Reflection

Recently, I came down with Covid. I’d like to join the many people who have gotten it to say this virus is truly the spawn of Satan. And I got a milder version of it. It affects every part of your body from your brain to your ankles (joint soreness).

As I’ve been recovering….still not fully recovered yet….I’ve been thinking about The Thought for the Day blog. I don’t write as often as I used to. I pondered this and asked myself and God “Why not?”

A lot has happened in the last 2 years. We planted a disciple-making church, Called2Be. The disciple-making part is huge. We don’t look like a traditional church in so many ways. We spend a lot of time praying and asking God to show us what he wants this to look like. We spend a lot of time waiting for an answer.

In addition, I co-founded a non-profit called Rooted Pathways. Rooted is a faith based organization that is helping people who have had a life event get back on their feet and thrive. We actually founded it a few years ago but in 2021 God began directing us to do something with it.

And finally, I am bi-vocational….not sure tri-vocational is a thing…but bi-vocational in that I run my business and also do ministry. I’m not sharing all of this so you see that I am slightly crazy… I’m sharing it because in all of this there are so many God stories.

So why haven’t I been sharing them? It’s what I love to do….share God stories. There are lots of reasons really. One is that I’ve gotten busy, really busy and slowing down long enough to write isn’t my first thought. Another reason is that a lot of the God stories are personal to people. That makes me pause because well, it’s personal. You see, God is still working miracles! They will blow your mind…they blow my mind. But often they are personal to people and I want to make sure I am respecting people’s privacy.  Here is another thing I’ve come to realize. Many of these miracles are done in people’s hearts.

We too often look for the big blinking neon sign that says “God was here.” We want to see those kind of miracles like when Moses parted the Red Sea or the chains fell off Peter in prison. We look for those. But the real miracles are the ones that happen in our hearts. Do you know how hard it is to change the human heart? We can’t do it. Only the Holy Spirit can do it. And when He does, that is a true miracle.

All you can do is the Happy God Dance! I have been able to do the Happy God Dance a lot because He is still there, still changing hearts, still answering prayers and still doing miracles. Praise His Name!

I’ve asked God to help me prioritize so I can write more. There are so many stories. I am sure He will show me ways to tell His stories while protecting folks. I just have to slow down so I can hear what He wants to say.

In the meantime, look for Him. Look to see where He is working….join Him and then we can all be doing the Happy God Dance while we Praise His Name!!! WOOOHOOOO!

Not This Year

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

I have never really enjoyed New Year’s. When I was younger, I would go out and celebrate but to me, it is kind of a silly holiday. What was the point in celebrating a new year when everything stayed the same? Nothing really changes. You celebrate this new beginning but you wake up and it’s the same thing, different day.

I know this sounds rather cynical but that’s where my head was.

Until this year.

In 2020, it felt like a lot of things fell apart. COVID hit. People got sick, some didn’t make it, many lost their jobs. We began social distancing, isolating and living in fear....of each other. The social climate also exploded. There was a lot of violence, riots, protests and hate. I dislike saying that but it is true. Layer on top of that the politics. I live in the Washington DC area. That’s all you hear about on the news. The negativity reached new levels this year. I stopped watching the news on TV.

All of that, was what summed up 2020 for so many people and I am sure I am not adequately putting into words the pain and trauma so many people faced.

But God....In 2020, I saw God move in more ways than I have ever seen Him move. I know He is always moving and working and doing something but this year, I saw it more clearly than ever before. I watched Him convict hearts, change people, and change me. We planted a church in 2020, virtually, in the middle of a pandemic (who said God doesn’t have a sense of humor). I saw him lead people on journeys that changed their lives. I saw people healed from sickness. And I watched people hold on to the truths in His Word and submit their lives to His authority. He showed up in dreams and visions.  He spoke clearly to people who were searching for Him and led them to steps of faith that they never thought they could do. He answered many, many prayers.

New Year’s rolled around just like it always has but this year, I celebrated. I celebrated what God did in 2020 and I am celebrating what He will do in 2021. When I woke up on January 1, things were pretty much the same as they were when I went to sleep…..except for one thing. My typical New Year’s attitude was gone.

