Still waiting

Still no action on our house.  And God continues to say, "Wait."  The reason we want to move, sooner than later, is because our house is about 80% packed up and ready to go!  We're stopped right now ~ not wanting to unpack and not wanting to continue packing until we know we have a buyer for our house.

So God is my teacher, I am the student, and the lesson is . . . waiting.

"Wait for the Lord.  Be strong and take heart 

and wait for the Lord."  

(Psalm 27:14)

What am I called to do during the waiting time?  Be strong.  Take heart.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits.  and in His word I put my hope.  My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning."

(Psalm 130:5-6)

What am I called to do during the waiting time?  Put my hope in God's word and pro-actively watch for the Lord to work.

"In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice.  In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

(Psalm 5:3)

What am I called to do during the waiting time?  Lay my requests before the Lord and expect Him to answer ~ not in a presumptuous "Answer me!" kind of way.  But knowing God loves me and as a parent knows what is best for a child, He desires to do what is best for me.  When the time is just right.

"Yes Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You.  Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.  

My soul yearns for You in the night; 

in the morning, my spirit longs for You."

(Isaiah 26:8-9a)

What am I called to do during the waiting time?  Continue to walk closely to Jesus, seeking His glory to be seen through me.  Longing for Him, desiring Him, lifting Him up.

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.  

Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, 

when they carry out their wicked schemes."

(Psalm 37:7)

What am I called to do during the waiting time?  Be still and wait with patience.  Don't look at what others are doing or not doing (or houses that may be selling when ours isn't :).

"We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.  

May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, 

even as we put our hope in You."

(Psalm 33:20-22)

What am I called to do during the waiting time?  Wait in hope!  Rejoice in the Lord, trusting in who God is ~ Redeemer, Savior, Father, Provider, Rock, Guide, Friend . . . 

Okay.  It's a sure thing that there will be seasons of "waiting times", or all of these passages wouldn't be in God's word.  I'm clinging to every word of every one of these verses right now.  Thank you, Lord, for the instructions on HOW to wait.  I want to learn the lessons well.

New songs

For the last couple of weeks, we've had some dear friends staying with us.  Stan and Sue are like family, making themselves at home and just integrating into our daily lives.  The other morning, Sue was making breakfast in the kitchen and said, "I saw something that cracked me up ~ your to-do list".  I didn't know what she meant, and she pointed my attention to a little pad of paper next to the phone, where I had scribbled a couple of items that I wanted us to remember to accomplish.  The small note simply said "Dick, tonight fix upstairs bathroom, write songs".  Sue said, "Only in Nashville would you see those 2 things on the same list!"  It made me laugh, too.

I'm definitely a list maker.  My lists can include everything from people I need to phone to things I need to pick up at the grocery, and everything in between.  Because this has been an extremely stacked week, I was feeling like I needed to document just about everything, or it wouldn't get done!

Dick and I have been prioritizing our songwriting in a way that we really haven't done in 15 years or so.  We literally schedule time on our calendars to write, or again, it wouldn't happen.  This week, God has blessed us with not one, but two songs!  We wrote "The Wonder of the Cross" on Tuesday and "Walk By Faith" on Wednesday.  Thursday, we finalized the arrangements, and Friday night, they both made their debut at the first ever Lifeway Songwriter's Showcase.

We're the new kids on the block with Lifeway, signing a publishing agreement earlier this year, joining ranks with several other wonderful writers ~ Paul Marino, Jeremy Johnson, Greg Nelson, Mike Harland, and Phillip Keveren. We're looking forward to writing many songs in the years ahead that will encourage and bless the body of Christ.

So to keep us on track, writing and creating, I'll probably need to make myself other reminding notes in the days ahead.  (And by the way, the bathroom got fixed, too).

Perspective

The repercussions for the flood our area experienced this past weekend continue. I heard about one particular family who really didn't have any damage until the following Monday afternoon, a day with no rain, when the river finally reached it's peak and began to fill their home.

Watching the community rally around others has been so inspiring. Several verses have shed new light in my heart:

James 2:15-17 ~ "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

Or this one:

Matthew 25:42-45 ~ "For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'"

Yesterday morning, Dick and I responded to a request from a teacher at Brentwood Academy, where both of our girls went to school from grades 6-12. This teacher's mother-in-law was a victim of the downpours from the weekend. She lived in a condominium and her home and car were a total loss.

