God is the light of the world
I am sure some of you started the New Year with the goal of reading the Bible in a year. In previous years, when I had this goal I would listen to the audio version of the Bible while I walked or completed other tasks. Last year, I decided to spend more intentional time in reading the Bible so I would sit, and read, and meditate on what I read. I immediately noticed a difference as I read that “the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:1-2, NIV). The next verse states that “God said, “Let there be light", and there was light” (Genesis 1:3, NIV). The world went from being formless and empty to being filled with light-can you imagine that moment?
Where do you turn when you are lost?
Not once, but multiple times today I heard a simple question…What do you do when you are afraid or close to losing hope? What do you do when you are lost? I shared where I too had felt lost or without hope and that I had to turn it over to God. I didn’t do it out of reverence or belief, I did it out of desperation and having no other hope. In that moment and the moments that would follow in my life, I saw God active in my life. The answer or direction may not have been what I expected, but it was and always has been God’s perfect plan.
Run the mile you are in
I am not a fan of running. Let me clarify, I sprinted on my high school track team because I needed a sport to get into West Point and no one would describe me as coordinated! I am not a fan of running long distance (anything more than 1/4 way around a track!) My husband, on the other hand, loves to run. So, running in races became part of our family bonding. I used to say I am not a runner, but a racer. I would sign up for a race with the best of intentions to train and would catch myself on a treadmill the Monday before a race, in my typical procrastination form, trying to cram in a one hour run before a ten mile race that weekend…never a good training plan.
Forgiveness, never easy but a must do
I love teaching Max Lucado’s Bible studies and have recently started listening to his daily devotional. As I was catching up on some of the older ones, the one titled “The Call to Forgive” described forgiveness in such a powerful way. In John 13, Jesus washes the feet of His disciples, all of His disciples including Judas. He knew that Judas would betray Him, yet He did not hesitate to wash his feet just as he did all the other disciples. Wow-how is that as an example of forgiveness? He knowingly washed the feet of the man that would lead Him to suffer and be crucified. Who are we to question the call to forgive when that is the example that has been set? What wrongs could be done to us that are any greater than that?
Who doesn’t love Isaiah?!?
This past session, we studied the widow that gave her last two coins. We shared stories of not having much but finding ways to tithe in spite of not being sure when or where the next paycheck would come. The part that resonated with me most, was that in spite of how little she had, or how much she had lost, she still came to Temple, she still remained faithful and THANKFUL. Wow! I know there have been plenty of times in my life where I am not sure my first thought would have been how I can give back to God or how could I show my thanks.
Not a chance meeting
It never fails to awe me when I see God working in our lives. This week was another one of those moments, just not for me. Like many around us, the New Year always leads to a refocus on physical goals and activities. Rob and I had a head start and started down this journey prior to our Mt. Kilimanjaro hike, but he decided he wanted to start F3 again. F3 is a men’s group focused on Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith that launched in Charlotte, NC. He reached out to a dear friend and fellow F3 member that, through Rob’s hike on the Appalachian Trail and recent adventures, he had not spoken to in quite awhile. He contacted him to re-engage with F3, but the results of that “chance meeting” for coffee was so much greater than a morning workout.
The love of a parent
A parent never wants to see their child in pain. They would do anything they possibly could to prevent their suffering including taking the pain on themselves. That is what a parent would do if they could, but we can’t. The fact is, we will never be able to protect our children from feeling pain. We can never shield them from the hardships of life and the struggles they will encounter on their journey. We can’t control every aspect of their lives in hopes that we will make everything perfect and no harm will come to them…As I reflected on the day today, I became more and more grateful that God is our Father.
Happy Three Kings Day
My family has always celebrated Three Kings Day. It is the closing out of the holiday season and represents the day that the three wise men, magi or kings visited Jesus. As a symbol of the gifts they brought, our family always celebrated with the largest or biggest gift. The night before, we would put out grass or hay and water for the camels. When we were small, we would put it in a shoebox in our apartment and place it beside our beds. Similar to Christmas Eve, we would wait in anticipation for their arrival and bringing of their gift.
What advice would you give your 19 year old self?
What advice would you give your 19 year old self? That’s the question a young woman that I consider family asked me. I surprised myself when without hesitation I responded with “dream big.” The irony is when I was in her shoes, I was not focused on dreaming. I had plans, big plans. I knew that I wanted to go far away for college and I knew that I wanted to prove myself and succeed. My dream? I always wanted to write, in fact, I did write. But writing would not be a career, it was a hobby, a side gig. So, I pursued other things.
New Year’s Resolutions-Here we go…again
Sometimes it does feel like the endless cycle of closing out a year and starting new. I always reflect on the past year and complete what we in the military call an After Action Review, AAR. I review what was good and what needs some improvement. As I move towards the New Year, it’s always with high hopes of how this year will be different. I repeat the same mantra that I have learned and grown and I will be better this coming year. This year, it was different.