On 5-Minute Friday we get our prompt from www.thegypsymama.com then write for five minutes.  Wild and free!  With nothing to shackle us but our stop clock!  Then we all link up into a community … a landscape that changes every Friday.  Sometimes, my OCFG BBear joins us (like today!).  Ready?  Let’s do this thing!

From BBear …

Seems that opportunity should be preceded by the words "looking for an ....".   I've been looking out my window-over-Denver as the sun rises and thinking, I'm so glad I didn't miss this opportunity to be present to the beauty of the first soft rays lighting up the "misty moisty morning" atmosphere like a Chinese lantern.

I would have missed of it had not been for the neighbor walking his dog right by that window --- I had my head down reading when I heard him and looked up.

I am just plain glad for incidents that alert me to NOW --- the opportunity right in front of me.

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“Come One, Come All!  Step right up to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity,” the barker cried!  His voice rang out clear and enticing across the midway.  Wide-eyed, little Peggy Sue bit into her cone of pink cotton candy as she pondered what opportunity lay behind the tent flap.

Her Dad was always talking about deserving an opportunity and her Mom was always calling someone she assumed lived down the street, Mr. Opportunity.  What or who was inside the tent?  She fished her gummy fingers into her dress pocket withdrawing three quarters and a dime - all that remained from her day at the fair.  She turned her pocket inside out … there must be another dollar in there she was sure of it.  She looked around her feet and back the way she’d come.  The sign on the tent read, “$1.50,” and she kicked at the dirt, ‘who stole that dollar,’ she wondered?  She approached the tent slowly, “Beat it, kid,” the barker spat in her direction.

Crestfallen that she couldn’t see the opportunity, Peggy Sue walked on and finished her spun sugar treat.  The sun was low over the trees and she knew she had to be home by dark.  She quickened her pace.  Up ahead she saw a couple of people waving to the exiting fairgoers.  They looked like happy people and she hurried to see what opportunity they were selling.

As she got closer she could feel their excitement.  “Step right up and learn about the risen Lord Jesus,” they called!  “We have a bible for anyone interested in this super opportunity!”  She walked up to the gentle looking woman who was smiling at her as she approached. 

“How much?” Peggy Sue whispered, hoping it was less than 85 cents.    

The lady’s eyes lit up as she laughed and said, “Why sugar, it’s free!”

The nice lady knelt down and took Peggy Sue’s hands in hers.  She was warm and smelled like cinnamon, “Jesus is free for everyone and the best opportunity that you will ever hear about!”

Peggy Sue relaxed.  She felt good standing next to this lady.

“And you know what,” she asked?  “I’ve got a free bible here with your name on it!”

Her eyes grew large, “Free,” she questioned?  The lady nodded and smiled.

“Wow,” said Peggy Sue as her eyes grew moist at the thought. “This opportunity is the best ever!”                                  

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend everyone!

PS:  And yes, I apologize; I did go a tad over 5 minutes!

Don’t you love when you’re in your bible and stumble across a verse that just catches you?  Speaks volumes into your heart?  Me too. 

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

~ Proverbs 3:3

When I read this short Proverb yesterday my hand immediately went to my chest and I found myself fingering my cross … Christ bound around my neck …

His love and faithfulness written on my heart.

Many of you know that I did not grow up Catholic (Christ Followers have adopted the symbol of the cross empty of Christ to represent their faith), but this gorgeous necklace was a gift from my parents after a trip to Ecuador … chosen for me and blessed by a priest.

Remind yourself today of His love and faithfulness.

Remember that He will never leave you.

Linking up today with WFW and Scripture in a Picture

o … I’m being reminded again of just how hard it is for us to trust and obey God.

Are you a watcher?  Do you keep your eyes peeled for a sign?  And, if the answer is yes, how do you know what you’re seeing is an actual sign?

If we talk to God in faith, He is talking to us.  Through our walk, we develop ways in which we best hear God speaking and for most of us it’s through reading His word.  Some of us see signs from God in our dreams or through visions.  Some of us receive guidance through ‘hearing’ (not audibly) a prophetic word or a word of knowledge as an address to a scripture which will directly speak to our issue.  And some of us audibly hear from God; consider those in a life or death situation who hear someone say, “turn the wheel” or “jump” or “run” to avert some sort of imminent danger.

