I have been making good headway on riding my bike. My balance is pretty good and I can go farther and faster. I was surprised about a week ago when I started having a harder time. I was winded more quickly and couldn't go as fast. It was harder to get started and I couldn't make it as far. I berated myself and told myself not to be a sissy. I pushed myself harder. I ran through the list of factors that I could think of that would make a workout harder. Wind ( which has been ridiculous the last few weeks) was one factor. Heat was another possibility since we had our first 100 degree day on May 3rd. Hills were a factor since I am taking more varied routes. I decided, though, was that the most likely scenario was that I wasn't working hard enough. I pushed myself harder and chided myself more. Then yesterday morning I decided to ride at 7:30 to beat the heat. The bike was difficult to get down the stairs and I heard an odd sound. I looked things over to locate the noise and it was a nearly flat tire rubbing on the ground. My difficulties were  not due to lack of effort or  lack of will but to equipment that was not up to par. My initial response was to take it to the gas station and air it up so I could keep riding. My husband and his logical brain stepped in and told me I needed to take it to the bike shop and get it fixed right. Don't tell him I said so, but he was right.

Sometimes my spiritual life is running along smoothly. God and I are communicating well. My ministry and work are flourishing and I am at peace with God and my family. The lock-down with Corona virus has not been one of those times. While I would love to tell you that I have been spiritual and a woman of great faith and valor during these times, it would not be the truth. I have been anxious, irritable and lonely. My technological woes have been legion. Right now I am at a public computer and have to type on a keyboard covered with a plastic bag to protect us all from germs. (Did I mention that I have been irritable?) I have had seasons of grief during this time also and told God Saturday that I didn't think He was being fair. I did the same thing I did with the bike. I told myself I needed to pray more, to give more, to trust. I said that I shouldn't question God and definitely shouldn't be angry with him.. None of these responses were any more effective than they were with the bike.The truth is that with everything going on, my spiritual equipment was not running up to par. I am not saying that praying, giving and trusting are not important. They are very important, but it is not the whole equation. We have to have God's power to do God's work. This is true whether we are running an international ministry or loving our family in close quarters.

So how do we keep our spiritual equipment in good working order?  The passage that is foremost in my mind is  Psalms 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress

It is tempting during times like this to feel that God has left us alone, whether we feel that way due to chaos and disease or due to wave after wave of grief. May we find the courage to run to Him, to rest in Him and to be still and know that He IS God. 

Cross Training

Cross Training

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:28

I have been helping my friend take her Great Dane through dog training. Some of the basic commands we are working on with her are sit, stay, let’s go, and leave it.  The dogs also need to learn to come when they are called. This is where my Benji falls down on the job.  He comes when he is called as long as he feels like it.  These commands are important for the dog as well as the owners. Sit is most important when the dog is working around other people. Some dogs are very busy and want to jump or “meet and greet”. The Great Dane is a lot of dog to be jumping on people; especially people who are older of have balance issues in general. Stay is usually the next step. The dog is supposed to sit or lie down and then stay where they are while the owner walks away. The owner goes different distances and is gone for different times to teach the dog to wait until she comes back. When the owner comes back and is ready for the dog to do something else she says, “Let’s go”.  Leave it is important when something is on the floor that the dog wants. This command trains them to pay attention to the owner and also to leave something alone that may be dangerous or bad for them.

What about in our Christian lives? Personally, I hate it when God tells me to sit. I feel the desperate urge to be busy either working or doing kingdom work. It’s not even always about needing to make more money. Sometimes it is about earning a good name or even distracting myself from things that are going on in my head. There are verses that I have been hearing over and over this week.  Psalms 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heavens, and exalted in the earth. “Another is “In quietness and trust will be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15) I have been reminded that God gave us Sabbath for a reason. That has been a hard lesson because I did not grow up with the tradition of Sabbath. I am refreshed and renewed when I do have a time of quiet.

As much as I hate “sit”, I really hate “stay”.  I am always pushing myself to do better, to get a better, “more important” job. I push myself in my ministry wanting to reach more people. Even though I have mostly worked this out, I still want to be able to write like Rick Warren and have the reach that he does.  Also, I have to admit that in the last few weeks I have wondered where God is and when He is going to hear us. The scriptures I hear in these times are Zechariah 4:10 “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin”, and Philippians 1:6. "He who completed a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." When I am uncomfortable waiting on God and wondering where He is and what he is doing, I can lean on verses like Lamentations 3:19, which says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness, Oh Lord”.

