The church I think of as my home church came along in my life when Mom abruptly stopped attending the “family” church. I couldn’t understand why, but we began on a church hopping circuit for who knows how long until she could find one that satisfied.

Visiting an array of denominational worship services was a curious experience for an 8 year old. On the way home Mom would ask what I thought about the service and Sunday School and I’d give my review: the service was too long, we had stale cookies in Sunday School, boring story, nobody talked to me except the teacher. 

One Sunday morning we visited Grace Bible Church. Sunday School was… different. My teacher really seemed to like what she was teaching and the kids she was teaching it to. Her smile put me at ease. AND, the kids were friendly. Cool!

This was home for me.

A place of grounding and growth.

A sanctuary of worship for my unsettled soul. Even at that young age I knew the difference between peace and strife. Give me peace any day!

However, the greatest gift I found in that red brick church was a call from God to come to Him and receive salvation through Jesus Christ at the age of 9.  I wish I could say that I turned into an angel and never gave my parents any grief from that point on, but that would be fibbing.

This little red-haired, freckle-faced kid now had a heart that was turned to the Lord. He began a good work in me then and continues to do it now, ‘til I draw my final breath.

How about you? Have you received God’s gracious gift of salvation?

All humankind needs to be freed from the bondage and ravages of sin. It is the simplest and hardest gift for us to receive. Our sinfulness requires a redeeming sacrifice to bring us into God’s favor. We cannot save ourselves, but Jesus has satisfied God’s requirements for anyone who would believe in Him.

I’m praying for you.
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2 Corinthians 6:2 for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION" (NASB)

I'll go where You want me to go dear Lord
Over mountain or plain or sea
I'll say what You want me to say dear Lord
I'll be what You want me to be
Carrie E. Rounsefell | Charles Edward Prior | Mary Brown             Public Domain
 
Nothing gave me a greater sense of anticipation than the annual Mission Festival Week at my home church when I was in grade school. Every night for seven days the church would be packed to hear the latest news from our missionaries on furlough.

The church basement wondrously transformed into a world-wide neighborhood of booths set to inform and educate us about each country where our missionaries were stationed. Each one had a souvenir you could take home to help you remember to pray for the people of that nation and the people who were there sharing the life-giving Gospel.

Like a moth to a flame I visited each and every missionary display with wonder and delight. Missionaries were those special Christians who sacrificed so much to go to the ends of the earth and preach the Gospel to the lost. Their testimonies we thrilling and challenging. The fellowship was sweet. And the music we sang still rings in my heart to this day.

This chorus from the hymn, “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go” was a favorite, sung year after year. The words are a pledge to be willing to respond to God any time and anywhere. Most times I sang that song just because I liked the way it sounded. Sometimes I sang it with high hopes that I would be faithful to God’s call.

One day I would find out why God is looking for those who are simply willing to trust Him and go.

How about you? Do you have fond memories of special church events? What are some ways the Lord has called to you?
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Is 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Distant is purely a relational word.

I can be distant from you geographically, but not emotionally.

I can sit next to you in church but keep myself emotionally distant for as long as we know each other. This distance is a result of perception.

Almost 7 years ago my husband, youngest child, and I were called by God to be distant from our Midwestern family and friends so that we could minister to a young church in the East Coast. But I’ll let you know that whenever we go back “home,” we resume the relationships without missing a beat.

Why? Because our love for each other erases the space between us.

Spatially we are light years away from God, but in actuality, He is with us right now. Why? Because of His great love.

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

This truth can keep me closer to someone on the other side of the world than my neighbor next door.

 2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it…. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.

God is the proximity we need to hold us close and keep us together.

His Presence erases the time and space between us.
 
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I set the timer for my tea
That’s the time to write the post you see.
One word spurs ideas, musings, and imaginings…
The stuff of which writers are made.

If you’d like to read more posts on the word “distant,” check out the Five Minute Friday Link-up

If my heart isn’t into a thing, you can tell.