I really don't think the severity of the storms had hit me until I walked into where she had lived. Initially, I was so stunned as we waded through mud and began helping to remove her belongings, rip our carpet and pad, pull off wet drywall and insulation, and gather most everything into trash bags. It brought tears to my eyes as I pulled photographs from mud-soaked albums and tried to dry them in the sun. I tried to picture the main floor of our house filled with 9 ft. of water, and it helped me put myself in this homeowner's shoes. (By the way, in this woman's house the refrigerator finally settled on its side after floating around in the floodwaters).

The last week for me has been a bit difficult, and honestly I can't put my finger on all of the whys. Some reasons seem legitimate ~ this will be the first Mother's Day since my mom passed away last June, my Dad and Dick's Dad are still dealing with a lot of health concerns, my brother Jeff has been heavy on my heart . . .

Other reasons are not so legitimate, and I would embarrass myself to share those. Some of them are ridiculously trivial in light of all that's going on around me. So my prayer today is, "Lord, give me perspective. Help me see life through eternal eyes. Help me recognize what really matters, and what really doesn't."

I'm posting some photos I took with my phone of this dear lady's house. May we all view our circumstances through the lens of 2 Cor. 4:16-18 (from the Message). "So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever."

Give thanks

Hanging in our living room is this cute little chalkboard (made by Whitney) and I enjoy writing messages that will encourage us and/or make us smile. For several days now, this has been the message: Give thanks.

It's interesting to note how many times I have been in the middle of something not going so well, and my eyes "happen" to glance at that little sign. 1 Thes. 5:18 tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." All circumstances? Yes, ALL. Amazingly, giving thanks puts a new spin on things. I can be feeling a little blue and begin to thank the Lord for life's blessings, big and small . . . and my heart begins to change.

Give thanks

My brother, Jeff, is recovering from the operation on his broken leg. We still don't know what the final result will be, but we're thankful that he made it through the anesthesia and the trauma of surgery. Thank you, Lord, for protecting and watching over sweet Jeffrey.

Our dads are both dealing with cancer ~ my dad, with esophageal cancer and Dick's dad with prostate cancer. In the past few months, they have both been through intense treatment, and are getting stronger with each day. Thank you, Lord, that you are the Great Physician. You are working in their bodies in ways we cannot see.

Dick and I just attended a benefit for Hope Clinic. What an amazing place. I'm thankful for the work they do and the lives they save. Thank you for being the Father to the Fatherless and for having a purpose and plan for every life born into this world.

We have amazing children. Whitney and Shawn are here in Franklin. Whitney is teaching a painting class and taking science prerequisites to prepare for nursing school she will start in January. And Shawn has a wonderful job. I love having them live 8 minutes away. Kelsey and Zach are in Oregon, both of them teaching at a private Christian school. I'm asking God to move them somewhere at least east of the Mississippi River! (And you think I'm kidding . . . )

"I have no greater joy than knowing my children are walking in the truth." (3 John 4). Thank you, Lord.

We're about to be grandparents! Kelsey is having a wonderful pregnancy and next month, we will get to see her and feel that sweet baby move around in her tummy. In August, we'll meet this new addition to our family. Can't wait! Creator of ALL, thank you for new life.

Thank you, Lord for
Families
Friendships
Our homes
Our churches
Our jobs
Good times
Bad times
Sickness
Health
Flourishing
Struggling

In everything, GIVE THANKS.

Vision

I’ve worn glasses since second grade. Yes, that calculates to around 43 years of being dependent on some kind of corrective lenses (I started wearing contact lenses when I was 12). Last Wednesday, I had surgery on my right eye to remove cataracts that had formed as a by-product of a detached retina 10 years ago. (Eyes have never been my strong suit). The procedure removed the cataract blockage and also involved removing the actual lens of my eye, replacing it with a perfect lens.

This morning, I had my first official eye exam after the surgery. As I looked at the famous eye chart, I was able to read the whole thing (before the surgery, I could not even make out the huge letter E at the top of the famous chart). After reading "O F L C 3"at the bottom of the chart, I was so excited that I said to the technician, "I need to hug someone!" She was happy to celebrate with me.

I realize how fortunate I am. The technology that is available to us in 2010 is truly amazing. I’m thankful for doctors and researchers and nurses and technicians who study and learn about this vision world. But more than that, I'm thankful to the Lord for creating the eye. Did you know that each of our eyes are connected to the brain by 300,000 nerve fibers? The human eye can receive 1.5 million messages simultaneously.

And then let's consider all that God made for us to look at . . . sunsets, rainbows, butterflies, smiling faces. As I look out on a beautiful Tennessee spring morning, I am stunned at what I am able to view, with my new eye! Blades of grass, feathers on birds, street signs, shadows, light, colors . . . wow! I had thought I was seeing okay before. Now, I'm viewing things in 3D! This Wednesday, I'll have surgery on my left eye After that, I can't imagine how great it will be to look on God's beautiful world.

