Why Should We Fast?

A while ago I was asked to speak on prayer and fasting, and I have to admit, I was surprised. I’m not one that is usually associated with that in my church so I really wondered why they chose me. I almost said no, but God whispered Yes in my heart. As I prayed over the topic He gave me a message on prayer and I wish I could tell you immediately started fasting, but I didn’t. That took almost a year.

During that year, God brought fasting to my attention many times and I began noticing things. After months and even years of maintaining the status quo, things were changing. It wasn’t overnight, but looking back I could connect the dots.

The change began to happen when people began fasting.

Results of Fasting:

• My friends gained confidence in their prayers and prayer life—a confidence that only comes through prayer, lots of prayer.
• Their prayers took on an authority that hadn’t been there before. (Hearing them pray is one of the perks of being in a small group with some of them and of being in Sunday School with others.)
• Their peace and joy deepened even though parts of their lives grew tougher.
• Answered prayers and progress made in some persistent areas.
• Direction given, leading to times of growth individually and collectively.

When I finally connected their growth to their consistent fasting I wanted in. They were obtaining things that I’ve been seeking for five or more years. That led me to paying attention to what the Bible has to say about fasting.

Biblical Reasons We Should Fast:

• The Bible assumes that you will fast. Matthew 6:16 says “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
In Jesus’ time, fasting was part of Jewish life and was expected.
• Jesus modeled fasting for us when He went into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days (Matthew 4:2).
The Bible connects fasting with repenting. “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. Joel 2:12-13

Throughout the Bible we see the people of God fasting:

• David: David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and wept and lay all night on the ground… Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?” 2 Samuel 12:16, 21-23
• Esther and Mordecai: In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes. Esther 4:3; He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations. Esther 9:30-31
• Daniel: So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. Daniel 9:3
• Anna: …she (Anna) never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. Luke 2:37
• Church leadership: While they (the Antioch church’s prophets and teachers) were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Acts 13:2
• Paul and Barnabas: When they (Paul and Barnabas) had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Acts 14:23

When I looked at everything together I knew it was time I tried fasting. I didn’t commit to a regular time of fasting, I just wanted to try it a couple of times. But when I did that I found that I wanted to add fasting to my life. I wanted more of what I was sensing and learning.

What I learned from fasting:

• I CAN go without food without having a major crash. It’s not always easy but the best things in life are not the easy things!
• Food doesn’t have the grip on my life that it once did—and it’s really cool.
• Hunger drives me to prayer—if I intentionally choose to quit thinking about food and commit to praying instead.
• Having the right perspective about fasting is crucial. Fasting is something I get to do to draw closer to God and thank Him ahead of time for the opportunity. Going into fasting with anticipation changed my outcome. Dreading a fast puts me into a negative mind set which can easily lead praying less and griping more. I get to fast and it’s a special time I get to spend with God.
• I pray more fervently when I fast.
• My prayer life became more consistent and deeper.

Since I began regularly fasting I’ve received the direction I’ve been seeking for five years, and I’m growing in my relationship with God. I wish I had started fasting years ago!

Coming up next are some practical tips for fasting. Hope to see you!

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How I Established My Devotional Time

For the past couple years I’ve had a word for the year. This last year it was Arise! Complete with the exclamation point, mind you. I have to tell you, I did not figure it meant literally, but it seems it did.

With all the changes going on in my life over the last couple years, my quiet time has bounced around a fair bit. Getting the time and the quiet was…tough. Some days it was impossible…because of how I ordered my days.

When God gave me Arise! I thought it referred to arising to the challenge or arising to a new season in my life, NOT arising early in the morning. I’m fond of my bed in the morning. It’s so warm and comfy and snuggly with my hubs. Being the first one out of bed in the morning is not my idea of fun.

At least, it wasn’t.

Then my awesome Sunday School teacher challenged us to ask God for help doing something we knew we should do but hadn’t been able to. Something like not eating too many Little Debbie cakes in one day or spending time in God’s Word. So, I did.

How I (almost) painlessly established my early morning devotions

1. Ask God to wake me up in the morning.
2. Commit to obeying and getting up when He wakes me.
3. Obey and GET UP when God wakens me.
4. Thank God for waking me.

Remember I said almost painlessly?
There were mornings I groaned when my eyes popped open before I was ready. Those times I would roll over and try to go back to sleep. It never worked for more than a few minutes because I was guaranteed to soon have a massive headache and I’d have to get out of bed simply to relieve it. (Headaches are part of my life.)