I can easily say that I will do something without the excitement required. I’ll respond in the affirmative, without that perceptible smile in my voice. My yes escapes my lips in a low, long sigh.

Well, peachy. That’s mine for the day.

I looked up the definition of this word and found that there is an underlying agreeableness with gladness that accompanies the attitude of being willing. A release of qualifiers that might, at any moment, retract my acquiescence and call up my right to change my mind and pronounce a resounding NO to the request.

I am ashamed that this is all too often NOT my response to God. He kindly asks if I am willing to follow Him, and I grit my teeth hissing yes. He gently inquires if I love Him more than life itself, and I choke out an indistinguishable yes.

Why is this so hard?

I dig in to my right of permission. It’s not freely given, to anyone.

But the ONLY one who has shown Himself to be faithful and true EVERY time, is God. He alone is deserving of my wholehearted and resounding YES!

Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

Only God can bring the smile to my spirit. In the light of His salvation can I find sustenance for joyful obedience.   

May I challenge you, as I have challenged myself, to seek a heart that is pleasing to God? Pursuing His delight above our own results in blessing for all. 


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This post is brought to you by the Five Minute Friday Link-up. A weekly challenge goes out in this writer's community by our fearless leader, Kate Motaung. We then write for five minutes ( maybe more) and share our offerings with the world. You are invited to come along!

​I can never get over the fact that doctors are always practicing medicine. 
Practice, practice, practice…
All of my children had at least a year of piano lessons, and with those came the obligation to practice. Contrary to their objections, they did live through their piano years and have come to appreciate the basic musical knowledge gained by the experience.

Practice makes perfect. That’s what the wordsmiths say. But as I think about the Christian walk I believe that God would desire us to practice what we preach not so we could be perfect, but that we would be faithful to Him.

The Pharisees thought they were practicing their religion so well that they fooled themselves in believing that fulfilling the letter of the law (in their estimation) was as good as perfect.

What God requires of us is perfection that mirrors Himself. Ain’t no way to get close to that! But in confession and repentance and by humbling ourselves so as to put on Christ’s righteousness, God can look on us and see His own reflection.

This is the faithful practice God loves.

From it develops a heart that is tender and responsive to the Holy Spirit.

In this practice our wayward thinking finds the plumb line of the Word of God. We begin to practice what He preaches.

Our lives begin to represent with more authenticity what God desires in His people: wholehearted obedience, love of mercy, walking humbly, doing justly, all for the sake of His Name.

This will fly in the face of worldly ideals.

This will not be understood by the un-regenerated person.

It is a calling to be different from the norm.

This time we have in this world is a preparation for the world to come. We are practicing what we believe for the heavenly country that is truly our home.

Keep your eyes on the prize of Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

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This post is brought to you by the weekly prompt – Practice. You can find more posts on this word at the writer’s community called Five Minute Friday, hosted by Kate Motaung.

​Opportunity. It’s where timing and circumstances meet. A threshold to a challenge you never thought you’d have.

For me, this was my pink flamingo bathroom. A color scheme chosen by my predecessor involving pink, green, and a touch of blue. Florida, circa 1964. Yeah.

Don’t get me wrong. I love our home of 2+ years. But with every rental I’ve discover new opportunities for contentment, flexibility, and creative decorating I’d never before thought existed. In our 13 previous moves I had to re-imagine our possessions in new arrangements. Foregoing some of my favorite things at times, because of lack of space or impracticality. But when I saw this pink tiled bathroom ala flamingos, well…. I set my mind on how to make it go away.

Funny thing though, everyone I showed it to LIKED the quirky flamingos. They pointed out how unusual it was and that this theme may be making a comeback. Apparently, I was the only one who scorned these long-legged tropical birds in my powder room.

Quirky.
Stylistic.
Undeniably pink.
Was this really me? Did it need to be me?

I honestly didn’t have the energy to paint over the tile and the counter top. And though I would never have chosen this design, the tiles were still in excellent shape. They just needed to be loved.

