Good Fruit, Bad Fruit

A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.”  Luke 6:43-44

Jill wiped the sweat from her face and slapped the bark on an apple tree. “This one needs to come down,” she said. Her assistant gazed upward into the thick green foliage with a bewildered expression. “Why?” he asked. “Bad tree,” Jill answered. “Haven’t had any decent apples in two seasons. Those little ones up there? Half rotten. Tree’s no good to me now.” Her assistant still looked confused. “But…but all those leaves…it looks so healthy.” Jill shook her head and moved to the next tree. “It’s faking you out,” she laughed. “Pretending to be productive, but it’s all leaf. A tree is healthy if it produces good fruit.”

When a gardener plants and nurtures a fruit tree, he expects good fruit from it. If the tree is rotten inside, the fruit won’t be any good either. The same is true for us. The fruit of our lives is seen in the decisions we make, the attitudes we adopt, and the words we speak. If our hearts are self-centered, our fruit will be too. You can’t turn an oak tree into a peach tree by taping a peach to it. And going through churchy motions does not change our identities. Jesus offers to do that for us when we give our lives to Him. He changes us from the inside so that our fruit lasts for eternity. Unless our fruit is obedience to Christ, it’s all leaf.

,

Gaze of the Soul

So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:17

“Oh, I’ve always been a Christian,” Shara said. “I’m not into church much, but if the guy I’m living with wants to go, I’ll go with him.” She smiled confidently and nodded toward the baby on her hip. “This little guy’s dad was really into church and threw verses at me the whole time we ran the bar together. But I don’t think the Bible is relevant for us today, so I didn’t let it bother me. I keep crosses and pictures of Jesus all over my house, so I think God knows I have a lot of faith.”

Sadly, stories like Shara’s are very common. Maybe you’ve even said something similar. Because faith is invisible and is used to describe our attitude toward many things, we often isolate it from the rest of our lives. We think we can have spiritual faith while still living for ourselves. But God’s word clearly tells us that the kind of faith that saves us is the kind that changes us. We cannot have real faith in God while choosing a lifestyle contrary to all that He is (1 John 3:6). 

Sometimes what we call “faith in God” is really just a fervent hope that things will go the way we want them to. But God never commands us to have faith FOR something. He commands us to have faith IN Him. Faith is not a “force.” It is the connection between our earthly lives and the spiritual realm. A. W. Tozer writes, “Faith is the gaze of the soul upon a saving God.” Where our soul gazes, our lives travel.

Have you tried to keep your “faith” separate from your daily life? Unless faith changes us, it cannot save us. 

.

Are You Holding the Shovel?

Anyone who's ever held a shovel knows you dig a hole one scoop at a time. Some ground is harder than others. 
 .
Sandrock? You're gonna build some muscles!
.

Sometimes trouble is like that.

Many people find themselves wringing hands, sobbing into tissues, angry, hurt, ready to give up on life. Many times, they're angry at God for letting this happen. Doesn't He care? Why didn't He stop this? How could I be in such a deep hole?
.
Too often they don't see the shovel in their own hands. They started digging waaaay back there. Just little spadefuls at first. Nothing that caused much of a problem. Nothing they couldn't handle.

They thought.

It may not have been anything bad. Sometimes we can get in a big mess trying to do God's will, thinking we're on the right track, but doing it in our own strength or for the wrong reasons. Christian work can be as big a pit as any if it isn't being done in God's strength for God's pursposes and with the right attitude.

Little spades have a way of quickly becoming snowshovels when we've decided to do it our way rather than depend on God. One wrong choice leads to another. A compromising situation leads to lies, which leads to...

Have you been there? Suddenly, you're in too deep to see a way out and you're ready to scream for help. But by then, the damage is done. There is no easy way out. You're gonna get dirty.

Thankfully, God doesn't leave us in the hole when we're serious about doing it his way. However, His way usually does not include a rope ladder and a helicopter. His way usually forces us to dig our way out the same way we dug our way in...one scoop at a time.

One shovelful after another, we start filling in the hole with right choices, good advice, wise counsel, and a huge dose of humility. God's way easily separates the ones who mean it from the ones who just want a quick exit. But don't worry about the others as they give you a jaunty wave from the sky. The ones swinging from the rope ladder will be back in the hole soon. God's way out leaves an indelible impression--one not easily forgotten.

What hole do you find yourself in today? What prison bars are you rattling, demanding an exit? Are you angry at God? At someone else?

Before you cast any blame, look in your hand? Are you holding the shovel?

.

How Old Are You?

A couple Christmases ago, we got the kids a Wii.

The three-page letter of appeal from my 13-year-old son didn't hurt either. It was pretty funny, but showed promise. Takes a really cold heart to turn that down. Who taught that kid to write?

By the day after Christmas, I hurt in places I didn't know I had. Who would imagine that a silly living room toy could provoke such physical contortions? My muscles and I had to sit it out for a day or two.

Then I found the Wii fitness test. Through a series of sports tests, the stupid-toy-that-doesn't know-anything rates your physical fitness age. You can probably guess by the previous sentence that my "age" was not a flattering number. I won't go into it. I'm still bitter.

But that got me thinking--as everything does. My so-called fitness age was nowhere close to my actual birthday count. I should have scored much lower and now that I've seen it for myself, I have a goal. Sometimes it takes a little wake-up call for us to see ourselves in comparison to where we should be.