As hard as it is to wait on God, it is just as hard when he says, “Let’s go.” Peter was excited when Jesus told him to get out of the boat, but he looked down at the waves and got scared. The same verses will help us whether it is time to stay and wait on God or go and do his work.

What about “leave it”? What do you keep going back to that God wants you to leave? For me this week it has been a work opportunity that didn’t pan out like I planned, largely because of technology and general chaos. I have been going back and analyzing what I did wrong and berating myself. (Always great, helpful ideas.) Another thing that I am trying to leave behind is knee jerk reactions to situations which are not helpful. For example, I don’t want to immediately jump to “What do I need to repent for” every time I go through a difficult situation. Isaiah 43:28 says “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. In other words, "Leave it."

Finally, just like we want animals to come when they are called, let’s try to do the same thing when we hear God’s voice. In John chapter 10 Jesus is telling His disciples that he is the Good Shepherd and says, “My sheep hear me and know my voice and the voice of another they will not quickly follow.” This week, tune out the voice of fear, the voice of shame, and the voice of complaining. Listen for the voice of your shepherd, who has great faithfulness and new mercies every morning.

^{Movin' Right Along}

 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18-21)

I have been riding a bike again. It has been said that if you have ridden before it is easy to ride again. This is not entirely true. The hardest part is literally getting started. There is a lot involved with figuring out where in the arc to start the pedal, how to balance and how hard to push to get going. I have finally just about mastered this part and don't look like a flailing chicken anymore. Other challenges have been riding uphill and balance. Stretches that don't look uphill when you are walking or riding can be really tough to navigate when you are pedaling. Balance is important when you are riding on rough ground or uneven roads. The other problem I have had is that while some people are supportive and encouraging, there are those who think they are being cute and make fun of me. I have to choose to surround myself with the ones who are encouraging.

In our Christian lives, we see many parallels. It is hard to get started with something new God calls us to. Whether it is a new ministry opportunity or a new way of responding to old situations, it doesn't look pretty for a while. Recently I have started learning to practice kindness when I don't feel like it and not giving in to fear and insecurity. I do NOT have it down. Life has had some uphill stretches lately. I have found myself "weary in well-doing" as Paul says. (Galatians 6:9) Others in my life are also pedaling uphill right now and you probably are too. Balance in our lives is crucial as we walk with God and so is surrounding ourselves with people who can encourage us.
When we are trying to do new things, it is hard because we can't see the way. We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that we must walk by faith and not by sight. Just like biking is an old-new adventure, sometimes God is helping us take old skills or experiences and use them in new ways. We need to trust that God is in control even when we don't understand. Right now we are in trying times, but He is still on the throne. 

What do we do when we find ourselves pedaling uphill? Paul had an answer for this. In Philippians 3:12-14, he says this.

12 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. 13 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, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Jesus himself knew about balance and we learn much from his example. In Luke 2:52 we are told that "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man." Several times we see that he withdrew to a quiet place or spent time alone with God. (Luke 5:16; Matthew 14:13-36; Matthew 15; Matthew 16; Matthew 17:1-20) We need to try to keep our lives balanced as well, perhaps especially when we are under stress. 

Just as I need encouraging people as I exercise, we desperately need encouragement in our Christian life. Many verses address this, but we read this is Hebrews. "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Even as we are practicing social distancing we need to look for creative ways to encourage each other, whether it be phone calls, emails, or mail. Also, I saw something new in  Romans 15:5 today. "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had." God gives us encouragement!

Life is hard. It is uphill sometimes and we are often lonely and discouraged. Keep these things in mind as we move through difficult times. 

Pruning

Welcome back to Unseen. This has been a wonderful and terrible few weeks. Read on for what God showed me about pruning, both in my garden and my life.

Just a Trim!

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

19See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Here in West Texas, February can mean any season. This past week we have had snow, 70 degree weather, and lots of rain. My poor plants are so confused. I decided it was time to prune them. They had green leaves but weren’t looking healthy. I trimmed them back and they looked so sad and pitiful. I told God that I was going to have to just prune them in faith. Sure enough after a couple of days they were full of green shoots. I was so excited! I was visiting with a gardener and he said that pruning them gets rid of dead growth and lets the plants get more nutrients. God’s creation is amazing.

While I enjoy the pruning process with plants, I hate it in my life. In the past I thought it was punishment. If I lost something or someone that was important to me I would immediately start thinking what I needed to repent from. I understand now that sometimes the things and people I lost were not healthy for me.  I have come to terms with that. Recently, though, I have come to realize that there are other things that God is trimming from my life. For example, recently I have been actively letting go of hurts because I realized that forgiving someone does not necessarily get rid of the pain. I am also letting go of needing to have all the answers. As a result, I have gotten rid of some spiritual dead growth and am seeing growth in areas of my life.

