Serenity Now!

The sound of waves gently breaking on the shore.  Seagulls and pelicans flying peacefully overhead.  Iridescent shells lying in wait in the sand.  A thrilling book and surfers as entertainment. 

 

These are the things I’d been looking forward to for years.  A chance to get away to my favorite place in the world and de-stress, unwind, unravel.  Be still. 

It started the week we were supposed to leave.  My son’s car needed a repair.  And before his was back from the shop, our car decided to join it.  For three or four days, four of us juggled one car for rides to work and back. 

The day before we were to leave on my long-awaited, much-needed dream vacation, my husband’s foot seemed to reinjure (how he didn’t know) and at 2:30 am, T minus 6 hours, he was in the emergency room with an extremely painful, right foot.  It was broken. 

Somewhere around 9:00 am we managed to load up our rented vehicle and hop on the freeway.  Finally, we were on our way.   Here I come, peace and quiet! 

We were out of the city, well on our way.  Traffic wasn’t bad. A pick-up truck pulling a trailer and boat passed us.  I was talking to my husband who was doing his best to drive on his gimpy foot, when I saw his eyes suddenly grow wide. 

I turned to the road to see a tire roll off the trailer and fly up in the air fifty or sixty feet.  My husband swerved to avoid it when we heard something come down hard on the roof of the rental car.  We pulled over and looked.  Something—a nut, a hubcap, something had dented the roof about a foot back from the windshield.  We still have no idea what it was. 

We got back in the car and headed on our way.  At long last, we were headed toward rest and relaxation.  My mind could let go of the world and all the problems that come with it for a little while. 

We finally arrived at our heavenly retreat.  The moment I’d waited for.  Nothing but time spent in the tranquility of the sand and sea.  Nirvana. Xanadu. 

Serenity now!

During our week at our refuge from the world, the garbage disposal broke, a toilet broke, the rental car was dented twice by a huge, square pole sitting in our parking space and while our sons were out on a solo trip to a comic book store, a ladder fell out the back of a truck on the highway and my son was forced to run over it. 

I wanted so much to run away from the world, even if only for a week.  Seven days of peace from bills, pain, work, t.v., the horrid news. 

Seven days with my family.  Seven days to exhale. Seven days to rest. 

And there were some definite times of rest and relaxation.   But I found I couldn’t leave all my troubles behind.  Going away was no magic cure-all.  It wasn’t the answer to my weary soul. 

Jesus is.
 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus invites us to come to Him to find rest for our souls.  And He is wherever we are. 

It’s not the sand and the waves, or the mountains and stars, or an exotic city where we’ll find true rest.

It’s in the person of Jesus Christ. 

We can lay our burdens down at His feet and know He’ll give us rest, peace, joy and a way through our troubles.  He is the rest our souls are longing for. 

So if you dream of going away on a fancy vacation to get some rest, remember vacations aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be.  And even if it goes off without a hitch, it's only a temporary solution to our permanent need for Jesus.  

He loves you and He's waiting.

God bless!

Dorci

The Treasure:

What's your favorite place to get away with Jesus? 

What To Do If You Suspect Your Child Has Been Abused

In my last blog, The Truth About Parenting (and What Kids Want More Than Their MTV), I talked about the need for discipline from a very young age.  I talked about how kids who are without discipline and training will begin acting out as a way to find the attention and love they crave so much.  

I also touched on the fact that sometimes, despite our very best efforts, our children can begin acting out as a result of getting in with the wrong crowd, or if there's been some type of abuse. Sometimes parents will chalk up the changes in attitude and behavior to adolescence.  But if those changes are sudden, there may be something else going on.   

I wanted to share with you this excellent discussion with Psychologist Dr. Dan Allender on Focus On The Family's website that speaks to this very thing.  Dr. Allender discusses what to do if you notice a sudden and negative change in your child and you suspect he or she may have been abused.  

The only thing worse than having to go through a situation like that as a child is having to go through it alone. But there is help and there is hope. 

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3 

God bless, 

Dorci

Forgiveness is the Key

The room is dark and every surface hard.  A cold chill blows in from the tiny, barred window.  It’s dank, and there’s a constant dripping from the ceiling that echoes through the room as it falls against the unforgiving ground.  It relentlessly interrupts the peace of the one who shares the room.

Drip…..drip…..drip. 

Someone’s in prison because you put them there. We all put someone in prison when we choose not to forgive. 

In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the parable of a man who owed his master ten thousand talents.  He was not able to pay so he begged for mercy.  The master had compassion and forgave a debt he could never repay.

That same servant then went and confronted a fellow servant who owed him a few hundred denarii.  The second servant also begged for mercy but the first servant refused, and had him thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

In Greek mathematics, ten thousand was the highest possible number.  A talent was worth approximately six thousand denarii, and one denarii was the amount of a day’s wage.  Ten thousand talents would be equal to sixty-million day’s wages, or about 164,384 years.  In other words, it is an impossible debt to repay.

Our debt as sinners to God is impossible to repay.  Not only could we never know the amount to be repaid, but even if that amount could be counted, we would never have the proper currency.  The only payment is death.  So God sent Jesus—the sinless Son of God—to pay our debt in full.  And when we accepted that payment, we were set free. 

And then someone sins against us.  The pain is significant but the debt is nowhere near what we were forgiven for—every sin we will ever commit.  Still, sometimes we stubbornly refuse to forgive.

Jesus finishes the parable by saying,

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.” This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’” Matthew 18:32-35 NIV

You walk up to the darkened room and stand at the barred door. 

Drip…..drip…..drip.

You see the shadow of the person inside. Only your forgiveness can unlock the door. 