What about spiritually?

Does your spiritual and psychological maturity match the number of years you have supposedly been growing? Millions of people claim to have known and followed Christ for decades. Yet, their lives are virtually indistinguishable from the masses who never made such claims.

We've all heard them: "Oh, I got saved back in VBS when I was a kid."

"I walked the aisle at a Billy Graham crusade in '76."

"Oh yeah, I've gone to church my whole life."

America is teeming with people who've signed on the dotted line somewhere back there. Yet, if Wii had a test for spiritual fitness, where would they score?

What would your score be? Does your walk with God, your personal lifestyle, your daily choices match what you claim to be? You may have considered yourself a Christian for 30 years, but is your spiritual score still in elementary school?

Paul scolded the early Christians for this very thing, reminding them that they should move on, get past the "milk" of the Word, and become capable of counsel and wisdom themselves.

.

Where are you in your journey with God? Are you leading? Mentoring? Leading others to Christ? Setting a Godly example?

.

Or are you still on the receiving end? Requiring others to help you, teach you, be an example to you? Are you a spiritual giver or always the taker?

In a society where it is easy to call yourself a Christian, the word has lost its meaning. Like the proverbial frog who found himself in a pot slowly boiling, I fear we as a nation will wake up one day and find ourselves in hot water. It will no longer be easy to be a Christian. Where will you be then?

.

As we head toward a new year, I challenge you to make it your goal to mature. Ask yourself the hard questions--allowing no excuses: Does the number of years I've known Christ match the spiritual maturity level of my lifestyle choices? Should I be further ahead in my spiritual growth than I am?

.

Give yourself a Wii fitness test. It's never too late. God is as close as your bended knee. It's time to grow up. Adults have more fun!

Do I Need to Turn This Car Around Right Now?

If you're smiling at the title, you are either a parent or remember your own parents' threat, accompanied by The Look.

When you ask your children that question, it's usually an empty threat designed to scare them into compliance. And you've no doubt perfected The Look that your mother gave you.

However, those words are really a choice and your kids have the option of seeing if you mean it. Any kid with a shred of sense won't push it that far, but there are always those kids...

Even adults are faced with this choice. When we desire to move forward with the life God has for us, there are going to be speed bumps, curves, and one-way-streets that do not look passable. Often He asks us to do things that are uncomfortable and outside the realm of what we expected. 

We balk.

It is then that God turns around and gives us The Look. "Do you really want to stop right here? Is this as much of Me as you want? Is this as far as you want to go with Me? Do I need to put you out on the side of the road and use someone else to accomplish my plans?"

We have a choice to make. We can stop right there, settle for lukewarm, turn our faces away from the prize and say, "Yeah, that's far enough. This is too hard. I want to be back in charge."

God never gives empty threats. If we demand the right to be charge of our lives, He gives it to us. But in that act He also withdraws His protection, His peace, His security, and His fellowship. We can still go through the motions of Christian living, but the Light is gone. And often we don't know why.

We all have those areas of personal goodness that come easily and we take inordinate pride in them. Maybe you're a giver. Giving money to worthy causes is easy for you. Makes you feel good about yourself and you are satisfied that by being generous, you're right where God wants you to be.

When you're ready to move on with God, that won't be the spot where He threatens to turn the car around. To become all he wants you to be will require something you're not comfortable with. Maybe He's asking you to let go of a childhood pain, forgive an ex-spouse, teach a Sunday School class, ask forgiveness from someone. You'll know. He's always very clear about it when He knows we're serious about hearing.

You can ignore it, turn your face away, talk yourself out of it, or pretend that everything's fine and hope He forgets about it. But it is in that moment, He opens the car door and out you go. You're still His favorite child, but He can't take you anywhere anymore. The heart-to-heart fellowship is gone and now a shadow clouds your prayers and your worship.

OR...

You can grit your teeth and rush to obey. The moment you do, relief floods back into your soul. It's like someone turned the lights on. There's no barrier between you and God.

Obedience brings the smile back to His face and you can move together down the road. Obedience in every single area keeps the light glowing in your relationship. It keeps the shadow from your prayers and allows pure-hearted worship to flow from your deepest core with no reserve.

So when you close your eyes to pray, do you see The Look? Is He going to have to turn the car around because He can't take you any farther? Your capacity to experience God stops at the spot where you say no. 

Do you really want to spend the rest of your life right where you are?

.

Whose Show Is It?

• She jerked to her feet and stalked out. Session over. Relationship over.

-----------------        -----------------------              ------------------------

• The sky outside was dark and rain pelted against the windows. I stared out at the empty parking lot where a new client's car should be. Nothing. Stood up. Again. I'd come out in the rain, to an empty building for a client who did not show.

----------------------   ------------------------    --------------------------

Circumstances can be quite convincing if we give them voice. Their conclusions come without invitation:

• This was a bad idea.
• You're doing something wrong.
• You should quit.

That would be good advice if it was my show. If what I do all day was my choice, my creation, and the source of my pride and self-worth, I should be listening to those opinions.

But it's not. My life is no longer the Lea Ann Show.

When it was, I had nothing but external circumstances to help me determine whether I was on the right track. But  I've dedicated my life to the glory of God and it is no longer my show. The results are no longer my concern. The only question at the end of the day is: Lord, was I as obedient to You today as I know how to be?

.

What about you? Why are you doing what you do every day?
.

