Lessons from Galilee

Lately, the Lord has been speaking to me about stepping out of my comfort zone, out of the "boat" where I feel I am safe.  

I don't know where (or to what) He's calling me yet, but I know the call is coming!  He's been using practically everything to speak to me!

I began to hear this message while I was in Israel, standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  As I stood there, wind tugging at my hair and my clothes, I tried to picture a terrifying storm over the peaceful lake, to imagine the fear of the disciples as they struggled to keep their little boat afloat.  And then, to see Him, walking across the tumultuous waves... wow!

As I stood in the gentle surf, I prayed that God would give me Peter's faith.  I know that if I'd been in his sandals, I would have clung to that flimsy boat helplessly, begging Jesus to calm the storm with His words like He'd done before.  But get out?! Yeah, right!  I'm staying right here, where I feel safe!

But fortunately I wasn't on that boat.  And I have the advantage of having read the story.  I know what happens when Peter decides to get out.  He walks on the water, too.  Yeah, he gets scared, takes his eyes off of Jesus, and begins to sink.  But he walked on water, y'all.  

And I have the power to choose that outcome for myself...

if I choose to follow where my Savior calls.

Over Independence Day weekend, I devoured the book Water Walker, by Ted Dekker.  (First part is free for download here.)  Without giving too much of the book away, Water Walker draws a parallel between physical storms and the storms of life.  We live in our little boats, thinking we're safe from drowning in the water, but in reality, the boat creates a false sense of safety.  

I am no more safe in a canoe than I am actually in the water during a storm.  In fact, I am less safe there if I have specifically been called out of the boat.

And then, this week in my devotional, I'm reading about Jonah and how sometimes storms are used to get our attention.  This one part stuck out to me:  God is flushing you out of hiding from behind the perceived protection of your flimsy umbrella.  And then: We are more fearful of the task itself than of the consequences of our disobedience.

What.  

Yeah, basically the same thing He'd been speaking to me about the boat.  Only now there were consequences to disobedience.  I was stricken, convicted.  I immediately wrote in the margin, "I am Jonah!"  But I don't want to be a Jonah.  I want to be a Peter.  

I want to be the one who discounts the fear, the boat's safety, the impossibility of the task.  I want to be the one who boldly says, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water!" (Matthew 14:28 MSG)

So that's been my prayer the last couple of days, that God would give me the courage to accept His call when it comes, that I would look above the rising waves and see His hand held out to me.  

I want to trust that He has prepared me for what He's called me to do.

(And yes, if you were wondering, all these pictures are ones I took of Galilee.  It's just that beautiful!)

Tebow, the Broncos, and Karma -- What I Really Think

Dear Readers,  I don't usually take on topics that could be perceived as controversial.  I try to stay away from issues that are known to spark debate, instead focusing on me, my family, and what God is doing for us.  I believe that's what this blog is for.  But I have something weighing on me that needs to be said.  And, while I feel this topic isn't really "controversial," it is one that might create discord and I am prepared for that.  To any new readers, please know that this kind of post is outside the normal scope of this blog.  I just want to be up front about that.  Thanks for reading.

Last night, after crawling into bed after a dissatisfying Super Bowl game (I'll let you guess who I went for), I opened up my Facebook app to see what the world was saying.  

It was mostly things like, 

"I skipped Downton Abbey for this?!"
That's what I'm saying!
"The best part of the Super Bowl… #jackisback" 
Amen and hallelujah.

"God punished the Broncos for cutting Tim Tebow."

…………………. wait, WHAT?

I don't know if people were joking or not, but it seriously shocked me.  Allowing a certain team to suffer an embarrassing loss in the biggest game of the year just for cutting a certain player?  How could anyone consider that that's even in God's nature?

I'm not trying to single anyone out here; I honestly don't remember who wrote those updates and I don't pretend know the heart behind them.  For all I know, they may have been joking.  If you wrote something along these lines, please don't hear judgment from me.  That's not my heart.  I just don't agree with this sentiment and I wanted to share my reasons why.  If you were saying it in jest, you have my permission to ignore the rest of the post. :)

1.  God is not some big karma-doling Being who spends His time determining who should be punished and how.  Our blessings do not correlate to our behavior.  Jesus said, "For He makes His sun shine on good and bad people alike, and He sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike" (Matthew 5:45 CJB).  God doesn't withhold blessings from the wicked.*  Otherwise how would the wicked ever come to know Him?  I'm not saying the Broncos are wicked.  They are a team made up of people, some of whom I'm sure are believers and some of whom are not.  But that's not the point.  The point is that God isn't punitive, y'all.  If He was, none of us would be standing right now.  I know I wouldn't, anyway.

* Obviously there is a difference in blessings and favor, guys.  I'm not discounting the fact that there is real hand-of-God favor on the lives of all who have chosen to believe in Jesus.  I'm just saying there are certain blessings that are just a part of life.  You win some, you lose some.  Football is football.  Please, let's not make it all religious. :)

2.  This attitude is essentially saying that God favors Tebow over every other football player in Denver.  Combined.  I don't believe my God is capable of that kind of favoritism.  And I don't want to.  I want to believe in a God who loves everyone equally, roots for everyone equally, is just as happy to see Peyton Manning succeed as Tim Tebow or Russell Wilson.  And I do.  I think God was happy to see Wilson lead his team to victory.  I also think that He mourned with Manning and the Broncos.  (I obviously also like to believe in a God who enjoys football.)  And, of course, I sincerely believe that He has plans and a future for Tim Tebow.  Which brings me to my next point…

3.  I can't agree with the belief that Tebow was cut by accident, that God turned His head for a moment and looked back to see -- "OOPS.  I didn't mean for that to happen."  Y'all.  Seriously.  Nothing happens by accident.  Maybe God has bigger plans than for Tim to play football.  Maybe his short football career was a temporary platform for him.  Maybe it was just a way for him to get the nation's attention, for him to publicly challenge people to unashamed faith, for him to communicate his message of life and love and hope.  And maybe Tim will end up playing again.  I don't know.  But I know the Lord is sovereign.  Who am I to question what He does with my life, much less someone else's?

