Category Archives: life

Complete the Mission

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BA325E47-71D7-4D78-B64A-4E6331BF7FE6Last night Rich and I watched “Windtalkers”, a movie about the Navajo language being used as code during World War II. Nicholas Cage stars as a marine who was assigned the duty of protecting one of the Navajo Code talkers while in battle on the field. I was struck by a phrase in the movie that Sergeant Joe Enders repeatedly said, “We have to complete the mission.” Even under the most horrendous circumstances this was his goal. He would sacrifice all in order to complete the mission.

Lately life has been challenging in many areas. The thought of “completing the mission” has been far from my mind. It’s been more like, let go of the mission. Take the easier road. Life isn’t supposed to be this hard. You’re making it harder than it was intended to be.

There may be some truth in the whole “you’re making it harder than it was intended to be” thing. But letting go of the mission should never be an option.

Jesus set out the mission for us all in very clear terms. We are to “seek first the kingdom and His righteousness.” Matthew 6:33. And we are supposed to keep doing what He has put into our heart to do. No looking back. That’s “putting your hand to the plow.” Luke 9:62.

There’s a lot said in the Bible about God “renewing our strength”, helping us to”not grow weary”. Galatians 6:9. We are told by Jesus we should “ask, seek, and knock” when we pursue Him. The literal translation goes more along this line: “keep on seeking, keep on knocking, keep on asking”. It’s not a one time deal.

Yesterday I was having a conversation with my 19 year old daughter. She was expressing her frustrations with various things in her life. It was kind of like looking in the mirror at the younger me. I remember feeling like my life was in this holding pattern. Go to work, go to school, go to church, go home. Over and over again. Like the movie “Groundhog’s Day”. Same thing every day. Monotony… I told her at one point in the conversation that she needed to get outside of all her frustrations and focus on the one thing that is really needed, her relationship with God. Then the rest of the stuff will come in time. Easy words to say. Not so easy to do, but that is what “completing the mission” really is.

Paul summed it up pretty well in Philippians: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:10-14 NIV

The big goal in life is not “who has the biggest toys”, “who makes a name for themself”, or as Christians , “Who built the biggest ministry”. It’s “accomplishing the mission” it’s “ taking ahold of that for which Christ has taken ahold of me”. And the whole reason Jesus got ahold of me was not for what I could do. It was for who I am to Him, His beloved. It was because He wanted me to “know Him and the power of His resurrection.”

That is the mission. Knowing Jesus and His power that makes all the dead things in my life alive. If I pursue that, everything else will fall into place. Even the things that seem insurmountable at the present time.

Simple Devotion

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I wrote this Poem almost 27 years ago shortly after we met. Rich instantly swept me off my feet back in 1992. I wasn’t sure what to think. I hid this poem inside a picture frame with his picture in it. (back then I wasn’t apt to share any poems I wrote) One day I pulled it out and showed my girlfriends. Anyway it ended up on our Wedding Programs.

My sweet husband has been making the point today to make me feel especially special today on Valentines: Sending me texts with our song, “Everything I do” Bryan Adams, declaring his love for me on Facebook. He really is God’s gift to me for so many reasons. I can honestly say that marrying him back on January 2nd, 1993 was the best thing I have ever done with exception of giving my life to God as a kid.

Our relationship was centered on Jesus from the beginning and has been throughout the years. Our love has been a gift not from within ourselves, but from God who gives perfect love.

I love you Rich with all my heart! Happy Valentine’s Day my Special Young Man that God promised me!

Simple Devotion

I look into your eyes and know the love you have.

I see it in your smile, I hear it in your laugh.

I feel a thrill when you are near, and when we’re together there is nothing to fear.

Simple devotion is what I see

I see it in you, I hope you see it in me

A devotion that goes beyond us

Where your love is not only for me

But what you give to God for all eternity.

I must tell you this one thing that is true

I see Jesus living in you

I love you more and more with each passing day,

But my love can not compare to the love that God gave.

I know you know it and you see it is true,

I know His Fire is burning in you

As we’re here together in front of God and man

Pledging our love and lives together as part of His plan

As one we will live, as one we will give

Our hearts, souls and bodies as an offering

Of simple devotion to our Lord and King

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV

A Hope That Does Not Disappoint

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Romans 5:5 has been echoing through my mind this morning. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:5 NKJV

Disappointment, that’s a word that has marred my life at times. Since It keeps running through my mind I figured I might as well check out the dictionary definition. “Defeat or failure of expectation, hope, wish, desire or intention; miscarriage of design or plan.” Webster’s 1828.

