During this Thanksgiving season, a healthy habit among many of us is to count our many blessings. I am certainly thankful for family, friends, and health, as well as the divine "yes's", "no's", and "wait's" that have been sprinkled throughout my life. These are all God's way of showing me His kindness. But, I have to say, God's kindness to me starts initially with just... God and me. My heart defines His kindness as the intangible presence of His all consuming love that is better than life itself. He gives this kindness to each of us; so let us praise Him togehter:

God, You are Kind.   My heart asks, “Why have You chosen to be kind to ungrateful and evil men?”…There is no one who does good, not even one... For we… (are) foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when Your kindness, O God our Savior, and Your love for mankind appeared, You saved us.  Thank you Lord, for this undeserving gift of mercy; thank You for Your lovingkindness that cost You your Son; thank You for this sacrificial act of grace displayed upon the cross. Again, I thank You with my whole heart! For it was in my desperate state that You allured me…and You spoke kindly to me, and You captured me with Your matchless love. I am forever changed. Please Lord, I now ask You to make me a vessel of Your kindness; I want to reach others who are also in need of a Savior. Daily fill my heart so that I too can exhibit the fruit of Your Spirit, kindness. Yes, make my hands and feet, become Your hands and feet, and cause me to run to the weary, the broken, the lonely, and the lost. When I touch others, may they understand it's really You; yes, I ask that Your kindness would reach out through me and save them too. Again and again, thank You Father, thank You Son, thank You Holy Spirit for Your invading and invloving work, all because of Your lovingkindness towards Your people. I can't help but say it one more time...thank You.

Luke 6:35; Psalm 14:3; Titus 3:3-5; Hosea 2:14; Galatians 5:22

Have you ever been in a conflict with someone in which there seems to be no resolution whatsoever? (I think I know everybody's answer. Conflict is inevitable while on this earth!) So what does one do in the midst of a mess that just keeps getting messier? Sometimes, if possible, the best resolution is just to agree-to-disagree, shake hands peaceably, and walk away from the matter altogether.
But there are other times when in conflict, we tend to get so caught up in the matter, that we can't see straight; we begin to look at things sideways. The argument becomes more about my-side-against-their-side, than the issue itself. And then somewhere in there, God's voice of wisdom gets pushed out altogher. This is when we need to stop, take a meditative breath, and remember that God will always have a different perspective than we humans do. The Wise Counselor sees from above, not just one side; He looks down and sees both angles; He knows the thoughts and intentions of both hearts. He holds the answer; He is Peace.
The contrast between humans trying to resolve matters with or without God's perspective is clearly mentioned in His word:

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peacable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. (James 3:16-17)

So, the questions to ask in the midst of a relational conflict are these:

Does jealousy or selfish ambition contribute to my unsettled heart?
Are my motives pure?
Do I want peace at the end of this conflict?
Am I being gentle, reasonable, full of mercy?
Does the way I am behaving bear good fruits, and line up with my unwavering biblical convictions, or am I being a hypocrite?

These are hard questions, but when they're answered honestly between two parties in conflict, then resolution is more likely to happen. I am so thankful I have a Wise Counselor that can help me see more than sideways. I pray that I will always remember to invite Him into my conflicts. I want His perspective; I want His peace.

It's Monday morning, the beginning of another day, another week. Truth be known, my first thought when I woke up this morning was "ugh." After a fun family weekend out of town visiting our son Bink at UT, I am faced with the dailyness of life once again: laundry, groceries, bills, schedules for all under this roof, writing/teaching deadlines, coaching, lalalalala. I am certain each of you can identify; your list may be triple mine! Like I said...ugh.It's times like this that I must remember to seek the daily grace of God amidst the daily grind. Over the years, I have learned to recognize places where "God shows up" throughout my dutiful day, simply to bless me with His gifts of love. To mention only a few:In the early morning, when it's still dark outside and there is no noise inside, I get my warm cup of coffee and the rich word of God, and I sit, quietly, securely, hopefully, expectantly. In this place, I am always satisfied with His invading love. Daily grace number one.When I'm driving, whether it's errands or carpool or to a meeting, and my mind begins to weaken with the worries of the world, I intentionally press the button on my radio. I then hear a song with lyrics full of truth; the words remind me that God is in control, and that He loves the people that I love (and "O How He loves us!"). I am at peace once again. Daily grace number two.In the evening, after wondering about and then working on the (sorta) yummy menu on the dinner table, I look around at the blessings...food, family, friends from afar, fellowship. My husband, my two kids still at home, a French exchange student, and I share conversation and laughter. Joy fills my heart. Daily grace number three.If I were to count all the daily graces between these three mentioned above, they would surely outnumber the list of my daily grinds! So, I have a decision to make, which list contols my mindset, my spirit? In order to be any kind of influence for Christ to those around me, I must choose to focus on the heavenly while doing the earthly. In so doing, I can rest in His promise each and every day, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (II Cor. 12:9).It's later Monday morning now as I finish up this post, which is actually what started my "ugh" mentatlity. (Sometimes I suffer from writer's block...UGH!!). But I am now thankful to say, I have once again experienced God's daily grace amidst my daily grind. Thank you Jesus, for always showing up.