We get so bogged down, our faces to the dirt, white-knuckling our way through life. It's easy to forget why we're doing any of it. Life is easily reduced to a series of choices, putting one foot after the other, grappling with one problem after another, slapping at potential tragedies before they have a chance to take over. It's all about me, right? It's all about surviving and avoiding the most pain.

.

That's one way to do it, but I don't recommend it.

.

Too often we think we're responsible for the results, when in fact, we're not big enough to control the results.What looks like disaster to us could very well be the perfect plan of God.

When we choose to "do everything for the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31) we have the confidence that no matter how it may appear to others, God is very pleased with our efforts. He is delighting in us and there is no greater reward than basking in the smile of God.

.

Have you dedicated your daily tasks to Him? Do you look at grading papers, washing dishes, arresting people, or digging trenches as an assignment from the Lord God Almighty? If you are His child, then everything you do is His concern.

Do it for Him today. Dedicate the rest of the day to His control and at the end of it, thank Him for how it turned out. If you did it for Him alone, then know that He is pleased. Bask in his pleasure. Soak up the rays of His joy as He looks at you and the job you did for Him.

If you were obedient, then you did well. The results are His concern. He'll take it from there.

It's not your show. It's His.Remembering that is the only way to truly enjoy it.

.

.

Are you Seeking?

One of my favorite songs says, "The more I seek you, the more I find you. The more I find you, the more I love you."

The greatest commandment instructs us to love the Lord our God with everything we've got. But have you ever noticed how hard it is to really love someone just because you're told to? You can pretend, but your heart knows the difference.

Remember when you were a kid and you had a fight with your brother? Your mom probably forced you to "make up," which consisted of you having to say something you did not mean at the moment. Your lips were saying, "I love you," but your heart was still screaming at him.

You wouldn't admit this on penalty of death, but do you sometimes worry that maybe you don't really love God like you're supposed to? You try to make up for it with a frenzy of churchy activities, good works, and lots of gushy spiritual-sounding talk that you hope conveys the opposite of what's really going on in your heart.

Regardless of what you look like on the outside, inside you're in turmoil. After all, how can you express utter devotion to a God who would let you hurt so badly? A God who could have, but didn't, stop that drunk driver, curb your child's race to destruction, reverse the ravages of cancer. You feel abandoned, discarded, and terribly confused about this God to Whom you're supposed to offer such passion.

But how can you admit something like that? It sounds so unChristian. Isn't love for God supposed to just BE there when you accept Christ as your Lord? After all, you do believe what the Bible says and you know you're supposed to be delighted that God loves you. But something feels off. God seems so far away.

The reason he feels far away is because he IS far away.

His presence is not like loose change that can be easily gathered off the sidewalk. A slot machine we can plug with prayers until we get what we want.

And we don't like that. We expect everything to be easy. We're used to it and become a bit miffed when some fruit we want isn't there for the picking.

But the secret to falling in love with God is found in that little verse in Jeremiah: "You will seek me and you will find me, when you seek with all your heart." If you're honest with yourself, are you really seeking God or seeking what he can do for you?

.

We are a society of action. We equate spiritual busyness with loving God. After all, if I'm DOING all this good stuff, isn't that showing God that I love him? I go to church--maybe I'm even the pastor! I read my Bible, lead study groups, homeschool my kids, teach Sunday School...

.

Notice how when we talk about loving God our thoughts go straight to our works?

.

None of that is wrong, just don't let it substitute for a deep heart relationship with God, which is what he wants from us. If he didn't, the verse would read: "You shall work for the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength."

.

So what does seeking God look like? How do you seek God if it doesn't involve service?

.

I believe it starts with giving up. When you recite your wedding vows, you voluntarily give up your identity as a single person. You turn over your life, your dreams, your passions to another.

.

You seek God the same way. You have to let go of your right to understand--and for us often over-educated human beings, that can be tough. We feel an obligation to understand God, to be able to explain him to others, to find the reasons behind the inexplicable happenings of life. None of that is Scriptural. All we're commanded to do is to love him.

.

When we hang on to our need to understand why, we limit our capacity to embrace all of God. We hold him responsible for the things we don't like, and that holding-on stifles our love for him. Seeking becomes a frustrating wade through the muck of Scripture, none of which seems to apply to our particular situation. We finally stop trying and figure God is destined to remain a distant icon to whom we owe our grudging allegiance.

.

Giving up means you let go of the right to understand, the right to refuse what you don't like, and the right to be God's judge. You have to let him be God again. And in that moment, seeking begins.

.

It helps to remember that God does not want to remain far away from your aching heart. He's watching for you with the light on.

.

And what's more, he even provides the love that you are incapable of giving on your own. With every syllable of worship that falls from your lips, your love for God grows. With every act of contrition, every lifting of stubborn hands, every bowing of your knee and your will to His, love grows.

.

Do you truly love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might? Don't lie to yourself. Or God. He's not fooled a bit by your busyness or your theology degree. He's waiting for your heart to come to his. For you to dance at his feet, to bask in his nearness.

Loving God starts with seeking.

.

Is There Room at the Top?

What a day!

Every Hebrew who could walk was out on the mountain, watching the impossible.

The only prophet of God's, who had slipped through the murderous fingers of Queen Jezebel, was calling for a showdown. Bring the popcorn. What a show!

The exalted prophets of Baal were gonna take on crazy ol' Elijah and they were always good for a show.