“Miscarriage of design or plan.” Wow! That sticks out. 16 years ago, after a year of trying to conceive, I miscarried a baby. Talk about a huge disappointment. It’s just not the way it’s meant to be. From the moment you become aware you have conceived and you hear the heart beat of a little one, the dream of how it is supposed to go becomes the gospel truth in your head. The design is to carry the baby nine months, Go through labor and delivery, and hold a beautiful baby in your arms. When it ends in anything but that, expectations are crushed.

Loss of any kind brings so much disappointment. We’re supposed to have perfect families, perfect marriages, perfect health, etc… it’s just the way the design should be. Or is it?

Eight years ago our family experienced 2 significant losses. The death of my father in law and my nephew was lost a sea while serving in the Navy. Both of these losses occurred within 15 days of each other. Two funerals within a month. It was a huge disappointment. It wasn’t the way it was supposed to go.

In recent years, I’ve watched my mom and my mother in law suffer from the effects of cancer. Once again a disappointment. Not exactly the way I had planned it would be.

In fact my mom has suffered for 19 years with the effects of cancer having survived breast cancer, but left with tremendous pain and now suffering with late stage ovarian cancer. It’s not the way it should have been, a disappointment. It’s a “miscarriage of a design or plan” what should have been.

The focus on these disappointments can paralyze you if you let it. It will hold you down with fears of moving, living, carrying on… Because the question comes, when will the next big hammer fall?

BUT… we have this hope. It’s a hope that does not disappoint. It doesn’t miscarry it’s designed purpose. It doesn’t bring you so far and drop you like a hot rock. It’s the one sure thing we can bank on no matter what twist or turn we face on planet earth. It’s the sureness of God’s great love and His promise that He will never leave us no matter what we walk through. It’s the confidence that although we live in a fallen world marred with disappointment and pain, we have a better place, which is really our home, waiting for us in Heaven. The things that were miscarried, cut short, flawed, and a disappointment, are only a small period of time in the light of eternity in a land where there is no suffering and no more pain.

Eight years ago when we went through such great loss, one of my children asked me why we had to lose my nephew and my father in love. It’s hard to explain that to an adult, but a kid makes it all the worse. I told them “I don’t understand why these awful things happen, that’s what makes heaven, heaven and where we live earth, earth. I can’t understand why we have to hurt sometimes and why bad thing happen. But I know God is good, and I have to trust that someday it will all make sense.”

God is good. His hope does not disappoint. It will accomplish exactly what it was conceived to do. His hope will lead me on in His love knowing that when all this is done, it will all be made right. No more suffering, whether it be physically or mentally, No more pain. Only joy and peace and perfect love when we stand face to face with Jesus in eternity’s hall.

“Hope doesn’t disappoint.” Sink your teeth into that one. Grab ahold and don’t let go. It’s a precious promise that brings peace when things here on earth are far from what you dreamed they would have been.

The Final Awakening-

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23a08a6c-6245-4a5e-b42c-5fb20aaf897fAround the time that Rich’s dad was suffering greatly from cancer, Rich and I took our kids to see “Narnia- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” at the movies. In the movie there was a brave little mouse Reepicheep. He was a scrapper who fought for Aslan’s honor. The whole movie and the book that inspired it is an allegory of great spiritual significance. My kids may not have gotten it but my husband and I did. With all the events of our life at that time being what they were we both broke into tears as the little mouse stuck his sword in the sand and said, “I won’t be needing this any more” He then began to make the voyage to Aslan’s land, a symbol of heaven. Our kids were amused to see mom and dad crying at a kids movie about a quote from a mouse and continually teased us after we left the movie. I turned to them and said, “It was so true, he didn’t need his sword. His fighting was over. He was going to be with Aslan.” Once again tears welled up in my eyes and once again the kids giggled.

It’s been almost 8 years since we saw that movie and it is still the topic of a good hearted laugh about how mom and dad cried at “Narnia”.

I sit here today contemplating that scene again. I don’t know why we have to look at death with sorrow and finality. Actually I guess I do, but I think our limited view skews the reality.