I learned to be thankful for not just the days God woke me, but also for the headaches. Often, thanks to them, I had extra time with God and those times were special.

Arise!
It does, after all, mean get up.
Rise to the challenge by asking God for help.

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Done Nothing Wrong

My poor little car.

It was sitting in its parking place, minding its own business but ready and waiting for the next time we needed it when BAM!

A family truck rolled downhill from the barn, sideswiped a tractor, took out a porch post and took a bite out of my car.

My poor car.
It had done nothing wrong.
It wasn’t even in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It was exactly where it was supposed to be, doing what it was supposed to be doing. But it didn’t matter. It was still knocked out.

While still down for the count, still right where it was supposed to be, waiting to be back in service, insult was added to injury. The back window shattered. We don’t know how or why. It’s happened before here. Once when a rock was thrown from the mower and once from thermal shifts in the winter. But this time there was no way a rock shattered the window—the is shielded from rocks by they deck. There wasn’t any huge thermal shift in the temperature. Sure, it cooled down a LOT after being hot, but it doesn’t seem like it’d be enough to cause it to shatter. Still, the window is shattered.

I’ve seen this happen to people. They’re exactly where they’re supposed to be, doing what they’re supposed to be doing and BAM! They’re knocked down and put out of service. Then, while they’re waiting and mending, they’re kicked from behind. Broken even more.

My heart cries for them. Why Lord? They were in Your will, doing exactly what You gave them to do. Why did all this happen? Wasn’t it enough they were hit the first time? Did they have to have that final blow?

As people we see the damage of the here and now. We see the seemingly unnecessary and unfair events and injuries and we want to shake our fist and rant. But God’s ways aren’t ours. He sees the big picture and knows.

'For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'  Jeremiah 29:11 NAS

I’ve learned as I’ve watched this happen time and time again. Months, maybe years later, I’ll see the fruit of their time spent waiting and healing. Their roots will be deeper and the fruit of their lives will be sweeter and more plentiful.

When you see someone slammed by life, broken and knocked out of service for a time, stand by and lift them up in prayer. Pray that they don’t become discouraged but that their faith will become stronger through this time, that their roots will grow deeper and their fruit sweeter.

God knows what He’s doing. Trust Him and pray for them.

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Patient I'm Not

The other day my awesome agent, Linda Glaz, called me patient—something I’ve been called many times but have never been comfortable with.

My two oldest demonstrating how much I stink at times.

I’m really not a patient person. In fact, many times I’m quite IMpatient. Just ask my kids and my husband. They’ll assure you that patience is NOT one of my virtues.

Many times I’ve tried explaining to people that I’m really not a patient person, but I gave up when they didn’t believe me on the first or even second try. Now I don’t even bother trying to change their mind and it’s nice believing their misconception of me. It makes me feel better about myself. I feel more mature, put together, spiritual.

Sounds sickening, doesn’t it?
Yeah. It does. Especially when the truth is ugly.

It’s not patience people see when they see me sitting so calm and smiley.
It’s laziness.

Ouch.
That’s a big, bad word in my vocabulary.
But it’s true. It’s true of me.

Why did Linda call me patient? I have a manuscript she’s been shopping and an editor is showing interest in it. (YAY!!) If there’s one thing you can count on in the publishing business, it’s that things take time. Lots of time. It’s hurry up and wait. And wait. And wait. Quite often I’m okay with all that waiting. But not because I’m patient.

I’m okay with it because as long as I’m waiting, I don’t have to be doing anything with it. I can complacently bob on the waves of that particular harbor, waiting.

It’s sheer laziness on my part.

My oldest masquerading.

Laziness has often masqueraded as patience in my life.
Laziness is not a virtue to be proud of. Just look at some of what the Bible has to say about laziness…

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat. ~Prov.13:4

The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, so he begs during the harvest and has nothing. ~Prov 20:4

The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, for his hands refuse to work; ~Prov 21:25

Nasty, huh?!

I’ve been working hard to change things in my life. I want what looks like patience to BE patience, not laziness. It’s not an easy change to make but it’s a worthwhile one.

How about you? Does laziness masquerade as patience in your life? Maybe laziness isn’t an issue for you but something else is. Are you ready to call it what it is and deal with it?

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White Knuckled Praying

Snow and ice are not on my list of favorite things in life. In fact, they're on the other list—yanno, the list of things I'd rather skip for the rest of my life. Since my family is rather fond of eating, I had to brave the roads to get some groceries. Living out in the middle on nowhere means that we're on our own getting to a main road, which may, or may not, be cleared. I was fortunate. The road was partly cleared. Unfortunately, the part that was cleared was the other lane. I was on packed snow and ice, which meant I went slowly and did a lot of white-knuckled praying.