So I searched through my various pictures and came across two I had used before in a bathroom with a beachy feel, circa 1890. The colors worked well and I could imagine the people in them spending a sunny day at a Florida beach. I began to recognize the space as my own.

I have since come to appreciate this distinctive pattern and embrace its depictions of a restful tropical place.

An opportunity is one, when you take the challenge. It’s when you cross the threshold from “I won’t” to “I’ll try.”

Many times would I walk past an opportunity and say, “Later, gator,” when God is nudging me to embrace the pink flamingos that come into my life.
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What are the pink flamingo opportunities in your life right now?
 
 
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This post is brought to you by this week’s one word prompt from Five Minute Friday, hosted by Kate Motaung. Check out more responses at Five Minute Friday. We’d be glad to have you join us!

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Make it concise, so I can get on with more important things.

Make it simple, so I won’t have to dust off my dictionary to look up big words.

Make it an inch deep so I can skate over the challenging doctrines.

Make it superficial so I won’t need to address my real motives.

Make it entertain and please my aesthetics so I won’t be tempted to vote with my feet.

Make it pretty so I won’t flinch at the truly ugliness of sin.

Make it all about how I feel today so I won’t have to acknowledge God’s desire to meddle in my self-consumed life.

Lord, help us!

God, forgive us.

Do what is convenient for You, O Lord, to sanctify your church and transform us into the image of Your Beloved Son.

Redeem us from our wicked ways.
 “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed.” Psalm 71:23 (NASB)

Revive our hearts to live unreservedly for You.
“The humble have seen {it and} are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive.” Psalm 69:32 (NASB)

Renew our minds with Your life-giving Word.
“And have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—“ Colossians 3:10 (NASB)

Restore our lives where we are broken and damaged and wounded.
 “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.” Psalm 23:3 (NASB)
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O, Lord, create in us the will to be vessels for Your purpose -
ministers of Your Grace, for Your glory and praise! 

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This post brought to you from my brain set to write for five minutes on today's word prompt, Convenient. Read more at Five Minute Friday.

Are you one of those people who like to know what’s around the next bend or do you enjoy surprises? Do you read a story page by page or jump to the end of the book first so you will already have in mind how it turns out? In life we’d love to have every plot line figured out, but we don’t often get an advance picture of the story we’re in. So how can we be prepared for any contingency? Maybe the life of Daniel can give us some insight in this.

Daniel’s single mindedness to trust the One True God never wavered, from his first days as a captive in Babylon to his last as a governing official. In verse 8 of the first chapter we read that as a youth Daniel had made up his mind not to defile himself. His decision to respond this way to the king’s edicts as to what to eat and who and how to worship had been written on his heart before the beginning of his captivity: he would place and keep himself under the Lord’s authority regardless of the circumstances or possible outcome. The objective of his life’s purpose had already been written. Daniel had a heart and mind set apart for the Lord. He would hold fast to God, no matter what.

Daniel encountered numerous fearful scenarios during his tenure under numerous ungodly kings. Times of testing came.  Faced with dire consequences for speaking against popular thought, Daniel never forgot that God keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments. “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek {Him by} prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.  I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,” (Daniel 9:3-4 NASB)
His fearless response during those times was anchored in God’s faithfulness. Daniel was in the Babylon world, but he was not of it.

When a terrifying message and vision came to him, Daniel didn’t argue with God or scramble to devise a solution for the situation. Instead, he set his heart on gaining understanding from the Lord and humbly place himself under the Lord’s authority. An endurance test of faith ensued and Daniel held fast. He knew the God to whom he prayed was worthy of his devotion and trust.

He prayerfully and contritely submitted himself to God’s holy authority before he ever received an answer. No arguments, no prideful problem solving, no seeking other “protection.” He was not super human. He simply served a Supreme God. Here is God's answer to Daniel, "Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding {this} and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words." (Daniel 10:12, NASB)

When we set our hearts on gaining understanding and humbling ourselves before the Lord RIGHT NOW we abide in a place of fearless security.

