Christmas Memories

Fruitcake always gets a bad rap this time of year. Apparently, it's known as a pity gift to people or a gift for someone you don't particularly like. My son Trevor is in a play on Sunday, and he was practicing his lines today. His very first line mentions "fruitcake." He went on practicing, but I couldn't get the fruitcake out of my mind.

Dewayne has always been special. I'm not really sure of the medical abnormalities that he may suffer with, but he is indeed special in other ways too. Always eager to help, and always willing to lend a hand or a strong back, Dewayne loves his church and community. Affectionately known as "Chick," to most people, the story is told that when he was a child, he didn't think there would be enough to eat for a particular meal. He went to the yard and wrung a chicken's neck, and carried it to his mother to cook. In his heart of hearts, Dewayne always just wants to help. He loves Jesus, and He loves people.

When I was a child, he loved the kids in our church. Even though his legal age was that of an adult, he played with the kids in the church in the yard during choir practice. He was literally our tree that swung us around by our hands, ankles, and was always picked first for a team when we were going to play Red Rover. He was an umpire during softball games in the cemetery (don't ask), and he was the resident referee during times of squabbles and disagreements. Every summer, he would come and get my sister and me and take us fishing. He patiently baited our hook only to watch us cast the line straight into the tree.

And Every Christmas, without fail, he would bring a fruitcake to our home. His sister apparently made fruitcakes for friends/family each year, and Dewayne always made sure that our family received one. He didn't have much to give, but he made sure that we knew we were loved. And we did. When I was a really small child, I didn't see the big deal about fruitcake. But as I grew, I realized the sentiment behind the fruitcake. No, he didn't make it with his own hands, and no, he probably didn't pay for it either, but he made sure that we got one. Because he loves us.

Today he still loves us, and I know it. When I'm in town, he always wants to see me to see how I'm doing. He always tells me that he's proud of me, even though I'm 35 years old now. And he loves my children, even though he doesn't know them that well.

I wish everyone loved like that. I wish everyone knew the joy that Dewayne carries in his heart. I've never seen a heart so pure.

This time of year, we get hurried, frazzled, stressed, and downright angry at the way people act. And sadly, sometimes the holidays bring out the worst in us. This year, I'd give anything to have a piece of that fruitcake...just to remember the depth of love that we as Christians can display if we just spend time and share with others. We don't have to give extravagant gifts or decorate elaborate cookies. Sometimes the most-often joked-about gift can be the best...as long as the recipient knows we care.

The Ultimate Joy Sucker--Customer Service

John 15:10-12, "When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you."

Shop online, they said. It'll be simpler, they said. Sure! I've shopped almost entirely online for the past several years for my Christmas list, and so far, most things have gone smoothly. Until this year. Twice this week I have had to make several calls, only after chatting online too, to two different stores for lost orders, items that won't ship, and mis-delivered orders. Sigh. Each time I call or chat, I'm met with either someone who isn't fluent in my native language or someone who just doesn't understand my situation. After each interaction, I'm frustrated and still have no solution to the problem I just called about. After my last phone call with Kohl's, I opened my email to find a new order placed on my behalf by the representative I just talked with, and she got the order wrong!!! Ugh!!! Now my problems are even more complicated than before!

All of the items are needed. I bought some coats for kids that don't have one, and the other item I only bought because I got a REALLY good deal on it. All of my kids' other gifts are accessories to THIS gift, and if it doesn't arrive and other stores sell out, I've got to do my Christmas shopping ALL OVER AGAIN!!

Can you tell I'm frustrated?!?!

My husband and I have both worked in positions where we were the person on the other end of the phone or across that counter that is receiving the frustrated message from a customer that just wants the situation rectified. And most of the time, the customer isn't very kind. I mean, it's their job as a Customer Service Representative to represent the company to the customer. Therefore, their job is to take the heat and make the situation right. Right? Technically. But not morally.

Inside I know how that customer service representative feels. They're taking the heat for a policy and a problem which they did not create. They didn't make the stupid policy. And they didn't forget to personally ship your order. And they certainly did not understaff their company, making for "longer than expected" wait times.

Unfortunately, we see what I like to call "Customer Service Abuse" in our culture. And we see it on both sides of the counter. Angry customers, red in the face, fighting for what they feel is justified, and in most cases, they're asking for something free on top of the rectified situation. And then we see companies that just don't care that they aren't providing great customer service. Representatives aren't empowered or trained to make the situation right, and quite frankly, their attitude stinks.

