A Happy Heart

 

I woke up this morning all snuggled in the covers, not wanting to get out of bed and face the chill (of the room, of the world in multiple forms). 

Ever been there? Maybe every morning? 

But once again, Father gave me the courage to throw back the covers and take that first step of faith by putting feet on floor. 

As I puttered about, Father reminded me that He loves me; I belong to Him because of what Jesus did for me to pay for my sin; I am His ambassador of the Homeland; therefore, I have an eternal purpose to love others one more day as He has loved me. 

"Put on a happy heart," He whispered within me. 

And then an old Fanny Crosby hymn popped into my head, primarily the second verse, and I found myself humming, lifted above the load of the world, or perhaps better said, moving through the load of the world with His eternal happiness ministering to my heart.  

Redeemed and so happy in Jesus

No language my rapture can tell;

I know that the light of His presence 

with me doth continually dwell.

Redeemed, redeemed

Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;

Redeemed and so happy in Jesus,

His child, and forever I am.

So, I pray Father's happy heart for each of you today as you care for little ones, as you love your families, as you teach your children, as you visit the sick and shut-in, as you engage the working world, as you disciple that one whom God's given you for this time. 

Know that His will for you in this moment is a happy heart at home with Him (the light of His presence secured by the blood of the Lamb). A happy heart begins by coming into relationship with God through the work of Jesus Christ on your behalf (Mtt. 11:28-30). 

And oh, how that happy heart in Him will spill over to others you serve.

A happy heart . . . now that's something to cultivate and treasure. May we pray "happy hearts in Jesus" for each other today. 

Latest release in the Missionary Kid series! 

Mia wants her parents to stop arguing and show love to each other. Like they used to when their family lived in America. But living in another culture and learning the French language and customs consumes all their time and energy. It's like studying has sucked all their niceness away.

When Mia makes a new friend, and learns that her parents are divorced, she wonders, Could that happen to my mom and dad?

Mia's on a mission to make sure that doesn't happen. With her friend's help, she cooks up an idea that just might bring the sweetness back into their home.

But will her parents cooperate before it's too late?

Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle ebook.

An Odd Place in Time

 

(Baby feet family photo)

Ecclesiastes is an odd place to find Christmas.

Yet that’s where my chronological Bible reading took me this week.

This morning I turned the page to chapter three where Solomon’s familiar list reminds the reader that there is a time for everything.

Time. An earthly concept.

In chapters one and two, Solomon seems mentally stuck in time. And that very focus leads to despair.

Granted, we are bound to this earth by time, yet our hearts yearn for eternity.

Enter the God who placed that longing within us.

The God who always was ushered in time via creation, stepped into time via the cradle, and gave us eternal life via the cross.

He willingly entered the mess of the manger—our mess—to become Messiah (Savior) for us.

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

While we celebrate Christmas with family and friends, may we remember that the babe born in time and who died in time--indeed in the fullness of time, notes Paul in Galatians 4:4—is eternal and invites us into a forever relationship with Him.

This forever relationship begins in time but extends beyond the limits of this life into a place where time is no more. This eternal perspective brings meaning and purpose to this life and to the next as we love the Lord Jesus Christ and share Him with others.

Where God Shows Up

As a writer, I feel an obligation, even a compulsion, to write something in response to Charlie Kirk's murder. So many voices have weighed in. What can I say that will add to the dialogue?

Praying and thinking through my part, God keeps pointing me back to two things: His Word and His People.

We desperately need both.

Charlie would agree.

For in His Word and through His People, we find His Presence.

The poet of Psalm 42 writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit modeled this best. He hungered for both.

As you thoughtfully, prayerfully read through the psalm, notice the poet's deep anguish and longing for God's Presence amidst trouble.

He does not diminish nor sugarcoat his agony. He states it plainly with all the wrestling involved.

He questions his own soul, and answers himself with the Truth . . .

How ultimately the enemy of our souls is defeated when we choose to HOPE in God, whose Presence is available to all who claim Him as Savior and Lord.

Read and pray this for the Kirk family, but also read it for yourself. Gather with your local Body of believers (so vital) and pray the psalm together.

Oh, how we need His Word and His People! This is where God's Presence shows up best to our souls and to our hurting, desperate world.

I1As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”

4When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

5Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.

6[f]O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.

9I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

11Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (NKJ, Psalm 42)

Aging Gratefully

Waiting for the sun to rise while watching from the deck of our beach house. 

Thick, hovering, dark abundant clouds with pale pink and yellow peeking through at the horizon. This on the heels of a moderately stormy night. The breeze picks up along with the click-clack of pool balls in the rec room below. The boys are up. 