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Your glory is higher than the heavens.

You have taught children and infants

to tell of your strength,

silencing your enemies

and all who oppose you.

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

the moon and the stars you set in place—

what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

human beings that you should care for them?

Yet you made them only a little lower than God

and crowned them with glory and honor.

You gave them charge of everything you made,

putting all things under their authority—

the flocks and the herds

and all the wild animals,

the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,

and everything that swims the ocean currents.

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

(Psalm 8, NLV)

Freedom

We have the greatest dog in the world. Keebler is a part Golden Retriever/part Yellow Lab who was guide dog trained before he became a part of our family. He is smart, disciplined, gentle, and most of all, a creature of habit. He knows that at certain times of the day there is food coming. He knows when I grab a jacket and a few things from the back porch, it’s time for a walk. He knows that my morning routine includes what we call “the morning rubdown” in which I pet/scratch/love on him vigorously while my bagels are heating up. Once he hears the oven ding, he knows that the “morning rubdown” is over.

We live in a very walking-friendly neighborhood and many of our neighbors have dogs. The property managers here insist that pet owners keep dogs on leashes when walking, but because Keebler is so disciplined, we do let him off the leash from time to time. Most mornings, in fact, once we’ve had breakfast and the day is underway, include a walking time for Mr. Keebs and I, we head outside for a walk. Once we’ve had a little exercise and he’s taken care of his business, I’ll often take the leash off and we’ll sprint back to our home. He senses the freedom and it’s genuinely a pleasure to watch as he runs at full speed . . . tongue wagging, ears flapping . . . with the wind at his back. Obviously he has 4-wheel drive and there’s no way I can keep up with him. He’ll dash 40-50 yards ahead of me then turn around and just run circles around me. He is, at that moment, as uninhibited and completely free of any and all burdens as he’ll ever be. It’s the best and most joyous part of his day. He’s free.

Scripture has a good bit to say about our spiritual freedom. A couple of the biggies:

Psalm 146 – “The Lord sets the prisoners free . . .”

John 8:32 – “ . . . and the truth will set you free . . .”

Romans 6:18 – “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”

2 Cor. 3:17 – “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Gal. 5:1 – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

The same way that freedom is expressed by our dog ~ exuberant joy ~ is the response that we should have in knowing that we’ve been set free from sin, oppression and guilt. May we celebrate God’s gifts to us with abandon!

But let me run loose and free, celebrating God’s great work, every bone in my body laughing, singing, “God, there’s no one like You!” (Psalm 35:9, The Message)

Trails

It's Saturday morning. The sun is shining. The temperature outside is mildly cool and fresh feeling. Instead of going to the gym to exercise, how about a hike?

We drive about 15 minutes up the road to the beautiful Natchez Trace Parkway. Pulling our car into the parking lot near the Garrison Creek trail, we venture out. There are signs for a trail pointing to a "scenic overlook". That sounds perfect.

As we hike up the mountain, we notice that the trail winds around trees and rocks and steep inclines. Though we can clearly see the overlook straight ahead, the path curves around in such a way that, at times, we are actually going the opposite direction of our destination.

Sounds like life, doesn't it? And when you look through spiritual eyes, it is a true picture of God, who sometimes leads us down pathways we don't quite understand or we might not blaze out for ourselves, if we were in charge.

There were several more observations during our time at Garrison Creek. And as you read these, don't miss the parallels of one morning hike to our individual lifelong journeys . . .

• Sometimes the trail is steep. It takes more energy and breath to climb. At times, we may need to stop and rest for a moment or two before we continue on.
• Sometimes the trail is bumpy. There are branches and rocks and tree roots that we have to step over or walk on top of. It's easy to stumble if you're not careful.
• Sometimes the trail is smooth. This is the time you can really relax and enjoy the hike. Could it be smooth because of the many others who have walked this trail before?
• Sometimes the trail is downhill. If you're not careful, you'll get to going too fast and stumble when you least expect it.
• Always, the trail needs to be a place where we look around us and enjoy the scenery, rather than just staring at our feet with every step. Even with the dormancy of the foliage this time of the year, the Tennessee countryside is beautiful to behold.

We climbed the mountain, stopped to admire the gorgeous view, and headed back down again. It was exhilarating and a great way to spend part of our morning. Our bodies, minds, and spirits were refreshed. We'll go back to Garrison Creek another time ~ I'm sure of it. And maybe we'll take another trail.