Dwelling on what is true and placing ourselves under the authority and protection of God anchors our hearts and minds to the Rock that is higher than ourselves or ANY other thing.

The best time to make preparations for a storm is before it hits.

Days will come when sudden squalls and tempests in the culture will confront us when we least expect them. Challengers will denounce our foundational beliefs.

Now is the time to prepare our hearts and minds to instinctively call upon God in prayer.
Now is the time to study God’s Word to know what you believe and why it is trustworthy. 
Then we will be like the wise man in Luke 6:48 that Jesus talks about saying, “he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”

God’s faithfulness anchors our fearlessness.

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It is just days before the March for Life takes place in our nation's capital when many thousands will march and stand united in the truth that all life is sacred from womb to tomb. This post is a personal story from my life when God walked me through my own journey to receive His Grace  when life throws you a curve ball.

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Motherhood had always been a part of my story. I’m the girl who read Cheaper by the Dozen and promptly wrote out twelve first and middle names for my future children.

Time and circumstance tend to make matters clearer and after 12 years of marriage I felt that I had done my part to keep the Johnson name alive and well by giving birth to four sons and one daughter. My romantic ideals of raising a large family were overshadowed by the day to day realities of life with kiddos.

We soon began full time ministry and I hoped to start some new chapters in my life.

But what happens when life throws a surprise party and you wish you hadn’t been invited?

I found myself unexpectedly expecting. Before long my life would be consumed with: doctor’s visits, weight gain, physical adjustments in my womb for a growing baby. Quiet times and sleep times would not be my own for who knows how long.

Sigh. *…groan*

My hubby was excited to welcome another player to the team and seemed unaffected by the alterations this little addition would make. When we’d pass the newborn department in Wal-Mart, he would grin and point at cute baby clothes. But I couldn’t look at them or share his happiness. That jolt of reality stirred up bitter feelings I quickly tried to hide.

Day after day, I grew to resent the fact that God, who is the one who opens and closes wombs, had allowed this to happen to me. Especially since I had developed an issue with blood pressure and residual weight gain from my previous pregnancies.

Truth be told, I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was ready to move on.

But I certainly couldn’t tell my pastor/hubby that, though I think he sensed it.

Near the end of my second month I noticed the faintest pink on the toilet paper. My stomach lurched at the thought that something could be wrong with me or the baby. I nervously prayed, “Lord, please keep the baby safe. Help me to know what to do.” I didn’t see it again for a few days. And then it reappeared. The doctor did some tests to see if the pregnancy was progressing properly.

Each day I prayed for God to help me and the baby as I struggled with the waves of conflicting emotions that threatened to sink me.

Each day I reminded God that He got me into this mess in the first place.

 I would not have chosen to get pregnant now.

 I would have done things differently.

The miscarriage happened at the worst possible time when my husband and our two oldest planned to be an hour and a half away for a monthly regional youth gathering. The bleeding intensified as did the contractions, but I tried to be strong and self-sufficient when it came time to say good-bye to them. My husband asked me twice if I wanted him to stay. At first I said no. Then fear got the better of me and I finally said that I needed him with me. This was new and frightening territory for me.

I had labored five times before this and delivered healthy babies, and everything had been fine. This time, my laboring resulted in loss. My womb became empty but my arms would never embrace this child.

Death makes life real. 

In Ecclesiastes 7:2 we read, “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to heart.” I lost a child that day. One for whom I hadn’t even prepared its first receiving blanket or newborn sleeper to wear because it was too hard to embrace the impact this life would bring. One whose days, even in utero, had been designated by a gracious and loving Creator God.

God ushered me through a necessary grief for a life ended. In mourning that tiny babe, I began to mourn the demise of my own conceptions of what my life should look like.

I was challenged as to how far was I willing to trust God? He who opens and closes the womb also knows my blood pressure at this very moment. He knows my sitting down and my rising up; my struggles and my hopes and my dreams. He holds it all in His hands.

