Day 61: Boo!

Happy Halloween! Have fun being the treater tonight! Love, Mom

Day 60 Balancing competing tensions

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. Matt. 19:29



One of the tensions of the Christian life is that we live in one place, but our true home is in another. You can see this tension when Christians treat the church like a bunker and try to escape the world. A better way to express the tension would be to look forward to eternal life while embracing where God has placed us now.

Faithfully anticipating our inheritance rather than demanding it right now is both a mark of maturity and faith. It allows eternal life its proper place as a motivator in our hearts.

But what about the hundredfold...Turns out it's another tension in Christian life: We should be aching for God’s promised eternal reward, but we should also be selfless like Jesus.

The solution? Our reward is God himself. Though heaven is filled with beautiful things, it is only the place where we will enjoy our eternal reward. Whatever we desire now  should be considered in light of our eternal reward, God himself.... He is our portion. 

Remember to look at the long-term. Let the motivation of eternal rewards give you a new view of the situation God has put you in--and use it to glorify Him.

Day 59 Butt up....Bad ;)

Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will. 
- AW Tozer

Day 58 A Life

Christianity is not a theory or speculation, but a life; not a philosophy of life, but a living presence. Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Day 57 Hide and Seek

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11-14

I like this verse. A lot. It's reassuring, Isn't it? I felt abandoned by God at a pretty young age, and I also starting asking God for wisdom at a pretty young age. Sometimes God seems distant, everything is going wrong, and your prayers don't seem to go anywhere.

Feelings are important, but sometimes our feelings, even though they're powerful, don’t actually reflect reality. What we feel doesn't affect our salvation....it's based on a relationship with God. Paul says that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:38-39)

We're not alone in feeling abandoned by God..... Most Christians experience that feeling somewhere along the line. But the reality is that God is always present, and His love for you never changes.

He loves you just the way you are. You are unique. You are God's workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10) God's love for you is unconditional, unchanging, and unending. Thankfully, God doesn't waste anything, especially our darkest moments, and he will use them to refine and build your faith.

God is with you today, even if it doesn't seem that way. Choose to live by faith and not by sight

Day 55 Suuupermannnnn!

...with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:3

Have you ever noticed how many of the superheroes put on masks when it’s time to do their superhero jobs? They wear masks to hide their true identity. This is one of the reasons I like Superman: when he’s doing his superhero thing, being who he truly is, he takes OFF his mask. When he's acting as Clark Kent, superman wears those big old black-rimmed glasses. (Well, in my day, he did.) When Superman is doing what he was made to do, he’s doing it fully revealed and is more himself than any other time.

  Isn't here a heart-cry in our society for authenticity these days? We get disappointed over and over by people who are eventually (or quickly) revealed to be someone other than who they said they were. If we’re honest, maybe it’s true in our own relationships too. If we’re even more honest, maybe we’ve even been the cause of someone else's disappointment. And maybe that disappointment wasn’t due to something unsavory revealed in our lives, but because we were unwilling to reveal anything real in our lives. Why masks? I wonder sometimes if our (fallen) DNA includes the chromosome labeled “image.” And behind image lies the word “pride.”

Dream for a moment about what our lives would look like if we took off the masks and relied really on God’s power to do what He planned for us to do.... It would mean hopping off the pedestal…it would mean being just the “signpost”….It would be, erg...humbling. What if we chose to remove the masks and crusade against our own pride and fight for truth -- real, authentic, life-sharing, humble truth!

Isn't it great to know that as imperfect and cautious as we are, the truth is in us and shines from us?

Day 54 Time for a Check up!

Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. Ephesians 3:20

God is in the healing business, but in most cases He uses a process to heal rather than an instantaneous event. Spiritual growth is a journey not an overnight success or a walk through a garden.










God’s healing process is unique to each person. His ways are unpredictable, and He doesn’t do things according to how we think we should grow and change. His process doesn’t always look like progress: but it always leads to change.

Spend some time toay thinking about the places in your life that God wants to heal and ask yourself, “How can I cooperate with God in this moment?” The actions that come to mind may seem unnatural and uncomfortable, but remember that God’s ways lead to health. He’s got His part in that because he is the Great Physician--and you’ve got yours. Cooperate.

Day 53 It's something you Do....Wisdom

Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! 
And whatever else you do, get good judgment. Proverbs 4:7

Usually, when wisdom is mentioned in the Bible, we get a call to action. Seek wisdom, gain wisdom, desire wisdom, ask for wisdom, pay attention to wisdom.... Believers are to be active in seeking godly wisdom. That seems to imply that if we continue what we are doing when we need help, and don't seek out help, that is the opposite of wisdom.

