R-E-S-P-E-C-T and T-R-U-T-H

If you've been watching our culture these days, there seems to be more and more people being disrespectful to each other in order to earn respect for themselves. On the tails of the political season with hours of negative ads tainting the media for months at a time, people felt they had the right to disclose every feeling or impression they have about someone else. Yes, people should know the truth, but sadly when the truth is not reported as much as opinions and biases are called facts, it's hard to sort it all out.
So, what does God say about respect? What does God say about the truth? What does God say about integrity? There are 224 passages that use the word "truth" in the Bible. If even Pontius Pilate asks Jesus "What is truth?" as He stood before his court confessing the truth that He is the King (John 18: 37-38). Obviously, even when the TRUTH is standing right in front of us, we'll deny it.
I am feeling sad today that the Biblical understanding of the TRUTH and RESPECT are lost in our culture. We become defensive and aggressive when we offer our opinions as truth and disrespect each other because of our differences.

In John 5:19-23, Jesus gives us this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. (NIV)

So, Jesus is the Truth, and all honor and respect is ultimately from the Father. Now that is settled, can we get back to honoring and respecting God?

Open a Box of Childhood

I have a small yearning that overwhelms me every Fall. Okay, it can get to be a pretty big yearning for me. Now, just so you know, I'm not one to spend a lot of time in the malls or shopping for clothes. Personally, I'd rather spend an afternoon in the hardware store, checking out the latest hardware gadgets that make a house more up-to-date without spending a lot of money. But my yearning does involve shopping.

When the last few weeks of summer start up, I start stock piling the object of my yearning: school supplies. It's a sickness really. I can lose at least an hour sorting through all the different kinds of pens available every school year. And, I used to buy packets and packets of loose leaf paper, just because Fall was the cheapest time of year to buy them. As much as my children hated all those handwritten exercises and homework, I loved to see my well preserved school supply box get used. For years, it seemed that I spent almost as much on pens, folders, binders, highlighters, crayons, markers and scissors as I did on back to school clothes for both my boys. They may have needed new jeans, but I always made sure they had enough items in the school supply box to get their homework done.

When my sons were both in high school, I was forced to redirect my school supply spending to more important things - like track shoes and activity passes. They didn't need my loose leaf packets of paper anymore. They were, however, going through lots of copier paper and inkjet cartridges. Times were changing, their needs were changing, and my school supply box sat dormant, with hardening crayolas and drying markers.

This year was the saddest Fall of all for me. I had nothing to buy for my school supply box. Although one son is in college still, and the other one is in the military, neither of them needed me to provide their school supplies. They were old enough to take care of their needs themselves.

I peered into the overcrowded back-to-school aisle at Walmart, watching mothers and children gather long lists of supplies for the start of the school year. I had no reason to fight them for my space in the aisle so I could make the perfect pen selection for the season. I mourned the loss of my overflowing shopping cart. Today, I just needed some shampoo, trash bags, and light bulbs. I didn't need any school supplies - for anyone.

It was then I decided to start a new box.

I haven't spent enough time lately remembering what beautiful and special children God gave me. I work full time now. My stay-at-home mom days are over. They are grown men now. But, they were such adorable boys. I called them my sunshines, and sang to them every morning and read to them nearly every night. We had designated positions for cuddling on the sofa while we watched TV and we threw the baseball mitts on the top shelf of the front closet for those quick games of catch we'd play after school.

So, instead of filling a box of school supplies that get used up or dry out, I've started both of my boys boxes of something different: my memories of their childhood.

And, yes, I have a few pages of their handwritten homework - on loose leaf paper, of course.

Inspiration is everywhere...

I'm having to adjust my heart this summer and look for inspiration in new ways. There is so much going on in the world, in our country, and in our homes. The challenge is to take every concern, every fear, and every unknown to God. With my youngest joining the military and the oldest debating the same opportunities for his future, I'm looking to God more deeply and earnestly. I realize Moms around the world and for generations have given back their children to God in various ways. But, now, I'm giving doing the same.

So, take a minute to watch and listen to my gifts from God being placed back in His hands!

Devotional Song: Hope of the Nations by Brian Doerksen

The Channels of Life

I was reading a marketing site yesterday where the resident expert was sharing his research on the generational differences in managing media intake. He said that the number of channels (input of information) that our generation can manage simultaneously is 1.7. For example, on average, most of us can watch TV and read a magazine and be full aware of both channels of information. Not bad, huh?