Sin is a lot like snow and ice. It may look pretty and even dazzle your eyes when the sun hits it, but it obscures the road and makes for dangerous travel.

Road crews, bless them, often work through a storm so they can keep the roads clear and safe. How many times I have failed to have the road crew of my life working steadily, and how often has ick (sin!) built up as a result? Far too too many times! You would think that after as much time as I've spent in white-knuckled prayer while navigating through the muck that I would learn.

Without having the wheels of my life on God's solid surface, I'm liable to slide and go off the road. So what am I to do? I need to pull out the shovel and get to work.

Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem,
that you may be saved.
How long will your wicked thoughts
lodge within you?
~Jeremiah 4:14

I need to spread the salt of God's Word and allow it to melt through the snow and ice, the sin in my life, so I can clear it off and get rid of it. Only by removing it will I get down to the solid traction of a life built on the Rock, on Christ.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of the soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ~Hebrews4:12 (NAS)

As God's Word works in my life, I need to be diligent about removing the sin that the Spirit loosens. If I don't remove it, it acts like slush does on a road. It grabs my tires and pushes me every which way, including off the road.

I acknowledged my sin to You,
and my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord;”
and You forgave the guilt of my sin.
~Psalm 32:5

The best part is that God says that He's removed my sin—as far as the East is from the West. (Psalm 103:12) But He doesn't just remove my sin.
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me. ~Jeremiah 33:8

So if you, like me, find yourself doing some white-knuckled praying from slipping and sliding due to unconfessed sin, you might want to take a moment to stop and spend some time clearing the road so your tires run on the Rock-hard, full of traction, path of God. Don't forget to liberally sprinkle the salt of God's Word and let it do its work in your life.

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A Lasting Beauty

I love spring. One of the things I love is seeing all the daffodils blooming in the middle of nowhere. They were planted generations ago by ladies who loved beauty, and those flowers are still there--still blooming each and every spring.

Those ladies still have an impact on the world. They're still making this a beautiful place to live, even though they're no longer here to enjoy it or even nurture it. That's what I want for my life. I want to leave lasting beauty for those coming after me. How do I do that? By planting flower bulbs? I could. But it only takes one pass of a tractor or bulldozer to bring their beauty to an end.

Those daffodils remind me that I need to be planting seeds for eternity. Seeds that can grow, bloom and multiply long after I'm gone. Those are blooms that will last forever, not just for a season.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ~Matthew 6:19-21 NAS

God has given each one of us work to do in our life, with our life. We need to fulfill that calling to the best of our ability. Whether we're in the task-force, ministry, or at home full-time, we're to be a light shining brightly to those around us. A flower that blooms in unlikely places, pointing others to Christ. Always pointing to Jesus.

If we're obeying God, we're planting for eternity. Well, let me rephrase that. There are many times my husband asks me to do something, and I'll do it...eventually. I'll do it...grudgingly. I'll do it...muttering the whole time. I'll do it...with a rotten attitude. Sure, it's obedience, but... It's like if my husband were to pick a bouquet of flowers, and before giving it to me, squishing each bloom in his fist.

It takes more than obedience to plant for eternity. Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it won't bear fruit (John 12:24). In order for us to bear fruit for eternity, we need to deny ourselves and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). Denying ourselves is when the seed dies. That's when planting for eternity starts.

When we die to ourselves we follow Christ

Immediately, not eventually.

Gladly, not grudgingly.

Praising, not muttering.

With a sweet aroma, not the smell of rottenness.

That is planting for eternity. Seeds that will produce lasting beauty. Beauty that blooms in our lives and also that will reach beyond us to the generations coming after us. We are to live beautiful lives so that our sons and grandsons might fear the Lord. (Duet 6:1-2)

That kind of life will produce results that bear fruit and bloom even after we're gone--just as those daffodils bloom long after their planters have died. We don't know the planters' names, but what's important is that they planted the flowers and we're still reaping the benefits and beauty of them. That's what we're looking for in our lives, too.

The beauty of a life lived for Christ. 
That's truly lasting beauty. 

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Smoothness

Ocean waves Uploaded by Krassenceto

Is it only the crashing surf of the ocean that wears a stone smooth? No, it's not, but it's one of the first ways we think of. Times of great storms in our lives are also the times we remember the longest, times we know that God is working on us. But it's not the only time.