A year later I lived in a different state reliving the same circumstance. But this time, with the help of God’s Grace, I received the developing life within me joyfully. Joy for the child and joy for what God would birth in me.

I could look at baby clothes in the store and muse about the little one who might wear them, wondering who this child would turn out to be. Hopeful anticipation had made its home in my heart. I had even pulled out my collection of receiving blankets and newborn clothing and started preparing them for the baby.

But it was not to be. My seventh and last pregnancy ended at 11 weeks gestation. It was just as messy and terrifying as the first miscarriage. But this time I had a greater appreciation for life’s preciousness and the One who created it, resulting in a deeper sense of mourning and loss for the life I would never mother here on earth.

“Blessed {and} enviably happy [with a happiness produced by the experience of God's favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!” (Matthew 5:4 - Amplified Version)

Even in mourning there is a receiving that is done, wrapped in the matchless, varicolored Grace of God. 

,Noise.

The world is filled with it.

White noise is the best kind for sleeping. Wheel squeaks are rewarded with the most attention. New house bumps and thumps make the heart jump.
But, where is the quiet?

Hiding.

Mysterious.

Elusive.

Worth finding.

How can I hush the noise?

Psalm 46:10 "Cease {striving} and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Striving? Against what? With what am I contending; against what am I devoting serious effort that needs to stop?

Energy focused on the wrong thing depletes the energy needed for the right thing. Exalting Almighty God, I AM, in my life is the right thing.

To know… to realize, recognize, grasp, appreciate that God is God. There is none other than Him in that high exalted place, and He will be exalted among the nations, in the earth. What does that have to do with me?  Plenty!

My striving is the evidence that I still think I have the solution to all my problems. I still believe in my heart that the plans I devise will serve me best. I am amazing! My voice should not be silenced, even in my head.

How foolish am I?

God speaks and I brush Him aside like a pesky, annoying fly. My own noise silences The Voice that speaks only Truth and Life.

I don’t want the Lord to be silent. I need Him to speak healing and grace to my spirit.

Consider this picture of peace found in Psalm 131:1-3 “O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. 2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child {rests} against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.” (NASB)

Deep down I desperately want to know that I am not the beginning and end of all things in my life. Until I am quiet I can never hear Almighty God whisper to my heart. I will never know the blessed peace of one unburdened from the weight of the world.

Here are three ways to help you seek and find the holy hush in your life:

1. Noises off, ears on. In verse one the psalmist backs away from pride and self-sufficiency. These will always produce noisy, empty chatter. He rejoices in humility and releasing himself from engaging in worldly discourse in trying to take on matters too great or difficult to solve. Leave the hard stuff for God. Quietness is a sign of trust in The One who knows all. Willingly do the next obvious step. Train your ears to hear God’s voice. God is with you.

2.  Don’t wonder what will happen. Seek the Presence of the God of Wonders. We can get all upset about life’s situations and the troubles that come. We’ll get ourselves all worked up like a small child who comes unglued because their perception of the world is spoiled. God’s Presence alone quiets the soul.

Pursue God; there, peace will be found.

Hebrews 10:22-23 “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled {clean} from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;”

3. Hope’s focus is always on God. Hope is that fixed point that keeps us on track. Hope grounds us and guides us to the glorious fulfillment of God promise.  Hebrews 6:19 ‘This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a {hope} both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,”

It may sound like I’m encouraging an escapist mentality for living. I am not.
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We have been called to live in this world but not to be of this world. God calls us to minister His grace in this world through our lives, in many different ways and for many different situations. We must engage in order to effect change. The trick is to not allow anything to obstruct our vital need for connection and peace with God. If that happens we end up striving in our own strength, drawing from our own wisdom, and promoting our own agendas.

Rejoice in God’s whisper to your soul. Let God be God.

As we go into the future with Jesus, let’s encourage each other to seek the holy hush in our lives.