“Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world. That cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity. Wherever you go, ask God for wisdom on how to get that Gospel in, even in the toughest situations of life.” Ravi Zacharias, Founder RZIM
If you saw the unfolding story of 22-month-old Kenneth Howard, surely you were as heavy hearted as I. He wandered away from his Kentucky home on Mother’s Day late in the day. Darkness would soon cover the wooded terrain. How in the world would they ever find a tiny toddler in a dark forest with overgrown mining operations nearby? And how would that poor baby survive alone in the dark? As a mom, I was heartsick thinking about his tiny self, alone and afraid. But God.
While I know we don’t want our kids to spend their money on us, let them! Though we’d lay down our lives for our children and never ask for a thank you, I encourage you to receive those precious words. Bring on all the handcrafted creations, personal shopping choices, dinner plans, flowers … all the tokens of gratitude and appreciation big or small! Let’s face it, mothers get one day a year. Let’s make the most of it!
I hear/read Bible verses all the time. I’m in awe that God’s word is multi-faceted, living, breathing, and always current. Over the years I’ve discovered that, while Scripture can be literal and figurative, it also speaks of the spirit realm and our physical reality. Scripture never fails to reveal something new (to me) about the power, purpose, and love of God.
I was talking with God about a specific need to understand why I can’t seem to be motivated or focused on the tasks at hand. I feel easily overwhelmed, and I let that feeling paralyze me. Flashes of fear grab at my thought life, so I decide I can’t do this or that. I let my emotions rule me versus me ruling my emotions. I make excuses.
New life is breaking through the dormant soil in the flower beds. The trees are coming alive with green, some with blooms. I hear lawnmowers and weed eaters and smell cut grass. Birds are building nests, and their sweet chirping is a joyous sound. The neatly planted farm fields fill the air with the fragrance of freshly tilled earth. New beginnings surround us taking shape with color, sounds, and smells.
There’s something I want you to do today. It’s a kind, gentle act of love. Stop for a few minutes and find somewhere quiet, somewhere private, so you can be honest with yourself and not worry about what anyone else will think. Grab a pen, a sheet of paper, and maybe even a couple of tissues. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and let God love on you for a moment.
Life is full of choices. From the time we get up to the time we close our eyes we are evaluating our options and making decisions. These decisions include choosing your thought life, self-talk, how we want to show up for our relationships and how we want to invest in our future etc. So let me ask you this, “Which torment is more preferable to live with, loneliness or regret?” Maybe there is a third option—the pain of brokenness. Then again, maybe loneliness and regret are by-products of remaining in brokenness.
Are you familiar with those graphics that show two sides of how we see ourselves? On one side the graphic says, “How I think I look,” and on the other it says, “How I really look.” Earlier this week I was disappointed in myself when I caught sight of how I really look. I was reminded why we’re told the heart is deceitful above all things. I don’t feel like a bad person;
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