When David fought Goliath look what he did...
He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. ~1 Samuel 17:40

Tranquil Stream Uploaded by bsmith4815

Those stones hadn't been beaten smooth in the ocean, nor even a great river. They were in a brook. There's nothing fierce about a brook, but the water was enough to wear stones smooth. In Jeremiah 2:13 God calls Himself “the fountain of living waters.” God and His Word is like water in our lives—He smooths our rough edges with His constant movement in our lives.

Sometimes our life might feel like we're caught in the surf, constantly being pounded as storms lash us. Other times life is more like a river, or even a little brook, meandering and mellow. But even during those easy times, God is wearing the rough edges off us, making us smoother and more fit for His use.

stormy stone beach Uploaded by H o g n e

In Sunday School this week, Brad, our department director, said, “God's always working in our lives—it's just whether we recognize it or not.” He didn't know it, but he simplified and summed up in one sentence something I've been mulling over for a few weeks. Just because life is mellow at the moment doesn't mean that God isn't working in our lives. The Living Water is always moving, wearing away the sharp angles and smoothing us so we're more fit for His service.

Let the Living Water flow over you and polish you smooth.

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Shallowness

I'm not a deep thinker and I've had a relatively easy life. To be honest, I feel like a very shallow person living a life of ease. As I read through the Bible and read about the lives of those great saints, and then read biographies of missionaries, my feelings of shallowness increase and I'm more convinced than ever that I'm living a dream life in my own little bubble.

Just this morning I read in a devotional that “God never uses anyone to a great degree until he breaks the person completely.” I understand this and know it to be true, but I'm left wondering if God will use me at all since I have such an easy life and am not a deep thinker. I know not everyone is called to be a Matthew Henry, a DL Moody, or a Nate Saint, and I know they were ordinary men used by an extraordinary God. But what about those of us who really want to be used by God yet live a life that seems to only skim the surface?

Please understand, I'm not looking for pats on the back or excuses for shallow living on easy street. This is something I've been mulling over for a couple of weeks now and I want to hear your thoughts on this.

Does depth of character only come from great trials and tribulation? Is it possible for God to use someone who leads an easy life?

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Sitting Forward

My friend and partner in crime over at Adding Zest is hosting the coolest spotlights these next two weeks. Heidi, of Moms, Ministry and More, is a missionary in Asia and she's spotlighting fellow missionaries in her 'Candle in the Corner' Giveaway. Be sure to stop by her place and say hi and meet these awesome people that are serving God overseas.


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I often get to sit in the back of the van when the whole family is going somewhere, like church. The other day I was sitting back there beside my youngest and he was leaning forward, anxious to see all he could. His eyes darted everywhere and he missed very little. In contrast, I was comfortably leaning back in my seat, as relaxed as I could be with a student driver at the wheel, and I just kind of zoned out.

As I watched him, I was struck by how he and I represented Christian living. Sometimes we're leaning forward in anticipation, anxious to see and experience all we can, and other times we're lounging back, oblivious to much of what's going on around us, relaxing and zoning out.

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
so my soul pants for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
when shall I come and appear before God?
~Psalm 42:1-2

It made me stop and think about how I'm sitting before God. Am I leaning forward, anxious to see more of Him, or am I zoning out as I relax? I want that eager anticipation of a child. I want to lean forward and be watchful. I want my soul to thirst for God, for the living God and I want to be eager to enter into His presence.

How about you? How are you sitting in your spiritual life?



Don't forget this week's book giveaway is still going on and there's time to enter the drawing for Jenness Walker's new book, Double Take. Just leave a comment or two on her spotlight posts here.

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A Sheep in Mule's Clothing

The month of September has been unlike any other time in my life! We've been manning a booth at a couple of fairs, and lemme tell ya, it's been quite the experience! We finished the first fair late Monday night and started the second fair yesterday, and although I have several ideas I'm itching to write up, I just have not had the time. I've been jotting notes down though, so I'll get them written eventually. I have no idea what this week will hold for me, so I'm being flexible...and working fast in the moments I have. LoL

For me, the fair means animals. I loooove walking through the barns and talking to, and petting, the horses...and seeing the cows and... Well, you get the idea. So, since I had to pick a rerun for today's post, I went for one of my favorites...

Not too far from my house a man has a pair of mules and they're fun to see as we zoom past on our way to town. We've seen them scratching each other's backs, whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears and even just resting companionably in the sunshine.