If we're not careful, this joyous time of year can be the opposite...a joy-sucker. When I got off the phone the last time with Kohl's, I was literally shaking I was so angry. But today, while I was on hold with Toys 'R Us for 50 minutes, I used the opportunity to run a few miles on the treadmill while I waited. Voila! Productivity at it's best, I say. After I finished with my phone call with Toys 'R Us, I turned to the word in John chapter 15.

Jesus doesn't just suggest, He commands us to love one another. Why? So that our joy may be full. Hmm... It's interesting to me that our joy is dependent on loving someone else. Even in our Christian culture, we feel as though it's okay to be frustrated and abuse the representative on the other side of the counter when we are justified in our stance. When we have been wronged, and the person attending us isn't doing what we think should be done, we feel it's okay to abuse them and to show them less than the love of Christ. In fact, we even use "God bless you," in a cursory tone while giving them the stink eye when we turn around in a huff to leave. I've seen it time and again.

And we wonder why joy just doesn't seem to be real. Where's the joy after you've treated someone in a way contrary to the way that Jesus would have us to do? Where's the joy when we stiff our waitress of her hard-earned tip because she's overworked and didn't refill our drinks quickly enough? Where's the joy when we are decorating our lawns with nativity scenes, huge letters that ironically spell out "J.O.Y." yet we have barked orders at our families because the Christmas ornaments aren't equally distributed?

Where's the joy? Jesus says we receive full joy when we love one another. Would it kill us to just show a little bit of kindness to a cashier that's heard nothing but complaints all day? They probably do understand our plight, but they are powerless to do anything about it. Would it really harm our bottom line to be understanding to an overworked waitress that's really trying to do her best but comes up short sometimes? Would it really ruin the season if our ornaments are a little skewed? Our kids are happy, excited, and proud that they've done a good job. Why can't we just love one another?

Would you like the recipe for a less-stressed Christmas season? Would you like to actually live like we portray ourselves to our friends and neighbors? Would you like to actually live like we see other families living on the Folgers commercial? Just love one another.

All in Favor

I Chronicles 13, "David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousand and commanders of hundreds. he then said to the whole assembly of Israel, 'If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.' The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people." NIV

I read a quote somewhere that said, "For God so loved the world that He did not send a committee." My sentiment exactly.

We have this tendency as humans to reason with our minds. It's a beautiful thing, our mind. With this God-given center of our physical existence, we can think, remember, reason, justify, and caution ourselves." It's a natural thing, also, that as we grow to maturity in our physical bodies to grow to maturity in our way of thinking. But often times, our human logic overshadows our ability to seek God's wisdom.

Even with good intentions of bringing others to know Him, and bringing glory to His Name, we can put more emphasis on our having "thought-through" decisions and actions rather than "prayed-through."

David had good intentions in desiring the Ark of the Covenant to be returned to Jerusalem. Apparently, Saul never sensed the importance of it, and David was convinced that it was necessary to their political and religious well-being. Flexing his new leadership muscles, he wisely discussed the decision with the officers and commanders first before presenting the idea to Israel. And when he did present the plan to Israel, he wisely told them, "If it's okay with you...oh, and if it's the will of Yahweh." The Scripture though only states that they agreed to do it because it "seemed right to all the people." Wow. They agreed. They were unified in saying, "I." And there were no naysayers. So they went forward with their plan.

If you remember, there was a certain way that God had instructed His people to transport the ark. But they didn't do it this way. They used a cart, and when the ark started to slip, Uzzah instinctively reached up to steady it. He died. They were commanded not to touch the ark because it was holy. The celebration of bringing the ark back to Jerusalem ended abruptly because of the disastrous attempt to do what "seemed right."

Remember that David urged them to seek the Lord, but they just plowed on ahead with their plan because it "seemed right." It was a great timing, after all. They had new leadership, and there were new things happening. It was only right that it was time for the Ark of the Covenant to be returned to its rightful place. But they didn't seek the Lord, and it ended in death.

Too many times, we plow ahead with plans because they seem right. Even with great intentions of seeing souls saved and bringing glory to God, our best efforts can end in disaster when we don't seek Him.

