song of Songs 8:6-7 MSG

Those date nights that once were filled with romantic evenings for two, candlelight and planning will not always be that way.  One day you’ll trade a night out for a night in.  You’ll decline the dinner reservations for a delivered pizza.  You’ll cringe at the thought of squeezing into your best outfit and you’ll choose to put on the oversized sweatshirt and pajama pants.  You’ll consider a walk on a dirt-road, a quiet stream to fish in, a tree-stand for two and a picnic blanket some of the best dates.  And it’s okay if a date night is simply falling asleep in one another’s arms because it’s all you have left at the end of the day.  Plan times to be alone together, keep on dating, it’s really that important.  

If you have children you will need to know the best advice I’ve ever heard:  

GOD.  MARRIAGE.  KIDS.  

That order.  Always.  Because when the wise man whispered it after a dinner spent watching the two of them lean on one another and laugh with each other and seeing their eyes still shine - I knew he knew.  And I breathed a sigh of relief at just how right he was.  One day your babies will outgrow your lovely nest and you need to have a good, solid foundation when they do.   Be careful to not lose your realtionship in relating to your little ones.  It’s okay to take them to grandma’s just so you can focus on one another for longer than three short seconds without whines, cries, demands or questions.  It’s okay to call an early bed time because you need a little more time with your love.  These things don’t make you bad parents - they make you better parents.  Parenting will undo you, it will change your lives entirely, make the change together.  

Your marriage began at the altar and that’s where it needs to stay.  When one of you gets up and walks away, which you will because we all fall short, the other should push him back.  We get to celebrate our love’s victories and see them at their best, but we must not turn away when they hit rock bottom and when we see them at their worst.  These are the times our love needs our love, His love, the most.  We made the commitment the day we lit the candle and placed the ring on one another’s finger and we need to commit every day of our lives to living up to our promise.  For better or for worse.  Bring them back to the foot of the cross, kicking and wailing if you must, but back to the Loving care of Him who holds you both together.  

When you least expect it, you may be on the receiving end of a confession.  Listen with grace, the same grace that He extended to you when He sent His Only Son. Stay humble and hear the heart behind the hurt and extend forgiveness even if it feels undeserved.  Because soon enough you may be on the other side and find yourself needing to admit your wrong-doing.  In those moments you will need forgiveness and grace as well.  And when you can’t find the strength, ask Him who supplies all our needs and extend it through Him.  He is faithful.  If you can find humility in the darkest days, you can shine the very light of Christ to the one you love.  Keep your heart tender toward your love and tender toward your God.

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you,      with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31,32

Make it a habit to pray for one another.  Write your prayers down, pray them boldly, believe big things for your love.   Insert their name in scripture and claim promises over their lives.  God has graciously given you the gift to spend your life with this one.single.person.  Use it wisely.  Don’t waste a minute of it.  Storm the gates of Heaven and Earth with prayers for him/her.  Share your burdens.  Be vulnerable and courageous.  Praying for one another and with one another will bring an intimacy to your marriage that no bedroom can produce.

One day that hand that you place that shining ring on will be frail.  The lines will tell the story of your lives.  And when that time comes you’re going to want to be there.  You’re going to want to hold that hand when your time is running out.  Because in those moments what really matters is the love you shared.  The job, the work, the hobbies, the others…they fade into the background.  

What will matter is the life and the love that you shared

...together...

There I sat, witnessing love when all else faded away and those two frail hands were holding tight one last time.  She couldn't say it enough:

“You’re the best friend I ever had, I love you…I love you.” 

“Thank you for the beautiful life you’ve given me.  I love you.”

He asked for her coat because when he could barely utter anything he still worried about her and cared for her.  It’s what he knew to do - to love her beyond himself.  Just like the Savior he loved so dearly did for him.

With tears in his fading eyes he said back, three words whispered

                                                                              “…I love you.”


He looked right in the eyes of my husband, my best friend, my love and he said
“Take care of my baby.”  And that blue-eyed love of mine choked back tears and promised him that he would.

Because the Home-bound man knew what my love and I had.  

And I knew it.

I knew he would take care of his bride that is undeserving of the beautiful life and love that he continues to give me.  Because I mess up, I get it wrong, I’ve held my ground when I should have held my tongue. I have gotten up and walked hard away from the altar.  I’ve been on the receiving end of a confession and I’ve also fallen on my knees begging for forgiveness, forgiveness that I gave and that he gave…the first time we asked.  I’ve had to drag that boy with all my might back to the altar and God bless him for bringing me back kicking and wailing.  

