Do not quench the Spirit. I Thess. 5:19Because I believe in Jesus, I know His Spirit lives in me. Over the years of my faith walk, I have grown as a result of: digging into God's word, trusting it to be true, and then following through with obedience. Sometimes this is as easy as 1-2-3, and sometimes it just plain isn't. My flesh is still very much alive and, quite frankly, it can work in complete contradiction to the Spirit.To explain, I will share an experience from the other day. Only to make a contrasting point, I will share two Spirit-led "good deeds"from that day. One, I met with a dear lady for brunch; she just needed a listening ear, some biblical encouragement, and a friend who cared. So, I willingly sat with her. This encounter was certainly Spirit led. And then a little later, I went to get my suburban's emission's test done. For years now, I have intentionally paid the required fee for the the car behind me without them knowing it. (There was a time in my life that I was not able to do this financially, but now that I can, I do.) Again, Spirit led.Now, for the flesh. In between these two acts of kindness, I had a trip to the post office on my to-do-list. For some reason, I have a strong aversion concerning the post office. When I go, there's ALWAYS a long line. And then, there's that AKWARD silence inside. And sometimes, postal people aren't very nice when you finally reach them. Anyway, I was sitting in my suburban about to get out, when I saw a young mom who had a baby in a stroller, a toddler, as well as her package; because her hands were full, she was trying to open the post office door with her leg. While observing this scene, I spoke out loud to myself, "Oh great, you mean I'm gonna have to stand next to THAT?!" Whoa! And wow! Really? Yep, that's Chris without Christ. Flesh at its finest. The crazy thing is that I used to be THAT--I had four kids in under six years and I home schooled; so for about a decade, I was like a walking amoeba, with all kinds of arms, legs, heads, and noises coming from my moving conglomeration. Why in the world would I so begrudgingly target this innocent mom trying to enter the post office? Flesh. The saving thing is, the Spirit keeps me in check. When I heard my own words, I was quiet surprised at my rottenness; I confessed to Lord, and then got out with great intention to go help that dear momma. (Turns out, I forgot to bring the address to my own package, so I never even made it inside. Ugh, the post office!!!)So that's just one day in my Spirit vs. flesh existence. I could share more of my fits of Christ-less-ness, but I might lose some readers. Instead, I will finish this post how I started: the more I'm in the word, trusting its validity, and obeying it submissively, the more I grow in my faith. I will never be an angel on earth, but my hopeful prayer is that the Spirit will win out more and more and more, not only for my own sake but for others around me, INCLUDING YOUNG BEUATIFUL AWESOME MOTHERS WHO HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL, even at the post office.But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Gal. 5:16-17, 22-25

I was having a converstaion with a young friend of mine who has been struggling emotionally, physically, and spiritually the last couple of years. He's an awesome kid, but he has just kinda gotten stuck with some "smelly stuff" that he, on his own, hasn't been able to shake from his heart and mind.

I shared a recent analogy with him that the Lord so sweetly shared with me:

We have a driveway that runs through the middle of our two fenced fields. One of the fields has cows grazing on it, the other does not. Interestingly, the field that the cows are calling home, now has a blanket of beautiful gold flowers on it, while the other field has only tall grass (eventual hay).

Now if I were a cowgirl, I could tell you in detail about this golden process: the kind of cows that are grazing, the kind of flowers that are blooming, etc; however, I'm a half-country, half-city girl, so I resorted to google. After much research, I found DairyCarrie: "Manure is smelly and kind of gross but it is also fertilizer that's full of nutrients that our soil needs. Gardeners like to fertilize their flowers and vegetables to make their plants grow larger and stronger and farmers do the same thing except our garden is a few hundred acres and we don't have to run to the garden center for bags of fertilizer. We have our own fertilizer producing machines, lounging around…" (dairycarrie.com 5/7/13). Ahh, so there you have it, the cows' manure helps produce radiant fields of gold.