4.  This statement is just poor logic.  If one follows it through, it's basically saying that if the Broncos had retained Tim Tebow as their starting quarterback, they wouldn't have been punished.  In fact, they would have won.  I mean, guys.  Really?  Let's rewind a couple seasons.  AFC Championship 2012.  Denver vs. New England.  Tebow had his chance.  And you know what?  He didn't win.  In fact, the point difference in that game was the same as yesterday's Super Bowl.  Denver lost both games by a whopping 35 points.  Was Denver being punished that year?  If so, for what?  It's just not logical.

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything.  I just wanted to share a different perspective on something I saw repeated on Facebook and I felt like a status update wasn't the place for it.  No one has to agree with me.  But if anyone else was confused and/or shocked by statements similar to these, please know you were not alone. :)

Comments welcome.  You don't have to agree with me.  I'd love to hear what people think. 

Guest Posting at His Ladyship!

Hey, y'all!  I'm guest posting over at His Ladyship today!

The lovely ladies over there have been writing a series entitled "Return to Fairy Tales" and I'm so honored that they asked me to be a part of it!  Head on over there to read about one of my favorite fairy tale princesses and why I want to be just like her!

Dearest Hallie

Dearest Hallie,

Today you turned two.  I can hardly believe it.  I remember holding you in my arms, just seconds old, and thinking you were the most beautiful person I'd ever laid eyes on.

And you were.  And I still think that.

But not because of how you look or how you act, even though both are beautiful.  No, your true beauty lies in whose you are, not who you are (and especially not what you look like).

You are mine.  Mine and your Dad's and God's.  And as long as you're ours, you will be beautiful, no matter what anyone else says.

I remember realizing I was pregnant with you.  I fell in love with you before I even met you.  I knew you were a little girl, but the moment we found out for sure, my heart burst with joy.  God had answered my prayers and given me the desire of my heart.  More than anything else in the world, I wanted a daughter.  (I hold on to that memory on your difficult days because, let's face it, they're called the Terrible Twos for a reason, and you entered that stage a few months early.)

I love you, Hallie Ruth.

I love the way your eyes light up when you get excited… and when you're doing something you know you shouldn't be doing.  I love how you make faces at yourself in the mirror.  I love how the simple things delight you, how you would be happy to swing at the park for hours if I had the strength and patience to push you (I'm sorry that I don't).  I love having tea parties with you, playing with you, talking with you, singing with you.

I love that you love shoes and pigtails and bracelets and lipstick and sunglasses.  I love that you love princesses and babies and stuffed animals.  I love your obsession with your (stuffed) puppies, Cuddles and Twinkle.  I love how you talk to them, like you expect them to respond.  ("Cuh-yules, where aaaaare you?")  I love the way you sing "Bob Tomato" at the top of your lungs, getting almost every word, and then laugh when-- "Look, Cucumber fall down!"

I love the way you talk, how you finish nearly every phrase with an exclamation point.  I love your little voice when I get you up from sleeping:  "G'morning, Mommy!  I'n awake!"  I love your "tank-yew"s and your "yew wekkom"s.  I love how you say "Sah-weh-yah" (Cinderella) and "Bay-elle" (Belle) and "See Booty" (Sleeping Beauty).  I love that you call things "cute" and "pitty" and "fee-ful."

Today, I want to make you a few promises.

I will always love you; nothing you ever, ever do will change the way I feel about you.  I will always encourage you to be the best person you can be.  I will always choose to be your mother over being your friend.  I will always help you weather the storms of life, not shielding you, but beside you.  I will always be there for you--until death prevents me--to talk, to listen, to share life.

I will push you to try new things.  I will encourage you to read, dance, make music and art, write, and sing.  I will aid you in discovering what you're good at, what you love, and then assist you in becoming better.  I will let you learn from your mistakes as much as I can.  I will help you become independent.  I will teach you about being a woman and a wife and a mother and making a house a home.  I will show you how to cook and clean and manage a house (although I may send you to Nana's to learn from her!).

I will help you set high standards for friendships, for boys, and for yourself.  I will assist you in finding God's purpose for your life and then achieving it.  I will teach you that honoring God with your life is the most important thing you can ever do.  I will show you what it means to trust Him with everything.  I will help you understand that both blessings and trials are a part of life and that the tough times will make you stronger.  I will instruct you about true beauty and who you really are.

I will never value your physical self more than your spiritual or emotional self.  I will never insist on you becoming something that you are not.  I will never pressure you to look a certain way.  I will never compare you to anyone else.  I will never shelter you from the consequences of your choices, because that's how we learn, but I will always offer help if you ask for it.  I will never judge you or condemn you, no matter what.

I will always be your biggest fan, your cheerleader, your protector, your comforter, your mother.

And I will always keep my promises to you.

Happy birthday.

Love,
Your Mama

Swinging at 9 months

First birthday

Swinging at 12 months

Swinging at 23 months