He loves me beyond himself, just as I love him.  

It’s not about the wedding day - the white dress, the boutonniere, the perfect colors, the flowers or the dancing.  It’s not about the cards and the gifts and the well-wishes.  It’s not about how the tiered cake stood perfectly, if it stood at all.  It’s not about the big or the fancy, the invitations or the favors.

It’s about the wedding of two lives together as one - the healing after being broken, the standing after falling, the arms that caught you when you fell and the eyes that hold your gaze.  It’s about patience, forgiveness, grace and mercy.  It’s about standing by one another’s side to celebrate the good days and staying closely there when you face your worst.  It’s about finding beauty in the uncovered body that has stretched and grown and wrinkled in time.  It’s about the love that thrives:
                                        baked in the warm cookies,
                                            given in the welcome home kiss,
                                                 made between the crisp sheets,
                                                     grounded in the morning devotions
                                                         and grown deeper as the time goes by.

It’s about the legacy you leave behind, a life of love that will outlive you both.  It’s about remembering the flame you lit together and staying right there where you began - at the altar.

“Marriage is a crucifixion and you’re not meant to survive it.” 

Charles Stanley

The Mercy of Mamahood

It was a day of emptying.  One last load of laundry lingered, fresh Downy scented towels to wrap the washed.  But it would need to wait because the ones in need of a washing were too busy getting dirty.  Big brother dug a “pond” and three times the clothes of the littlest had to be changed.  Sand was carried and sand was then poured.   The porch was swept three times as the littlest explored and carried in his findings.  The chickens climbed the stairs to our deck and after being chased down by the puppy went straight to eat our new bird seed.  Then we were all chasing chickens.  A favorite meal was started but milk was needed and no where to be found.  I made a way, us mothers have a way of making a way.  They all came in, along with the sand and leaves and footprints.  The house that just got put back together was torn apart by life being lived in no time.   A toilet was found and shoes were thrown in.  The sink that was clean was now filled again.  So I stood there, poured the white soap out and I washed.  I got the broom out and once again I swept away the dirt.  Not because I like it, but because I love them.

We survived that day of emptying and this Mama needed time to herself and time with her love.  But us mom’s usually never have much time on our hands.  So time was made for Him, for me and for my love by setting aside sleep for just awhile longer.

Then morning quickly came.  A house full and filled with three still young enough to cuddle and hug and appreciate along with a puppy to greet you with a wagging tail.  A morning should be, could be expected to be, something far from what this morning was.  This morning came with the littlest waking early clenching my cheeks in his tiny fists.  Followed by him sitting his in-need-of-a-changing sweet little bum right on my head.  My glasses were stolen and in an attempt to recover them my glasses were thrown.  Because this Mama simply can’t keep up.  The puppy with a wagging tail was forgotten the night before, never put in her pen and we woke to her “mess.”  Good morning mama.

I stood outside with our pup, asking God how a house so full could not only fill me but simultaneously empty me.  How a morning with so many little hearts in our home could seem like such a wreck.  I really didn't even had time to catch my breath from the day before.  Or honestly, the day before that and the one before that.  But I was reminded of this high-calling of mama hood.  One that totally undoes us.  The role of mama: filled to be emptied again.  Emptied of ourselves to make more room for Him.  Because we.are.blessed.  And we are lavished with grace to get through and bring us to our knees in gratitude before a Savior who has done it for us.  We can barely stand at the end of some days, days the kids run us dry, days the husband and the friends and the work wrings us out.  We can barely stand and we don’t have to.  We can fall helplessly, completely, surrendered at the foot of the cross.
     
We can get it wrong.
We can get undone.
We can not be enough.

Set aside our guilt and receive His grace.

Grace that washes our sins white as snow, helping us get it right.
Grace that cleans our hearts time after time, lavishes itself and puts us together.
Not because we deserve it but because He loves us and He is enough.  

One mom outnumbered by three kids.  Three little mouths to feed, needs to meet and voices to be heard.  One set of hands to bake, to wash, to hold and one pair of ears to hear.  One mind to listen to and nourish the minds of three high paced, relentless beings.  And whether it’s three or two or one or five, us mom’s always seem to be outnumbered.