You choose to forgive. 

The lock snaps free and the door swings open with a creak.  You strain to see who’s inside.  The one you've set free walks forward to greet the light and breathe in the fresh air.  You recognize the face only there's a new joy dancing in the person's eyes and a new love in the heart.







It’s you. 

Perfect Love Drives Out Fear

“There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear

has to do with punishment.”

1 John 4:18

God recently drove this truth home in a very personal way. 

If you haven’t been with me since I started writing about my long and winding road, I’ve been on a journey of sorts for the last several years.  It started with God telling me plainly, four times in one month, to be strong and courageous.  I knew I was going to face something but I had no idea how big the battle would become. 

The circumstances don’t matter much.  We all have difficult times in our lives. If we become fixed on the details of the trial we miss what God wants to do in our hearts and in our lives.

My instruction was to be strong and courageous.  Translated, that means to hold onto something, or in this case Someone, Who is stronger than myself.  Hold onto God.  And I had a hard time doing that.  I struggled.  Hard. 

As the years went by and my prayers for the specific circumstances of my trial seemed to go unanswered, I felt more and more confused.  Why would God leave me here?  Doesn’t He care? 

As I was working on cleaning out my house last month, God was cleaning out my heart. 

I’ve searched my heart these last eight years and have seen more than I wanted.  There are things hidden in the attics of our hearts that only God knows are there.  And sometimes He’ll take your hand and lead you up those ominous steps into the darkened, creaky room and uncover a pile of dusty old attitudes, some worthless misunderstandings and some poisonous character flaws that He wants to throw out. 

He wants to heal us. 

As I cried out to God again, He took me up those stairs and uncovered a root cause of a lot of my issues: fear. 

Now I knew I had fear, but in that moment God began to connect some dots in my mind.  He reminded me that perfect love drives out fear.  I knew that, too.  So what was I missing? 

I went to my concordance and looked up those words.  Perfect means complete, mature.  When we receive God’s love and it matures in our hearts, there is no room or need for fear. 

God knew the fear in my heart.  He knew, more than I did, how much that fear ruled my thoughts, my actions and my decisions.  He knew that not only did I grow up with a lack of being loved, I grew up among circumstances that instilled fear.  And that fear was cemented over and over again.  The combination of being unloved and filled with fear really was a form of punishment. 

God wanted to fill me with the love that I lacked to drive out the fear and heal my heart.  And as long as I was holding onto Him--talking to Him, getting to know Him by reading His Word--and allow Him to love me, that fear would be driven far away. 

God had never left me.  On the contrary, God was in the trenches of spiritual warfare with me.  God loved me, perfectly and unconditionally, and He wanted me to be filled with love, not fear.   

Your issue may not be fear.  It may be something different.  The circumstances don’t matter much.

Be strong and courageous. 

It’s when we’re in a trial that we’re keenly aware of our need for Him.  We reach out, we pray, we learn more about Who He is than we otherwise would have.  We open our hearts and let Him fill us more and more with His love.  And His love matures in our hearts. 

And that’s when healing begins.

Let God love you even more than you think you’re worthy to be.  Take your eyes off your circumstances.  They’re only a vehicle for God’s grace and healing in your life. 

Trust Him.  Trust Him to know what He’s doing in the middle of your trial. 

Trust Him to see what’s up in your dark and dreary attic.  Because hidden beneath the piles of junk that God wants for us to throw away are treasures of godliness that lead to a rich and full life in Him.

Blessings!

Dorci

Lessons From a Rosebush...or, Is It Pruning Season Again?

I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away.

And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.

Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.

John 15:1-3

I don’t know about you, but this isn’t usually what I picture when I think of a rosebush.  Not many stoop to admire bare canes studded only with thorns.  

But the caretaker of this rosebush appreciates the work he has done in order to sculpt a living, growing masterpiece.  He knows that a lack of pruning will create a spindly, weak plant.

He has a vision for the beautiful and useful plant it will be when the pruning is over, colorful buds begin to re-appear and the powerful fragrance it gives will attract birds, bees and us when it is once again in full bloom.

 

The funny thing about pruning a rosebush is that it’s done just when the plant seems to be at its most beautiful--full of large, boldly-colored, intricate blooms.   The husbandman, in his wisdom, decides when and how much to prune each plant and for what reasons according to its individual needs.  Pruning a plant too early or too late can have devastating effects. 

Like the regal rosebush, we who are the children of the King find ourselves in varying stages of growth.  Some are newly planted and some are full of energy and ready to begin blooming. 

Some are full of growth and busy being pollinated by birds and bees or being picked by a child to give to his mother.  Some are being carried down the aisle by a bride and others are being used as a perfume or a healing medicine.  Some inspire song lyrics (or part of a band’s name), and some are being showcased in paintings and admired by many. 

And some have been pruned and lie dormant.

Pruning for the rosebush is as easy as sitting still.  Pruning for us can be a little more painful.  Sometimes it can be so painful we aren’t sure we’ll survive it. 

Pruning can come in the form of trials through financial loss, relationship struggles, in sickness, the death of a loved one or removal from a ministry.  It can come through sacrifice like a move across the country or world. 

All these can cut into our flesh and leave gaping wounds.  But the Caregiver of our souls binds up our wounds with His Word, applies the Son and fresh water through His Holy Spirit.  And when we are filled up and the time is right, we will begin to bloom again. 

We can’t see all the reasons why pruning comes at the time it does and why we sometimes have to be cut back so far.  But God knows the reasons.
 

Some Reasons to Prune Rosebushes and Us

1. To remove old, dead and damaged wood;

            Sometimes a part of our lives may be over, or we may have allowed some bad attitudes, like unforgiveness, to creep in and damage our faith, and they need to be cut away to allow for new and exciting things to begin growing.