This time past I noticed one was lying down resting and the other was nearby grazing, and I saw the evidence of their consistency. Where they lie down is worn down to bare dirt in an almost perfect circle, but beyond that circle all is green. I really wanted to stop and scratch their ears and tell them that if they would move their resting area over just ten feet they'd have nice soft, green grass to lie on. Do you think they'd listen to me and move? No, probably not. In that I'm just like those mules. I'm so stuck in my rut that I don't want to move even just a few feet to a nicer place.

God has provided me, and has offered me, a beautiful place to rest, but I stubbornly insist on staying in the same place I've aways been. I have a lot of mule in me and it's not how God meant me to be. He has green pastures and still waters for me, not just a small, hard packed circle of dirt. Maybe it's time for me to stop acting like a mule and remember that I'm a sheep listening to my Shepherd's voice and enjoy the good He has for me.

“The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.”
~Psalm 23:1-3 (NASB)

Maybe tomorrow I'll post a pic or two of our fair experiences but in the meantime, don't forget about the giveaways currently going on here at Patterings! Candy Arrington is giving away a copy of When Your Aging Parent Needs Care: Practical Help for This Season of Life and Terry Brennan is giving away a copy of The Sacred Cipher.
Be sure to leave a comment to be entered in the book drawings.

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A Tambourine Dance

I spent this last week working on a project that just would not gel. I worked and worked and all but banged my head on the keyboard, and still couldn't get it right. It was frustrating—to the extreme. Finally, with my back pressing the deadline, I poured it all out before God again, and went to help make supper. That night happened to be my hubster's specialty—fried chicken strips and gravy. It's one of our favorite meals and the whole family pitches in to get it on the table. After prepping the milk and flour for the gravy I got to wash dishes, and I was so thankful for the mindless busy-work.

Mr. Tambourine Man By Sundance = 放晴

As I washed the dishes I talked with God about the project He'd given to me. I knew that, if left on my own, I was sunk, but I also knew I wasn't on my own in this. With my hands busy in dishwater, I tossed ideas around in my head as I prayed. And God came through. He gave me the idea I needed to provide the framework for my project.

It reminds me of the children of Israel when they left Egypt behind. They were caught between a rock and a hard place. Their back was against the Red Sea and Pharaoh was pressing down on them hard and fast. If left on their own they were sunk, but they weren't on their own. The Lord Almighty was with them and He parted the Red Sea.

As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord... But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for your today...The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” ~Exodus 14:10, 13-14

God put Israel in a situation where they could do nothing to help themselves. They were in a spot where they would know beyond all doubt that it was He who delivered them. God used that experience to assure them of His care and presence and to strengthen their faith in Him.

Guess what? This is what He did with me this week. When I was in the spot where there would be absolutely no doubt in my mind concerning just who it was that rescued me and gave me the idea, God came through. He parted my Red Sea and gave me dry land to cross on. Just like it was the Lord who saved Israel, it was the same Lord that saved me. And like Israel, I've been singing to the Lord ever since.

Tambourines Originally uploaded by BCDallas

I will sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted...
The Lord is my strength and song,
and He has become my salvation;
This is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father's God, and I will extol Him.
~Exodus 15:1-2

So how about you? Is your back pressing against the Red Sea as an army storms ever closer to you? When you're in a spot where there's no doubt about where your deliverance comes from, get ready to march 'cuz our God is never, ever late. In His time He'll part that Red Sea and when He does, get out your tambourines and dance! This is my God, and I will praise Him!

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ReChopping

Awhile ago we had lots of rain move through our area and our yard was looking great—when we could keep it mowed. The rain spaced itself so we had a hard time getting out to cut it before it grew too tall, and that resulted in lots of cut grass laying in rows across our yard. We didn't notice it too much the day the grass was cut, when it was still green, but the next day it was quite obvious. The cut, dead grass had turned brown and it was ugly. Not only that, but it was heavy enough that it would have hindered the growth of the grass it was on. So my wonderful husband rechopped the cut grass, cutting it finer and spreading it more so it would act as mulch and not be too heavy for the grass beneath it and kill it.

...and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ~John 15:2b

I think God does that in our lives at times. After a time of growth, He goes through and does some mowing. The mowing might not feel so good as we go through it, but we look better for it. Then, when it's done, we breathe a sigh of relief and think 'phew! That's done for awhile.' We forget that the first mow after a period of heavy growth leaves swaths of dead, brown clippings. If they're allowed to stay as they are, they'll begin to do damage. Instead of acting as mulch and encouraging more growth, they'll act as a hindrance and stifle growth. So God rechops them. He cuts the clippings up finer and spreads them so they can help keep moisture in the soil of our hearts and help us grow more. His rechopping removes the ugly brown streaks of dead grass and turns it into something good and beneficial for us.