He said, however, that the next generation is more capable of handling up to 5 channels of media simultaneously. So, our children can play a video game, text message, surf the net, IM or chat with someone online, and talk on the telephone and still retain the majority of information. It slowed me down to realize how much more our children and grandchildren will be exposed to just because of the capacity of technology.

I'm not sure I could ever manage that many channels of information at once. I think I need music on in the background while I work, just so I tune out other channels of information, so I can concentrate. I listen to about 20 hours of CDs I've bought over the years, all stored on my hard drive and set to play in random order. They range from Christian Artists on the WOW Collections to individual artists including: Mercy Me, Newsboys, Michael W. Smith, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, Mark Shultz - oh and just about Good Christian artists for the last 6 or 7 years.

Anyway, while I work, I listen. This morning, I found a website that has wonderful videos that also tell the messages with visuals. Here's one I found that just settled me.





So, while I get back into work today, I hope and pray that a little "GodTube" channels it's way into your life, and you can be blessed to take in a little more Him while the world is trying to overwhelm you with every other channel in this life.

A Funny Thing Happened While My Children Grew Up

I'm not sure how it happened, but while my children grew up I seem to have grown up, too. Somewhere between the "playing pattycake" with my infant son's hands, teaching him to drive donuts in a parking lot before he received his learner's permit, and going over his budget with him before he moved into his own apartment, I grew up.

I remember believing the lie that when I turned 20, I was almost too old to get married, and that I needed to get started in my life. I remember arrogantly telling my parents that I knew everything I needed to make informed decisions: when to get married, when to drop out of college because getting a degree wasn't going to affect my career, how to pick life-long friends, and what to do when problems arise.

Looking back, I can see the love my parents had for me in their eyes. They conversed rationally with me as I emotionally errupted on every point with them. I was determined and headstrong. I believed the lie that I knew what was best for me, and they were trying to hold me back from happiness.

In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren explains that "Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth." Over the past twenty-five plus years, I've experienced the pain of many of the lies I believed, but I've also experienced some unchanging truths that carried me through the brokenness and hardships. The lies were replaced with the truth: God's Truth. Sixty-six books worth of truth - the Bible. And the reality that I definitely didn't know enough then, and still don't know enough now on how to guide my life without God's Truth from the Bible has tamed my arrogance.

Maybe being a grown up means accepting that I am forever a child in the eyes of God, and that I've never had to make my own decisions without Him. He's always listened, even when I'm so emotional I'm more like a volcano than a child. He's always cared about the tiniest consequences for my arrogance, stubbornness, and self-misdirection. He's been calmly filling my heart with the Truths of His Love, His Character and even His Purpose for me while I've been filling my head with lies and misinformation. He's the only one who knows what's best for me.

I now look at my sons with great love and patience. Just like my parents did to me. Just like God does for me with every day. Maybe now, I am a grown-up.

Mimicking the Psalms

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,but the way of the wicked will perish. - Psalms 1:1-6 (NIV)

There are 150 Psalms to read and meditate in the Bible. Each one has a purpose in the context it was written and now in the context of my life. So, I've been trying to get the "pattern" of Psalms in my mind, heart and especially my prayer life. There are times, especially when my emotions are huge and my patience level is tiny, that I need to write my own Psalms to God in my prayers.

I've noticed that almost all of the Psalms in the Bible have these components:

• Recap - my human situation
• Reframe - from God's perspective
• Rejoice - about God's power and ultimate control

I think that the mistake I often make is that I leave out or rearrange the order of these components. For instance, if I just skip straight to the "rejoice" component, and leave out the "recap" element, I still feel distant from God. I need the time to be honest with God, tell Him what I am really thinking and feeling, and trust Him with my human situation. Yes, I know that God knows what's going on, but I need to use my words to describe and communicate with God. It is the "relational" time I have with God: telling Him what's going on and what I am feeling.

"Reframing" my situation from my perspective to God's perpective is equally important. The God of eternity knows what the outcome of my circumstances will be, and I need to take time trying to view my short-term problems with His long-term results. There are times when my heart hurts so deeply, I can't see my situations from God's view. Suffering, pain, loneliness, loss - these are just a few of my human perspectives that need Godly refocus. This is the hardest component for me. I have to remember God's character as He reveals it to me through the Word and through the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart. Is He trying to grow my character? Is He trying to build my dependence on Him? Is He teaching me that He's the only one with perfect love for me?