Which gods would win? Didn't really matter. Bets were going both ways. Let the best god win!

The Baal staff did not disappoint; dancing, shrieking, cutting themselves from morning till late afternoon. They used their best tricks, their most powerful incantations. Had to cover the kids' ears every now and then, but well worth charging admission.

Every eye in the crowd darted toward Elijah at some point. Was he impressed? Was he ready to call it a day? Would he do something equally spectacular?

He slouched against a rock, cleaning his nails with a piece of straw. "Yell a little louder, guys!" he taunted. "Maybe ol' Baal is on vacation."

The crowd grew restless. After a few hours of this, the thrill wore off. What was wrong? Why wasn't fire coming down to meet Elijah's challenge?

When the bloodied dance recital finally ended and Elijah took the stage, God dropped his H-bomb. Fire engulfed the sacrifice and fear engulfed the masses.

The story in I Kings 18 is familiar, but there is a little tidbit that often goes unnoticed.

In verse 21, Elijah asks the people: “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

Notice that he did NOT say that they had totally rejected the LORD God. They had merely added others alongside him. They were all for leaving a little altar to the God of Israel--right next to the temple of the Asherah and the high places of Baal.

And we do that every day.

We think that we can offer the LORD God a portion of our lives and he will be satisfied with that. The rest of life is ours to do with as we please. The other portions of ourselves we can devote to friends, hobbies, jobs, dreams and our pet vices. We fool ourselves into believing that God wants to be "a part of our lives." We even preach and teach it.

The Israelites of Elijah's day would beg to differ. They had thought that too: "As long as we acknowledge God, we can chase other things too. No sense totally ignoring our culture and the customs around us. He won't mind. "

He does mind.

• Your showing up at church on Sunday does not impress him.
• Your reluctant effort toward Bible reading and prayer is just another version of Baal's dance recital.
• The eagerness with which you glance at your watch halfway through the sermon versus the eagerness with which you flip on the football game an hour later does not go unnoticed by God.
• The delight of your heart cannot be masked. God knows when your delight is not Him.
  

Elijah's challenge still rings in the air:
Who is God in your life?

If Jehovah is God, then worship and serve him. Build your entire life around bringing him honor and glory. Dedicate everything you do to his purposes.

But if that turns you cold, then quit pretending. Go ahead, chase your personal dreams, make your excuses, keep playing the church game and pretending.

But don't be surprised when fire falls from heaven and consumes it all.

.

Prepare To Die...

(Another rerun. I'll get on the ball soon, I promise!)

The Princess Bride is one of our family's all time favorite movies. My toddlers could quote whole scenes before they could read.

One of the most memorable lines from the movie is when Montoya rehearses what he'll say when he finally finds the six-fingered man. He's lived for this moment and dreams of facing his enemy to tell him "...you killed my father. Prepare to die." He knows that his enemy will have no defense and the outcome is assured.


But how do you prepare to die when a sword is at your throat? It's a little late for preparation. The time is already over for any last-minute words, final farewells, or righting wrongs.


So how does one prepare to die and is it important?


The first half of our lives is usually spent frantically preparing for the second half. We often don't realize that life is already happening while we're getting ready for it. School, work, hobbies, family--so much clamors for our attention we often don't think past getting that promotion, finding a bigger house, getting the bills paid, and raising the kids.


But in truth, those things are the present, not the future. How much of it is going to count when it's all over? How much time have you spent preparing to die?


When my father was diagnosed with cancer, he was told he had only a few months to live. We took a walk the day he sold his treasured farm. Side by side we strolled across the fields he'd spent a lifetime plowing and harvesting. His long legs had always outpaced mine, but this day, I slowed so he could keep up.
.

We stopped at the top of a hill and he turned to me, his breath labored and his face pale. The valley below us was bursting with spring color and although neither of us said it, we both knew that this would be his last spring.


"Does it make you sad?" I asked. "You've sold your farm and everything you've spent your life building. For pennies. You love this farm."


He shook his head and leaned against a tree for support. "Nah," he said with his customary ease and spread his arms wide. "Nah, it's just stuff, you know? Just stuff. None of it matters. Mama will be taken care of and that's all that I care about. No, what matters is what I'm leaving behind that will count for all eternity. What makes me sad is that I still had so much to do for the Lord, and now I can't. But he knows best."


I knew in that moment as I looked at his sunken face that he had not only taught me how to live, my father had taught me how to die.


Preparing to die doesn't happen in the moments before you leave earth. It's a lifelong preparation and to do it well, you have to start early. My father had spent most of his adult life preparing to die by the way he lived. His celebration in Heaven is that much more joyous because of what he'd sent on ahead.

How much of your life has been spent preparing to die? If you know Jesus Christ as Savior, you know where you're going. But will it be like going home? Or will you feel like stranger showing up at someone else's house? I've come to believe that our relationship with God on earth has great impact on our future in Heaven.

Montoya's words are a reminder to us that we have the opportunity every day to prepare to die. What will you take with you? What will you leave behind that will continue to count for eternity? Or has your life been a collection of "stuff" that won't matter the moment you take your last breath?

God has the right to look at each of us and say, "You killed my Son. Prepare to die." But He graciously gives us so many chances to prepare ourselves before that final accounting. Is your life bringing Him glory now, or is that for "some day?" Have you learned to seek him now or are you waiting for some vague point in the future when it will be more convenient?