2. To shape the plant;

            God shapes us as we mature so that we grow up in all areas and no part of us is lacking.

3. To remove canes that are growing in the wrong direction;

            Sometimes we may pick up some wrong thinking about who God is.  We learn to put away these false ideas about Him as He reveals who He really is so that we can know, love and worship the One, True God.

4. To encourage vigorous blooming and new, healthy shoots;

            Sometimes we feel like we’re cut down in the prime of our service to the Lord.  But God knows that we will be even more useful and more capable when we identify with the Lord in His suffering and so adopt His mind, His humility, and His heart toward people.  God changes our attitudes so that we are even more productive than before.

Whatever the individual reasons for our pruning, it is all meant to clean us up.  I find it interesting that in the verses in John above, the word for prune has the same meaning as the word for clean in the last verse.  What seems to us to be meaningless pain and suffering is really the Lord cleansing and preparing us during a time when we are still and listening intently to Him as we read His Word.  He grooms us so that we will reflect His beauty and magnify His Name. 

Wherever we are in our growth, we will soon find ourselves in another season, many times one we didn’t expect.  But God has a vision for you and me.  He knows each of our needs and how best to accomplish His plans. 

As we realize more and more that there is indeed a master plan, we can grow to appreciate the beauty of every stage of growth, offering comfort to others, being patient with ourselves and trusting in God's loving and wise hand.    

Before It's Too Late!

Seek the LORD while he may be found;
   call on Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
   and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on them,
   and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Isaiah 55:6-7

From the time children are toddling around in their parents' shoes, their minds are just like little sponges, soaking up everything they hear, good and bad.  I don’t think we’re any different as adults.  It’s why billions of dollars are spent every year on advertising.  We see the commercials and we believe what they tell us.  We need that thing, so we buy it. 

We believe internet rumors; we believe email scams; we believe what the government tells us.  Well, sometimes.  We watch people sinning on t.v. and in movies and we laugh.  We soak up the world like a sponge and we’re left dripping with its inane gossip, its cynicism, its bitterness, and its greed and selfishness. 

And sometimes we need to sit before the Lord in repentance and let Him wring out of us the ungodliness and then we can soak up the pure holiness of the Holy Spirit. 

Time is short, my friends.  Let’s seek the Lord while we can.  Let’s stop giving ear to the world and listen to the Lord’s heart instead.  He has things for us to do, people to see and places to go.  He has a gospel to spread before it’s too late and He wants to use us to do it. 

The flesh and spirit war with each other and we are the captains of our own war.  We choose which side wins every day.  For the spirit to win we must starve the flesh and put it to death.  We must put aside the insidious sins, the secret sins, the accepted sins.  

God tells us it’s when we die to ourselves that we can really live.  Why?  Because our plans are so selfish, so temporary, so small compared to the great plans God has for us.  If we’re willing to let go of what we think may be good and listen to the Lord, then He can bless us with what is great. 

He can bless us with Himself. 

We have all we need in Christ Jesus to live a victorious life full of His power, wisdom, strength and peace and to be able to look back on a life of spiritual growth and service to the King. 

Will we? 

May God bless you as you seek His face!

Dorci

The Effects of An Icy Heart

Please enjoy the following devotion I was blessed to write for my friends' website, Halas & Phos, Salt & Light.

”And he showed me a pure river of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”  Revelation. 22:1

“’He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive;” John 7:38-39a

Did you know there are actually three waterfalls that comprise Niagara Falls? The water flows from the Niagara River and is separated by two islands into the three Falls. The constant flow of approximately 1,500,000 combined gallons of water per second make Niagara Falls an amazing and beautiful sight to behold.  The massive and continual flow of water also makes it a great source of power for both the Canadian and American sides.  

But there was one day--March 29, 1848—when the water stopped flowing. 

Please read the rest at Halas & Phos here.  

God Treasure

Years ago I lost the diamond from my wedding ring. I looked down at the ring one day and there was only a gaping hole where a diamond once sat. I had no idea how long it had been since it dropped out and I had no idea where to start looking. The diamond was relatively small and I knew it would take a miracle to find it, if I could at all.

I could have given up and bought a new one. Heck, I could have even bought a bigger one, but it wouldn’t have been the same. It wouldn’t have been the diamond I was married with. So I started praying and I asked my friends to pray. 

I adopted a new posture of walking through the house, the yards and the garage with my head down, eyes scouring the ground. At night, when it was dark, I’d shine a flashlight through the house hoping to see a glint of a sparkle from my little diamond. I crawled on the ground, running my fingers through the carpet fibers trying to feel for a marquise-shaped pebble. I looked through the bed sheets, through the closet, under the couch cushions, everywhere I could think. And I kept praying.

Each day that went by it looked less and less like I’d find my diamond. A week went by, then two. Then one Wednesday night, I got in the car to drive to church. I glanced down near the pedals and saw a glint of something reflected by the overhead light. I thought maybe it was a wadded-up foil gum wrapper or something. I bent down and picked it up. It was my diamond.

How it ended up down there I’ll never know. And how, after driving the car for two weeks, it didn’t get kicked hopelessly under the seat, I’ll never know, either, except that the Lord heard our fervent prayers and rewarded my perseverance.

Most of us would search as earnestly for earthly treasure—treasure that is worth relatively very little. I wonder what would happen if we searched as fervently for God treasure? Colossians 2:3 tells us that in Christ is “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” There is wisdom and knowledge that cannot be found with a Ph.D., an MD, or a DVD. Only God holds these priceless treasures and He gives them to those who seek Him.