But how do you know what you are seeing is a sign … an omen … and is a sign from God?  And doesn't this go against God's word in Deuteronomy 18:10?

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,

Is concluding that a particular cloud formation is a sign you should pay attention to, actually interpreting that cloud as some sort of omen? 

I’m wondering about this because I’m asking a lot of questions of God these days and am waiting for answers.  So when I see something like this cloud formation, I could interpret it as God telling me to “Go North” (since that’s the way the formation is pointing).

It was actually a cloud formation like this that was the catalyst for this post.  Because when I saw it I laughed and said to myself, “someone might look at that and believe they were supposed to go north.

When I looked back at the cloud formation a few minutes later, it looked more like this.  Which made me think … woe to those who didn’t look back at the cloud for confirmation.

But the real question remains … if we’re searching for signs … does that mean that we don’t trust God? 

One of my favorite Pastors, Greg Thompson (SHVChurch), has just started a series on Trust and on Sunday reminded us of a bible story that so perfectly describes the human condition when it comes to trusting our Lord.  In Mark 9 a man brings his demonized son to Jesus for healing (trust).  Jesus asks what he wants Him to do.  The man answers, “If you can …” (wavering trust).  Jesus, indignant, “IF you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.”  Of course the man believes - at least a little bit - or he wouldn’t have brought his son to Jesus in the first place.  I can imagine what this father is feeling.  He has just risked upsetting the one man on earth who can … maybe … help his son.  He answers Jesus,

I do believe … help me with my unbelief.   ~ Mark 9:24(b)

Perfect. 

Yes, Lord, I do believe and yet - help me believe.

We believe.  We trust.  We waver.  We wonder.  We believe … again.

We all go through turbulence as we are buffeted by the storms of life.

Sometimes we can easily throw a problem or issue on to God’s large shoulders and fully trust Him to take care of it.  Sometimes we start by trusting and then waver and perhaps stumble … all before we shake off our disbelief and remember to put our trust in Him.

Let’s not bother searching for signs.  If God has something to tell you, He will ensure that you hear Him. 

As Pastor Greg reminded us on Sunday, “Jesus is your True North.”

… and do not give the devil a foothold.  ~ Ephesians 4:27

Last night I awoke at 2:02am. 

Normally when I’m awakened at that time it’s the Holy Spirit who wants to use as me as an intercessor for someone else.

For some reason last night … I didn’t do that.

I didn’t search myself for whom I should pray for. 

I didn’t even think one instant about doing the Lord’s work.

I hit the sleep-timer on my radio, set it for 60 minutes, and tuned in to an overnight, national program called Coast-to-Coast.

As they came out of their commercial break, I fluffed my pillow and rolled over.

If you’re unfamiliar with Coast-to-Coast, it’s a program that explores everything wild, weird, and wacky.  It is sometimes entertaining and often hysterically funny … alleged alien abductions, ghosts, crop circles, planets that are right this very minute hurtling themselves through space to smash into earth, and end-of-the-world philosophies due to the culmination of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012. 

Most of the time the topic is truly outlandish and I lay there and laugh myself to sleep.  Other times it’s a little more serious and I cheer when a Christian calls in to refute the guest.  Most always I pray for all of those listening.  That they would seek their answers elsewhere, that they would turn to God instead of this program or the guest speaker, that they would use a critical ear and not believe a word of what they were hearing.

I ache that so many souls in this world still search for answers.  They try to fill the hole inside of their soul.  They look for fulfillment … for hope, and peace, and love.

All the while God stands before them waiting for them to look to Him.

Sometimes I cry or moan when words can’t express the anguish I feel as I call out for the Lord’s help.

I pray until I fall asleep … except for last night.

Last night the guest being interviewed proclaimed herself as a witch. 

I settled in.  I said to myself, ‘Now this should be interesting.’  I thought I was going to have a laugh.

Questioned vaguely by the host (this was the 2^nd hour of the program) the witch may have pacified a great many people by saying she believed in god (I assume small “g”) but not necessarily Jesus; and believed in the rights of all people to believe and practice whatever religion they wanted as long as they didn’t harm the plant and animal kingdoms.  She even quoted out of Genesis.

I did hear a few callers and was horrified at the depth of their questions … for a witch.  I began to notice that when answering each of the callers she incorporated some sort of chant about living in the light or being light.

