​My 31 Free Writes for October play out like a serial love story in an old time magazine. It’s the saga of a young woman and how God leads her to the love of her life. Each day offers new developments in a romance only the Lord could write.

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My Tuesday and Thursday mornings turned into my favorite days of the week, now that I had someone I could talk to about all the crazy stuff that comes out in a class like Psychology 101.

I was able to share my thoughts and questions with David, who responded honestly and thoughtfully. Our relationship grew deeper and wider every time a new topic came up in class. I could divulge my thoughts to David and know that he would consider them and dialogue with me about them in a noncompetitive manner. What freedom! Besides, did I mention that he was cute?

The teacher announced that one of our Thursdays we would need to cancel and the class was thrilled to have that free time do with as they pleased. I was bummed. That meant I would have to wait longer before I saw my personal tutor again.

After class David walked me to my car and suggested that since we had already had the time open on Thursday maybe we could go out for breakfast at a nearby Denny’s.

Hoo-boy. Keep it cool, Vicki. Nonchalant. Sure! I love Denny’s!

He’d pick me up so I wouldn’t have to hassle with my car. Is this a date?

After we ordered breakfast our conversation drifted to our class assignments, his upcoming youth retreat and would I be interested in coming along to help? It all seemed so natural.  He invited me to church because he was preaching and wanted a friendly face in the congregation, ha ha. It was an obvious yes for me.

You see, one by one David was hitting the mark on my what-I-want-in-a-husband list. That’s right, I had a list, written out per the advice of a previous Bible study leader.

With every conversation I felt more at home with this guy from Minnesota who told Ole and Lena jokes. I felt like I belonged with him.

Ramp up the prayer life ‘cause I want to know that God is in this!

I looked at my future hubby list and realized that all the boxes had been checked, except one. I wanted my man to be musical and play either the piano or the guitar. I hadn’t seen any evidence of either.

On the way to church Sunday morning I had to quiet down the butterflies in my stomach and remind myself that I was going to this worship service to hear a friend preach, that’s all. David met me at the door and introduced me to a few curious church ladies then ushered me to a seat near the back of the sanctuary. I gladly sat “alone,” able to observe this new venue for worship. It pretty much matched what I had grown up with. David preached well. We had one more song to sing and then David and I would go out for lunch and review how the morning went.

David announced the song, turned to get something from behind the pulpit. When he came back he had a guitar strapped on and proceeded to lead the congregation in song.

My voice was resting at the bottom of my stomach which had plummeted to places unknown once I saw the guitar.

I could only think, “He’s the one. And the poor guy doesn’t even know it.”
 

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

One of the biggest hindrances to evangelism or spreading the Gospel is fear of man. What will that person think of me if I talked to them about Jesus and my undying love for the one who saved my soul from Hell? Perception often rules the day and silences the voices that should be heard. I admit that I am not bold enough, brave enough, or verbal enough in most situations. In the beginning of 1982 I wanted to change that. I decided to step out in faith more. I would vocalize my faith more. I would push that pesky fear-monger thought to the side and focus my eyes on Jesus. Discovering a friend in the process was a blessing from God.

During our mid-class breaks, David and I would sit together and chat about the day’s discussions, plans for the week and stuff going on in our respective lives. We genuinely liked each other. His conversation was a balm to my soul and a boost to my spirit. He was grounded in God’s Word unwaveringly, but not in a dogmatic, hard-nosed way. There was a certainty and steadfastness in him that I truly admired.

I began to pray about our budding relationship/friendship. I had my share of crushes before this, but never a boyfriend. I wanted God to be the center of my life and every aspect that came into play regarding it, especially a future husband. And so, I prayed. On the way to school. On my way back home. Whenever I thought about the guy with the twinkling eyes……. Yeah.

I’ve found that wonderful things happen in the mundane moments of life.

Dressed in my grungy clothes, no make-up (This is major, people! No make-up means blonde eyelashes and eyebrows. Ugh!) Hair under a bandana, I was busy cleaning the front rooms of my parent’s home where I lived. I was in the zone humming along with the drone of the vacuum when my mom taps me on the shoulder and says there is a phone call for me. It’s a guy. No name. Okaaaaaay.

“Hello?"

“Hi! Is this Vicki?”

“Yes. Who is this?"

“You don’t know me but you need to check for something outside your front door. I tried knocking but no one answered. ”

“Okay. Um…….actually, I think I know who you are.”