A mama of little ones will spend her days filled: little hands to hold, kisses to give, lullaby's to sing, hurts to mend, meals to bake, the dirty to wash, a lap to cover and priceless artwork to receive.  While she is filling, she will pour herself out.  Because that’s what a mama does, it’s her gift to her children:

To pour her life into the precious lives she’s been blessed to nourish, care for and grow.  

Because that's what Christ did, His mercy poured out on the cross for us, it was His gift to us:

He poured His Life out for us that we may have life to the full, be healed and saved.  

That’s the mercy of motherhood.

A Declaration of Blessedness

Matthew 5:1-12  The Beatitudes, the very first words making up the Sermon on the Mount, a declaration of blessedness.

The world we live in screams that we are blessed for earthly matters.  Hollywood glamour, fashion trends, excess money, a degree, a smooth, wide road to travel, all our wants received and our circumstances favorable.  But true blessedness, the blessedness that Jesus teaches, is raw and gritty.  It puts others before self and God above all.  

Your are BLESSED when:

• you're at the end of your rope.
• you feel you've lost what is most dear to you.
• you're content with just who you are - no more, no less.
• you've worked up a good appetite for God.
• you care and you're 'care-full'.
• you get your inside world - your mind and your heart - put right.
• you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete and fight.
• your commitment to God provokes persecution.
• people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit Jesus.

And in our BLESSEDNESS we find:

1. With less of ourselves, there's more room for God.  
2. We are able to be embraced by the One most dear to us.
3. We are proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
4. He's food and drink in the best meal we'll ever eat.
5. We are cared for.
6. We can see God in the outside world.
7. Who we really are and our place in God's family.
8. Persecution drives us even deeper into God's kingdom.
9. We are in good company.

In stark comparison to the shouts of the world our Father whispers louder that BLESSED are: 

• the poor in spirit.
• those who mourn.
• the meek.
• those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
• the merciful.
• the pure in heart.
• the peacemakers.
• those who are persecuted because of righteousness.

For His promise is that they:

1. Will be comforted.
2. Will inherit the earth (Rev. 21:1)
3. Will be filled.
4. Will be shown mercy.
5. Will see God.
6. Will be called sons of God.

And that theirs is:

• the kingdom of God
• the kingdom of heaven

Great is their reward in heaven!

We get caught up in the shouts of the world and we miss the whispers of our Savior who climbed the mountainside.  Our every day blessings that the Father is pouring out so readily are shadowed by the lies of a dark kingdom.  

I get caught up in the sorrow of losing a life that shaped and molded mine since birth.  

I get caught up in the days drawing near to the day our first baby was born into heaven.

I get caught up in the noise and clutter of my home when I simply need a moment to be still and breathe. 

I get caught up in the loss of a childhood safe haven and the reality that all things of this earth fade away.  

I get caught up in hurrying to get it all done and fit it all in.

I get caught up in the demands of mamahood, homemaking, homeschooling, community, family when there's too much of it all and not enough of me.

So if you're with me on this, if you're caught up in the shouts and have trouble finding the solid rock in which you stand.  If you feel like you're falling and maybe failing and you're weary and in need of a rescue...

Let us climb away from the shouting and find a quiet place.  Let us turn our wandering hearts to our Savior above, to fix our eyes on His love, 

                                                             on His redemption, 

                                                                       on His healing 

                                                                             and His strength.  

To allow ourselves to let go of the cares of this world and get caught up in His grace. 

May we be part of the committed ones who are willing to climb the mountainside to find a quiet place, away from the shouts of darkness, to hear the whispers of our Savior.

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."                             Isaiah 41:10

"So the ransomed of the LORD shall return,  And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads.  They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away."  Isaiah 51:11

 "Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you."  1 Peter 5:7

"Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise."  Jeremiah 17:14

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."                     2 Corinthians 12:9 

A Call to Us Lovers of Christ

How much of our giving is really getting?

How much of our offering is really receiving?  

And if our giving is getting and our offering is receiving, is it really counted as righteous, counted as cost?  

Us lovers of Christ are to be, should really, be a reflection of Christ.  Oh but we get it so wrong.  

We give to help the hurting yet walk away ourselves with our own hands or our own stomachs full.

Christ gave to have His very self poured out.  And the emptying of Himself did not stop Him from giving it all.  