God says that “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6b

Seeking God is not a Sunday morning project. I may never have found my diamond had I looked once or twice and then given up. And we won’t find much of God if we only look once or twice a week, either.

The hunting grounds God has given us for His treasure are His written word and the ground at His feet as we commune with Him in all kinds of prayer. And the peace and joy we experience as we walk with the Lord through this life’s hardships, receiving His wisdom and knowledge for all aspects of our lives, is a treasure that far outweighs any temporary earthly bobble, no matter how shiny.

Don’t forfeit your treasure! Seek Him and be truely rich.


Q: With what piece of wisdom has God blessed you recently? 


All for Him,
Dorci

A Whole Week Off, Prayer Requests and a Call to Prayer

Vacation {woot!}

At noon today I officially began a week of vacation.  Ten days, to be precise.  Ten days of book-slash-blog-writing, movie-watching, book-reading, cookie-making and just plain ol' hanging around doing nothing.  Maybe I can catch a nap or two.  God is good to bless us with a breather just when we need it. 

So what are your weekend plans?  Whatever they are, I hope you're blessed! 

Prayer Requests

Please leave a comment or email me with your prayer requests and I will be happy to pray for you.

*   *   * 

A Call to Prayer

This U.S. budget crisis looms over our heads as I write this.  I don't claim to be politically savvy, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know we're in a heap o' trouble right now if Congress can't come to a united conclusion here in the next few days. 

As we have pushed God out of our schools, government and lives slowly but surely over the last few decades, God has respected our wishes and left us alone.  And now our world seems to be crumbling down around us.  Long-established businesses are closing, jobs are being lost, mortgages are being foreclosed on at an alarming rate with the threat of property values plummeting further, and now our government may not be able to pay its own bills. 

We need God in every aspect of our lives more than ever.  I hope you'll join me in prayer over the next few days for our country, for our government, for our President and for all those who are making critical decisions about the way this country will be run financially. 

I pray that pride and reputations and politics will be set aside and a new posture of humble submission to the Lord will be adopted, both individually and collectively.  I pray that the men and women in Washington will come together, refocusing their attention as united citizens of this country instead of trying to win the game.  Right now no one's winning, and we're all losing.  All because people don't want God in their lives.

I pray that President Obama will set aside all pretense, all reputation, all politics in order to rise up and lead our Congressmen and women and our country to the One, True God in repentance for going our own way and seek His wisdom.

Jesus said that He is "THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me." {John 14:6}

Our country has been great, and we can be great again, if we will turn to God through the only way of salvation--His Son, Jesus Christ. I shudder to think what will happen if we continue to push God further and further away.  We must pray or watch our country continue to collapse. 

"For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD." {1 Cor. 1:22-31}

We are of the called, by the will of God, to pray and to proclaim Jesus Christ. Let us set aside the ungodly things of this world--things that put distance between ourselves and the Lord--in order to get down to the business of calling on God, first, to ask for forgiveness for ourselves, and then that He will bring about a revival in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Let us pray that the enemy of God will be bound, that the hearts of men and women will be changed and turn toward Him for salvation and that our land and its people will be healed.  God holds the power to do great and might things and the prayers of the righteous--His children in Christ--can unleash that power and God's will for our country. 

God bless you!
Dorci

 

The Thud Heard 'Round the Universe

In the deepest recesses of hell, demons heard a thud last week. It was the thud of a thick chain of bondage falling from my soul and slamming to the ground. I could never have broken free of it myself in a million years, but God did. I won’t go into all the details (I’ll save it for my memoir!), but I will say that this chain was a way of thinking that I had from childhood as a result of painful circumstances and was reinforced over and over through the years.

The enemy’s plan was to slowly wrap the chain around my heart with each cruel word carelessly spoken and every evil act perpetrated against me, and suffocate the life out of me. And he nearly did.

I was saved 21 years ago, but this chain remained and even continued to wrap tighter. The funny thing is, I didn’t even realize it was there. Oh, I knew I had issues from my past to deal with and one by one I prayed about them over and over. Somehow, though, some things seemed to get worse instead of better. It’s like that in a storm sometimes.

The storm raged wildly within my heart. It became louder and more violent. Could He hear my cries above the wind and the waves? Did He care? I pleaded for mercy.

And suddenly, a new perspective occured to me.  God revealed the truth and the lie I had believed dissolved.  And the storm was gone. A chain I didn’t fully realize existed lay beside me and the only sounds left were the rattling of the foundations of hell and my heart rejoicing with the Lord's.   

God had heard my cries and He answered them in a way that only He can.

My friends, do you know that God is still in the miracle business? He loves us more than we can know and desires to bless us in ways that cannot come naturally, only supernaturally. But we must ask. Ironically, though, the times we need God the most can also be the most difficult times to go to Him.

Sometimes we think we can figure things out on our own. But we are powerless to resolve these issues ourselves. Sometimes the anger or bitterness in our heart makes us feel ashamed to face the Lord. But He knows what’s in our hearts already, and much better than we know ourselves. And sometimes we can just become so comfortable living with the chains that we begin to hang bells and whistles on them.

But God wants us to be free. He wants us to cry out to Him, to trust Him and put every ounce of faith in Him and Him alone. He knows that only He has the power to heal our broken hearts, our broken bodies and our broken lives.

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10

It usually doesn’t happen in our time or our way, but if you ask and keep on asking, seeking and knocking, God will do great things in His perfect time and far better than you can ever imagine.


Q: How can I pray for you and your miracle?