Silence

“Oh. Well. Have a nice evening. Bye!”

I turned to see my mother grinning at me curiously. “Who was THAT?” she asked.

“Not sure,” I replied. “I have to check for something.”

Sure enough, in between the front door and the screen door I found a small bouquet of flowers, two white carnations and one red rose, and a card that read, “Valentine, if I followed you home, would you keep me?”

My first thought? Praise God I didn’t hear the knock at the door because I wouldn’t have answered the way I was dressed! And then I thought about the flowers and the message on the card.

Yes, I think I would keep you.
​Definitely.
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Proverbs 30:18-19 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand: The way of an eagle in the sky, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maid.

Come now, let us reason together, you and I…..

Words are invisible entities used either for construction or destruction of faith, ideologies, plans, and people. Yes, Words have impact on the visible as well as the invisible world.

My Psychology 101 class was progressing per our schedule and class discussions brought out a myriad of strongly held beliefs. I was the quiet observer, mentally tracking who I agreed with and who I silently booed, content to yield my claim to the floor for the debaters. If I was called upon I would HAVE to answer. However, I chose not to volunteer my voice.

Then the fateful topic of abortion turned the tables quite literally for me and the calm, confident youth pastor I began to cheer on.

Our prof had us move our desks around to form an elongated U. Those of us at the base of this formation held that abortion was wrong at any stage of pregnancy. Go up on either side and those individuals believed that abortion was okay through the first 3 months. Advance still more and the next group Okayed abortion through 6 months of gestation. Finally, on the ends of the U we find a group who thought abortion was fine for the nine months in the womb. Mind boggling…..

It quickly became evident that our group of five pro-lifers formed the perfect focal point for the rest of the class. The debate for life was on.

I knew what I believed about the sanctity of life from womb to tomb. I would not be swayed. But don’t ask me to debate the other side. I get all knotted up inside and flustered with my words. I hadn’t developed my argument. I just knew what I knew.

But sometimes we have to use our words. And it was evident that David was well versed in his arguments. Poised. Ready for the counter attack. This was personal for him. His mother had gotten German measles when she was pregnant with him and her doctor advised abortion as a consideration. She couldn’t fathom taking her baby’s life just because it may come with hardships. Lo and behold she delivered a perfectly healthy baby boy.

Though David wasn’t the only one to speak for our side of the argument, his ability to process the rhetoric of other side and quickly form a thoughtful response pushed him forward as our spokesman.

Here was a man who engaged his opponents with grace and truth.
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After class I nervously approached David and thanked him for being our mouthpiece. He was able to say what I believed. This began a conversation that continued for a long time.
 
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Ask me now, and I could give you a fairly well reasoned statement of faith and why I believe what I believe. Were we to have met 37 years ago, I would have hesitated before I gave you my answer. I knew what I should say – I just wasn’t fully convinced. It’s not that I stopped believing in God. I had simply found gaps in the accepted answers I received from my church. I’m not going into details, but I needed to know ‘why” and only got ‘because that’s what we believe.’

I will say that I am eternally grateful for the church I began attending when I was in third grade. The biblical foundation laid in my heart is rock-solid with Jesus as its cornerstone. Praise the Lord!

No. my questions were more about certain side doctrines that I couldn’t understand.

Del Tackett from the Truth Project has said that he has found that some spiritual questions prompt in him a cocoon response. A place to be alone with the Lord and confront, analyze, and assess theological/doctrinal questions for the purpose of transformation and renewal. Because we know that even if we don’t fully understand a concept in God’s Word at first glance doesn’t mean that it’s wrong or unnecessary. It just means that we need to spend more time searching for God’s mind in the matter.

Wouldn’t you know that my attending a secular psychology course would bring me to someone who would dialogue with me about my questions? Yes siree! God knows what we need and when we need it.
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Jeremiah 29:13 'You will seek Me and find {Me} when you search for Me with all your heart.

On a frosty January morning I walked into a secular psychology class that would change my life. I was here not because I wanted to take the class, but because my mom wisely reminded me that if I wanted to graduate with a degree I needed to take more than drama and music classes.

I had also determined to be more intentional about sharing my faith. The first day of class would put me to the test.

The professor had us put our desks in a circle.
Lovely. First rule of anonymity broken right off the bat.
 
We introduced ourselves by name and what we did for a living.
Okay, I can handle that.
 
I noticed a guy across from me whose name escaped me but his vocation didn’t. He was a youth pastor at a Lutheran church.
Hm. Cute guy. Probably not saved.
 