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

  ~ 2 Corinthians 11:14

Meanwhile, I was getting sick.

Physically sick.

Sweating … clammy … and extremely nauseous.

I could no longer hear the guest speaking.  Her voice had dissolved into a guttural growling.

It wasn’t my reception … I could clearly hear the host introducing callers.

The awareness that I was going to vomit was suddenly imminent and I heaved myself off the bed, poked off the program, and dashed into the bathroom.

2:22am

20 minutes had passed.

20 minutes I danced with the devil.

20 minutes I subjected the Holy Spirit to fending off this attack.

When I returned to bed I put on a Christian music station and set the sleep timer. 

I wanted to weep, but could not.

I should have wept and prayed for the minions that were listening that didn’t have God to protect them.

But I didn’t.  I wanted to weep for my own stupidity.  For my own carelessness.

For inviting the devil into my bedroom … into my ears … into my mind.

I brought this attack on myself.

Me … fully responsible.

Paul has told us and we need to listen …

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

~ Colossians 3:2

In prayer I praised the Lord for His mercy and thanked the Holy Spirit for His protection. 

I pled for forgiveness, surrendering my sin of allowing the filth of the devil to invade my being through my ears.

I finished with, “Amen.” 

And only then did I sleep soundly wrapped in the loving arms of my Lord.

Have you ever danced with the devil?

I don’t know what Chihuly was thinking when he put together this masterpiece for the Phoenix (AZ) Desert Botanical Gardens installation but all I could think about was that this boat sunk because everyone crowded into it to be with Jesus.

Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him.

~ Mark 3:9

Can you blame them?  He was pure love. 

He was their long-awaited Messiah.

His message rang true in their hearts.

Small boat or large, Jesus could not escape the crowds.

Even today … every molecule of our soul longs to be with him.

He is Love.  He is Truth.  He is our Messiah.  

And … look … I think there is room for us in the boat.

Linking up today with the creatives at Word-Filled Wednesday.

eal.  My memory took me back to a time when a boy called me “real” and I thought it was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to me.  I still do.  Giving and receiving compliments is a skill we all learn growing up; but not all compliments reach the level of importance that this one, or others like it, did. 

It’s a small but significant difference.  An admiring comment given about someone’s beauty or outfit or hairstyle is flattering but superficial.  The essential stuff lies beneath the outside shell.  It’s the skill that you know the person worked hard to master, the obstacle they overcame, or the godly characteristic they outwardly display.  People appreciate truly being seen and we can cast deep encouragement over one another by taking the time to notice and vocalize our support.

How important can a word be?  Well let’s see …

  God spoke the world into being in Genesis 1 … that was pretty powerful.

  Isaiah thanked God for giving him the words to encourage others …

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.                                                       

~ Isaiah 50:4(a)

And why do we, as Christ Followers, often pray that the Holy Spirit will speak through us to others?  Because deep within our soul we know how significant - how potent - how life changing - how awe inspiring - how powerful is the spoken word.  We know that what comes out of our mouths can slice and dice a heart - or - germinate strong character. 

It may help to think of our words as gifts.  Large or small power-packages given to possibly brighten someone’s day, or as the young man who called me ‘real’, potentially impact an entire life.

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

~ Proverbs 25:11

Words that don’t encourage make us gloomy.  Even back in 1876 when Dr. Brewster Higley wrote a poem with the line:  “Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.”  The wrong word has the power to act like a cloud ... dark and ominous … blocking out the sun’s light.

I remember the meaningful comments that others have given me … may be even more than I remember the ridicule or excessive criticism that I’ve received.  Now as a volunteer in Lay Counseling for my church, I am more easily able to see the effects of words given with intent to harm.  Small gnarly gifts of back-handed compliments or words said with thinly veiled contempt.   The devastation that can be wreaked is astounding.  Lies that are spoken to us in an instant but that Satan can echo for years. 

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

~ Proverbs 18:21

Oh, how I wish the words I said were always kind, considerate and thoughtful; that my words would truly be gifts to others like apples of gold.  But even while I seek to say the right thing, let me never forget that even the right words are eroded if not accompanied by the right spirit … in love and humility and grace.  It is essential that we strive to support people with our words, buoy them, and encourage them.