The prophet Isaiah tells us God’s feelings about holding on to dead growth. In Isaiah 43:18-19 we read “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

19See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” When we are being pruned it can feel scary and we may want to turn back to what is familiar and comfortable. God wants us to lean into the new thing he is doing.

In Psalms 1, we read that the man who walks in uprightness will be like a tree planted by the water. John 15 describes Jesus as the vine and us as the branches. ⁵

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you^[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Jesus describes how growth is achieved b y abiding in Him as our source of spiritual nutrients.

Ephesians 4 gives us examples of what we should prune from our lives and what we should seek instead.

 ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, ^[i]clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Take heart if you are being pruned. God will not trim you away to nothing. Watch for new growth in our life if you are brave enough to let go of the things God is calling you to.

Guest spot.

Welcome back to unseen today.Thank you to Samantha LaPierre for her help this week. I have some exciting new things happening in my life and My writing projects have stacked up. She graciously agreed to bless you this week. Read on to see what she has learned about  new beginnings.

 This is my second time as a guest blogger. I have spent the past several weeks contemplating writing more frequently and looking into different calls for submissions but just haven’t found anything that calls out to me. It is like I know I need to write, I love to write, it heals me and frees me in so many ways, and yet...I just haven’t been able to find the words or a prompt that inspires me. 

However, when Susan messaged me today about this I was given this little nudge in my Spirit to give it an earnest try. I have spent the past few months in a really weird place in my life. People from all different facets of my life have brought me their stories, their secrets, and their troubles. People that I have not seen in years have reconnected. I have had several different people come stay a day or two because they had no where else to go. I have asked myself why the sudden onslaught of visitors? I often go weeks and only speak to people whom I work with, or my family, they are practical, need based talks. “ Hey mom don’t forget the milk.” or “ How was your day?” or “ Can I please have some money for a movie” or “ Can you work for me on Saturday?” Then something happened and almost everyday I find myself talking about deep things, tender things, things that are difficult and sometimes hard to hear or say. 

I had been trying to understand why the sudden change when I had to stop dead in my tracks and redirect my focus onto the what. What do I have in common with the people I'm talking to? What do these people unknowingly have in common with each other? What is God trying to show me about myself? What would God have me show them? 

When someone comes to my door, it's more often than not by what seems like a coincidence, or by chance, or because they don’t know where else to go. It's not because I am sought out intentionally for my wisdom or insight. It's also not because I seem to have my life together. Because if I am totally honest, I absolutely do not. I don’t have the answers for myself, let alone anyone else. I struggle with anxiety, and depression. I am also currently at odds with my addiction. I have surrendered all of and taken all of this a million times, the fact that most of these obstacles have been  unseen by most of the people in my life makes me feel alone and somewhat fraudulent. When people start talking I identify with them. In identifying with them I am given the gift of being an observer, because it is not actually me, I can see for them what I cannot see for myself. 

The biggest source of suffering I see in all of this, is our inability to let the past be the past. To let our history be laid to rest. If I want to be someone other than who I was, I must not refer to the old standard by which I lived. If I want to be a new creation, I can’t build it on the bones of the old one, or I’ll just be an updated version of the old person. 

The Word gives us several references to all things becoming new. In Isaiah 42:9 its says: “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” 

lIt's not hard for me in my life to see where I was told of what would happen if I continued on a certain path. Everyone tried to warn me when i was clearly headed for disaster, but I didn’t listen. When things transpired exactly as they had forseen, I felt pretty stupid. But what does God say about the things to come? What does His word promise? Life, and more abundantly at that, we are told we are sons and daughters, that there is a hope and a future for us, and that if we love Him and  listen to the call and live according to that purpose, then all, All things will work for our good. He promises that we will be born again of Spirit, and that never will we be alone.

So I was never alone, even when I was walking in rebellion. I am not alone now. I also know that it's really hard for me to let that old person go. To release back to God what I can no longer use of myself. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells me very clearly “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”

When I am abiding in Him, everything that I was before is gone, I am new. The past and its multitude of regrets and failures has no hold on me and the decisions I make. It can not stir up any trouble for me when I am willingly and intently under His wing.