Be careful what you promise to the Lord for He will always put them to the test.
Our professor then asked two open-ended questions and randomly pointed at individuals for a quick response.
Oh-boy. I’m playing with the big boys now…..
 
Question 1: People are basically ________?
Random pointing. Innocuous answers.

Then the cute Lutheran was selected. Loud and clear his reply echoed in the classroom, “Sinful.” A satisfied grin lighted up his face.

My eyes met his. I felt like Elijah finding that he was not alone against Ahab and crazy Jezebel.

The butterflies in my stomach settled down as I scrambled for a reply. But the prof had decided to change his inquiry.

“A basic need of people is ______?”

I felt empowered now to give an answer true to my heartfelt beliefs. I hate that I even thought of chickening out of my self-proclaimed challenge. Who would know?

GOD would know. I had to draw the line in the sand and stand for Jesus because He is worthy of my allegiance and love, not because I had found a friend who seemed to believe the way I did.

The finger pointed my way. As calmly as I could I pronounced my very non-politically correct response.

“Redemption,” I said simply.

The professor paused thoughtfully, looking first at me and then to the guy who had bolstered my courage. “You two should get together sometime.”

More on that later.

Hebrews 13:6 "...so that we confidently say, 'THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?'"

Once upon a time…
…there was a Christian girl focused on doing the next thing in her education.

And there was a Christian guy focused on his calling from God.

Through a variety of decisions and influences they met in a secular Psych 101 course, ‘cause sometimes the next step in God’s plan is not necessarily the one you would anticipate.

I’m going to share my story in the next 31 days of October, which seems appropriate because during this month my husband and I will be celebrating 36 years of marriage. Our story has history, journeys, surprises, and a determined love for God that has brought us to place we are today.

And I’m curious.

What’s YOUR story?
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Once upon a time you were in a setting and found the next step to take which lead you to….
Where?
Who?
What?
When?
As you reflect on your unfolding chronicle, allow the Lord to explain the ‘why’ of it all.
 
Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

Indiscriminate, they fall.

Released from above.

Directed by the Hand of God, they gather in the lowlands, the valleys, the trenches.

Rain drops.

On the just and the unjust alike.

Proof that God has not created this world just to abandon it to its own devices.

Life-giving moisture necessary for all living things.

Too much though, destroys.

God has promised not to destroy the earth in a flood and sealed it with a bow.

But sometimes we see the effects of sin in this tainted creation and cry out to God to stop when we’ve had more than we can take.

There’s not even enough time to build an ark, God!

Escaped by the skin of our teeth!

Lost EVERYTHING!

Don’t you CARE?!

And when the timing is right, when we face the clouds and the sun is at our back we see proof of His promise set in the sky.

The devastation is tangible, but not complete.

Hearts break and sometimes lives are swept away.  

But maybe, He makes us stop long enough to remember Him.

To turn from our selfish pursuits and drop to our knees and seek His face once again.
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To feel the sunshine of His smile.

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The idea-laden Pinterest feed boggled my mind. Who knew there were over 80 uses for a tea cup? It didn’t matter where it was made, which floral motif decorated its exterior, or even if it was part of a matched set. Fine bone china cups could double as lampshades, jewelry holders, curtain tie-backs, or even bird feeders. Was there no end to human ingenuity?

Imagination and creativity did not originate with mankind, however. As I thought more about the re-purposed china I began to wonder what the teacup-turned-bird feeder might think about her new situation….

 “The indignity! Me, a fine Royal Gorham tea cup, planted in the garden filled with fodder for birds. Of all places! All the pecking and clawing and… ugh! What drops from those pesky winged creatures! I was meant to serve the finest of beverages in the loveliest of settings! Whatever happened to me? My finishes are perfect. My design – impeccable. Somehow I was separated from my peers and ended up here in this drab little corner of a nondescript garden feeding fowl……”

Need I go on?

That Royal Gorham tea cup knows what she was created for. It’s plainly obvious to her. Her skill set, heritage, and delicate constitution preclude that she would be in a setting of fine dining, elegantly appointed.

And it has become painfully evident that she is in the WRONG place.

But is she?

Purpose and design originate with the Creator. The plan is conceptualized and then materialized, crafted by His hand with a purpose apparent to most, but truly known only to Him.