My husband stumbled upon a song by Molly Skaggs on Ricky Skaggs’s album Mosaic. Called “I’m Awake Now”. Upon first listening to it I determined I never wanted to hear that song again. It’s all about that final step from here to eternity and how instantly we are awakened. It’s hard to imagine a life anywhere besides here. But the Bible gives us glimpses of what it will be like.

I had told my husband I didn’t like the song because it was about dying. He replied, “It’s about life.” Sometimes we hold onto the lives we have like they are Gollum’s “Precious”. It’s only because we haven’t seen any better with our physical eyes. Death is a passing, not an end. We would do well to remember that.

The things we have fought, or watched the ones we love fight, are no longer a struggle when we at our appointed time “Awake” to our new life. Not only are sicknesses and diseases swallowed up in Jesus’s victory over death, but fears and torments are no more when we stand face to face in the presence of the one who paid it all so we can live, Jesus. His perfect love finally casts out every fear as we see Him face to face. We too will finally get to lay down our swords because we won’t need them anymore.

The words to that song have been echoing in my head today.

“I’m Awake Now, No Mistake Now,

I’m Awake.
It’s OK Now, I’m Safe Now,
I’m Awake, I’m Awake, I’m Awake Now.

Ooooh, Ohhhh….

I Wondered If I Would Get Through It
And Come Out On The Other Side.
What You’ve Heard- There’s Something To It,
And Now My Eyes Are Open Wide.

I’m Awake Now, No Mistake Now,
I’m Awake.”

I’ve stood at the bedside of someone I loved as I watched their last breath, and honestly the thought of standing beside others I love as they close their eyes has been a dreaded event for me.

But “the sting of death” is gone when I realize they’re not sleeping. They’re awake to worlds and realities that my mortal eyes can’t see, and it will seem like a moment to them that we are separated. Just like an earthly nap seems like a minute, and my “Awakening” will come when I have done what I was placed here to do.

“I’m awake now, make no mistake now. I’m awake.”

“Always Winter and Never Christmas”

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The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is one of my favorite books of all time. It is an allegory representing Satan as the Witch and Jesus as the Lion. In the book, a Witch has cast a spell (that the Lion eventually breaks)  leaving the land of Narnia in constant winter. Layer after layer of snow and ice have plagued the land for such a long time that few remember what it was like to see green grass and flowers. “It’s always winter and never Christmas.” Is a quote from the book and a song by Reliant K on their Christmas album called “In Like A Lion”. It has been rolling around in my head this morning. It’s hard to imagine a world that never changes seasons, staying cold and frozen. Growing up in my neck of the woods, it is even harder to imagine a cold winter with no Christmas. That’s all I’ve ever known. Summer ends, Fall comes in with changes of color and temperatures, winter is introduced with cold, short days. Christmas is celebrated and then it’s just a matter of a few short months and the thaw begins. Buds appear on the trees. Green returns in the grass, and wearing my Birkenstock sandals outside with no fear of cold toes becomes the normal chosen footwear for me, FREEDOM!! It’s funny what a little more time with your part of the world tilted toward the sun does for you.

That is how life is. Circumstances tend to bury us beneath icy and cold layer after layer of hurt, unforgiveness, hatred, bad choices, and more. We can find ourselves feeling like thawing out and seeing the beautiful in our lives will never come. “It’s always winter and never Christmas” may be the reality of our world, or so we think. Isaiah 9:2 talks about our world just as Christmas dawned on it. ” The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Jesus came on the scene 2000 years ago and gave us Christmas. The start of the great thaw and change of seasons in our hearts. Things that were layered with the solid ice of sin and heartache melt in His love. The hopelessness of darkness and fear is driven out by the warmth of His light.

That light began to shine and continued to go on and on touching all who have been willing to let it shine in their lives for centuries to come until now.

So this morning as I sit by my Christmas tree wrapped in a fuzzy throw blanket sipping on a hot cup of coffee. I’ve been reflecting on some ice cold areas in my own heart that still need a little light of the Son to shine on it. Things that I thought would always remain buried under the ice and snow of many years of disappointment are showing the tell tale sign of dripping melt from icicles on my heart. I no longer have to face the prospect of “always winter and never Christmas” because His light has shone on me resurrecting the hopes of a green spring with colorful flowers in situations that seemed to never change. The more I reflect on it all I do believe that it really is amazing what a little more time with your world tilted toward the Son will do for you. FREEDOM!!! Winter Scene I Painted in a Bob Ross Painting Class

https://youtu.be/tXAY9txPLYk