We try to keep peace in our churches by giving into opinionated committee members when they feel strongly about a situation. We try to keep the peace in the world when we encounter others who scoff at the idea of seeking the Lord. We try to reason with our finite minds, even with God, when we are afraid of what His will might cost us.

But when we try to do things in the realm of our own understanding, it only brings death. Instead of a celebration, we end up wondering where we went wrong. And even like David, we blame God for Him not blessing our plans.

When we read ahead in this book, we see a far different outcome when David followed the Lord's commands for returning the Ark of the Covenant. It was an outcome that ended in celebration, dancing, and blessing.

Have you tried to reason with yourself, others, and even God to accomplish your plans? How did it end? If we would only seek Him and find His direction, situations and circumstances would be far different. No committee's wisdom can measure up to the direction of Almighty God.

Faith

We were just babies ourselves when our daughter, Faith was born. Married just 11 months and one week, we were still in college and worked full-time jobs to provide for ourselves. I was 21 years old, and Heath was 24. What were we thinking? Honestly, we weren't thinking.

After the initial shock wore off, we embraced excitement. Soon, though, that excitement turned into fear. How in the world were we going to raise, let alone pay, for a baby? We weren't even grown ourselves...at least, I wasn't. Daycare costs were out the roof, diapers and formula were at prices that I thought had to be a joke. But it was no joke. A baby was coming, whether we were ready or not. We named her Faith, due to the simple fact that we knew our precious gift, straight from Him, would be raised totally on faith in Him alone.

Today, we have a smart, sweet, kind-hearted, and Christ-loving 13 year old. God has provided abundantly for Faith, and for us, and we thank Him every day for her.

As I was reading in Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, the morning, I thought of all of the scary situations those leaders and figures of the Bible found themselves. Verse 6 says, "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." Is it really impossible to please God without faith? Read on in the chapter. I would say, yes, it is impossible to please God without faith.

Think about it...if you can "figure out" every situation in life that you encounter, where is there room for faith in God to work it out? If we can see the end result of every hardship we face, where does it leave room for God to move and to work for His good pleasure? In fact, how can we even call it "faith" if we know in advance how this is going to work out? Verse 1 gives us the definition, "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

Ah! There it is...confidence and assurance. Faith isn't the same as hope. No, hoping means that we have in mind a desired end-result, but we know there's a chance that it may not happen. Faith means we have confidence and are assured that God is in control, and therefore, the situation will be fulfilled according to His will.

And what is His will? That we would know Him, and that others would know Him. It's very simple.

Think about the situations mentioned in Hebrews 11. All of them had an end result of people growing closer to God. All of them had an end-result of eternal significance. The situations in our lives are no different. What is God trying to do in and through those situations that we are so fearful of? Maybe...just maybe...He's trying to use them to draw you, and others, to Himself. Are you looking at them, and acting within them, through faith?

Unemployed

Romans 8:31b-32 "...If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?"

I'm unemployed. That's a good thing, really. I keep trying to tell myself that.

My husband got a long-awaited, long-overdue, and hard-earned promotion. No one was more deserving than him, and I'm extremely proud of and for him. But the promotion came with the price tag that we must move...again. It's the nature of the business, it is, and with new opportunities as large as my husband's promotion, comes relocation. Relocation to another state, our once-again home state of Arkansas.

Since the birth of our first child, 13 years ago, Heath and I have worked toward the goal of one day of me being able to stay at home and homeschool. I've homeschooled for years now, but I've always worked part-time, pastored, and sometimes, I've done both. It's been stressful, hard, tiring, and at times, my family didn't function so well. Now that Heath has transitioned to this new role, suddenly, all barriers have been removed! It's exciting right?

Well... the transition is complete. I'm bored. My kids are doing better than ever in school, and my house is spotless. I have time to read, to spend long periods of time in prayer, and I'm daydreaming of volunteer ministry opportunities. But in my heart, I've been discontent. How can I just sit here all day and be unproductive? Unproductive, some people may ask? That's the way I feel. Since I was 18 years old, I have been financially responsible for myself. I've worked since I was 16, taking upon a large portion even then of my financial burdens. I've been self-sufficient, self-reliant, and I've never asked anyone for anything.