Here in the Bible-belted south, we grow up knowing a lot about Christianity. Phrases like "I'll pray for you" or "God loves you" or "Jesus died for my sins" are just part of our cultural lingo down here. We just know these things from youth...the same way we grow up knowing that the sky is blue and the grass is green.

But, is knowing enough?

Take the 23rd Psalm, for example.I'm sure many of us can recite this familiar chapter by heart. It begins...The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want....

But, the harder question is, do you and Ibelieve the first verse of the 23rd Psalm, and the ones that follow?  

Is the Lord my Shepherd? In other words, is Hethe one I am following? Or am I listening to another voice (possibly my own)? And,am I so satisfied with what He gives me that I want nothing else that the world has to offer?

God is not impressed with our knowledge of Him if it is not accompanied by our faith in Him.

The bible says,Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrew11:6

So instead of merely knowing God is with me, I believe God is with me, right here, right now....speaking, guiding, teaching me to do His will. Yes, the Lord is my Shepherd.

And instead of simply knowing of God's many titles: refuge, rock, salvation, shield, provider, comforter... I willbelieve every deep meaning of every high name that is given to Him in the vast pages of His book. And then, I will stand and live and breathe all of who He is into my soul. As a result, I shall not want.

Know what you believe, my friends; know who God is, and what His word says. But don't stop there. True (and eternal) life begins when you believe what you know.

I had a life-conversation with my teenage daughter Emmy not too long ago concerning "daily choices". We concluded together that a person could choose one of two routes: one can make hard decisions that brings about easy results, OR, one can make easy decisions that bring about hard results. Let me expalin with three practical examples.

It's hard for my daughter, and any teenager, to choose to go against the fast flowing stream of culture. It's hard not to gossip; it's hard not to dress a certain way; it's hard not to plow forward with self as the center. But if these hard choices are made, then the easy comes: relational conflict is absent; she knows she is liked because of who she is, not what she wears; and her heart is peaceful in giving love away, rather than insecure in trying to gain it.

Likewise, and very practically, our black lab named Sarge has bad ears that need constant medicinal care. Well, it's easy to forget or ignore this inconvient responsiblity. However, with this easy neglet, the hard results follow: red, painful, itchy ears. But if we choose the hard thing, and take the time to apply the medicine, Sarge enjoys the ease of relieved and healthy ears.

And finally, as a wife, it's sometimes really hardto follow biblical principles. It's hard to respect; it's hard to have a gentle and quiet spirit; it's hard to be a helpmate. BUT, I have experienced for 22 years "the easy" when I make the determined choice to do these things that God has put in His word. When I respect, it gives my husband a chance to lead; when I choose to be gentle and quiet, a relational peace permiates our home; and when I help my husband, I experience a beautiful God-designed purpose.

Choosing God's way is truly choosing the hard way, because we humans are so selfish...we want what we want when we want it! The good news is that we have a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who is always waiting to work in and through us...for our good. If we choose to fight the sin of self promotion by digging into His word, trusting it fully, and then obeying it completely, then God does promise an easier path for us, even in the midst of predetermined trials.

Here Jesus say these words directly to you:

Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened (hard), and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, and I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.  Matthew 11:28-30

I will continue to encourage my daughter to make the hard choice of resisting temptations in each present moment, so she can then experience the sweet and peaceful presence of her Lord Jesus...His way, in the long run (hard), is easier.

I am in the process of slowly putting together another devotional prayer booklet in which all the prayers begin with the statement "God, You are....". This one is "God, You are Praiseworthy." It is a reminder to me, and I hope to you as well, that when we praise Him, we remember who He is... a God who is much bigger than all our problems, and a God who is mighty to save! Rejoice with me:

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.   Psalm 100:4

God, You are Praiseworthy.  I will give thanks to You according to Your righteousness, and will sing praise to Your name, O Lord Most High. Yes, I will give thanks to You with all my heart. I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You.  You are King over all creation, You are Commander of the wind, and.... You care for me—incredible! You are Ruler of all the nations, You are righteous in all Your deeds, and... You redeemed my life from despair—beautiful! Yes, hear me praise Your name, O God of my salvation.  I will praise You for hearing my cry; I will praise you for pulling me out of the miry clay. I will praise You for setting my feet upon a rock. I will praise you for making my footsteps firm. And I will praise You for putting a new song in my mouth!  In Your courts, I will sing my joyful song to You, O God my Savior. Indeed, I will join the holy chorus: Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above. Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise Him sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars. Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord.  Yes, I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. So today, all day, I will choose to praise Your name.

Psalm 7:17; Psalm 9:1-2; I Peter 5:7; Psalm 40:1-3; Psalm 148: 1-5; Psalm 104:33