In its place was an excitement. I am excited to see what God is going to do in 2021. I can’t wait to see Him move. I look forward to being blown away by how much he loves us and the many different ways He shows us.

I know I will see Him again in 2021. Why? Because just like in 2020, I will be focused on Him and what He is doing. I will be asking Him what He wants from me and I am going to join Him in the adventure.

Happy New Year’s everyone! I pray God shows up in your life in a real and tangible way. Look for Him. I know you will find Him.

Missing Miracles

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? Luke 7:44 (ESV)

Lately, things feel a little upside down don’t they? There are all these things we are adjusting to that people are calling the new normal. And, given the day the requirements are different. We are all just trying to make it work - figure out how to manage life with the new expectations. Layer on top of that the fact that in trying to respect different people’s comfort levels, it can get very distracting.

I was in this state. I was distracted with how to handle my new normal. I was distracted with handling various work situations and how to still connect for different ministries. I was so distracted that I was hyper focused on the problems I was having and not the miracles that Jesus is doing around me.

Sad. But true.

You see, in the midst of the mess, Jesus is still working. He is still speaking to hearts; he is still working things out; he is still comforting and convicting. He is still talking. PRAISE!

One of the things I miss when I hyper focus is people. During this time when everyone is figuring it out, God is putting people in my path. People to talk to. People to help. People to pray with. I think maybe I am missing the miracles in these moments.

Maybe he is saying to me, like he said to Simon "Elaine, do you see this woman?” Or maybe “Elaine, the man on the other end of the phone, do you hear his heart? Are you listening to him truly or are you missing it because you are looking at the wrong things?”

That’s what happened to Simon. He completely missed what was happening inside her heart because he was only looking at what he saw on the outside. But Jesus didn’t. Jesus never does. He always sees the heart.

I want to be like Jesus. I want the circumstances that swirl around my life to melt into the background so I see the hearts he puts in my life. I want to live his heart no matter what is happening in the mess.

Dear Jesus, I cannot do this alone…..only with the help of the Holy Spirit and daily surrender will I be changed. Please help me. Make a miracle in me. Amen

God’s New in 2020!

For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

So, here it is…New Year’s Eve. The last day of 2019. And I don’t have any plans for tonight. I am not that bring in the New Year with a party kind of person. Mostly, because when I wake up tomorrow, nothing will really have changed except the last two digits of the year.

Sounds cynical doesn’t it? Same problems. Same bills. Same struggle with my schedule. Same family. LOL! Just kidding! I love my family! But seriously, nothing changes……so why celebrate?

This year, I am actually excited about 2020. Not because it looks so cool and saying 2020 sounds like we got to the Jetson’s future but because of God. Will there be hard times in 2020? I am sure there will be. There are hard moments in every year. But I know God will walk us through them.

You see, God is always working. He’s got something up his sleeve all the time. And I am especially excited about 2020. We are getting ready to plant a church. Can’t wait to see what God does there! God’s been teaching me to stay focused on Jesus and let him be in charge of my life and my schedule. Can’t wait to see what he continues there! People I know are getting excited about discipleship and I see God moving in more hearts than ever. Can’t wait to see how he moves people more!

In 2020, I am really excited to see God’s “Something New.”

Happy New Year Everyone! Let’s ring in the New Year celebrating what God is going to do. I pray that God will be a bigger part of all of our lives, that our relationship with him will grow deeper than ever and that each and every one of us will be about the business of sharing his love.

To God be the Glory!

Meanwhile.....

Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers. Acts 12:24 (NLT)

I have always had an adverse reaction to the word meanwhile. Mostly, around cooking. I like to cook (unless I feel like I have to.) I am also not a fancy cook. My food tastes good and is served with lots of love but Martha Stewart I am not. And I am really okay with that.

So when I go and look for a new recipe I want simple. If there are too many steps, I pass. If it has some steps and one of them starts with Meanwhile, I move on. Meanwhile to me means while you are trying to get all this done over here, do this as well. Too many complications makes my brain want to move on. My brain does too many complications by itself without the help of instructions.