You've been given the opportunity to prepare to die. Don't waste it.


.

Are You Missing Disney World?

(Due to a family reunion, I haven't had time to write a new post, so I'm rerunning one from last winter. Thanks for stopping by.)

I had a friend once who thought he knew how to live. "Life is for the now! Have all the fun you can. I get what I want when I want it, long as I'm not hurting anybody!"


"Sure I'm a Christian," he said. "I believe all that stuff just like you do, but I don't go overboard with it. It doesn't have to affect my everyday life."
.
We had endless discussions about what it meant to live for Christ. He would smirk, shake his head, and say he couldn't see that he needed to change. "Convince me," he'd say. "Convince me that what you've got is better than what I've got."
.
I never did convince him. He was so entrenched in self-worship, he had no adoration left for anyone else. A relationship with God through Christ is a mystery, not easily comprehended at first glance. God could have made it simpler, a connect-the-dots path to spiritual wholeness. But instead He shrouds his truth, gives hints and whispers, and remains ever-elusive except to those who seek him with their whole hearts.


We are incapable of convincing adamant unbelievers of the joy of knowing God on an intimate level. Our words fall like dead leaves on pavement and are quickly caught up in the whirlwind of the world's enticements.


Most people are a little like Susie was a few years ago. Our family decided to take a vacation to Disney World. We planned to do it all: five parks, the ocean--seven full days of non-stop fun.


When Susie realized she would have her ninth birthday while we were gone, she decided she didn't want to go. "I'll miss my birthday party! I can't have my regular party with friends over. I don't wanna go."

The other kids were ready to strangle her and we tried in vain to describe the fun that would be far superior to any birthday party she could arrange. She had never experienced anything like what we were telling her, and therefore refused to believe that there was anything greater than her experience.


But when we walked through those gates and she saw Cinderella's castle, her whole face lit up. "Oh-h, now I see!" she laughed, and we have laughed about it ever since.

People entrenched in this world's offerings are just like Susie was. They think the non-stop quest for fun and entertainment is all there is and when we try to describe the richness and joy of fellowship with our Creator, they give us a blank look. "But I'll miss my birthday party!"


Sadly, there are many people who profess to know Christ who are stuck in the same mindset. "I'm willing to go this far with God, but no farther. He might want me to give up something I like if I let him take over totally. I'll give him this corner of my heart, but I'm keeping the rest: my habits, my attitudes, my future, my relationships. I need to control that to make sure I'm happy."

What about you? What are you clinging to that is robbing you of something far better? Are you forfeiting Disney World in favor of Pin-the-tail-on-the-Donkey?

.

Where Are Your High Places?

My internet access has been messed up, so in the few seconds I get online, I'm republishing an old post. Fresh ideas on the way when we're back up and running! Thanks for stopping by!

I've been reading in the O.T. and one thing jumps out at me. As Israel went through king after king--some good, some dreadful--they all had one thing in common. Besides the rare exception, every king who took the throne made the same mistake. Some of them were God-fearing, idol-stomping, sacrificing good guys. But even they, the Bible is careful to remind us, refused to tear down the "high places."

We aren't given much information about what these high places consisted of, but they were revered as altars to the gods. They were dedicated holy places. You would think that along with crashing up the statues and tearing down the idol temples, those kings would have gone ahead and torn down the high places to get it all over with at once. But they didn't. And it always came back to bite them.

It's obvious how this applies to us. Don't we have high places? Those areas of our lives where we think no one notices. That little dab of sin--whether in thought, habit, relationship, or activity--that we cherish, holding on to it while we tell ourselves we're sold out to the Lord.

"It's such a little thing," we think. "I'm doing everything else right. God wouldn't demand that too."

But he does. And the reason becomes painfully clear as you continue reading through the succession of kings and rulers of Israel and Judah. Quite often, the Scripture tells us that the next king--the son of the former--"Did not follow in the ways of his father, but did what was evil in the sight of the Lord."

I always wondered about that. If the king was such a God-fearing good guy, why was his son a jerk? He'd grown up knowing he would someday be king. He'd trotted along after Dad, watching how it was done. So if Dad was following God's ways and doing things right, why didn't the son naturally follow in his footsteps?

Could it be because of the high places?

By refusing to renounce all evil, all bad habits, everything displeasing to God, we are in fact telling the world that we are the ones in charge. God is a good idea, our lives state. But not the final authority.

What high places are still lingering in your life? What is it that you believe belongs only to you? You've instructed God to keep his hands off. This is yours.

Don't be shocked when it is that very thing that brings about your downfall--or that of your child.

You never know who is watching you worship at your high place. You never know the power those indulgences may have in your destruction. Is it really worth it?
.

If the Dress Fits...

Today marks a milestone in my parenting journey.

My daughter Susie and I are going shopping for her senior banquet dress. This is the LAST senior banquet-prom-dance-formal dress I'll have to shop for with a teenage daughter. I know many mothers love this bonding time with their daughters, but I have always dreaded it--especially with my eldest daughter.

.

We would traipse from store to store to store as she tried on and discarded dress after dress, seeing something in the mirror entirely different from what I was seeing.

.

"Isn't this cute, Mom?" she would say, modeling a hideous contraption that exposed more than it covered and sagged on her in all the wrong places.

.

"Oh, I LOVE this one!" she would gush, swishing silky fabric that I could visualize flying up over her head at the slightest puff of wind. At least it would be covering her chest.