My problem, and that of many I have spoken to, is that we wander off from that safe place, we get distracted, or complacent, and we choose to step out of alignment with him and back into the flesh of our old selves. It's easy for me to find reasons to be angry, I become critical, and detached. I am detached from the new creation, so I then align myself with anger, depression, emptiness, fear. I remember all the times I was let down and all the times I have let others down, and before I know, I have forgotten about the New Creation. I have let go of what I already know to be true, because that person can only be alive when I am with Jesus, that creation is His and His alone. 

I see this to be true with others as well. They will have these new lives and all of a sudden they don’t. Everything goes back to being a struggle, the light they had begins to fade, their lives suffer. Instead of returning back to Him, they try to fix it alone only to be met with more obstacles and problems. I see it often, and have experienced it personally as well. The solutions to all of the junk in our lives is so simple and yet we make it so hard. 

I have to let that old Sam be dead. I can’t for my future’s sake keep bringing her back to life. The old things have passed away and they have already been forgiven. God does hold on to them, so why should I? Not only are my sins now and forever wiped clean, but my past has been disarmed, and neutralized. I don't have to think the way I used to think or do the things I used to do, and if I am self aware, and can identify those patterns and behaviors resurfacing, I am aware that I have stepped out of alignment. This awareness also means I can make the choice to move back towards Him and His complete and perfect will. 

The new Sam wants to help others step back to His perfect love and safety, I want to be there as well. I will never be anywhere near perfect adherence to His Will for my life. I can say that every single day I am given some new piece of understanding. I am still growing, and there is a comfort in that for me. I hope you can find something that speaks to you in all this as well.

Poison Berry

Poison Berry

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another. Ephesians 4:32.

We were having a great holiday dinner. Things were winding down at the dinner table. We were catching up with family member we hadn't seen and the younger generation was enjoying "cousin time". We were packed in like sardines at the table in the small kitchen.  My mother-in-law went to the utility room to get the pies. She came back carrying them and said, "we have pumpkin, sour cream and raisin, cream cheese and boysenberry." My son misunderstood and exclaimed "Poison berry pie?!" If anyone is telling stories about my children, this is one of the first to be repeated
I was thinking about this tonight after talking to my family and eating my pie. (Not poison berry). I was also thinking about the hurts and resentments that I have been healed from, this year in particular. I have discovered that unforgiveness will choke you. I have discovered that if you make excuses for people's behavior and bury you feelings you don't experience healing. I have also discovered that just because you forgive someone it doesn't mean the hurt is gone. These things become poison berries in pour hearts ad spirits. We need to get rid of them before the thorns choke us and the fruit turns rancid. We can't do this alone. We have to rely on God's power and not our own.
Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger and slander and every form of malice. Be kind o one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven you."
We can't afford to withhold forgiveness when we have received it so freely.

Second we need to forgive because we are not perfect and have wronged others. Matthew 7:3-5 describes a person who sees a fault in his brother.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."  How wonderful it would be if we could practice this in our churches and families.
Hebrews 12:15 warns us , "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." 

So what about the hurt left over after we forgive? It can cause us to put up our hackles to protect ourselves. We may isolate or revert to passive aggressive behavior or just plain old aggressive behavior. The answer is simple but not easy. first Peter 5:7 says "Cast your cares on Him for he cares for you." God will take the hurt and guilt and leave us free to love. 

As a Christmas gift to yourself and those you love, dig up the "Poison Berries" in your life. It will make for a happier and more peaceful  holiday.

Call for Backup

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27

We had a real treat last night. A bluegrass band came to lead worship. There were 2 guitars, 2 banjo's a violin, a double bass and a mandolin. Their music was fantastic and there was a lot of toe tapping and hand clapping. One thing that struck me was that at different points in the music, different instruments would be highlighted. Between verses, for instance, the banjo or the violin would have a solo while the other instruments played backup. On the last song, several of us got to go up and sing Oh Happy Day with the group. It was so much fun.
In the middle of having fun, God taught me a lesson. In our lives there are times when one person's talents are showcased. and other times when everyone works together to achieve a goal.Someone may seem to be receiving more blessings than I am or more honor. Each person has seasons in their lives designed by God. A friend or family member may be in a good season when you are in a difficult one. Success, or lack of it, does not have anything to do with whether we are walking in God's favor.
Here's the thing. I know all of that but there are times and situations when I suddenly revert to a junior High mentality.I feel overlooked and unappreciated. I get really frustrated with myself at these times.
Apparently I am not the only one who has dealt with this issue. Paul dedicates all of 1 Corinthians 12 to explaining to the church in Corinth about How to live as a body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Whether it is your turn to play lead or backup, do it with grace and gratitude, knowing that we are part of a body for a reason.