I just returned from our family trip to Florida. There is nothing quite like ocean waves and the white sand. The week was a restful "re-grouping" for the six of us, plus one cherished family friend. I would have to say my favorite activity was taking one-on-one beach-side walks with Mac and then each of my children. At the kids' ages now (20, 18, 15, and 14), it's all about quality time... I cherished each step.

As I felt the sand beneath my feet, one verse kept coming to my mind:

How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them they are more than the sand. Psalm 139:17-18

Another translation, the Message, puts it this way:

Your thoughts--how rare and beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them--any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Psalm 139:17-18

Just think, if I had reached down and picked up one grain of sand, the psalmist is saying this would represent one rare and beautiful thought of God. And then if I counted the next grain of sand, it would be likened to another wonder-filled truth about God. And the next grain of sand, one more powerful trait concerning God. And the next grain, one more profound assessment of His character. And the next grain...

My friend, our God is an amazing, complex, exquisite, righteous, compassionate, generous, lovely, holy, listening, helping, saving God. And He is... so much more! The more we know of Him, the "bigger" He becomes to our hearts, and we just keep praising and trusting and learning and leaning into Him.

I am home now; how quickly life gets back into full swing (or should I say spin). The sweet walks, and the grains of sand on the beach were left behind as a cherished memory; but His rare and beautiful thoughts I will keep counting for years and years to come.

My son Bink has a 4 year old labrador retriever named Sarge. This big lovable black dog would fetch a ball from morning 'til night if someone had enough energy to keep throwing it. He lives to do what he was created to do... retrieve.

My daughter Emmy has a 7 month old cairn terrier named Juliet. This little energetic white puppy loves to pull, tug, chase and chew. But because her best friend is Sarge, she too has learned to retrieve, something very uncharacteristic of a terrier. So when any one of us throws a ball, Sarge races after it, Juliet pursues Sarge, and then both return in full speed to the thrower... back and forth, back and forth they go.

Recently, however, Juliet has added a new dimension to the game. While Sarge is running with the ball in his mouth, Juliet begins to nip at his heels. This distraction, of course, frustrates Sarge to no end, which results in him often dropping the ball before he gets to his final destination. Nip, nip, nip, drop, drop, drop. In the midst of this "game", we now have to encourage Sarge to keep his eye on the goal (instead of the little nuisance beside him).

I think sometimes "my call" can resemble this picture of Sarge and Juliet. Can you relate? Is there something you know that God has asked you to do... that He has created you to do? And in the beginning of this project or mission, joy and energy and excitement are overflowing; but then, little distractions pop up in your path, and other frustrations "nip at your heels" while you pursue the work God asked you to do. Let me encourage you to keep your eye on the goal set before you. If God has asked you to do something, He will be faithful until the task is complete. Please listen to only three of many verses that I hope will help you "pick that ball back up", and reach your final destination:

Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. (Pr. 4:25)

But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. (I Peter 2:20-21)

...Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God...is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. (I Chronicles 28:20)

So my friend, keep your eye on the goal; trust Christ with each and every step, and through each and every obstacle that may come your way. He promises to complete the good work that He began in you.

(Meanwhile, I have to go apologize to Emmy for the not-so-good-work of calling her puppy a "little nuisance"...)

As many of you know, my sister Peggy and I have a ministry together called "Walking with Hope." Many of you receive our weekly devotionals that give direction through God's Word and His ways. Also, we have gathered friends like you in my home on several occasions with the purpose of sharing a message of hope that will encourage you in your walk with the Lord. Peggy and I would LOVE each of you ladies to join us for our next gathering. So:

Please Come to "Walking with Hope"

Wednesday, July 6th

7:00 -8:30 pm

1765 Warren Hollow Road

Nolensville, TN 37135

You are welcome to bring a friend who may be in need of encouragement.

Please respond to this email or post if you are able to attend.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.

Psalm 62:5

Thank you friends. I look forward to seeing you if you can come, and will greatly miss you if you cannot. You each have been such a sweet encouragement to me in this journey of writing and speaking the Good News of Jesus Christ. We're in this walk together... and I'm so glad!

It has been a while since I have posted a devotional prayer that begins with the declarative statement "God, You are..." . Here is one entitled "Lovely". If your heart connects to our God through this prayer, more like this one can be found in both The Heartbeat of God and The Heritage of God on my website. Pray with me...

God, You are Lovely. One thing I have asked from the Lord, that shall I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and meditate in His temple. Indeed, how lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs and even yearns for the courts of the Lord. And as I come into Your holy presence, O God, the eyes of my heart are enthralled by Your matchless mercy. For in this place of worship, lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. To think, You have allowed my soul to be sweetly intertwined between this embrace; yes, I have been wrapped with Your love, truth, righteousness, and peace. So I will stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of my God! And I will praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; I will sing praises to His name, for it is lovely. For You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup…the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. Thank You, O God. I will drink from Your cup with gratitude, and I will enjoy my inheritance forever. Indeed, how lovely You are to me.