Growth is good. Sometimes that growth is mowed and used as mulch to encourage even more growth and to keep us from looking overgrown and ratty. We need to let God mow in our lives, and when He comes and rechops, be thankful and look forward to the results. More growth and beauty, too.
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Liz Johnson was here this last week and gave away a copy of her debut novel, The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn. Tina Russo of the Seekers, is the winner! (and SOMEday Tina will have her own debut novel to give away!) Congratulations, Tina!

Thanks so much, Liz! It was wonderful having you here! And congratulations on your debut novel!

Yesterday I posted on Adding Zest about Blue-footed Boobies and what they teach us about marriage. If a clumsy little bird like a Booby can do this, I betcha we can too. ;-)

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Absorbing Heat

I watched the sugar dissolve as I stirred up another batch of hummingbird feed and marveled that it didn't all dissolve until I heated the mixture. Sure, I could've let it sit on the counter for a couple hours, but I wanted to get the food out to my hummers as soon as possible, so I popped the mixture in the microwave for a quick heat so the sugar would be absorbed by the water, making tasty food for my favorite little birds.

It made me think of my dad--he's declared that hummers like his feed mixture better than what my mom fixes. Wanna know his secret? He super-saturates his mix with extra sugar. He pulls out a little saucepan and heats the water and sugar to make sure it all gets absorbed by the water, then he cools it and fills the hummer feeders. And it's true—hummers love being at his feeders.

My Heavenly Father does something similar with us, His children. He turns the heat up under us so we can absorb more of Him and be better and sweeter feed for others. Without the heat, we wouldn't absorb Him as quickly, nor as much.

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. 2 Corinthians 4:17

So when the heat gets turned up in your life remember there's a reason for it and absorb all you can.

Don't forget the book giveaway that's going on this week!

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Gourmet People

This last week Debby Mayne was here at Patterings and Esther is the winner of Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida. Congratulations, Esther! Coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday, in this week's author spotlight, is Cara Putman and another book giveaway.
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In today's instant society there are mixes and powders for everything, but the one that makes me snicker most is baby powder. I can just see a little girl stirring water into baby powder and expecting a baby.

Life isn't always instant though. In fact, none of the great men of God were instant men—they were gourmet. It was years after being anointed king that David finally took the position God told him he would have. During those years he was basically made an outlaw by his father-in-law, yet he never became angry nor bitter about the amount of time that passed. He did what God put before him, and he sought God's leading constantly. God used those years to better prepare David for the purpose He called him to.

There have been many times in my life that I felt I was going nowhere—simply treading water, and killing time. But that's not how it was. God was using those times to prepare me, and He's still preparing me. Am I following David's example of not becoming impatient or angry? Am I seeking God's next step for me and making myself available for His use?

Gourmet cooking is not a 'just add water' affair. It takes time and energy and even special ingredients...I'd rather be God's gourmet dish than my own instant generic-box-blahness.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 (NAS)

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Cover to Cover

One of my favorite events of the year is finishing up a read through of the Bible and turning back to Genesis and starting all over again. There are times when I haven't made it in a year, but that's okay, I made it. This last time it took me two years to read from cover to cover, and I was blessed tremendously and grew so much. This time my plan is to complete my cover-to-cover expedition in a year. I know that there are others that are doing the same thing, and I think it'd be great if we were to encourage each other in our journeys.

My plan is to read through chronologically, because that's how I like it best. It puts the Biblical events in time-line order and puts them in perspective for me. I've done it this way four times now, that I have recorded, and I love it.

I'm not one to get hung up on the schedule. There are days when I read a chapter and others that I read ten—to me the point is that I'm reading and meeting with God. The schedule provides structure for me, but I don't let it bind me up in knots. I'm not one that works well with knots. Realizing that was very freeing for me, and as a result, when I hit the back cover of the Bible—well, when I finish Revelation 22:21 I know that the next passage I'll read is Genesis 1—regardless of what time of year it is.

This last time through, I finished at Christmas and I started in Genesis 1 on December 26th because I didn't want to wait. If I continue at the rate I'm reading right now, I'll be done early. But there are times when I slow down, for many different reasons. So, my goal is to finish by December 31, 2009.

What about you? Do you read cover-to-cover or do you jump around or do Bible studies using a book? I'd love to hear how you approach Bible reading.