"Rejoicing" is the culmination of the Psalms and of my life. After I've taken time to relate to God, to share my heart honestly and vulnerably with Him by recapping, then use all the things I know about God - His Character, my purpose and His plan for me - I can truly rejoice in Him. True rejoicing happens when I take the time and effort to recap and reframe my life. Those previous components help me be more authentic before God in my rejoicing. The more real I am before rejoicing or worshiping God, I've learned then my rejoicing is more true to my heart. I want my life to be a Psalm for God.

Mementos in all kinds of shapes and sizes

"In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." Josh 4:6-7 (NIV)

I have a large collection of plastic cups in my kitchen. My collection started when my first son moved on from breast milk and bottles to holding his own cup as a toddler. It was always important to me that my children drank plenty of milk, so the only real choices I gave them were about the cup their milk would be poured into. "Do you want your milk in the red cup or the blue one?" (Note that I rarely asked them if they wanted anything else but milk to drink.) Each boy adapted to their favorite cups and life went on with plenty of spilled milk in the process.

Zoom ahead twenty some odd years in time. I still have a bountiful collection of plastic cups in my kitchen. Two whole shelves in the cabinet closest to the refrigerator are their storage and selection display. Some are mementos from restaurants, others are take-homes from trade shows, retreats and school fundraising events. I do have some cups that actually match each other - like they were part of a complete set - but mostly they were used during those "have-to-be-fair-and-give-the-same-amount-to-both" years of parenting. Some of them have barely recognizable logos and images on the sides, while others have indelible stains and scratches from non-milk related activities in the backyard.

The collection of cups is worth little to anyone else but a mom who remembers her grown children's once tiny hands wrapped around them and the simultaneous milk mustache that occurred. Each silly old plastic cup has a fond memory for me tied to it.

Does God have fond memories stored up of our close times with Him? Does He have mementos about those quiet times while reading His Word that we "spilled the milk" of our problems, insecurities, circumstances and brokenness before Him? Do we still have the "cups" stored in our heart cabinet of times of nourishment and refreshment with God?

I love knowing that God wants us to remember close times with Him in our spiritual lives. From Noah to Revelation, the Bible recounts stories of people building altars to worship God and remember what He's done in our lives. Stopping to praise God after every battle, after every journey, after every milestone is important - to us and to God.

Let the Training Begin...

My cell phone is constantly on now. I keep it close by and listen for its single tone beep that it does when I receive a call. I don't have it set to ring 4 or 5 times before it goes to voice mail since I really don't give it that much time away from me. I'm not very athletic, but I do seem to be able to sprint out doorways, down crowded hallways and outside to be alone with it anytime it rings.

My son is at boot camp for the Army National Guard. He left 7 days ago. I don't know when or if he'll call, but I'll be ready.

Last night, at precisely 7:38 p.m., my cell phone rang and his Caller ID was on the display. I rushed out of a meeting to take the call in the hallway. No apologies. No explanation. I was unashamedly rude to the people I was meeting.

"Hey" was his quick hello to me. My heart sang with the familiarity of his usual greeting to me. He was calling to let me know that he's at his next phase of boot camp: his training center. This is where he'll be for the next few months, learning to be a soldier and serve as a military police.

Let my training begin, too.

My faith needs to get stronger than my fears. My worry needs to be transformed into worship. While he'll be building muscles and stamina, I'll be building up my faith and dependence on God.

Silly Putty in His Hands

When I was a kid, I kept myself busy for hours with "Silly Putty" - the stretchy, rollable, flesh-colored glop of rubbery plastic sold in brightly colored egg-shaped containers. Okay, to be honest, I have no idea what "Silly Putty" is made from. It could be plastic, or it could be rubber, or it could be over-processed play-doh. Chemistry was never one of my talents. All I know was that I used "Silly Putty" for many things: modeling clay, snakes, bouncy balls, rings, bracelets, playing catch, masks, darts, and so much more. I think I spent most of the time on Sunday afternoons pressing the "Silly Putty" onto the comic section of the weekend newspaper, transferring the image onto the flattened ball, and then stretching it in every direction until the image wasn't recognizable anymore. Then, I'd start again.

I went to a memorial service last night. A letter written by the relatively young widow was read by one of my good friends. The letter started with the woman's appreciation for all our prayers, then she detailed many specific ways that God's provision was taking care of the family. The letter ended with a challenge to the audience to make our choices count.