Isaiah 29:16 You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? (NASB)

The clay’s perspective comes from a small circle spinning so fast she can’t focus on anything outside of herself. She knows what she is made of, and so does The Potter. She senses her optimum beneficial use, and so does The Potter. But the end that seems obvious to the clay is not the full inspired design of The Potter.

 So then, who is right?

Maybe if the teacup’s perspective was refocused she could begin to see what her Creator desired. The birds who come to her for daily sustenance are delighted to be fed from such a beautiful, hand-crafted dispenser. Her presence brightens the forlorn patch of greenery. So delicate, yet she resiliently withstands the storms that sweep through from time to time. She offers water then, when everything else is washed away.

A cup turned to Heaven is always ready to be filled, and then, to bless.

So, for you, dear mama of little ones: allow the Lord to use your college education to infuse a love for reading in your child while they hear the unhurried love in your voice. Children hear love.

For you, young woman occupying the extra seat at the table: cultivate joy and peace in your alone times with the Lord. Satisfy yourself with the company of your true Love. He is the only One who can make you happy.

For you, industrious worker in the market place: begin your day as a keeper of a lighthouse checking to make sure the Light you bring to a spiritually dark place can be seen through the lens of your life. You may be the only light who guides a lost soul to safe harbor in Christ.

For you, senior delegate in the Body of Christ:  As long as you’re drawing breath God delights in using your life as an example of what a humbly devoted Jesus follower looks like. Through thick and through thin, in the good time and the bad, you’ve discovered a timeless testimony of God’s goodness in your life that people need to hear. Welcome venues where your life stories can be heard by those who need to know there is a living hope found only in Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. (NASB)

It was a game I loved playing as a kid.

I wonder how well I would like it now?

Freeze tag. Statues. Name it what you like, it was a game of pauses.
​Hold still. Stop for a moment.

In the game you had to wait until someone tagged you before you could move again. Sometimes the wait was seconds, sometimes you had to beg someone to release you from your hibernation.

The adult game of Freeze tag ebbs and flows in my life. Pauses here and there move in to the rhythm I am trying to keep.

Sometimes it’s wonderful.

Sometimes………AARrgh! Not so much.

I make my plans. I set up the markers of success, my timeline of accomplishment.

I go on my way asking the Lord to bless my footsteps, never looking back.

Then something happens and I am marching in place.

Signaled to pause, I fight it.

Cautioned, I forge ahead.

No progress is made, yet the cadence of my feet hitting the ground goes on.

Pause seems like surrender, Lord.  If I stop now, will I ever get started again? Will my opportunity pass me by? Time marches on, why can’t I?

Daughter, your plans cover only the ground you see. My plans take you to places you can only find by My help. You’re not in a game. You are in authentic situations producing tangible results.
I have placed a call on your life but you won’t see it in its entirety until the last step is done.

I have given you pauses for My purpose. I have given you release, also for My purpose
.
Both the pause and the march are holy to Me when done in obedience.

Isaiah 55:9 "For {as} the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (NASB)

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This post was written as a response to the word, 'pause.' Five Minute Friday is a community of writers who set their timers for five minutes and free write on the prompt of the week.
You can read more posts HERE. 

It’s shameless, really, what I do when he’s asleep.

I watch him.

Surveying the lines on his face, noticing the grey hair that has pushed out some of the dark brown. He still has the same profile I recall 35 years ago.

The face of my beloved has drawn me in all these years and I have not ceased to praise the Lord for that. It’s not to say that we don’t have our bad days, when our faces convey frustration, disgust, and even anger. But when the waters calm once again, we see each other in light of the promise we made before God so long ago.

Face to face we are known, loved, and embraced.

It’s how we get through life together.

I am reminded of Philippians 4:13 where Paul writes these encouraging words to the church in Philippi, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” But to REALLY know what this means we need to look at the previous verses.

Jumping in at verse 11 Paul says, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” (Emphasis mine)

The secret to getting through this life strong is making a habit of focusing on Jesus, our example of a God-pleasing life.  

Regardless of the circumstances and what I have at my disposal, I CAN do all things God has called me to do because my strength doesn’t come from me. My success finds its beginning in Christ.

As I gaze on my beloved, I am content.

As I gaze on my Beloved Savior, I’m enfolded in His love, understood, and empowered to live a life that glorifies God.

Are you in a crisis? Have you found the strength you need to go through it? Jesus is there for you. Call on His name to find the secret of a victorious life.

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This post was written for the Five Minute Friday Link-up and the word prompt of the week - Secret. To read more posts on this subject click here.