Weeds or Flowers?

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

As I sat and looked at the tan, brittle sticks - which are called weeds - growing out of the planter on my deck I thought "This is where my life has gone."

In years past, the planter would have been full of beautiful flowers and the entire deck would have been filled with lots of hanging baskets and flower boxes with lots of brightly colored petals of happiness. But things had taken a turn and life isn't what it used to be.

I got up and walked back into the house not bothering to pull the weeds in that box (or any of the other boxes on the deck). Funny thing is, while I don't like the weeds, I understand them. When life gets turned upside down, sometimes you have to choose what to focus on. And in this time, our focus isn't on beauty on the outside. It's on beauty on the inside.

Inside the house is an elderly parent who needs a lot of care, a married couple that has to find time for each other. Involved with this house are adult children and grand-children that need love and hugs and time. Extended from this house are family and people - lots of people that God has shared with us. People who need love and encouragement, people who need to see Jesus with skin on. We don't always manage the chaos well but, we try to put our focus where it needs to be.

Yes, I do prefer flowers instead of weeds in my flower boxes but there is one thing I prefer more than that. It's planting flowers in people's lives. I tolerate the weeds until I can get to them. I guess somewhere along the way you have to choose where you want to see the brightly colored petals of happiness.

Can Witnessing Really Be That Simple?

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-19 (NLT)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Acts 1:8 (NLT)

In Matthew 28, Jesus tells us to go - in other words - live your life. Live - BE. This term can be translated to mean "as you go". So, as you go, make disciples.  In Acts 1:8 it tells us that we are to be Jesus witness. To witness is to give "evidence of something." As you are living and being and experiencing, your reactions, your responses, your actions should give evidence that Jesus is in your heart.

So, would an accurate paraphrase of these two combined verses be

"Live your life and as you are doing that, show everyone what you know about me so that from your life they have proof that I am alive. When you do that, people will follow me. And remember, you are not alone. We will be with you."

Or maybe more simply.....

Love Me With All Your Heart
Live Your Life Fully
I'll Do The Rest

A Minute In It - From Troubles To Praise

A minute in God's word will change your life. Take a minute to read the passage below. Then, ask yourself the questions at the bottom of the post.

 Be good to me, God—and now!
    I’ve run to you for dear life.
I’m hiding out under your wings
    until the hurricane blows over.
I call out to High God,
    the God who holds me together.
He sends orders from heaven and saves me,
    he humiliates those who kick me around.
God delivers generous love,
    he makes good on his word.

I find myself in a pride of lions
    who are wild for a taste of human flesh;
Their teeth are lances and arrows,
    their tongues are sharp daggers.

Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!

They booby-trapped my path;
    I thought I was dead and done for.
They dug a mantrap to catch me,
    and fell in headlong themselves.

I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
    “Wake up, soul!
Wake up, harp! wake up, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

I’m thanking you, God, out loud in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.

Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
Psalm 57 (MSG)

What was David's focus when he started writing? What was his focus at the end of the Psalm? What changed his focus? How about you? What are you focusing on today?

Some Days You Just Need To Be Held

I cried out, “I am slipping!”
    but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind,
    your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 94:18-18 (NLT)

I was going through a really rough time. Everything was caving in and I felt like I couldn't hold on. A friend called and told me to listen to the song by Casting Crowns called Just Be Held.

Here are some of the words.

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

Why is it so hard for us to let God hold us and trust that his grip is firm and strong? He is able to hold us with his mighty right hand and with the other, sweep away all that is not in his plan.

There are days where you have to fight and then there are the days where you just need to be held. And that's OK.

A Heart Where It Should Be

Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” John 2:16 (NLT)

Jesus was angry. As he walked into the temple he heard the sound of animals, bargaining, bantering, and money exchanging hands. Where was he?  He was in the outer courts of the temple. This was the place that was supposed to attract folks to God who were not Jewish. It was the place that was intended to help them. Instead, it was being used to make a profit.

Jesus was offended that God's house, this place where God was to reside, was turned into a place where the only focus was financial gain. He said "Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!"

Makes you wonder.....these days we don't so much have temples with outer courts The house where God resides is supposed to be our hearts. If Jesus were looking into our hearts, would he see a place that had been turned into a marketplace or would he see a place that invited in those who needed him? Which priority would he find?

Well Worth The Pain

Please, God, I have two requests;
    grant them so I’ll know I count with you:
First, lay off the afflictions;
    the terror is too much for me.
Second, address me directly so I can answer you,
    or let me speak and then you answer me. Job 13:20-22 (NLT)

Doesn't this sound like us sometimes? Something goes wrong and our response is to say to God "STOP!" And our second response is to ask him "What are you doing?" and "Why won't you answer me?"

When we are faced with trials and tests and life's yucky stuff, we want to know what God is doing and we want him to stop. But you see, it's in this place, in our place of helplessness that we grow closer to God. We've lost our self-sufficiency and we have nowhere else to go. We move closer to him and he draws near to us.

And that is what God wants. He wants our hearts. He wants us to be in a relationship with him so he allows the challenges to come. Then, at the end we can say like Job did "Before I only heard of who you were through others, now I know for myself." And just like with Job, knowing him yourself is well worth the pain.

Friendships God's Way

As soon as he [David] had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 1 Samuel 18:1 (ESV)

David and Jonathan had a friendship that defies normal. Jonathan was Saul's son and was in line to inherit the crown and rule Israel. There was just one problem. God had chosen David to be the next King.

Unlike his father, Saul, Jonathan was not jealous of David. He loved him so much that he was willing to risk his life for him. But, I think more then he loved David, he loved God. When I read the story of Jonathan and David, especially when Jonathan dies, I marvel at the love between them and I marvel at Jonathan's willingness to do anything for David.

I ask myself "Why?" What would make Jonathan so willing to sacrifice everything for his friend? I believe it was his love for his God that allowed him to behave in this way. Human beings, no matter how much we want to be noble and good, we struggle. We struggle with thoughts of ourselves and what we want to see happen. It's only when God is the center of our lives, only when God is leading our thoughts that we can rise above our selfish natures and live a magnanimous life.

Jonathan did that. He gave everything to bring about God's plan even if he wasn't in the center of it. I want to be like Jonathan. Wouldn't it be amazing to look at someone's blessings and be truly happy for them? Wouldn't it be freeing to step in and help someone even if it will benefit them way more than it will benefit me?  Wouldn't my heart be in the perfect place if I was able to honor God's plans for someone's life before I even thought of my own?  Yes, I would like to be like Jonathan.

One God For All People

Our Father in heaven,
    may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
    as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
    as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
    but rescue us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:9-13 (NLT)

I heard a sermon recently....well, actually I heard a couple of lines in the sermon where the speaker pointed out in that in The Lord's prayer, it starts out with "Our Father." (That's where I stopped listening and started pondering.) Ours. Not yours. Not mine. Not a certain denomination, religion, race, gender or behavior but all of ours.

He doesn't belong to any one person. We are all in this together. The prayer goes on to say

Give us
Forgive us
Keep us
Rescue us

For those of us that somehow turn those into me statements, well, that's not what it says. How did our faith get so messed up that we began thinking it was about 'me'? How did we make it exclusive instead of inclusive?

God is so much bigger than that. I wish we were too.