How often do we move forward thinking we have all of the answers we need, only to realize later that the best answer wasn't among them! If yo are like me, it happens more than you want to admit. The Bible is clear that we are to seek wisdom. Not just once, but every day. It takes determination and desire, but as the Proverbs says, seeking wisdom is among the most important things we can do!

God, help Sarah to seek wisdom from you, moment by moment, as she needs it each day. Amen. 

Day 52 You are a Delight!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9





At a recent conference of high-power politicians, someone asked: What is the greatest thing in the world? It got absolutely quiet. None of the big public influencers had an answer to this question.

Finally a young aide (ha! :) took the microphone and said, "The greatest thing in the world is that we can walk away from yesterday."

Isn't the good news of the Christian faith is we can walk away from yesterday? Paul walked away from persecuting Christians and followed Christ. The woman found in adultery walked away from her accusers and her lifestyle into a new journey with Jesus. Matthew walked away from his job as a crooked tax collector and followed Christ into a new life. The prodigal son walked away from his moral failures and into the loving, forgiving arms of his father.

To walk away from the failures and guilt of yesterday is at the very heart of forgiveness. This is not a call to cop out, drop out, or otherwise escape responsibility or consequences: but it is a liberating to be absolutely certain that no one, absolutely no one, is tied to a past from which there is no release.

The gospel shouts with joy at new beginnings. Aren't you glad you have been released from your past? I am!

Day 51 Perspective on Anxiety

Some people feel guilty about their anxieties and regard them as a defect of faith. But our anxieties are afflictions, NOT sins. Like all afflictions, they are, if we can look at them that way, our share in the passion of Christ. CS Lewis

Day 50 Lying in the Middle of the Road

Why do you call me “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46

 It was a sunny, and unusually warm autumn Sunday afternoon, so I thought I would take advantage of it by taking some photos by the river. As I took a dirt-road cutoff, I rounded a bend in the road and slammed on the brakes.

There, in the middle of the road, was a woman lying on a blanket, working on her tan. I was both taken by surprise, and relieved that I stopped without running over her. When the dust cleared, I got out and approached the woman.

Me: [fairly calm given the situation] What are you doing?!
Her: [startled and angry] What does it look like I’m doing?!
Me: You are lying in the middle of the road.
Her: So?!
Me: I don’t think it’s a great idea to lie in the middle of a road. I could have run you over!
Her: [Bleep] you. I’m not moving!
Me: [sarcastically] Okay. Have a nice day!

I got back into the car and backed down the road until I found a safe place to park.

I was angry. There are times when people ought to take a stand regardless of the consequences, but this didn't qualify. To me, it was a moment of stubbornness and will, and while the woman didn’t back down, I did.

This story makes me think about the times I know there are things that God is asking of me, and I basically say to Him, “I’m not moving! Yes, I want all of the good things that God has for my life, but I want life to be easy." When it becomes uncomfortable and difficult to obey, I can turn stubborn.

Everyone  has stubborn moments with God. No one is immune. The question is, how can we minimize the times when we won’t budge? I don’t know the complete answer. I wish that I did. “Just say yes to God, whatever the circumstance,” is the right answer, but it's a struggle to carry it out.

The long journey toward consistently saying yes to God through taking small steps. The first small step could be realizing that taking the easy road in life rarely takes you where you want to go or leads you to becoming the person God wants to make you into. Obedience to God is not easy, but whatever pain it brings, it also brings the benefit of molding us more completely into the image of Jesus.

God, give me strength to take a small step when my first response to God is to say, “I’m not moving!” Help me to get up off the road, pick up my blanket, and walk toward Jesus. Amen.

Day 49 One of God's Bright Ideas.... You

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they might see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

This verse is about candlelight and about us as Christ-followers. We are God's choice for the conduit of his warm, life-giving light. Shining this light is all about how we live our lives before others.

In living “the light,” we are to live a life that is attractive, like the warm glow of a candle that offers up the hope of more.... As a result of our “light,” others will glorify God. Apparently letting our light shine is a grace-giving, God-glorifying thing.

You have to wonder if this what the world enjoys because of Christians letting their light shine:Does our “light” bring joy, peace, grace, and healing? Or does it bring division, hate, judgment, and condemnation? One brings life; the other, death.

God, help Sarah to shine the light of hope, the light of love, and grace into a darkened world this year. Amen.

Day 48 Quiet

The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him. Habakkuk 2:20

You know my story about eating a candybar and drinking a pop in the Meijer parkinglot? It wasn't only about having a treat to myself, it was also about having a few minutes to myself.... Sometimes you just need a slice of silence. There’s something necessary about quiet.

Think about all the noise that is around you whether you want it or not. All day long you experience noise: commuting noise, human noise, media noise, advertising noise, disaster noise, advice noise, shopping noise—so much clatter that it even forces the noise level to rise in order to hear or be heard.

