It’s Amazing! This year I have worked really hard to be able to go into the month of December unencumbered by business and a huge “to do” list. I wanted to have things pretty much completed so that I could really embrace the season and its meaning without distraction.
BUT……unbelievable as it may seem….I was awakened at 4 a.m. this morning…….with a couple of things that were worrying me, even making me panic. They had NOTHING to do with Thanksgiving or Christmas and yet, they were things that were of concern to me. It seems that Satan knows right where to “hit me” if he wants to steal my joy and distract me from what’s important.
And so, I’m up………praying, reading and using wisdom in how to handle these things that stole my peace and joy this morning. I’ve done what I can…..and now I must rest in HIS peace and focus on Him during this season and EVERY season. If I don’t, Satan will have succeeded at stealing my joy! Apparently, HE was not impressed that I had worked so hard to be able to focus on the reason for the Christmas season…..He just knew he would have to come at me from a different angle this time.
My goal is to dig down even deeper by resting in Christ’s peace that passes all understanding …. no matter what is thrown my direction. I do NOT want to come to the end of the year and realize that another Christmas season is gone and I have not been focused on the one who gave so much for me!
Faith and Courage,
Lori
I’m not discouraged but I am burdened. Perhaps you can relate! Perhaps you can’t! Why am I burdened? I have been impressed again and again over the past few months of the importance of our living our lives in light of who God REALLY is and what His word says. The more I study this principle the more I see how far I fall short and the more I study the more I realize that for many people, the concept of living in that manner is a completely foreign concept.
I’m praying that I do not develop a critical or judgmental spirit and at the same time, I’m praying that I will see the truth of God’s word and God’s character in every situation I am involved with and every situation I observe.
One area that I’m particularly burdened about and find myself praying about constantly is the state of the church. It has been my experience and observation that we, as the body of Christ, appear to be more interested in what will please the congregation instead of what will please Christ. I find this especially true in terms of worship…….also known as “worship wars.” I’m not here to debate “worship” styles….but rather, I’m burdened about who/what we are actually worshiping and who/what is our motivation behind our choice of the mode and styles of worship.
Worship is not a mode or style……it is not music, it is a RESPONSE to the knowledge of who God really is. Thus, does it not make sense that our focus when we gather together to “worship” should be on the person and character of God. Yet, I find and observe so little of that focus in my own life and in the living out of the Christian life by God’s church.
Oh what a heavy load I feel….what a responsibility we have to reflect to the world the character and beauty of Christ. I pray that God will find each of us faithful in this area. I pray that today, as we “worship”….we will truly worship HIM and not the mode, method or persons around us. God’s character and beauty far surpasses anything we could imagine or speak….my our lives and our worship reflect that.
Faith and Courage,
Lori Lane
Once again this week, I’ve been reminded at how brutal communication via email can be! It’s way too convenient to sit down at a computer and “rip” an email to someone in the heat of the moment knowing that you aren’t going to see that person’s face or hear their reaction when they read your email. It’s also very easy to read an email and read things into the words of the writer, or make incorrect assumptions. I learned ALOT about email and how POTENT they can be over the past year….but I was reminded again this week.
I got a couple of emails, just minutes apart about two completely separate issues……but both were filled with alot of emotion. I have to admit……with one email in particular I felt like writing back a very “pointed” response immediately and informing the writer of how hurtful their words were. Don’t they know how hard I try…how hard I work and how much thought and prayer goes into the decisions I make. Then, I had to stop….take a deep breath and remember……their paradigm……which is different than my paradigm. I had to put myself in their shoes and think of it from their perspective. When I did…..I could understand the passion that they had expressed in their email. Could they have expressed it a bit less aggressively or with words that weren’t quite so pointed and cutting? Sure!
However, I’m so glad that God doesn’t “rip” off an email to me everytime I come to Him with frustration, passion and yes, sometime even anger. He graciously and patiently guides me through situations and circumstances to help me become more Christlike….AND He forgives me when I fail, fall short and sometimes even ignore His guidance and love.
What am I getting at? I want to be a picture of Christ even in the way I respond to others…even in emails. I want to extend the same grace, love and understanding that God extends to me and by doing so, be a picture of Christ to those around me. How often I fall short in this area! Yet, how much I desire to Know Him and Become More Like Him! I hope that is the prayer of all of us!
Faith and Courage,
Lori Lane
Well, I missed posting last week! I don’t even know why but nevertheless, the week came and went and I did not post. I know that I was working hard on the online classes that I’m teaching this year: Early Modern Literature and Early Modern History….but because I’m still behind on other things, I can’t figure out what I did last week that kept me from posting.
Do you have weeks like that? You know that you were busy…but you look back and there isn’t much to show for all that work. That’s the life of a wife and mother isn’t it?! Take for instance, yesterday I worked on putting up tomatoes and made salsa and tomato soup for canning. I must have cleaned the kitchen four complete times yesterday to keep up with the tomato juice that was flying everywhere…..and when I was finished last night, I looked at the kitchen table and what I had canned and felt disappointed that I hadn’t made more progress.
I think that life just feels like that sometimes. There isn’t ALWAYS going to be alot to show for our efforts. It’s then I have to ask myself….for WHOM am I working. Words of affirmation are DEFINITELY my love language. So, I LOVE it when my husband or the kids let me know how much they like something I’ve cooked, or how thankful they are that the house is clean and nice…….that can make me keep running on empty for hours at a time. But honestly, I should be more focused on God telling me, “Well Done”……..He not only sees my outward actions but he knows my inward thoughts and motives.
Today, as I face a MOUNTAIN of produce to put up for the winter……I pray that I can keep my thoughts focused on things that are eternal……..and not centered on myself and my own needs.
Faith and Courage,
Lori
This phrase has become sort of a catch phrase or theme statement with my family and friends lately. It seems like everytime we talk about a situation, circumstance or relationship, the problem or challenge could be solved if people would just “do the right thing.” However, many times instead of applying Biblical principles to a challenge in situation or relationship, people just react based on their emotions and desires.
That’s where all our problems started in the first place. Adam and Eve made choices based on emotions and desires. Why is it so hard for us to see that we can save ourselves so many heartaches and hurts if we would just “do the right thing” based on what God says is right.
I know that is often, not a popular way to respond to things. I mean, heaven forbid that our acting according to principle would prove to be offensive to someone….we need to be TOLERANT….I guess some people think that trying to keep everyone happy is more important than living a life of character and principle. But wait, why would PRINCIPLE be offensive…..aren’t we free to live our lives based on a foundation that WE believe in…….why would someone take that personally.
But, I digress! We are going to keep saying this little statement over and over again with our family and friends. I hope it rings in my children’s ears for years to come….so much so, that everytime they are faced with a decision or challenge, they find themselves asking, “What is the right thing?”……before they ask themselves anything else. That needs to start with me……Why don’t I just do the right thing?
Faith and Courage,
Lori
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