All for Him,
Dorci

Bathtime

I love our dog, Jake. He is the most laid back, unassuming, trouble-free dog on the planet. But you’d argue with me about that if you had to give him a bath. Because he’s a Lhasa Apso/Shih Tzu mix his hair grows very long, and because he’s a boy it gets very dirty.

When I decide enough is enough, I get a towel, set out the shampoo, clear away the shower curtain, and adjust the bath water until it isn’t too hot or too cold. I go to find him--usually doing his best impression of a shag rug-- scoop him up, give him a kiss while making my way to the tub, and gently set him in.

I’ve done everything I can to make him as comfortable as possible and yet, the minute the tepid water touches him you’d think I was killing him. His crying and whining can be heard through the closed bathroom door into the hall. I do my best to get the job done quickly but thoroughly. I give him another kiss and tell him he’s okay. He tries a number of times to make his escape, but we get through it.

As soon as he’s cleaned and rinsed and not one minute more, I turn off the water, set him on the towel I’ve laid out on the floor and dry him before I open the door and he goes flying through the house in utter joy and relief. He rubs his body all over the carpet and runs to each of us as if to say, “Look at me! I’m clean!” His hair is silky soft and he looks like a brand new dog. He loves to be clean but he hates the process.

Aren’t we the same way?

We want to be cleaned—to be made into the image of the Son of the Living God—but sometimes we whine and cry during our spiritual baths.

2 Corinthians 4:16 says, “For this cause we do not faint; but though our outward man perishes, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

Daily we face opportunities for spiritual cleansing and growth.  God knows the ways each of us needs to be cleaned up--an attitude adjustment here, the purging of a sin there. And every day God brings certain circumstances into our lives that allow for our particular need of cleansing. Maybe it’s a trial to instill more trust and faith; perhaps it’s another person who gives us opportunity to learn patience and love.

He readies the tools, scoops us up, gives us a kiss, tells us it will be alright, and gives us our bath. And sometimes we can find ourselves crying our way through it, thinking we are being harmed, when all along our souls are being perfected and made more holy than they were the day before. We are being sanctified for His work that we may be useful in His hands. 

I'm not saying baths are always fun. Sometimes they're downright painful. But we can hold onto the Lord, knowing that He’s with us the entire time, being as gentle as possible and He doesn’t allow it to go on one second longer than is needed.  And as we hold onto Him, He whispers in our ear truths and wisdom that we can only know in those times of intimacy.
 
In the end we will be complete, our souls readied for eternity in the House of God.

Jake would make it a lot easier on himself if he would learn to relax and trust me. He only adds stress to the situation when he allows himself to become anxious and fearful.

Like Jake, we’re going through the bath one way or the other. We can choose to go through it filled with anxiety or we can relax and trust the Lord and His unending wisdom and love.

And Jake knows that in the end he gets a cookie.

The God of the Secret Place

Since the time I was very young, the circumstances of my life have always dictated maintaining a level of secrecy. It was never a conscious effort, but society’s taboos and lack of compassion and understanding silently say to the abused or to those who are caught in a sin things like Aren’t you over that yet? or We don’t talk about things like that. And so you don’t. And it begins to seem easier to live in defeat than to face your giants. Shame sets in and you learn to stuff it down deep somewhere where no one will see it, and maybe if you stuff it down long enough even you will forget it’s there.

But God sees. There is nowhere that is secret enough to hide from God. We can’t stuff our pain down far enough that He does not go further still. Jeremiah 23:24 says, “’Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD.’”

The Lord sees your pain. He is your El Roi—the God Who sees. And not only does He see, but He is also a God of understanding, compassion and mercy. He longs for you come out from the shadows of pretense and worry and pour out your heavy heart to Him. The pain sits in your heart as a lump in the throat, suppressing words and acts of love.

I know it takes courage to face that pain again. It takes courage to go through life-saving surgery. But God is a skillful surgeon. Just as He is able to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow (Hebrews 4:12), He is also able to divide pain and sin and leave a heart more whole than it was before.

Trust your God again. Stop worrying about that thing that has left a part of you broken, or even pretending it’s gone when you know it isn’t, and fall on Jesus again. He is a God Who is able.

“Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

Do you see that, my friends? He LIVES to intercede for us. Jesus Christ rose not to just return to the comfort of His Father’s side, but He lives to continue to make intercession to His Father on our behalf. He sees our secret pain and He sets about restoring our heart.

But we have our part, too, and that is to be honest with ourselves and with the Lord. There will be work to do. With His strength, there will be forgiveness to offer, bitterness to let go of and sins to be nailed to the cross. And then there will be joy to behold.

Don’t wait until tomorrow. Enough tomorrows have passed. Begin your new journey today and walk in the light of life.

"Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart." (Psalm 51:6)


God bless you on your journey,

I'm All Ears

Larry King recently aired his last show after 25 years. I’ve wondered what made him such a long-standing success. Even he has said that all he’s done is ask questions, but I think that's only part of it.

I think what’s made Larry King and the show so well-received is that he listens. He doesn’t gab, he doesn’t try to steal the limelight; he simply asks a question and then he listens. And that allows the guest to pour out their heart, and we, then, have a chance to hear it.

Jesus is a good listener, too. I think about the time He passed by the pool at the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem where many of the sick went, believing that if they were the first to step into the waters when they were stirred by an angel, they would be healed.

Scripture says that a great multitude of people who were sick, blind, lame and withered lay near the pool, and yet Jesus apparently spoke to only one--a man who had been ill for 38 years. Why did Jesus choose him out of the rest? I believe it’s because Jesus listened to his heart. Jesus knew without a word that this man had laid there for a very long time. He knew that he truly desired to be healed and that he had no one else to help him.

And so He asked him, “Do you desire to be made whole?”