An essential ingredient of connecting with God and growing spiritually is pursuing quiet. It’s that simple…and in a world inherently noisy, it’s that complex too. The good thing is that to accomplish quiet, all we have to do is...be quiet. Consciously choose no noise. Clear out the noise of worry. Turn off the clamor of consumption. Silence the noise of procrastination. Quiet your life in small ways. Doable. Practical. Attainable. Even undersized times of quiet will add up and bring big rewards.

What happens when we’re quiet? We are more apt to hear the voice of God, for God often speaks through silence. Maybe in a time of silence, a name comes to mind, and we know we need to go to that person and reconcile a hurt. Or perhaps in the quiet, a specific situation—one that requires confession—suggests itself. When there is silence, we may even hear the voice of God saying, “I love you” through His creation.

God is not distant. He wants to connect with you. You just need to find quiet in order to hear Him in the whispers of life. Don’t go on to another task. Just turn off the noise and consciously be quiet. Deliberately focus your thoughts away from the distractions of the day and move them toward God--he'll be there to meet you.

Day 44 Where to Look when Running

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 
Hebrews 12:1-3

Because we know there is nothing we can do to save ourselves, God has given us examples to follow who know more than we do--a great cloud of witnesses has gone before us.

There are often moments in our lives when it seems like our world is crashing around us. At those moments we must fix our eyes on Jesus. He is our example, our very life and our breath. He is the reason we exist.

Those who live life to the fullest keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, the author of life.

God, help us to stay motivated and not settle for slipping through life on a lower level of faith. Amen. 

Day 43 Okay, so this pic is not a woman....

 ...but it was so "radical," I had to use it! Here's the devotion it doesn't fit:

Do you see this woman? Luke 7:44

It's a weird question. This is the story about the woman with the alabaster jar who washes Jesus' feet with her hair. Jesus asks Simon, the homeowner, this question.

It's because women in Jewish culture were property, had no rights, and were not to be seen or heard. This woman crashes Simon's party, lets down her hair in public (gasp!), and makes a loud, smelly scene whose awkwardness is impossible to ignore.

The thing is, Jesus knows that Simon really doesn't see the woman woman spiritually the way he does. Jesus knows that the woman is pouring out her deepest feelings of thanksgiving and love toward God from that perfume jar. It's a sacred moment of unconditional surrender and devotion to God.

What about such a radical outpouring of emotion for God? This kind of expression of affection to Jesus can be healthy and pleasing in God's sight. In fact, like this woman, a truly forgiven Christian pours out her love of Jesus.

We need Jesus' eyes to see and honor the beauty of this kind of great love when a forgiven sinner, like us, shows it.

God, help us to see, show, and welcome radical love for you today. Amen.

Day 42 God Loves Alleys

Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. Luke 14:21

God's lavish grace is for everyone, including and sometimes especially, those that no one else would consider. I usually identify with the alley-dwellers in this parable...but what if I am also an invited guest who is too busy with my own agenda to hear God's invitation and respond to what the Holy Spirit wants from me? God, help me to show up to your feast!

Another character in this parable that I don't think much about is the messenger. We have the privilege of inviting everyone and anyone to the greatest party ever planned--and God hasn't left anyone off the invitation list. God, help me to invite everyone so that they don't miss your lavish feast!

Thanks God, for inviting everyone to your party. You picked me up when I was poor, crippled, blind, and lame, and you invited me into abundant life. Help me to show up every day to the spend time with you and to share your invitation with others who are right up my alley!Amen.

Day 40 Courage

                                                     She Who Kneels Before God
                                                       Can Stand Before Anyone.

Day 39 Just Stop!

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Let's just stop justifying busyness. God invites us to be still. Allow for small margins of “stop” in the midst of daily life when you can become quiet, and connect with God. Cease activity, if only for a few moments, and consciously focus your thoughts on God. When you connect with God, your focus is clearer, your perspective brighter, your joy richer, and you’ll experience more of the fullness of life that God offers.

Day 38 Wisdom from George

How far you go in life depends on being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.  George Washington

Day 37 Attitude Check

This reflection was written by a Civil War soldier.

I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked God for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing I asked for but everything I had hoped for....
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered. I am among all men most richly blessed.

Day 36 The Absurdity of God

Are you envious because I am generous? Matthew 20:15

Does it ever hit you that God is kind of eccentric? (I take great comfort in this! ;) In this parable, God pays everyone for a full day's work even though some of the workers only got to it during the hour before sunset...and they were probably hoping to make enough money to eat that night.

Would this tick me off, being the responsible worker that I am? For a while. But the story is a window into what God and his kingdom are like...and he doesn't function on human terms.