Psalm 27:4; Psalm 84:1-2; Psalm 85:10; Psalm 135:2-3; Psalm 16:5-6; Song of Solomon 1:15

In my recent quiet times, my mind has settled on the very familiar passage found in Philippians 2. As I quote it below, pay attention to the "ups and the downs" of our Master-Teacher, as well as His followers:

(UP) Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God,

(DOWN) did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant... He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross.

(UP) Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.

(DOWN) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,

(and UP) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father... for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phil. 2:6-13)

I think we as humans would always choose to be on the up-and-up of life, experiencing one high after the other concerning power, prestige, and pressure-free living. We sure don't like the "DOWN stuff", do we? Who wants to be put on the side-lines, or who wants to take the backseat, or who wants keep silent when there is an opportunity to boast? But if our Teacher was willing to empty Himself and humble Himself, shouldn't we as well? Let us remember just how UP there He was: Heaven is His throne, and the earth is His footstool (Is 66:1).

I thank my Jesus for coming DOWN. How I pray that I will learn from Him. He humbled Himself. How? By becoming obedient. Then... so must I. I must choose to obey God's word even when I really really really would rather "do it my way" or "have it my way". Friend, if you are struggling right now with feeling forgotten, or overlooked, or cheated, here is a promise for you:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time (I Peter 5:6).

In humble obedience, you and I learn more about our Savior, and we become more like Him. So that at this "proper time" that God chooses to lift us UP, we will both joyfully and selflessly proclaim, not our names, but One who is above all... JESUS.

My sister Peggy lives in Texas. I cherish the few times a year that we see each other. One of our favorite activities is taking long walks together. We have happily chosen to walk side by side from the time we were teenagers until now in our forties. Many many miles have passed between the two of us!

At Christmas last year, Peggy casually mentioned that two of her friends had made an adventurous goal of walking a marathon in every state. This immediately sparked something in me, and I said to my sister, "Where do we start?". She 100% agreed and we began planning. (If we do one a year in every state, I will finish my last marathon when I am 94. Now that's a "feat"...no pun intended.)

I must admit, I had a few valid concerns about marathon-walking with my sister. First of all, Peggy's last name is Lively, and the name fits her disposition to a tee. Her energy level far surpasses mine. Also, Peggy and I are built very differently; she was blessed with long legs, mine, well, not so long at all. I (fretfully) kept these differences in mind while I trained for the Country Music Marathon (April 3oth)...

And so, we begin...walking and occasionally jogging...mile 1, mile 2, mile 3...uh oh...wow, she's speedy....mile 4, mile 5, mile 6....what in the world have I gotten myself into?!!....mile 7, 8, 9...and why did we not choose basket-weaving or pottery-painting once a year?! It was obvious to me that I needed to make some adjustments if I wanted to stay at this pace. I always knew I could not walk fast; but I also know I possess the "gift" of running real slow. So while Peggy lengthened her lovely stride, I shortened mine and shuffled along right by her side. We were quite a sight. (While her last name is Lively, my last name Baxter means tenacious; and this is what I needed to be in to finish this race!). I am delighted to say, many many many miles later, we crossed the finish line, holding hands.

What did God teach me through this exhausting yet exhilarating experience? I now understand in a deeper level that we as Christians are all in the same "race"... life. And while racing, our eyes should be looking straight ahead at our one common goal Jesus Christ:

...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith... (Hebrews 12:1-2)

If we look to the right or the left, we begin to compare. We find ourselves saying things like, "I should be doing life the way my neighbor, friend, sibling, or parent is." Or, "I'll never measure up." And even, "I can't, so I quit." Look at the shepherd boy David. He used his wiring, a sling and a stone, to slay the giant, not the wiring of King Saul who offered David his personal armor.

My friend, keep your eyes on Christ alone. How has He wired you from within? Are you walking in the way He created you, or are you struggling to be like the person by your side?

My sister and I have the same heart; we share the same Savior. Ironically, we started a ministry together a couple of years ago that we "happened to" name Walking with Hope. Our unified desire is to share Jesus Christ, the only living hope, with those that need an encouraging Word throughout life's journey. You can check out her website at www.livinlively.com. But we are also different. She must walk her way, and I must walk mine. And with joy, we will continue to encourage each other all along the way.

One more bit of information about the marathon, if you have attended any one of the Walking with Hope functions in my home, Peggy and I "took you with us." In my runner's pouch, was a notecard of about 100 names. And as we walked, jogged, and shuffled through the marathon together, we prayed for you... to walk in your wonderful wiring, with your eyes fixed on Christ alone.