Using this image, I urged my young struggling friend to allow God to work His wonders in the midst of his mess. If He can spin manure into "gold"for the cows, just think of what He can do with the stinky stuff in the lives of the children He loves so dearly. The question I had for him, and for myself, and now for you, is, "Will you let Him do His wonderful work?" Just know this, God is ready, willing, and able; and He will do it in His time and His way. The difference between the process of nature and dealing with humans is that God allows nature to take its course; but with us, He waits on our hearts to soften towards Him before He begins His work. The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. (Is 30:18)He will never force His way on you, because that's not true love. He is however, always pursuing, and patiently waiting to bring beauty from ashes. (Is 61:3)

So the choice is there for each of us: let Him "fertilize our soul" with His truth and love, and then reap His radiant glory, or well, just continue on alone in our mess, which only exudes the stench of anger and bitterness. I urge you, let the Gardner in...

And instead of the thronbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. Is. 55:13
And instead of manure, the gold flowers will bloom… Yes, as a friend of mine reminded me this morning, God let's nothing go to waste.

Our neighbor's field…He had more cow manure, thus more gold.

A prayer written on behalf of a dear friend of mine, whose walk with the Lord is remarkable:

He leads me beside quiet waters. Ps 23:2

O God, You are the God of the Low Whisper. Save me, O God, for the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. I need You, O God, to come to my rescue. Right now, my days are chaotic and out of control. My strength is nearly gone. My courage is next to nothing. I have no idea how to handle the days ahead. O Lord, keep me attentive to Your voice in the midst of this storm. Help me to hear and embrace the sound of Your low whisper. Let me rise above the clamor and hear You say to my heart, “Come to Me. Listen, that you may live.” Yes God, Your whisper is full of hope. You say with compassion, “Do not be afraid”… “I will give you rest”… “I know the plans I have for you”… “I am the good shepherd”…”Come, follow Me”. O dear Lord, Your tender voice calms me; Your quiet words soothe me. Keep me attentive, for Your low whisper is my delight. Yes, You calm the storm within me while it continues to rage about. Thank You, Gentle One, for firmly steadying my soul.

Ps 69: 1-3; Is. 55:3; Matt. 14:27; Matt. 11:28; Jer. 29:11; John 10:14; Matt. 4:19

(364 more prayers like this one can be found in my book, The Heartbeat of God)

A snapshot from several years ago, but the good news is still the same...

The beautiful conclusion of the Easter story is summed up with this familiar verse: He is not here, but He has risen (Luke 24:6). What an awesome and fundamental truth of the Christian faith:

He is not here. Jesus is no longer in the grave--His mercy, His wisdom, His righteousness was not bound in a tomb. Death, darkness, and the devil could not keep Him strapped down. The only thing He left behind was our sin.

He has risen. Jesus is living and active. Jesus is all powerful. Jesus is the Loving God. Jesus is the Pursuing God.

And what does this resurrected Jesus desire most? He longs for each of us to also experience a resurrected life. When we trust Him as the One true God, who came and died and rose again, we too can walk in newness of life with His Spirit working in and through us. Our sins have been nailed to the cross and left behind. Now, He asks us to rise up:

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Ephesians 4:14

My friend, are you a believer in Christ but still in the tomb... of fear, of doubt, of dismay? Or are you someone who has never trusted Jesus fully, but you just keep feeling a tug in your heart? Wake up to His wonder this day. Let Him pull you out of your tomb into His glorious light. He is longing for you to come and follow Him. Hear and receive His words:

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 60:12

Yes, arise my sisters and brothers, let each of us live in the all powerful presence of our resurrected Lord and Savior. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8).