Because, thirty years later, one young man’s kind words are still encouraging me.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you for the awesome gift you have given me in the Holy Spirit to speak confidently into others lives.   Since "life and death" are in the power of the tongue let me concentrate on enlivening people's hearts; let me speak words inspired by the Holy Spirit that will infuse only hope, and cheer, and insight, and wisdom.  Let me always speak Your truth with the grace and compassion You have shown me.  Amen.

On 5-Minute Friday we get our prompt from www.thegypsymama.com then write for five minutes.  Wild and free!  With nothing to shackle us but our stop clock!  Then we all link up into a community … a landscape that changes every Friday.  Sometimes, my OCFG Brenda joins us (like today!).  Ready?  Let’s do this thing!

If I could just identify the problem here, or if I could identify my feelings...the culprit...the reason for her resistance...and on and on.

Going through the day we are continually scrutinizing great and trivial items to classify their identity---to decide just how important they are to us.

Just yesterday a friend was telling me that if I can identify who I am and what I want, my identity, I will be able to proceed to set boundaries in my life and therefore live a more productive peaceful existence.

Decisions decisions decisions!  Choices choices choices!  No wonder I go to bed so tired.

~ BBear

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now that I’m all grown up I realize my identity is in Christ.  Oh how much time and angst and gnashing of teeth might have been avoided had I realized that so many years ago?  How much of our lives is spent searching for our identity … searching for eternity within ourselves.  Finding ourselves …as if our-self is the be-all end-all.  Could I have avoided that time wasted, not working for the Kingdom?  Probably not.  All that I am today was made inside that time spent searching.  In preparation.  Do you think we could ever muscle patience enough for ourselves that God has with us?

In Christ my identity remains the same - constant - consistent.

I am but the Lord’s child.  Striving to produce the fruits of the spirit.

It doesn’t matter what hat I put on each morning or what clothes I change into during the day.

Nothing else matters and everything matters.  My identity …

All that I am - is in Christ. 

Amen.

As a Christian I work hard to “give it all to God” and be at peace in my mind and heart; but some things just get on my nerves and I recently said to myself, “Self, you have a blog. Write it!”  Maybe this will help, so indulge me for a minute or two and feel free to agree, disagree, and/or comment on what drives you crazy (but keep it clean!).

Sayings & Phrasings (in no particular order):

1. Give it all to God.  Now as a Christian I do give it all to God but I need to stop saying it.  I can see many non-Christians roll their eyes because they don’t get it.  I want them to get it but if saying this turns them off then I need to keep my mouth shut.  Maybe I’ll pray on it for awhile.

2.  Pray on it.  Christians do pray to God about everything ~ and that’s how it should be.  But I think we should reserve this phrase solely for other Christians (see number 1 above).

3.  Do the math.  For heaven’s sake do it yourself!  Is it that the speaker can’t do the math and hopes someone in the audience can?  Because when we whip out our calculators (or phones, pads, or tablets) and get around to performing this magical, mystical operation; I know we'll surely discover a wonderful thing by subtracting 3 from 4.

On 5-Minute Friday we get our topic from www.thegypsymama.com then write for five minutes.  Unfettered, free, and liberated from editing! There may never be any Nobel Peace Prize winning prose ~ just 5 minutes of stream-of-consciousness thought.  You never know what brilliance your inner-creative is going to produce.  Ready?  Let’s do it!

ne of the greatest compliments I ever received was from a guy I was sweet on way back in my late teens.  He said, “I like you because you’re real.”  Obviously it meant a great deal to me because I still remember him saying it and I can even recall where we were when he said it! 

Such a big impact from such a little word.

I also made a commitment to myself at that point that I would never be thought of as fake.  And I think, for the most part, I’ve upheld that.  Oh, there was probably some struggle during the formative years, weaving and bobbing and trying to figure where you fit into your world. 

But years later, I had confirmation that I was keeping true to my pledge when a peer exec said, “I like talking to you because you always tell me how it is.”  Ah … I thought, so proud of myself … I was maintaining “real”.  But true growth was unmistakable with his second sentence, “Oh, other people say it like it is too, but you do it with such grace.”

The words rang in my ears … “You do it with such grace.”

That was a reality that I wasn’t prepared for.  That was evidence of God in me. 

Speaking the truth with grace … that was being “real” that was infinitely more substantial.  That is a real I want to sustain every day.

STOP