I've been turning over ideas of how to encourage each other in this journey and the only one I've settled on so far is a button to put in my side bar. Feel free to copy it (by saving it to your computer) and post it in yours, too. It will not link back to me, although the one in my side bar will link to this post to remind me of my goal to complete my read-through in this calendar year. It is simply a picture to encourage and remind us of our goal. Better yet, make your own button and link it to your post telling us how you read through. I'd love for you to leave me a comment here with a link to your post so I can be encouraged by it.

Also, be sure to check out Linda's Heart of a Ready Writer blog. She's reading through this year too, and blogging about it.

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Creeping Clutter

There are two very distinct parts of my house: the public area and the private area. The public rooms (the living room, kitchen and dining room) are kept neat and clean, but the private area—ay ay yi! They're a mess! If there were a contest for the biggest and best piles, I'd make it into the finals.

I've been operating my life—the internal workings of my life—in the same manner as my housekeeping. The front, public part is kept neat and clean, but the private part of my life—ay ay yi! The clutter has been accumulating there my whole life. Sure, I've gone in and cleaned and weeded out and sorted through and gotten rid of a lot over the years, but there's still clutter in my heart.

The problem with clutter ANYwhere is that it tends to creep, and before you know it, there's evidence of your clutter everywhere. But it's not just that. Living and working in a cluttered place leads to misery. You may not recognize it as misery while you're living in it, but it is. You can't think clearly, or function fully, when there's clutter piled around you. You have to keep stopping what you're doing and search through the clutter, over the clutter, or around the clutter. Or you have to shove it out of the way so you have a place to work, or a place to put more...stuff, which turns into more clutter unless you take care of it correctly.

The same principles are true in your heart as in your home. If the space in your heart is taken up with clutter, there's less room for God to place things. And if He does place something there, will you be able to find it when you want it or need it? How about when God gives you a job and you need to use that certain thing—will you be able to reach out and easily put your hands on it? And don't even try that famous excuse of knowing exactly where things are within the piles. It may be true, but it's even easier to find, and get to things when they're are neat and put away in their home.

Then there's the fact that within your (ok, my) millions of piles, there's millions of things that can be gotten rid of. Things that I should never have kept in the first place. They're eating up valuable space in my home and in my heart.

When I come right down to it and strip away all the excuses, clutter in my home, and in my heart, is just plain SIN.

...let us also lay aside every encumbrance,
and the sin which so easily entangles us...
~Hebrews 12:1

Clutter entangles us just as surely as sin.

Have you tried running while wrapped up in a blanket? How about in a floor length skirt? Your legs become tangled in your skirts and you are, at the very least, slowed down, and more than likely tripped up and taken down. The skirt hinders your progress and your speed.

Get rid of the sin and get rid of the clutter and you'll discover just how free and fast you can move. In your life and for God.

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That I may know Him

This week Joanne at An Open Book is hosting Manna Monday, join us there for links to more thoughts on these wonderful verses.

That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. ~Philippians 3:10-11

That I may know Him. For me that one phrase encompasses and explains so much to me.

“Lord, why did I have Guillain Barre?” ...That I may know Him. I grew spiritually when my legs were almost useless to me. That event, when I was 16, changed the course of my life and set the tone for when many others things came into my life.

“Lord, why did we lose those two babies?” ...That I may know Him. It was while reeling and then healing that I drew close to God and found in Him a constant source of comfort and light in the midst of my grief. I also have every confidence that when the next time of grieving enters my life, that God will be there, shining His light into the darkness that will try to drown me in its depths.

“Lord, why is my dad and my good friend in such constant, debilitating pain?” ...That I may know Him. Witnessing their faith while in such pain encourages and reminds me that He is always there—even when life does its best to squelch our faith.

Whenever I get to wondering about the why's of life, I always come back to this verse. ...That I may know Him. What greater thing in life is there than to know Him? And just think, it doesn't just end with knowing Him, that's just the beginning of eternity. We'll get to be with Him for all eternity.

Join us at An Open Book for more links to Monday Manna.


Missions Matter! ~Blog Giveaway coming November 12th!

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The Smell of Clean

When my husband walked in and said, “Mmm, it smells clean in here!” it made the hour or two I spent mopping all worthwhile. See, to him, Pine Sol smells clean, which means the house is clean, or at least cleaner then it was.