As some of you know, I am in the midst of writing a devotional prayer book in which all prayers begin with "God, You are…". Today, here is a prayer for those of you who are in a waiting period: 

Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord. Ps 27:14

O God, You are the God of those who Wait.  Abraham waited for 25 years to receive his promised son… Joseph waited in Potiphar’s house and then in prison for a total of 11 years before he became the promised leader… Moses waited 40 years in the dessert before he went back to rescue his people from slavery…David waited at least 15 years before he was finally reigning as the king of Israel… And God, You waited patiently for the exact and appropriate hour to send the Savior of the world...Dear Lord, I confess, I hate to wait; I feel so useless and misplaced at times. Help me to learn from your servants of old. Give me a steadfast heart even in the midst of silence or suffering. Remind me that You are at work even in what seems like the darkest, loneliest hour. You promise that tribulations bring about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character hope, and hope does not disappoint. Yes God, I do know, You are in the midst of my waiting. And I do know that during this time You are refining me for the purpose of Your kingdom. You see my potential, and in the quiet, You are building new and beautiful things into me. So therefore I will say again to myself,“My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.” And while I am waiting, I will praise You. And while I am waiting, I will trust You. And while I am waiting, I will serve You. And while I am waiting, I will pray to You. And while I am waiting, I will love well. And while I am waiting, I will declare Your name to the world.

see Gen. 18:10-14; Gen. 41:39-41; see Ex. 3: 7-10; see II Sam. 5:1-4; John 17:1-3; Rom. 5:4-6; Ps 62:5-6

How fitting for the doorknocker to reverberate and my dog to go wild with barking as I sit down to write this post. Over the past two weeks, we have had continual workmen coming in and out of the house due to water damage from the recent ice storm here in middle Tennessee. The first day, a strip of the hardwood floor was pulled up in our den; the second day, more was removed; the third day the kitchen bar and counter top was disassembled; the next and the next day, the kitchen hardwood and the baseboards disappeared. Today it's part of a wall.Early on in this venture, I kindly asked a workman where my bread/toaster drawer might be located so that I could make my daughter a quick sandwich. He said, "Oh, I took that drawer down to your basement. It's sitting on the floor behind the couch." At this moment, I decided that I had one of two options in handling this whole ordeal: either laugh or cry. I looked at the workman and smiled; down the stairs I went... hahahahahaha.Meanwhile, as the workman are ripping apart the kitchen and den, I am trying to write a devotional book. Hahahahahaha. And I'm a stickler for uninterrupted silence when I write. Hahahahaha.This morning, as I was getting ready for the unfolding of the day, the words persevere with pleasure kept rolling through my mind. I am already learning to live this phrase out through the daily "sweet and happy chaos" that involves the diverse people who currently reside here: Mac and me, our grad-student daughter, our high school daughter, our French exchange student, a PA graduate student, and a an amazing budding artist. (We also have an inside-dog that always wants out, and an outside-cat that always wants in.) This variety is all good, and I love it. However, it's these additional bodies showing up ALL THE TIME with hammers and drills and electric saws who are testing my tolerance level. Right now, I never really know who I'm going to meet in my hallway. Hahahahaha.So, can I persevere with pleasure, as I feel the Lord is asking me to do? Yes, but only with Him. Only He can give me a joyful attitude. And only He can change my perspective. Through all of this, He is refining me. Crazily, I am actually learning how to "pretend I am alone", drowning out all noice and choas as I write this assigned 365 day devotional book--241 devotional prayers down, 124 to go. Persevere with pleasure. Yes, Lord, I will.Reader, I am very aware that my current ordeal may be nothing compared to what you may be facing in your world right now. The things happening in my den may accurately represent the turmoil inside your own heart. Life is hard, and deep suffering is not laughable. Your situtation may be worthy of many long blubbering cries. Please weep, but weep with the Lord. He cares for you. Ask Him to come into your midst. Allow Him to fill You with His peace, and yes, even His joy, as you slowly rise up and press on. Know that He is with you right now and that He will see you through to the end. Only He can change your life's perspective, bringing beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3). Hear His words:Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Phil. 2:13Persevere with pleasure, my friend. Jesus is faithful to walk with you every step.Now I have to go….the roofers are here (what?????)….the dog just got out, and the cat just got in….hahahaha.