.

Hour after hour, we would go through the same routine until I was ready to buy whatever she tried on next and let her deal with her Daddy.

.

Susie is much easier to shop with. However her tastes run toward the eccentric, often looking more like costumes than formal dress-up clothes. But the result is often the same as it was with my first daughter--she sees in the mirror what she wants to see.

.

Isn't there a little bit of teenage girl in all of us? We put on our best face, smile, and pretend we've got it all under control, even when we're crumbling apart inside. We play church, play happy-marriage, pretend we're the Cleavers when life is really more like the Osbornes. We think we're fooling everyone--even God.

.

Are you seeing what you want to see when you look in the mirror? Maybe that's not what God and others see. Maybe you're wearing a dress that doesn't fit, one that isn't what you were created to wear. Maybe you're clinging to your image, your reputation, your dreams when everyone else can see it's time to give it up and move on. Maybe the perfect fit is just around the corner, but you're settling to soon.

.

What does God think when he looks at your life? Does it match the plan he designed for you? It's not too late to go change clothes.

.

Get Out of the Picture!

When my husband was a kid, he loved to have his face in every photograph. His mother used to laugh at all the pictures that were supposed to be of relatives, special guests and events. No matter the occasion, somewhere in the background was Wayne's impish face, mugging for the camera.

He says now that he thought everyone wanted a picture of him. He was making the picture better!

His niece was just like him. Every time a camera appeared, so did she. We learned quickly to line up the shot we wanted and call, "Over a little, honey. No, a little more! A le-e-ettle more to the left...There, that's just right!" And then snap the shot when she'd scooted over far enough to get out of the picture.

Have you wondered lately why things don't seem to work out like you thought they were going to? You thought you understood your calling, your purpose, your life goals--but it's not working out.

.

Maybe God is telling you to get out of the picture. He has a perfect plan, an amazing panorama that fits perfectly with all the other masterpieces he's created, and he'd like to let you be a part of it. But you've got to get out of the picture.

The problem is we see the camera and start mugging. We get a glimpse of what God wants to do through us and we say, "Great! I like that. I'll just tweak it a little here and fluff it up a bit there and this'll be even better!"

But our tweaking and fluffing ruin the shot. The great idea becomes a ruined picture---nothing like you'd thought it would be.

You scratch your head and wonder why it failed. You were sure you heard God. This was a great plan! What happened? Has God let you down? Why would he do that? With God's help, you could've done fantastic things! God would be the "idea-guy" and you would run with it. What a team!

But while you stress yourself out trying to make the plan work, God puts the camera away and finds somebody else to use.

I'm realizing lately that God can only use the parts of me that he owns completely. Not the parts I've loaned him, or rented to him, or offered on a time-share basis.

And then there are those areas to which I've attached a bungee cord---just in case I don't like what God does with them.

I finally figured out: He knows about the bungee cord.

God is not a thief. He doesn't take over what hasn't been freely given to him. And his plans for it may be very different from mine. That's when I'm tempted to dart back into the picture to "rescue" it, just as Wayne thought he was rescuing a boring photograph.

How do we know when we're out of the picture enough?

You can tell you're out of the picture when you no longer have an emotional claim on the outcome.

Just as I used to say to my niece, God whispers to us, "Scoot over, honey. A little more...a little more..." Until the thing we grasped so tightly is no longer of any importance to us. It's God's now and whatever he wants to do with his photo is fine with us.

Are you still too much in the picture? Is there too much of you and not enough of Him? Is it YOUR ministry? YOUR business? YOUR family? YOUR plans?

If so, you will only accomplish your goals. You will never live up to the full potential God has invested in you, nor will you see his greater purpose accomplished in your life. As Jesus blessed the little boy's lunch of bread and fish, he wants to do miraculous things with your offering. But you have to take your hands off the picnic basket first.

Wondering if there is too much of you still showing in the picture?

Ask yourself: Is your ego invested in this venture? Do you have something to prove? Is your self-worth based on how well you do?

If so, then you're still blocking the shot.

Listen for that still, small whisper and get out of the picture!

.

What's on Your iPod?

I just got my first iPod. (Okay, quit smirking. I'm slow.)

Now when I walk around oblivious to anything but the worship music crashing into my ears, my kids give me the same looks I used to give them. Let them roll their eyes. I've earned it!

I've been on a downloading frenzy, discovering praise and worship bands I hadn't heard of before. LOVE Kari Jobe and Gateway Worship, Encounter Worship, and the Women of Faith. This constant access to uplifting, worshipful music keeps me in a good mood. My thoughts are constantly where they ought to be--on the thrilling majesty of God. And when your thoughts are where they ought to be, the rest of you is going to feel better.

But when I see the zillions of people walking around with the telltale cord running from ear to pocket, I wonder where their thoughts are. If the constant presence of worship music lifts my mind and spirit, where would my heart be if I was listening to something else?

Scripture says "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." And nothing thinks our thoughts for us like music pumping directly into our ears.

We all have different tastes in music. What I find uplifting bores my daughter, and her favorite bands annoy me. My 20-year-old son feasts on a steady diet of Weird Al Yankovich!(Weird Al is actually very funny!)

Music itself is neither good nor bad. The test of good music is what it creates inside your spirit. Where does it lead your heart? When you listen to your favorite songs, where do your thoughts go? Does your music stir up dissatisfaction? Restlessness? Does it take you back to a time you'd do better to forget? Do the words paint an alluring picture of something God disallows? Does the artist flaunt evil and dare you to do the same?

