New Year's Resolutions Down the Drain Already?

Welcome, my friends, to a new year! Have you already given up on some new resolutions made in all sincerity and desire? Don't get discouraged and give up hoping for real change yet! Maybe it's just the right time to catch a fresh vision... I don't do New Year's resolutions anymore, at least not in the traditional sense. Several years ago resolutions morphed into goals...that sounded more realistic and achievable! In more recent years the whole concept has been revamped, but by the end of the year it becomes clear to me how trapped and enslaved I still am by the realization that it's all been done mostly by self-effort and self-improvement under the guise of growing in godliness...How very much I desire to live by grace and not by legalism, and yet I repeatedly find myself bound by rules and concepts, as if I was wrapped in double-sided sticky tape. The harder I try to escape and live in true freedom, the more tightly entangled I've become by the deceitful lies I allow to enter into my mind gate. That's one of my constant struggles AND resolutions--I resolve to become more attuned to and aware of capturing all the messages bombarding my mind and using newly acquired edit controls to assess the validity of each before allowing them entrance and setting up housekeeping. Most often the junk and lies are accepted as truth before I know what's happened, and then the walls of my mind are gradually, stealthily decorated with ugly, dark, and heavy stuff that takes me way out of balance and is very aesthetically unpleasing. Can anyone relate? Some of the most recent smelly rubbish hanging has been self-condemnation, shame, and a critical spirit towards others. Absolute yuck! Time to redecorate...Having a background in design, I understand the principles of design all too well. I just haven't applied my understanding to my soul!! It's so much easier to achieve captivating design with visible "things" in the world around me, yet such a full-time challenge with genuine "interior" design. I'm not at all inspired by what hangs in my mind, in fact, more often dragged down by all of it. Soooo, this being said, may I encourage you to join me in resolving to: stop working to improve anything about myself apart from our Father's love, power, and grace. Let me know if this resonates with you. Resolutions are great as long as that means the humble resolving to trust God in every part of my life by His truly amazing grace!! I'll be sending out practical tips on a semi-regular basis to encourage us along the way...and I want to hear your ideas and comments!

If I'm a Princess, Then Where is My Castle?

Whether or not I feel like it all of the time, God sees me through the precious blood of Jesus as His daughter, a royal princess. Wow! Still blows my mind to truly accept this reality. Princesses live in castles, right? Oh, how I would absolutely love to live in a castle! And I can, and so can you. It's a possibility through my daily choosing.

How?

Consider this often-quoted verse from Nehemiah in the eighth chapter and tenth verse: "...Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Joy
is the settled state of contentment, confidence, and hope. It is rooted in God. It is an inner sense of exaltation and
confidence in God, which the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers and
which we experience despite present sufferings.
We do not seek joy as a thing, but as a Person, the Person of God
Himself. He is my exceeding joy! (Psalm 43:4)

Strength
as used in Nehemiah 8:10 is not an ability given to me, it is a place. Strength here is a noun, as in
stronghold or fortress. This word
strength is used 50 times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament as
a stronghold. A stronghold is that in
which a person trusts (good or bad). This
stronghold means a refuge, to be too strong for, to protect, to be kept safe, to
lift high (out of the pit).

So, in very simplistic terms, when I choose to be content and exult in the LORD, no matter the circumstances, or my present emotions, joy in the LORD is my place of safety and refuge. Isn't that what a castle is? How amazing and wonderful!

Heard

Not only do I have a problem with being "visible" to others, and accepting the "ok-ness" of allowing others to see me, I struggle with being heard. Mumbling, softly spoken, monotone, mealy-mouth comments, all describe my communication style. Old tapes playing in my mind, "No one cares what you have to say", "You have nothing to say", "I might be criticized if what I say is wrong" over and over. Uncertainty, not confidence is conveyed most often when I dare to speak. But I am very encouraged by my Bible reading today, especially in two verses. First, 1 Timothy 4:15 says, "take pains with these things (my spiritual gifts) ; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all." I am to be so living out my spiritual gifts that others will see them. And that's not only OK, but it's one of the reasons for employing the gifts given to me. SO THAT my progress will be obvious to others! Wow! How foreign this concept is to me, the shrinking violet...It's more than OK to allow others to see my progress, because it's really God, showing Himself through me! And visibility includes my voice. My voice is one of the ways God provides the way for me to be seen. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) More reinforcement and admonition for me to allow others to see my works. It's OK. May I become faithful to let my voice be heard and my works be seen without any self-absorption or self-consciousness. Thank You, Lord.

Visible or Invisible?

I am reminded of two opposing
photos that captured my attention a few months ago. Both were color photographs of sea life in
the depths of the ocean where only experts dare venture. One was of a very bright orange fish with
bold bulging eyes amidst some colorful plant life. The other one appeared to be merely a shot of
the variegated yet somewhat monotoned seaweed.
Upon instruction to look more closely, I discovered the form of a sea
horse in amongst the plants. How
incredible for it to be so well disguised, yet very much alive and distinctly
present. Almost immediately, even though
in the presence of others, I felt the overwhelming urge to cry. Two thoughts sparked intense feelings connected with the hidden person
of my soul. First of all, I realized
that if God took the time and effort to create such an exotic specimen as the
orange fish, which may never again be seen by another human eye or even survive the
next day, just because He could, and just because He knows it is there and
brings Him glory by its very existence, how much more significance and purpose
do I have? I am humbled by the
thought. God is glorified best when we
are who we are and not because of anything else.
And I am who I am because of whom He made me to be and all He makes is
good. Secondly, the comparison can be
seen in my issue of “innies” (introverts) and “outies” (extroverts).
When I view the two photos side by side, how can I possibly determine
which creature has more value? Yes, one
is immediately more eye-catching, but does that mean it is more valuable or
even more likeable?

From a Rocky Mountain High

Growing up at the foot of the Rocky Mountains during the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s, I had more than my share of exposure to every kind of "high". Living next to the "Mile High City" of Denver was one physical high, hiking to the top of 12,000 ft high mountains was definitely another 'high'. Home was in Boulder, the hippie capital of the world, which provided opportunity for the prevalent psychedelic 'high'. The "Rocky Mountain High" sung by John Denver in 1972 described a peaceful kind of 'high' that was elusive to me. One thing was for sure, I was anything but high on hope. My life lacked meaning, purpose, and passion. Oddly enough, I was determined to be an excellent student, and possibly be the only teenager in the county to refuse to drink, try drugs, or be sexually active. I took great pride in being a "goody-two-shoes". But not because I was such a great religious person. In fact the opposite was true. I was clueless about God and all religion. My high moral standards were due mostly to my highly moral parents, and because I was afraid to do anything that would displease them. I also had a few wonderful girlfriends. Fear ruled my life for over forty years, so I'm just now grasping my true identity, allowing myself to dream, and live in real hope. It's been a rough life-journey, but worth every step...