The other day though I was thinking about God and how with him there is always a meanwhile.

In Genesis 19:12 it says Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else.” While the angels were trying to save Lot, they were also trying to save his family.

In Joshua 3:17 it reads ‘Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ God held back the waters of the Jordan so the people could safely cross.

And in Matthew 26:69 the Bible says ‘Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”’ As Peter was protecting himself, Jesus was protecting us.

There are a lot of meanwhiles in the Bible. And there are a lot of meanwhiles in our lives. As we are walking through really difficult situations, God is at work. He is not like me when I give up on a recipe because it has too many steps. No matter how complicated it seems, he is in the middle of it. He sticks with us and keeps at it. We may not see all the meanwhiles in our lives until we get to Heaven but I know when we see them, we will know anew how much we were loved.

Meanwhile God is at work on your behalf to finish the work he started in you. Philippians 1:6

Their Perspective

I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. Joshua 2:9-11 (NLT)

Yesterday we talked about how the Israelites didn’t want to go into Canaan because they were afraid of what they saw. They looked at what they couldn’t do instead of what God could do.

In today’s text Rahab was talking to the spies that went into Jericho. She was telling them what they thought of the God of Israel. She basically said “We are afraid of you because of your God. We’ve heard the things he has done for you! From the time you left Egypt until now. We’ve been following what he has done on your behalf.”

I read that and think “WOW!” Here were the Israelites sabotaging their own future because they refused to look at and trust the power that lived right smack in the middle of their camp. He had demonstrated over and over again that he would protect them and care for them. He provided food every day in the form of manna. He parted the Red Sea so they could cross. He fought for them in battle. And still….still they said “We can’t.”

And as I marvel at that, I realize I too do the same thing. When we don’t know how to move forward, or we’re afraid of the next step, we stop. We procrastinate. We make excuses. When will we start to remember what God has already done, not just in Scripture but in our very own lives? Wouldn’t it be better instead to take that step of faith and have people say “We can see God working in your life!”?

As I continue to read through the Bible, I realize I have a long way to go. But, I am determined to keep my path forward and the fears that sometimes pop up around that in God’s hands. I will ask him to remind me of where he has gone before…..and give me the courage to step into his plan.

Labor Of The Heart

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26 (NLT)

It is Labor Day weekend in the United States. So, I decided that this weekend would be a good time to labor around my house. With all the activity in our lives, I don't always get to do a deep clean. We surface clean pretty regularly. We vacuum.  We dust. We clean the counters but we don't always get into the crevices and corners.

Do you know what I discovered? I have a spider on steroids that lives in my house. Corner after corner I found cob webs.  And as I cleaned them up, I thought "Why didn't I see those?" As I cleaned, I wondered "Is my life like this?"

Were there areas in my life that needed to be "cleaned" and adjusted that I didn't see? Are there places that needed to be swept and tidied so they looked more like the home of Jesus than the home of Elaine? Do I get so busy in my day-to-day that I forget to spend some time digging deep into God's Word?

I think just like my house and my spider on steroids, if I am not careful my life can also be overrun with corners that need to be cleaned.  I need to spend more time in God's Word, more time in prayer and more time focusing on the places he wants me to tidy up.  And just like looking around at my clean house, there is an immense joy and satisfaction in my heart after I spend time with God focusing on the places he wants spick and span.

Work

Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
    how I praise you! Psalm 63:3 (NLT)

It's Monday! Up and at 'em! Time to wake up, work hard and achieve success! Right?

There is nothing wrong with working hard. God himself worked and he is always working to this day. But do you ever feel that maybe what we work for is skewed? While there is nothing wrong with owning things and achieving success, if our only focus is on those things, we can be off-balance.

Ask yourself, are you spending enough time with family and friends? Are you taking time to celebrate life and its blessings? Are you spending enough time resting and enjoying yourself? Are you spending enough time with God?

It is really easy to get to the place where a description of ourselves is "busy." Somehow, I don't think that is how God intended it.  The Bible tells us that work is good but it also tells us to rest and live life well. 

Is your motivation for work balanced? If everything you strive for was taken away and all you had left was your relationship with God, would you be OK? Something to ponder.....