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

Below is another addition to my "latest devotional prayers" that can be found on the sidebar of my website at www.respitefortheweary.com. For those of you who feel as if you are in the midst of a spiritual battle right now, this is for you to claim over your heart today:

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me…   Psalm 35:1

God, You are my Contender.  Draw out Your whole arsenal, Mighty One. It’s time for You to act. Yes, gird Your sword on Your thigh, in Your splendor and Your majesty…and fight for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness…You, King of Glory, are strong and mighty, You are the Lord mighty in battle.  I cry to You for help because my enemy steals, my enemy kills, and my enemy destroys; and he plagues my heart and mind with confusion, falsehood, and doubt. Please, O my King, send Your sharp arrows into the heart of this enemy; crush this discourager; pierce through this liar. Let him and his tactics not have their way with me, O God—not one thought, not one emotion, not one heartbeat. Yes, fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of Your buckler and Your shield and rise up for my help. Draw also Your spear and Your battle axe to meet those who pursue me. Thank You, God of Might.  You are the defense of my life, whom shall I be afraid? …Of this I am confident: You will fight for me while I keep silent… I will put my trust in You…And I will rejoice in You as You tread my enemy under Your foot. Indeed, how I love the One Who contends for me.

Psalm 119:126; Psalm 45:3-4; Psalm 24: 8; John 10:10; Psalm 45:5; Psalm 35:1-3; Psalm 27:1; Exodus 14:14; Psalm 56:3; Romans 16:20 

Recently, I read two passages of Scripture that had the same idea in it, yet their meaning was completely opposite.

The first phrase is found in I Samuel 16:49 which speaks of David killing the giant Goliath:
And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

The second phrase that caught my attention was when I flipped to the passage found in Ezekiel 1:26-28 which gives details of the prophet's personal encounter with the glory of God:
...there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance...and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain...such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

How interesting...same posture of both the giant and the prophet, yet one face planted due to pride and the other due to humbled awe.

I guess the hard question I have to ask myself is this: which one of these men am I like in every day life? Do I call my own shots, make my own judgments, and plow forward with my own head-strong plans like Goliath intended to do? Or do I sit long enough with the Lord to meditate on His majesty, that is marvelously transposed with His mercy, to where the only thing I can do is, like Ezekiel, fall on my face in response to His glory and grace?

As we know, things did not end well with the prideful giant. Enough said. But with the humble prophet, bowing low was just the beginning:

And he said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you." And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet..." (Ezekiel 2:1)

May you and I be more like Ezekiel today. Let's bow before our Creator and wait to hear His voice. And then, when we do hear him, let's be ready to stand on our feet and do exactly what He says, filled with His power, doing all for His glory.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:10

A Journal Entry/ July 14, 2012:

Today, in about 5 hours, my daughter Emmy and I leave for Africa on a mission trip with Ordinary Hero. We will be joining my son Bink and his college roommate Christian who have already been serving over there for the last 10 days...looking forward to seeing them both! They've asked me to bring pepto bismal tablets, gas-x, mac-n-cheese, and orange peanut butter crackers. Hmm...quite a combo.

I can't help but wonder what God has in store for my heart/mind/body next week as I enter into a world that is drastically different than my easy American lifestyle. Even now, I'm sitting on my comfortable porch, in my comfortable chair, sipping my warm sweet coffee. How I love routine, the familiar, the unexpected. But, out of obedience, I get up... and go...

I'm both excited and apprehensive at the same time. What am I going to see, and how am I going to respond? Will my heart be able to take it? Probably not. But really, I think that's okay. One of my favorite lines to a familiar Christian song is this: Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours. 

So I guess that's my prayer for this trip...that the Lord would break my heart as I visit the oprhans and street children in the villages of Ethiopia...that I would be long-term-changed from this short term experience. And that in the brokeness of my un-comfortable heart, God would deeply plant His seed of divine love; so that it is the love of Christ, not mine, that is pouring through my words, my smile, my eyes, my hands, and my feet. Our team is one of many that will stay in Africa only 8 short days; but I am thankful to know and believe that through God's presence and God's people, His steadfast love edures forever. (Jeremiah 33:11) 


Yes Lord Jesus, break my heart, and fill it to overflowing with Your matchless love.

In the early summer mornings, I love to watch the effects of the sun's rising from my screened-in porch. Ever so slowly, the thick wooded tree-line in the back of our house is touched by the sun that is climbing over the hill in the front of our house. So as the sun rises in the east, the trees become "full of light" from their top branches to their bottom trunks in the west. This majestic display of God's splendor will always be new every morning to me.

One night however, my Italian "daughter" Jewels and my youngest daughter Emmy urged me to wake them up early so they could see the actual sunrise from the front porch. (This would be Jewels' last morning with us before returning to Italy, so we were all quite nostalgic and sad about her departure from her 9-month-stay in our home). So together, we woke, we waited, and we watched...

All I can say is that the rising spectacle was gloroius. The sun came over the hill first as a small ball of penetrating fire, but then it began to blaze in its radiance as it rose in steadfast power. The beams of light warmly pierced the three of us as we each sat there in awe. Holy, holy, holy.

The rising sun and its effects on the treeline speak wisdom to our hearts. Hear these words from Scripture about Jesus Christ:

...His face was like the sun shining in its strength.  Revelation 1:16


And listen to these words about His penetrating light on each of us:

...Awake sleeper, arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.  Ephesians 5:14


My dear friend, I urge you to allow the glory of the Lord that is new every morning to shine on your heart today. And then as a result of His power, take courage that you become full of His light. Yes, you are the beautiful "effect" of the Son's rising.Rejoice in this truth as you claim it as your own:

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory. Isaiah 6:3