God is generous with grace. It flows freely to all who seek him--whether they seek him early in life or late. And when we complain about that (because we do), he reprimands us despite the cost we have paid to follow him. Interesting, eh?

The story shows how concerned God is about producing generous and compassionate people. He rewards everyone the same, and he expects us to be happy about it! The times and places in our lives where we think this is unfair are the parts of our character we haven't yet submitted to him.

Comparing ourselves to others often makes us think we deserve more...when in God's economy none of us deserve anything at all. God's idea of fairness goes way beyond ours. He is generous to everyone.

God, help us let go of stinginess and faulty comparisons. Make us gracious and kind like you. Amen.

Day 35 Body Image

From Him the whole body, joined together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16

No Christ-follower can stand alone. Christianity, while requiring an individual’s personal faith commitment, is not an individual faith by nature. Christianity is to be lived out in community not in isolation. Born out of the Father’s will, accomplished through Jesus’ death and resurrection, empowered and gifted by the Holy Spirit, each Christian has a role to play as part of the Body of Christ. “

Together, we rise above our own weaknesses and challenges to become all that God has called us to be. Together, we accomplish more than we could ever dream of on our own. Simply, we’re better together. Perhaps, if we pulled together a little harder—a little more often—we could become more of that shining “city on a hill”; the light that cannot be hidden; the light that Jesus said we were designed to be; the light that Jesus said in response to—people would sit up and take notice. It can happen. Together.

Day 33 Days of Thanks and Grace

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then when this day is done, I will lay down my head in peace and rest.

Day 32 How much does a Soul Weigh?

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:26

 Okay, so. ;) Imagine a scale. On one side of the scale is all your stuff--not just your physical stuff or possessions--but also your aspirations, benefits, job titles, education, and reputation.

On the other side of the scale is....your soul.

You know that in God's measurements, soul always wins over stuff. But thinking about this still causes me to pause....Would I really give up everything? (In the end, I think I would, but truthfully, I still have to think about it.)

So if it's that important, when was the last time you stopped to think about your soul, that invisible and eternal part of you that connects you with God. It’s what makes you different than all other life form on the planet. Every human has a soul. Your soul is the real you, and that’s why Jesus asked, “Is anything worth more than your soul?”

Jesus wanted us to understand that our souls are the most important part of who we are. Your soul is your most valuable “possession.” Because of this, your soul longs for the type of fullness whose warranty doesn’t wear out after sixty days—the fullness that only God can fill through regular connection. This is why we need to value, feed, and care for them. And having this fullness is critical, because…of the reality of death.

One day each of us will die—at least physically, anyway. Our hearts will cease beating. Our bodies will stop, and we’ll assume room temperature. But our souls will live for eternity. We can lose a body part or have an organ transplant, but it doesn’t alter the soul. Souls last.

When we connect with God, we not only access the power and guidance we need for each day, we also invest in our eternity—our real home and final location, the place where the risen Christ is preparing for us to join Him. Connecting with God is also another way to prepare us for the time when we will be entrusted with “many things” for all eternity. By regular connection with God, we feed our souls—and at the same time, we stash away spiritual capital that will last forever in the real adventure of being in the very presence of God!

Spend a little time thinking about your soul today and connect with your source of soul food!

Day 31 Biggitude

So, bored researchers at the University of Hawaii estimate that there are 500 quadrillion stars in the sky. Pretty impressive. As if that's not too huge to comprehend, there are the same amount of molecules in ten drops of water as there are stars in the universe. That vastness.... It's the biggitude of God.

How do you understand God's character: Do you see him as stingy or generous?

St. Peter is giving some newly arrived saint a tour of heaven. First, he takes the man past a church full of whooping worshipers. “That’s where the Pentecostals worship,” says Peter. The man gives an appreciative nod and they keep walking. A few minutes later, Peter points to a mighty cathedral with towering spires and glittering stained glass. The man gazes up in wide-eyed wonder. “That there,” says Peter, “that’s where the Catholics worship.” They begin to walk again and eventually another church building comes into view. Suddenly, Peter begins to tiptoe. He puts a finger to his mouth and shushes the man. “Now you have to be very quiet” he whispers. “That’s where the CRC folks worship. They think they are the only ones here!”

That's just not how God works. He doesn't have an attitude of scarcity--he can well afford to be consistently, lavishly generous. God made a promise to Abraham: “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” I can see Abraham craning his neck, staring up at the night time desert sky--at the thousands of stars he could see. But I also think of what he could not see--the millions and millions and millions of stars that can only be seen by God.

God's heart has vastness, “biggitude,” that goes far beyond Abraham’s and our ability to comprehend it. Believe it. Expect it. Give him the praise he's due. He loves YOU!