Some of what the world calls music is clearly offensive and anybody with a shred of sense avoids that stuff. But what about all the other? All the secular or even some that is called Christian?

I hear your "humph!" Okay, so it's not overtly about God, what's wrong with that?

Nothing's wrong with it if it leaves your heart in a higher place, thinking right thoughts, desiring Godly attitudes. If it turns your mind toward doing right, inspires you to live better, fills you with hope, and thrills you with promise.

But so much of current popular entertainment focuses on darkness, even some Christian music. It's depressing. It points out all that is wrong, hurtful, angry in life, and gives no solutions. When the song ends, your thoughts go on...and on... Mulling over dark feelings, agreeing that yes, things are bad and life is meaningless.

Okay then, what about light pop music? Nothing wrong with that, is there? It's just fun. Harmless.

Maybe. Most Top 40 songs have one theme: romance and getting "my baby" back. Some of that is fine, but what is it really saying? What ideas are pumped like oxygen directly into your spirit? In a large percentage of popular songs, the singer is pining to spend the night with the current object of his lust and is wailing about it, accompanied by a lot of synthesizers.

If the music doesn't move you, stir you, connect with something inside your heart, you probably don't like it and it won't be on your iPod. So the fact that it's on there says you relate to it. But what part of you relates to it? Your worldly side or your spirit?

This is not a rant against secular music. I've got plenty of that on my iPod too, but I notice that the closer I draw to God, I don't care to listen to it much. It doesn't do anything for me. Seems empty somehow. Pointless.

Think of this post as a checkpoint, a little stop along the way asking you to rethink some of your music choices. What is going into your ears does affect your spirit. If you rely on your iPod for little time-outs during the day, little escapes from daily stress, then be careful what you're listening to.

When you set the headphones aside, is your outlook more positive, your attitude more pleasant, your spirit calm? Or are you feeling down and don't know why? Have your thoughts ventured into areas where they shouldn't go? Are you having trouble focusing on your spiritual life the way you want to? Do you find yourself humming lyrics that, were you to write them down and show them to your pastor, would mortify you?

Maybe the answer is as close as your iPod.

.

Talking About Pain

Pain is not a favorite topic.

We hate it, avoid it at all costs, and double our fists, ready to hold someone responsible when it lands on us anyway.

My pastor's sermon this week was about unavoidable pain and the correct response to it. Some people have the idea that if they're doing everything right, life should be a joy ride. After all, God owes them an easy time if they follow the rules, right?

But what happens when you're doing the best you can and ugly life slaps you down anyway?

There is no escaping hard times, heartaches, scary events, and sorrow. No matter who you are. Death, unemployment, poverty, handicap, and sickness strike the just and the unjust alike.

Jesus told his loyal followers, "In this world, you will have much trouble,. But take heart, I have overcome the world." His disciples were clearly as close to God as a human can be on the earth, and yet Jesus warned them life wouldn't be a piece of Boston Cream Pie. His certainly wasn't.

But God is big on personal choice and he offers you a choice in the middle of tragedy. When pain hits you in the face, you can either say, "God, what are you doing to me?" or "God, change me." Your choice of response will make all the difference in what happens next.

I've spent plenty of time shouting the first response and I don't recommend it. Demanding that God explain himself to us is similar to a toddler demanding that you explain life to him. Some things are beyond our immediate comprehension. The first response is adversarial. It automatically sets you at odds with a God who you've decided has done this evil thing to you. He could have stopped it and He didn't, so He owes you an explanation.

But such a response gets you nowhere. It instantly severs the lifeline that could have sustained you. Bitterness takes root and you now see God as the cruel server of this pain you don't feel you deserve. Too many people are still shrouded in the bitterness they adopted during an event years ago, now all but forgotten. But their separation from God has become a part of who they are and damaged their spirit, their relationships, and their healing.

The second response requires humility and God has promised to draw near to the brokenhearted. He tells us clearly that His ways are not our ways. No one doubts that; the trick is in admitting that His ways are better than our ways. We don't really think so. Our ways wouldn't involve such suffering. So we have to be willing to let Him change our perspective to His. If any good is to come from this suffering, we have to be pliable lumps of clay and let Him fashion a beauty from it we had not envisioned.

That's where humility comes in. We have to humble ourselves in order to let go of our opinions and the way we see things. God is attracted by our true humility. He's always searching for it in us, but unfortunately, rarely finds it. What He finds instead are angry, stubborn, arrogant people with a list of demands we call prayers.

It is the second response that opens the door to a storehouse of strength, peace, endurance we would never have discovered on our own. The stronger the pain, the more fiercely we should cling to our only source of help.

Don't let the pain of life drive you away from your closest ally. How sad if the pain in your life does double damage: causing pain in the fleeting present, while destroying your relationship with your Creator.

What will your response be to the next whammy that knocks the breath out of you? You're not a victim; you have a choice.

The End of a Decade

So, the end of another decade has come. Remember when we weren't sure we'd survive Y2K?

So what have you accomplished this decade? Are you a better person than you were ten years ago? Have you internalized those lessons, grown from the disappointments, and made lemon slushies out of the sour events?

.

Or has life gotten the better of you?

.

Are you more cynical? More critical? Angrier? More confused than ever and not sure it's worth it?