Our choices are the modeling clay for our lives.

The illustration Paul uses to depict our status as "clay" is in Romans 9:21. It says, "Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"

Now, the question is "Am I Silly Putty in God's Hands?"

Do I let Him mold me, stretch me, and transfer His Image onto me over and over again? Do I let Him stretch me, pull me, kneed me, roll me up then flatten me out on a daily basis?

It is a daily choice - not just on Sunday afternoons with the comic section in front of me.

Getting Busy...

Mondays start with making a to-do list: Which clients jobs are hot, which ones are waiting for information or materials, which jobs do I need to put ahead of others, which jobs do I need to put away until next week. I try to get organized quickly. I want my time with God which is what I try to do after the list is made, while the first cup of coffee is finished, and before the phone starts ringing.

What's your routine for "Meeting with God" on a daily basis?

Is it "praise and pray" time for you right now?

Donning the Red, White and Blue

It's Sunday morning, and I've just been through my closet again. How could I have missed such important staples in my wardrobe colors as red, white and blue??? I don't like to wear blue jeans to church, but hey - they are blue! Red - whew! There's that red striped shirt from a few years ago during a Walmart sale. White? Okay, there's my white sweater. Quick check there isn't any ketchup stains on it - Yep! I can wear it!

What's with the patriotic wardrobe requirements?

It's my new tribute to my son, Adam, who is at Boot Camp right now. I drove him to report for duty and he won't be home until September.

Ugh! My heart aches already. It's too quiet. It's too neat. If I lose stuff now, it's because I moved it not him. If I can't sleep now, it's because the noise in my head is too loud compared to his nocturnal noise in his room.

It's time to go. I'm missing something. What is it?

Oh yeah - the full armor of God.

"Lord, dress me with your armor. Clothe me in your strength. Focus my eyes with your vision."

When the Bubbles Pop

[*This devotional was published May, 2007 in Proverbs 31 Online Devotionals. ]

Heb 10:35-36 - So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. (NIV)


Devotional:

It’s a childish thing to do, but I still love to blow bubbles. I keep a bottle or two of that sticky, soapy, messy stuff with the plastic wand in the kitchen pantry near the back door. I even have a bottle in my minivan for those unplanned stops at the park.

Just like the bubbles drift away as I blow them, my mind drifts away watching them. I study them closely. Each one is a different size but they each reflect the colors of the rainbow. Some pop quickly while others linger and dance in the breeze. Some bubbles leave the wand with several bubble friends, while others start alone and end alone. Depending on how slow or forceful I breathe, I can try to create more or less bubbles at a time. However, I am constantly aware that even though my breath is important to starting a bubble, I have no idea where it will end up or how long it will last. I can only watch and see what happens.

Recently, I received devastating news. The shock and stages of grief are still wafting over me. Instinctively, I pulled out my bottle of bubbles and headed to the park. I was eager for my mind to drift away from my circumstances. The first bubbles were the hardest to blow that day. I barely had breath to exhale through my tears. “Keep trying. Keep blowing,” my mind coached me that day. Or, was it God’s voice coaching me?

The principles of blowing bubbles seem to apply to so many circumstances in life. “Keep trying. Keep blowing.” These words are another way to express the principles of 1 Timothy 4:15-16: “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (NIV)

I am still trying to see the colors of the rainbow in my situation. God keeps His promises (Gen 9:16) because He loves us with an everlasting love. I realize that no matter how long things last, I get to appreciate them. I get to notice the uniqueness of each person I meet, each friend I have, and each child I raised. I have no idea where any of them will end up, but I am grateful to be part of their “dance in the breeze.”

And, when the bubbles of life pop, I get to take another breath and start again.


Prayer:

Lord, you breathed life into me first and now I pray every breath I have gives you glory and honor. You are the Creator, and all things start and end with You. Give me your eyes to appreciate those around me, your strength to keep going through my circumstances, and your breath of hope to share with others. Amen.

Application Steps:

What circumstances in your life does God want you to keep your eyes on what He is doing around you?

Talk to God about the areas in your life where you are struggling to have hope and confidence in Him to work things out as He sees fit?

Simplify your life so you can have time to meet with God through studying the Bible and prayer.


Power Verses:

Ps 31:24 - Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. (NIV)

Ps 71:14-15 - But as for me, I will always have hope ; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. (NIV)

2 Cor 5:17-18 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (NIV)




Copyright © 2007 - Joanne Sampl. All rights reserved.