I awoke at 3:30 am after a solid stretch of sleep, pondering my key words for the week thus far . . . 

"Release/Receive."

Release to the retreating ocean wave--to You, Father--my youth frolicking in the water, riding the crest with happy giggles. What was once fun is now frightening.

My body is changing. Balance and muscle tone are not what they used to be. That became abundantly clear yesterday while trying to boogie board with my grandsons. More agony than fun. And that's when I knew . . .

That it's time to laugh with the grands as I watch them have their day in the churning froth.

I feel sad, Father, as I process through this letting go. 

And yet, hopeful.

Because challenge, struggle, holds such wonderful opportunity for the grace of change.

I came to the beach with Your many grace gifts on my mind, Father.

I was not anticipating that "giving up something" would be one of them.

Last year this time, the giving up was releasing my two oldest grandchildren to their aging (or better said, coming of age--growing up and moving on).

This year, it's my own aging (on the other end of life) and the incremental release of specific things . . . 

Like riding the waves with husband Chuck and the grands. 

But this I know--as You have given grace in the past, You give grace in the present.

For "I trust in You, O Lord . . .

 You are my God. 

My times are in Your hand . . ." 

Psalm 31:14-15a 

No gorgeous, glowing sun orb this morning, only massive cloud cover.

And yet . . .

The sun still shines. for light awakens the dawn. The ocean wave returns to the shore with grace gifts.

So, I will choose to thank You, Father. I will focus today on what I can do.

I can LOVE.

Through words, actions, writing, painting, pool time, games, food prep, listening, shell hunting, strolling, hugging, music, dancing, sharing, witnessing. 

All for the joy of Jesus, I choose to release what I can no longer do and receive the grace gift of what I can still do. 

I choose to age gratefully.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, 

who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

Is Your Child Interested in Martial Arts?

Is your son or daughter interested in martial arts? Other cultures? Camping?

 Give your child a taste through my latest release in the missionary kid series (ages 8+).

Baxter and the Ultimate Challenge takes you and your child to fictional Masters Martial Arts Camp in Thailand where nine-year-old Baxter is determined to win the competition on Friday of camp week.

After all, he’s trained since he was a little kid. Dad, Mom, and brother Billy have all coached him in the sport. And they’ve all won tournaments, except for Baxter. Now it’s his turn to shine. Nothing will stand in his way. Or so he thinks . . .

Until a girl shows up at Masters Martial Arts Camp in Thailand where his family serves as missionaries. A bully set on distracting Baxter from his number one goal: take home a first place trophy along with a cash prize.

Baxter’s in for the struggle of his life when he comes face to face with what a winner really looks like. He soon discovers more than one challenge awaits. 

The ultimate challenge.

Includes a Special Features section at the end with more info about Thailand, martial arts, questions for family discussion, and a word from the author.

~~

Check out Baxter and the Ultimate Challenge here.

A Grandchild's Lavish Love

 

I sat in the church pew with a shredded heart. The week had been tough on multiple fronts, emotion running high, mostly over the injustices of a sick and fallen world.

I, too, felt broken. In need.

And then she took my hand in her small hand, not really knowing, yet . . . somehow knowing. She cupped my hand between two warm hands, snuggled into my side.

The tears started to creep down my cheeks.

This was not off putting to her; she merely ramped up her tender efforts, kissing me ever so gently on the cheek. She tilted her head, gazed into my eyes.

While most of us shy away from such overt demonstrations of affection, especially in public, Mary did not. She lavished me with a love I will cherish in my memory.

One of those grandchild moments stored away to pull out when I need an extra dose of encouragement.

I wonder if during the dark days ahead Jesus drew on His memory of the woman, also named Mary, who lavished Him with costly perfume in preparation for His burial. She loved Him with full abandon, not caring what others in the room thought (John 12:1-8).

Pastor and author, Mike Leake, writes that Mary gave up a lesser love (the expensive perfume worth a year’s wages) to focus on her chief Love, the Lord Jesus. According to Leake, abandoning oneself to Jesus will always require smashing lesser loves. (Read the full article here). 

Lesser loves such as people approval, pride, ambition, pleasure, convenience, comfort . . .

You name it! We all have loves.

The hard place of discipleship always requires a letting go of something or someone in order to move toward Jesus Christ and His purpose for our lives.

Thus the haunting question . . . 

Do I settle for lesser loves, or do I rally around a greater Love, the Lord Jesus?

It is a question I must ask myself because it’s simply too easy to settle for less.

Yet sometimes in His mercy and grace, God sends a compelling wakeup call through the simple, yet lavish love of a grandchild.