.

This past decade has brought me more heartache and stress than the previous three. Death after death of close family members, a near-fatal accident for my third child leaving her with a lifetime of handicap, building a house, job losses, betrayal by our eldest child, unemployment three times...Blow after blow, the list goes on, sometimes leaving me wondering if I can get up one more time.

.

Bitterness always hunkers in the wings, waiting for that weak moment, that lowering of defenses, ready to pounce and take me captive. Anxiety can easily take up permanent residence and displace the peace I once thought I owned.

.

Nothing steals joy like anger. Anger is like a slow leak in an old tire, keeping you defeated, lifeless, useless for anything but putting one foot in front of the other. You become a deflated caricature of the vibrant person God wants you to be.

.

We say we're angry at circumstances, angry at injustice, the unfairness of life. But if we take a long hard look at it, we're angry at God. After all, we preach about Him being in charge. If He's in charge, than He's responsible for everything that we think has gone wrong. And it's really Him we're angry with.

.

He has let us down, we think. We trusted Him and look what happened. We have a right to be angry. What happened wasn't right.

.

What has come to mind as you read this? If you're angry or cynical or bitter, you already know why. It's right there, flirting with your subconscious whether you admit it or not. That painful event. The devastating tragedy that has sucked the life right out of you. Are you merely hurt---or are you really angry?

.

Are you ending this decade angry or cynical at God?

.

The next decade does not have to be a repeat of the last. Maintaining anger at God is like crimping your oxygen tube. You can do it, but you're only hurting yourself by cutting off the life-giving source you need.

.

Yes, God let something painful happen to you. He let something painful happen to His Son, too. But it was for a reason, a bigger reason than the pain it caused. And if you trust him with your pain, He will turn the pain into something beautiful.

.

Let go of it. Quit trying to be God. Quit thinking you have to understand. You may not, at least on this side of Heaven.But you can embrace the beauty that God creates from your old hurts.

.

If you want the new decade to be better than the last, be careful you don't drag last year's garbage into the new one. It's not turning over a new leaf. It's letting go of the armful of old leaves you've gathered and refused to burn.

.

Goodbye, 2009, with all your sorrow and pain. Welcome 2010.

.

Go with God!

.

Change A Life

My house looked so pretty in the fall sunshine, I had to share it with you! (Yankee had to be in the picture too. Couldn't make her move!)

My amazing daughter Susie is at it again. She and her friends are creating an organization to benefit children and adults in poverty-stricken areas, by making bracelets with the names of children they've met who need prayer and support. For a donation of at least $5, they will mail you a bracelet and information card of someone in need.They will use the donations to further their work and provide transportation for their band to go to these poverty-stricken areas, play benefit concerts, and help the local pastors minister to the people there.

They're just kids with big dreams, but they're dreaming in the right direction. Susie has put together a quick YouTube video of their project. Take a minute to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sajhPyKYRqA
.
"But in as much as you do it unto the least of these, my brothers, you have done it unto Me..."

Thankful for WHAT?

As the season of Thanksgiving rolls around once more, our thoughts turn quickly to the bland, the usual, the easy. Most of us consider ourselves to be thankful people. We can rattle off a list at a moment's notice: family, friends, home, freedom. Those things for which Thanksgiving costs us nothing.

But Scripture commands us to give thanks in everything, so this Thanksgiving, I challenge you to dig deeper. Open up your heart and let God root around in those private, dark places where the hurts and frustrations reign. Those areas we know can't be God's will for us: that rejection letter, that friend's betrayal, the bad medical report, the economy. How can we give thanks for something opposite of what we want?

Thanksgiving often requires sacrifice, but it is this very act of sacrificial thanks that pleases God. He knows you're thankful for the nice dinner and the healthy kids. Big deal! But what about the losses, the heartaches, the disappointments that keep you up at night? Can we bring "the sacrifice of praise" even when our life isn't bringing us the fulfillment we expected?

This season offers us the opportunity to offer back to God thanksgiving and praise for the things we despise about our lives. For only then can He begin to make something good out of them. Only then are we offering a thanksgiving that really means something.
.

Just Let Go

A child was taken from a deplorable living situation and placed in a clean, safe home. Her every need was met: all the food she wanted, warmth, cleanliness, and love.

But she refused to let her new caretakers have the rancid rags she wore. She clutched them tightly, turning away from the beautiful soft clothing they held out for her to wear. Fear shadowed her eyes every time they offered an exchange of garment and she shook her head violently. "No, I need this. This is mine. I can't live without it."

The filthy clothing began to chafe and irritate her skin. The fumes kept others away, but still she hung on. It may be rotten, but it was familiar. She'd worn it so long, she didn't understand how much better it could be if she would just let go.

Letting go is tougher than it sounds. How many things do we cling to, certain that were we to let go, we would lose something precious? But most of what we refuse to let go of is as rancid as the child's clothing. We cling frantically to things, relationships, positions, and reputation when God is gently asking us to let go so He can give us what he's planned for us.

And too often, we cling to harmful emotions like anger, bitterness, and pride, certain, like the child was certain, that we can't live without it. Others can see it for what it is, but we believe it to be valuable, often never realizing what we are sacrificing in order to hang on to our filthy rags.

What might God be asking you to let go of this week? Are you clinging to something familiar and denying yourself the freedom that God wants to give you?

Try letting go. I did. And I'll never be the same.
.