And the man answered, “Sir, when the water is troubled, I have no one to put me into the pool. But while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

Jesus heard his heart--that is, He comprehended the pain and longing in this man’s heart--and He had compassion on him and said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And he did. (John 5:2-9)

Because Jesus slowed down and listened, a man was healed.

We live in a very noisy and busy world with many hurting people. A lot of people talk, but not many listen. I can’t tell you how many times someone has walked past me, asked me how I was doing, and barely slowed down long enough to hear the answer. Many of those times I was hurting and needed a friend. It’s not their fault; I don’t blame them. We all get caught up in our noisy, busy worlds and we forget to listen.

What’s more, we forget to really hear. We forget to listen with real compassion and empathy.

How many hurting people do we pass by every day? How many of those people are members our very own family, whether by blood or by Spirit? Do we hear the struggle in their words or the pain in their voice?

How much strength could another person find to get through their trial, how much joy, how much love could we bless another with who is in pain just by listening?

I know when I’ve been hurting I don’t necessarily need someone to fix the problem for me, I just need someone to listen and to care and maybe even take just a moment to pray with me.  What a tremendous blessing it is when someone does.

We need to be real with one another about the difficulties we’re going through, and we need to allow others to be real with us. We need to live out Galatians 6:2 which says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the Law of Christ.”

Jesus always hears our hearts whether another person does or not. And He always listens with a compassionate ear. We become more like Him when we slow down and show the same love and compassion toward others whose hearts need a friend. 

How has someone blessed you by listening?

Dorci

Yes and Amen

At least three times a month I decide to quit blogging. And yet here I am again. Hope springs eternal, I suppose. And so does the Fountain of Life. If you tire of hearing about the ways an extraordinary God moves in and through an ordinary life, namely, mine, you might as well move along to a food or decorating blog, or go back to watching your favorite re-runs of I Love Lucy or your RPG’s.

Here is where we’ll participate in the ultimate Role-Playing Game--our own lives. Here is where we’ll leave the world behind and scratch and crawl our way to the hem of the Master’s robe and find healing for our souls. Here is where I hope to reveal the wisps of an all-powerful Holy Spirit breathing life, hope, meaning and even holiness into an otherwise meaningless albeit sometimes odd existence.

I couldn’t get by without the promises of God. Although He is well-acquainted with our own failings, we serve a faithful God Who loves us enough to want to calm our fears by telling us of His promises over and over in His Word.  And we can count on those promises as sure as if they have happened.  "For all the promises of God in Him (Jesus Christ) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."  (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Years ago, early on in my walk with the Lord, I began to struggle with how I could ever serve the Lord. I desperately wanted to be of use, but I had no discernible talents. I couldn’t sing or play an instrument, I couldn’t teach, I wasn’t even one of those out-going people who felt comfortable just jumping into a role.

The Lord heard my prayer about it one day and the Holy Spirit put some words on my heart that I knew I had heard spoken from scripture, but wasn’t familiar enough with them to even know which book to find them. So I started doing a word search from the few words I could remember. I finally found it and it turned out to be Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

So I held onto that promise and sure enough, the Lord blessed me with many ways to serve Him.

And now, here I am again, almost 20 years and one very worn-down body later, wondering what I can do to be useful in the hands of the Lord. How can I serve Him when even cooking dinner has become a challenge? The answer? I don’t know. I think that’s why three times a month I change my mind about blogging for the kingdom. I want to do something, if even a small thing, for my Father Who saved me from so much.

So I’ll hold onto His promise again - that He knows what He’s planned for me, and that those plans are to prosper me, not to harm me as satan would have me believe. No, my Father has planned to give me hope and a future. After all, I’m still here, right?

Are you holding onto that promise for yourself?

The Gift of Suffering

I was sitting in church yesterday listening intently on what was being said when the spoken words dimmed a bit, just for a moment, and the Lord whispered to my heart. It was one of those moments that I often have, when the Lord speaks out of what is being said, but He personalizes it just for me. Maybe it’s for you, too.

I can’t even remember exactly what was being said at that moment, but I thought about the time when my life here on this earth is over, and I am living in eternity. There’s no way for us to understand just how long forever is, no way to comprehend the infinite with our finite minds. But I know that in comparison this life is just a blink. While we’re living in it, especially when there are deep trials and suffering, it seems to last forever. But very soon, it will be over, and we’ll only remember it as a vague dream, something that lasted for only a short while, but it was a time when we had the chance to learn how to love.

God tells us in Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not lay up treasures on earth for yourselves, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up treasures in Heaven for yourselves, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”

It’s hard to say exactly what those treasures will be, but I know that as this blog’s scripture in Colossians says, all treasures that will last into eternity are found in God through Christ. They are the wisdom and knowledge of God that we obtain by walking with Him while we’re here. They are the things He whispers to our hearts when we’re still, and listening. They are the pure gold and silver character that will remain as we go through trials and the dross of anything less than godliness is taken away.

And that’s what the Lord was saying to me – that every trial, big and small, has been masterfully used by God to remove that which cannot enter into heaven, the fear, the unforgiveness, the pride, the selfishness, all those are being whittled away. And as they diminish, there is more room for His character in me, the treasure of a pure heart of love and compassion, and out of those I can do His will, in His strength, and store up even more treasure, the fruition that comes from being a part of God’s work here on this earth.

Through all my times of kicking and screaming and whining and complaining my way through trials, God remains steadfast in His love and in His patience to bring about in me a godliness that will store up treasures I can’t even imagine because He wants to bless me with a richer, fuller, more intimate experience of worshipping my Lord as I live with Him forever.