What if all this that we are getting for giving was instead given to those hungry, hurting and those whose souls were as thirsty as their parched mouths?  What if we truly reached out as Jesus did, to touch and to heal and to give of ourselves instead of reaching out to take back?  How many lives would be turned right around?  How many souls would be satisfied?  

We hand over our portion set aside yet still have more than enough for ourselves.   We live hand in hand with the lost, the broken, the desolate and weary yet we fail to notice.  We fail to see and fail to care all while claiming to be a missionary, a minister, a Christ-lover.  Oh, we have it all wrong.

Instead of asking “What would Jesus do?” why don’t we set aside our opinion and ask “What did Jesus do?”  Because if Christ is who we claim, then Christ should be who we seek.  

Jesus didn’t love from a distance, He walked alongside the least of these.

Jesus reached out and touched the untouchable leper.  He saw the soul behind the wounds.

Jesus allowed the outcast to come right up beside Him and He healed, taught and poured out.

And when the time came to give it all, He sweat drops of blood as He cried to His Father to remove the cup.  But when the cup remained, He drank it full.  He paid the price.

In return He received nails and a crown of thorns.


When His offering was placed on the cross He didn’t walk away with….

a “free” book
a baked good
candy
soup
a filled basket
pride
a boost in ego
a tax write off.

But we do.  And we claim it as Christ-like.  


But what if when we gave and received if we’d give again?  What if that “free” book was prayed over and given to a lost soul?  What if that baked good was given to the family struggling to feed a table full?  What if that candy was placed in the hands of a child whose parents shamefully say no at the check out because they can’t afford more than the apples and ramen noodles?  What if the soup was placed in a bowl of the elderly couple whose frail hands and trembling legs can’t much stand to cook a healthy meal?  What if the basket was given as a thank you to the teller or the cashier or the waitress?  What if the pride and boost of ego was traded for the giving of more until humility sets in?  And what if the tax write off was matched to give once more?


What if we gave before there was something in return to receive?

What if we met a need before it was seen by most?


Us lovers of Christ can be used by Christ to really be like Christ.  We have the ability to reach a lost and broken world if we should set aside ourselves long enough to not get in the way.  Our God who is all-knowing has things to show us, things He needs our eyes to see.  He wants us that claim Jesus to live with eyes open, not willfully blinded.  He has hurting hearts that need His healing touch through us.  He has uncharted territory for us to walk, as His feet, to reach lost and lonely souls in need of a Savior.

What if our giving was really just that, giving?

And what if our offering was what it should be, like that of Christ’s,  a sacrifice?

“This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know that we belong to the truth.”  1 John 3:16-19 NIV

“Christ sacrificed his life for us.  This is why we ought  to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves.”  1 John 3:16 MSG

Why the Duck Dynasty Calendar Made Our Wall

Our family calendar is an important thing in our home.  Not only does it keep us all on track but it’s where I record everything from big events to seemingly little memories.  As I begin a new calendar, I take time to go back and reminisce through the year before.  Whatever calendar is chosen will remain year to year to look back upon for memories - it’s kind of a big deal.

Since December of last year I had my chosen calendar ready to take its new place on our door.  It had inspirational quotes and I was loving the design.  I’m one for details and mostly everything that makes a shelf or a wall in our home must match or have special meaning.

For Christmas my husband got a Duck Dynasty calendar: camouflaged and complete with the bearded men themselves.  I’m a fan of the show but not so much to the extent of hanging the calendar in the center of our home. Truthfully, I didn’t think he’d even ask but he did and the great debate began!  We jokingly went back and forth about which calendar would make the wall for the year.  I laughed until I realized he wasn’t kidding about hanging the camouflaged, bearded men photos to look at every day for the next twelve months and then reminisce on for…well the rest of our lives.  This would be the calendar that would hold many of our baby’s firsts and many of our lasts as parents to a toddler.  It would be the calendar to hold our girl’s first year of soccer and her start of school.  Milestones, moments, memories, captured for a lifetime.

One of my favorite men from the show is Uncle Si.  In an attempt to win me over, Randy turned to a page with a photo of the wild-eyed old man.  And for that reason, it made our wall.  Not because of my “old man crush” but because of what it said:

“If you’re too busy to duck hunt, you’re too busy.”