In our line of business, I've been in houses that have made my stomach revolt when the door opened and the stench rolled out to greet us. Our first priority was to get all the doors and windows open so the breeze could blow through, from there we hauled out all the garbage and tore out carpeting. Once all that was done, if the stench was still there, we knew we could bring in charcoal to absorb the smell. Those houses were hideous when we started them, but by the time we were done, they were new inside and they smelled new, too.

That's what God does in our lives. At times, He has to go in and gut our lives to get rid of the stench then build fresh and new. Other times, He gets out His broom and mop and uses a liberal shot of Pine Sol to fight the stains.

Just like cleaning our house involves work, so does cleaning our lives. We need to allow God the freedom to clean as He sees fit. He sees dirt and stains in our lives that we don't notice because, sometimes, the pattern of our life camouflages the dirt, the sin.

The fragrance of God's forgiveness is a clean smell that others recognize and are drawn to. Just like when my husband walked in and immediately smelled, enjoyed, and appreciated the scent of of our home.

The nice thing is that, when God does the cleaning, we don't have to wait until someone tells us it smells clean to make the process seem worthwhile, we can feel the clean and smell that fragrance of forgiveness ourselves. What a wonderful feeling! What a wonderful fragrance! The fragrance of God's forgiveness and grace in our lives.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
~2 Corinthians 2:14-15

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Thy Face I Shall Seek

As I look back at my life, I see times when I've been completely floundering. I don't know which way to turn, or even where to look, and quite often the words of Psalm 27:8 rise like a beacon from the mist.

When Thou didst say, “Seek My face,”
my heart said to Thee, “Thy face, O Lord, I shall seek.”

In the midst of my confusion, hurt, loss or even while in the realm of overwhelmed, God draws me close through those words. As I deliberately turn my face toward Him, and look steadfastly at Him, He meets me where I'm at and He meets my needs. He is always faithful.

Between our two youngest sons, we lost two babies, and the second miscarriage rocked my world like only a few other things have in my life. My faith in God did not waver but my faith in myself was gone. I had four little children that needed me and crawling into a hole wasn't an option. During those hard days I remember making frequent trips to my room, and spending moments with my Bible. I let my fingers roam the pages, rediscovering gems I had found and underlined through the years and I asked God, begged God, to help me through the dark. The more I deliberately turned my face to Him the more peace and healing trickled into my life.

When decisions and changes are looming, I hear Him whisper those words to me and I'm so glad David responded as he did, guiding me to also seek the Lord's face. I've found that even when the wind is blowing and the storm is raging, or when the fog bank has settled around me, I can turn to Him and He will lead me in the path He has for me. As long as I seek His face.

Father, help me to always deliberately seek Your face. In the good times as well as the bad. Thank You for always being there—for being my Rock, my refuge and my fortress—My God, in whom I trust.

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Frequent Flyer Bonus

When I turned 30, my mother informed me it was time to grow up. I drew blood when I bit my tongue to keep from reminding her that I had four children of my own—but she was right. (Yes, Mom, you were right, but you forgot to tell me the rest of the message. Or were you saving that for my 40th birthday?)

There is NO cash back for using your Whining Card. No bonus points. No frequent flyer miles to be gained. No nothing. Not that I would've ever seen those rewards because I was too busy burying my head in the sand, and you just can't see much with your head in a hole. Trust me, I know this from personal experience.

The main thing that whining is NOT: Rejoicing.

You cannot be a rejoicing Christian if you're busy whining.

By the way: Rejoicing DOES come with a frequent flyer bonus! When you choose to rejoice, you are filled with joy and peace returns to you. God's peace. A peace that passes all understanding. It's when you quit whining that Christ shines through you to those around you, illuminating their darkness and helping them through their own tough times.

Shout for joy, O heavens!
And rejoice, O earth!
Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted His people,
And will have compassion on His afflicted.
Isaiah 49:13

This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
Psalm 46:1-5

I will rejoice and be glad in Thy lovingkindness,
because Thou hast seen my affliction;
Thou hast known the troubles of my soul,
and Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
Thous hast set my feet in a large place.
Psalm 31:7-8
I don't know about you, but the bonuses of rejoicing far outweigh those of whining. Not only that, but I never want to hide my head in a hole when it comes to rejoicing. I want to grab onto it and go along for the joyous ride. So the next time I'm tempted to whine I'm going to remember Habakkuk's words:

Yet I will exult in the LORD,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:18

author's note: This message is directed directly at myself. So if you've been whining: fear not. This came as a result of too much whining in my life. Now, I'm leaving that behind and pressing on--and if you hear me start to whine, send me straight to Habakkuk, no passing Go, no collecting $200.

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