12 Ways to Help Combat Depression

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13MKJV)

Two weeks ago I posted a blog called Depression in the Believer. I’d like to follow that up with some things that I’ve recognized over the years that have helped me when I’m feeling depressed. Most of these things are just common sense, but I hope they’ll be a reminder and an encouragement to you (and to myself) to put them into practice.

Please understand that I’m not at all trying to simplify depression and I’m not negating the need for a professional counselor or medication when necessary. But I believe that these are absolute imperatives in the believer’s life even when further assistance is needed.

1. Pray
Now, I know that sounds obvious, but remember, wishing is not praying, dreaming is not praying, and thinking about praying is not praying. Sometimes it’s hard to hunker down and really pray because my thoughts can be going a million miles a minute, especially when I’m feeling depressed. So set aside a “date” with the Lord each day, time when you will sit down with Him and let it all out and when you can receive from Him. He will give you wisdom IF you’ll put your trust in Him. And don’t forget to put on that attitude of prayer, so that you learn to talk to Him throughout the day about anything and everything that comes up.
     a. Give Thanks
          Do it often and about everything.
     b. Ask for Forgiveness
          I think we let a lot of sins slide, thinking that since we barely noticed God probably didn’t, either.  But He does and we grieve the Holy Spirit when we sin. Confess those sins so that they don’t separate you from a Holy God; so that the enemy does not gain a foothold in your life; and so that the guilt does not add to your depression.
     c. Forgive
          Not only does God's Word say that if we forgive, then we will be forgiven (Luke 6:37), but unforgiveness will turn to bitterness and will eat you alive.  It will steal your trust and faith and joy. Forgiveness isn't saying that what the other person did is okay.  It's letting go so that they don't continue have control in your life.  As they saying goes, forgiveness sets a prisoner free, and that prisoner is me.  Trust God to take care of the other person in the way that only He can.

2. Read the Bible
Again, very obvious, I know. But are you making time for other reading materials, yet little or no time for God’s Word? The Bible is God’s main avenue of speaking to you. Open His Word every day and let it cleanse your heart.  And don't just read it, study it.  Know it like the back of your hand so that the Holy Spirit can teach you and then bring it to your mind when you need it. 

3. Put Away the Secular Music
I know, a lot of you are booing at me right now and saying there’s nothing wrong with some secular music. But, if you’re feeling depressed, secular music can be to us what junk food is to a person who’s trying to lose weight. You get full on that and have no room for what’s actually good for you. So put away the music of the world and drench yourself in music that will glorify the Lord and will encourage you to sing out in praise and worship of your Lord, too.

4. Speaking of Junk Food…
Put it away, too, and eat food that’s going to nourish your body – lots of protein, fruits and vegetables. Chips and 3 Musketeers bars make us feel good in the moment, but in the long run they’ll make us crash and burn. If you have to have some (chocolate is my buddy) limit it to a very small amount. I’m working on replacing refined sugars with fruit instead.

5. Go to Church
I know when you’re feeling depressed that the last thing you want to do sometimes is get out of the house, even to go to church. But do it anyway. Your body is not the boss of you. You need to be spiritually fed and you need the fellowship. And get out of the house during the week, too. Just breathing in the fresh air and feeling the sun shining down on my face can give me a whole new perspective.  If you don't have a home church, please, pray that God will lead you to one.  The Christian faith was never meant to be lived on individual islands.  We were meant to co-exist and serve one another as part of the body of Christ. 

6. And While You’re Out of the House..
Help Someone. Serve at church. Pray with someone. Mail a letter or a card. You never know how the Lord will use you in the life of another person if you ask Him to. And getting our eyes off of ourselves and onto another person will do wonders for your morale and theirs.

7. Exercise
I didn’t say run a marathon (unless you want to!), but any amount of consistent exercise will increase endorphins and help you feel better. Hey, if you wear an IPod you can combine #s 1, 3, 6 and 7! I’m so resourceful.  :)

8. Get Some Sleep
As a chronic insomniac, I know how hard this is. But I also know how much better I feel on a day when I’ve had decent sleep as opposed to a day when there’s been only a few hours. Night and day. Try to get into a routine of getting ready for bed. Don’t eat sweets before bedtime. Try some herbal things if your doctor approves and if it doesn’t interfere with any prescription medications. (Do your homework and double check with your pharmacist on that one.) Just taking magnesium before bed helps me to relax and get to sleep.

9. Take a Shower and Get Dressed
Depression has a way of sapping our energy even to drag ourselves into the shower sometimes. It’s easier to just stay in the jammies. Do it anyway, you’ll thank yourself.  (And I bet your family will, too!) 

10. Laugh
Throughout my childhood and most of my adulthood, people were always asking me why I laughed so much. If something’s funny, I really do LOL. I never knew what answer to give anyone until well into my adulthood. (Most people I’ve known for a long time now and they don’t ask so much anymore.) But I realize that because of the very difficult circumstances in my life, God has given me a built-in survival mechanism, and that’s a ready laugh. Laughing produces endorphins just like exercising does, it helps you get your mind off your problems, if even for a few moments, and it helps you to see the lighter side of life. So all you people who’ve ever asked me that, that’s why.  So watch a funny movie, hang out with your family and friends and giggle it up.

11. Discover Your Own Personal Stressors
Pay attention to your own body, soul and spirit and recognize those things that bring you down, such as certain types of music or movies, being around certain people, eating or drinking particular types of food or drinks, being too stimulated by technology and not allowing yourself enough quiet time, etc.