That was the end of the great calendar debate.  He won.  Because those words pierced my heart.  You see, these are men who stay rooted regardless of fame or fortune.  They have been known to turn down interviews simply because it was duck season.  They have been known for their open belief in and outspoken stand for God.  God, family and ducks come first just as it always has.  And this heart needed that kind of reminder.

The past year had added a lot to our schedule and I had strayed from the roots in which my foundation was laid.  There wasn’t enough time for the things that mattered most.  There was much coming before the hearts in our home, before family and some things even before God.  I may not duck hunt (yet…I do have my request in to my husband!) but I was too busy for my foundation which means I was too busy.

“You shall have no other Gods before me”

Exodus 20:3

“Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.  

Then your faith will grow strong in the Truth…”   

 Colossians 2:7

The calendar hangs on our wall and is a continual reminder of the simple things in life.  Reminders to be “Happy, Happy, Happy” and that family always comes first.  Along with a few quotes about squirrels and rednecks which I’m claiming as reminders to not take life so seriously and laugh a little.  Or a lot.

Transitioning from staying busy to staying simple is not as easy as it may seem.  There are habits to change and forgiveness to be received.  There are changes to routines and filtering out of things that became expected.  There are lessons for this home schooling mama to teach as well as lessons for this mama to learn.  There is a lot of humility and even more grace.  But it is all well worth it.  I love more deeply, laugh harder and see God more.  Even our dog found a new home by my side.

When we stretch ourselves too thin, there isn’t much room for us to fill.  

Keep it simple, stay grounded, grow your roots down deep and you will find more life and love than you ever imagined.  

If you’re too busy for that, you’re too busy!

“He fills my life with good things!”

Psalm 103:5

Shriveled Hands

“Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.  Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.  

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save or to kill?”  But they remained silent.”  Mark 3:1-4

This man likely learned to work with his bent hand but was never the less held back by it.  His hand couldn’t reach out fully or grasp tightly.  This mans hand represents for many of us an area of our lives that has left us wounded, unhealed, held back.  An area that we can’t fix, one that we can’t make better so we learn to live around.  Most of us live our lives this way, working around our “shriveled hands” and missing our full potential.  There are areas of our lives that are broken and seem to have no answer, no cure and we search to find a shallow, way to deal with those pains that cripple us.

“He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at the stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch our your hand.”  

He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.”  Mark 3:5

Jesus doesn’t ask for the man’s healthy hand.  Jesus has no use in that moment for the man’s healthy hand.  He asks for the shriveled hand.  The hand that is in need of a healing from the Healer.  And it is in the stretching of the bent and crippled toward Christ that complete restoration is found.

The law of the Sabbath said he couldn’t heal that day.  The opinion of the Pharisees said he couldn’t heal that day.  But Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.  He is the Healer who comes to us
                   any day,
                       any time,
                           absolutely any where when our hands reach out to his.  Because He is waiting for us.   He doesn’t want us cleaned up, put together and polished off because all those self-help, self-righteous ways are things he can’t work with.  If we’re already put together, already cleaned up then we don’t need him.  When we do this on our own we settle for less-than and incomplete as though it is good enough.  We figure we can manage the pain on our own or mask where we are broken.  But we can’t.  It all comes out, it all will show itself in time.

He asks us to stretch out our shriveled hand.  The hand that is bent, the hand that is beyond repair; incurable; ugly.  Not to shame us but to show us.  He wants us to witness His complete restoration.  A total restoring that only comes through One.

I have been there with that hand.  And I not only learned to work with it, I also hid it under sleeves of perfection and of good works; sleeves of shame and guilt.  I didn’t want to give Him that hand.  I wanted to give Him the hand that I thought looked good, that I thought would be pleasing to Him.  And to that hand He says:

“No… that’s not the hand I ask for.  That hand that you think is good is one that I see as self-righteous.  You’ve already done the work on your own, you’ve settled for less than what I am offering.  And what that hand has built on its own will all fall.  It can not stand.  So put it down.  Because I died for your crippled hand.  I died for that hand that you hide in shame.  I died for that hand that you feel is unworthy because I alone am worthy.  That hand that you see as a disgrace, I see as beautiful. I see that hand as redeemable because I know the cure and I have the answer, I am the Answer.  But I need you to reach that hand out to me.”

