Thriving...in Spite of It

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I have a lot of family and friends with March birthdays, and as the years add up, it becomes harder and harder to find that “perfect gift.” Perhaps it’s because we change so much as we pass from decade to decade, like walking through successive doors connecting room after room of its own discoveries and challenges.  And then there is the perception that everyone else is as difficult to please as we are. We think we know exactly what we want or need, but we end up choosing things — even for ourselves — that don’t fit or function the way we imagined. Even our own plans undermine us, leading us into frustration or failure, leaving us eventually disappointed or discontented and looking for the next thing that hopefully won’t.  We go on as if life “just happens” or happens to us instead of for ...

Standing on a shore and watching the waves rhythmically rolling in, I would say my fascination is as perpetual and continuous as the never ending ripple or crash they deliver to the shoreline. Whether it’s Galveston or Myrtle Beach, San Diego or even Lake Hamilton, I’m completely mesmerized.  I watch and I wonder. I wonder about the God who carved out the shores made me and knows me. And just as He told the waters “go here, and no further,” He has set boundaries and protection around me, carving out a path for my very own unique purpose.  I wonder about the God who sets all these waves and tides in perpetual but perfect motion with the laws of nature, rising and ebbing in perfect timing with the moon’s mysterious pull—how can He have the time or concern to orchestrate the things in my life, as well? After all, it’s “just me.” But it’s “just me” that He has in his hand. His right hand — the hand of authority, as when a king raises his scepter in his right hand and mighty men bo...

It’s funny that with all the testing we have in our lives, from SATs to MRIs, blood sugar and skills tests, COVID and drug tests, personality assessments, and pregnancy tests, we resist the idea that our faith will be tested, too.  We rely on both the necessity and the results of tests that tell us our water is safe to drink or our 16-year-olds are ready to drive, but we question — we are even horrified and offended, if we were completely honest — the fact that sometimes our faith must be tested, too.  So, what’s the purpose? As with any test, we could look to the old business axiom that tells us “whatever gets measured gets improved.” While the original source of this quote is disputed, the concept is applied universally, whether consciously or not. The point is, assessing things periodically is the key to improving them. We need to increase our faith, whatever amount we have, so we must not only recognize when it’s being tested but also honestly and humbly accept whatever t...

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood verses in the New Testament is found at the beginning of the book of James. I love how this leader of the early church, who was also the half-brother of Jesus himself, dives right into one of the most baffling ideas about faith -- the hardest thing to understand, and also the hardest thing to do: to walk through the darkest of times with your joy intact. Like most profound truths, this is, to use one of my husband’s favorite terms, “better felt than telt.” In fact, it seems almost heartless to say it to someone who is going through a crisis--it’s hard to even read it for ourselves. Faith exists in a realm that is completely opposite of what we call reality. All our lives, we learn to trust the tangible, to rely on the factual. We cling to the lifeboat we can recognize and touch, rather than leaning on God, whom we cannot see or feel. But when our hearts are breaking, when our world is shattered by death, betrayal, or distress, when the storms come...

In a culture where marketing, hype, and the voice of pop culture "influencers" tend to define what is important, what is acceptable, and even what is even attention-worthy, we should take time to evaluate these things for ourselves. That evaluation should not be based on the ever-changing influences around us, but on the foundational truths that we say we embrace. All my life, I have been a part of the Assembly of God congregation, intently studying its core values seamlessly with my studies of God's word, but without really being able to distinguish or articulate those core values. As I took a course in AG History, I found myself intrigued by the most fundamental pieces of that organization's foundation. For the benefit of those who have attended the churches, singing the songs and enjoying the curriculum, but without really being able to articulate those core values either. The Constitution begins like this: "WE BELIEVE: That God’s purpose concerning man is (1)...

As I sat and drew twining roses around the page this morning, thinking about this verse, I began to see a very definite connection—a path, if you will—between the things I do, the things I actually want to do, and the things I want.  Oh, how I would love to have a rose garden! But unless I invest the time and energy to plant the three rose bushes sitting in the garage, that will never begin to happen. Most of fruitful, worthwhile outcomes we enjoy don’t happen overnight. And they don’t happen on their own. As good and generous as God is, he wants us to invest effort alongside our faith toward the goals and dreams we long for. He wants us to ask, believing he can help us do it, and keep asking until it happens. He wants us to seek, with all our hearts, comparing our desires to his until the two align. He wants us to knock, persistently and deliberately, putting our own hands to work toward getting that door of opportunity to open.  If you’re believing for something today, put ...

It’s so amazing how all of nature is set in motion, even before the sun rises. While it’s still dark, the birds begin singing, squirrels are rustling around...around the clock, buds are opening into blooms and new leaves, while fresh wildflowers and garden flowers pop... None of this requires the prompting or hand of man to happen. No one has to set a Siri reminder to tell the nocturnal creatures it’s time to go to sleep, or the crickets silence, to give way to the woodpecker.  No one has to tell the birds to gather food for their young, either. They already know to do this.  If a simple bird knows how to satisfy the basic needs of its fledglings, how much more does your Heavenly Father know when, what and how much you need? Like a doting parent, he sometimes even goes overboard, just to show us he cares.  Before we even ask, he knows. Before we even know, he knows. #BackyardDevo