12. Get Up Tomorrow and Do It All Again
Once is not enough. You didn’t start feeling this way overnight and you’re not going to feel better overnight. Be disciplined and consistent to participate with the Lord in overcoming feelings of depression. Ask Him if there are things you’re allowing in your life that are contributing to your depression. God made your body, mind and spirit and He knows what you need and if you don’t give your body those things you will feel the consequences. But I believe the Lord will meet us more than half way if we’ll partner with Him. I’m in this with you. If you need prayer, please, please, please let someone know. I would be absolutely honored to pray for you if you would leave a comment or send me an email.

I’d love to hear any of your suggestions on what’s helped you with feelings of depression, too. Don’t forget, we serve the Almighty God Who created the heavens and the earth and you and me. He loves you more than you can imagine.

“But it is just as the Scriptures say, ‘What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!’” (1 Cor. 2:9 CEV)

Walking with Jesus, Not the World

One of my earliest memories is of going with my mother and sister to visit my mother’s friend at her house. All of us kids were relegated to playing in the basement while the two adults stayed upstairs to read tarot cards for one another. So what’s the big deal? It’s just a game, right? I also remember there being a Ouija board in the house. So what’s the big deal? It’s just a toy, right?

I won’t go into all that went on in our house as we grew up, but suffice it to say, God’s enemy did not see those things as mere toys, and because there were minds open to the spiritually dark world, there was spiritually dark activity in our house. As well as I know the peace and presence of God now, I knew the feeling of evil forces then. I have felt the overwhelming fear that comes with the presence of a demon and I know just how real it is.

I’m grateful that not everyone has had first-hand knowledge of such things, even more so those of you who have grown up in a home with parents who loved the Lord. The reality of the power of satan may be as real to you as living on the moon. But we are told throughout God’s Word that demons are as real as you and me. And not only that but we are warned in 1 Peter 5:8 to, “Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour;”

And again, Ephesians 6:12 warns believers that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

This is our battle and yet do we remember that in our day to day lives? This battle exists because there are two sides - for good and for evil, that are vying for how we walk, or don’t walk, in Christ and for our witness in Him.

Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that, “The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy.” The world is the enemies’ playground. He will use anything or anyone that is appealing to us to keep luring us into the things of the world that will then prevent us from living our lives uncompromisingly for the Lord.

So what are the enemies’ ways? He is a liar and a deceiver. As he did with Eve in the garden, he will whisper in our ears that this thing isn’t that bad, is it? And the enemy has no problem mixing in a little of the truth with the lie to make it more palatable to us. He will take his time, gradually introducing temptations and half-truths. And if we aren’t carefully discerning, we’ll take those compromises one by one until our conscience is seared and one day we look up and see that we have wandered far from the truth.

Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

We may view some things that the world is offering up as no big deal, as mere entertainment, but does the enemy?  Does God?  With all the media outlets available to us right now, we are being absolutely bombarded with the world’s perspective and those things that God calls evil are being portrayed as good, and what God calls good is being slandered as evil. And the worst part? Even many who have called themselves Christians are living no differently than the unsaved in the world do. We have forgotten to be spiritually discerning. We have forgotten to walk in the Spirit. And because of that, many in the body of Christ are falling away – not from their salvation, but from living lives that glorify God. Many are eating, drinking and being merry, and forgetting that tomorrow they will die and stand before God.

And though we won’t be judged for our sins if we have received the forgiveness for them through the blood of Christ, we will face the bema seat of Christ – the judgment seat, for reward or loss according to what we have done in Christ. “For we must all appear before the judgment (bema) seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to that which he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Yes, God is infinitely more powerful than his adversary, but it is up to us who we give that power to in our lives. We have two choices: to continue to live and look like the world, or to live for the Lord.

“Therefore girding up the loins of your mind, being sober, perfectly hope for the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but according to the Holy One who has called you, you also become holy in all conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:13-16

Jesus lived in the world but He was not of it. He didn’t allow the corruption in the world to change Him, but instead He changed the hearts and lives of those in the world. He was set apart for the work of His Father.

Now that we are in Christ, we are called to come out of the world to be a holy (set apart) people for the glory of God. Why? Because the ways of the world are not God’s ways, they are the enemies’ ways and they will hinder any spiritual growth and victory that we could experience in Jesus. James warned us, “Do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever desires to be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

“But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 1:17-20)

This world is full of people who mock the things of Christ and it may seem easier to blend in with the world, looking and sounding like them as Peter did while Jesus was being tried, than to be the object of their mockery.

But we are called to be a light in the darkness, illuminating Jesus Christ for the lost. Now is the time to put away the things of the world. Now is the time to redeem the days and live for Christ, doing all He has called us to do to run the race and not only to run, but to finish in victory.

Rather than living our lives as the unsaved do, without giving any thought to what we do or say or where we go, let us set aside those things that would stumble us or our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us give sober thought to those things that we allow into our lives, to their origins, to their creator, to their consequences. Let us be spiritually discerning instead of eating up whatever the world offers us.

I’m not at all speaking of legalism, but I am speaking of returning to our first love, Jesus Christ. Christ died for us because of love; we received Him because of love; are we now living for Him because of love?

There is so much to do before the whisper of our days is gone. Each day is given to us only once. How will we spend them?

God has given each of us in Christ gifts to use to build up the body and glorify God. Are we being good stewards of those gifts, or have we set them aside, along with our treasures in heaven, for the temporary junk of this life? None of us knows if we will have tomorrow to pick up our gifts again to bring glory to our Master. Perhaps we’ve tried to mix the ungodly things of the world with the truth of God.

If you look up today and find that things of the world have littered your way, or that you’ve wandered from the Lord altogether, be of good cheer.  You are only one prayer of repentance away.

Don’t forget the greatest purpose to which you were called: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 12:30-31)