That hand slowly reached out from under the sleeves and toward our Healer.  As it did, the full weight of all the shame and guilt and pain that the shriveled hand represented came down so heavily on my heart that I thought I might suffocate.  In that moment of abandoning it to Christ and feeling the crushing weight of my sin and my wounds, He breathed life.  
                                                 Burden released,
                                                                   sin forgiven,
                                                                           mercy a new.  A breath of complete restoration.

No law or opinion made by man holds back our Father from grabbing hold of an outstretched hand of His child.  There is no distance too long or shame too much for His Love to cover.

Stand up and stretch out your shriveled hand to a Savior who has a healing glory to show you.

Love Stories

I’ve been a wreck this week.  Somehow I keep coming across the most heart-breaking, awe-inspiring stories that have simply reminded me of just how fragile this life is.  It is brief, it is uncontrollable, it is so far beyond us.  Yet it is glorious, it is beautiful and all together magnificent.  It breaks us, bends us, molds us and shapes us, all while defining us.


At the sound of His voice it began.

          “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” Genesis 1:3

At His breathe the seasons turn.

          “…he breathes on winter - suddenly it’s spring!”  Psalm 147:16-18 MSG

And His Love is displayed.

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”  Psalm 8:1,9



This week started with a YouTube video of Eric Ludy’s “The Gospel”.  It is a video that is a bold reminder of who we are and Whose we are.  It is one that, if you allow the words to sink in, will absolutely wreck your life for Him.

“I’m sending you out to be a victor.  My children will not lose…I will come in and make my home, I will take those hands of yours and make them my hands, I will take those feet of yours and make them my feet, I will take that mouth of yours and it will speak my words, I will take those eyes of yours and  they can now see what I need you to be seeing in this world.  And I will take your heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh so that it will beat with my burdens and you will care for the very things that I care about.  And your prayers would become my prayers.  And your life and your attitude and your behavior, every minute of every day will become the very behavior of God.  

Will you allow Me to overtake your life?  Cause then we go into this world as little lambs with the faces of lions because the living God Almighty, the Consuming Almighty Sovereign God dwells within His children

…His lambs beat the wolf packs.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPIOkdNL-QQ

Later in the week I read a story of a Canadian father whose wife was declared brain dead when she was 22 weeks pregnant with their first child.  Through life support, the baby was able to remain in the womb and Dylan Benson welcomed his sweet boy into the world as he said goodbye to his wife.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/she-will-live-on-forever-within-iver-canadian-brain-dead-woman-gives-birth.html

“Every beat of your heart was a measure of love…” is what this Mama said to her newborn son who, being expected to never make it outside the womb, survived 10 days wrapped in the love of his family.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/03/zion-isaiah-blick-never-uttered-a-word-during-his-10-days-on-earth-but-those-10-days-will-speak-to-you-for-a-very-long-time/

And a friend shared this video with the words “Meditate on that for awhile…The Uncreated One…”  It’s one worth thinking long and hard about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjmt-0Zvwro&feature=share

And just this morning I read a story about Noelle Pikus-Pace, a skeleton athlete who is in the position to earn a medal in Sochi, whose commitment to her family and ability to turn tragedy into triumph is incredible.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/wnbc/video/noelle-pikus-pace-goes-tragedy-triumph?ctx=olympic-journey

So there I sat across our dining room table sharing my heart with my husband.  My heart that resembles our table - that’s scarred and worn and filled with memories of tragedy and triumph too and grace and love and will.  I shared the stories I had heard, I shared the story of my now, we shared our stories of our past.  Stories that wreck and stories that inspire.  My heart that was trying to understand all the pain and all the joy and how it can all live right here together on this earth, in our lives, in our hearts.

And he looked at my tear stained face with just a few words he  turned every wandering thought into complete adoration of our King:

We don’t get it.  Jesus died on the cross for us and nothing compares to that.  

We can’t understand it. 

So I go back to the beginning.  Because I was condemned.  I was separated.  I was guilty.

And I now I am justified.  
                             Forgiven.  
                                    Redeemed. 
                                             Set free.  

Because of Christ’s blood.  

Because of His Love.  

And there is no greater love story than that of our King.  

How are you measuring love this Valentines Day?  Because He is pouring it out, even in the darkest of places.   His love brings light and His light brings life.  His life overcomes the grave because He is the Uncreated One whose love is unfailing and whose promise is eternal.  His Righteous Hand writes our stories and they are stories worth telling.  Because in the end, they all lead back to our beginning.  They all lead back to Him.  And He.defines.us.