And that's precisely the problem. My husband has worked his hands to the bone, literally some days, to give our family a gift, the gift of more time together, the gift of a less-chaotic household, and the gift to me of less-stressed living. He wants to be the sole provider of our family, and to extend to me what he pledged the day we were married. "All I have is your's," he said on our wedding day. All the while, I'm just trying to figure out a way to draw a paycheck.

This section of Romans 8 transitions from the former section, where Paul has explained the security of your relationship with Christ. There are no tricks, no loopholes, and no masks being worn. God is who He says He is, and He loves us so much that we willingly gave up His only son Jesus, so that we could be in a relationship with Him for eternity. And He proclaims that reasoning again here in 8:32, "Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?"

God desires to give us an inheritance and a place in His family. We don't even stop to realize how much God desires to meet our needs and to hold us in His hand. He wants to give us the free gift of salvation, and then He also wants to explain that NOTHING separates us from His love. Do we even realize sometimes that He loves us all so much? Romans 5:8 says, "Even while we were sinners..." He loved us even when we were in sin, and nothing changes that!

As I have tried to figure out the dynamic of my home while I'm not drawing an actual paycheck, my husband is happy as a lark that he is the sole bread winner. I've had the enemy on my shoulder, causing me to think that because I'm not employed, my husband will resent me. Will he see me as a moocher who sits on the sofa and eats bonbon's all day, I've wondered.

Of course he won't. He loves me, and I know it. The smell of PineSol, clean children, and pressed clothes in his closet prove I'm not sitting around all day. But the greatest thing of all, is that even when I do sit and watch HGTV for hours a day, he doesn't care. He loves me still.

That's the great thing about God too. When we're not at our best, He still loves us. Oh, His full desire is that we will work heartily to bring others to His kingdom. James tell us that works are indeed important. But faith must occupy them. But even when we're not at our best, and we just need to rest, He loves us still...just as much as He did before.



Interested in reading more devotions like this? Check out my new book, FitFaith, a 7-Week Devotional Journal for a Healthier Life, now available on Amazon!

The Struggle is Real

1 Samuel 17:32 “David said to Saul, ‘Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.’” ESV

Today I struggled on the elliptical. My husband was leaving for an overnight business trip, and have I mentioned….I’m bored here? I wanted to see him off, yet I knew that in order to get everything accomplished for the day that I needed to get my workout done early. I did my running, lifted my weights, did my cycling, and all I had left to do was 20 minutes on the elliptical. Around minute 2 though, I started the bargaining in my head…

”I’ve done enough.”

“I can make it up tomorrow.”

“I’m tired.”

“Last night we jumped for an hour at the trampoline park. That had to have burned off some calories.”

The struggle was real. Every day it seems that I have bargaining conversations with myself. Some days it’s a physically challenging for me to keep on keeping on with my workout. Every day a new excuse pops into my head, telling me that I really don’t need to complete this. And even when I’m feeling on top of the work physically, a mental battle ensues telling me that I just don’t have enough time to complete this. There is just too much to do. When I start a new challenge or a new exercise, I tell myself that I just am not strong enough to do this. I just can’t do it. When I’m side by side on the treadmill line with an athletic jock sprinting while I’m jogging at my comfortable 4.5, I tell myself I’m not good enough and I must look completely stupid. The struggle is real…but it’s only mental.

I’ve often thought about the story of David and Goliath and what made David so much better than the other thousands of Israelites who could’ve done the exact same thing as David...and much more quickly. Every day for 40 days, the Israelites would line up to face the Philistines only to hear Goliath taunt them every single day. The Israelites were afraid. Saul was afraid. Every day it seemed that their confidence was fading just a little bit more.

And then comes David. David wasn’t really there to fight. He was just sent on an errand by his father and realized what was happening. He had confidence. He knew that if he could fight a bear and a lion in order to save his sheep that he could face a mere man. But the true source of his confidence was revealed in v. 37, “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

The Lord was able. And because the Lord was able…David was able.

The struggle is real when we face challenges of life. They may be physical challenges. But they may be financial challenges. They may be relationship challenges. They may be vocational or educational challenges. But God is able. And because God is able….we are able.

The same God that’s delivered us time and time again will deliver us now. He’s still the same God today that delivered the giant Goliath into the hands of a little shepherd boy.

What challenges do you face today? Are you focusing on the circumstance while your fear deepens day by day? Or are you focusing on the track record of Almighty God?

Encouragement for Today

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’” ESV

Phillippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” ESV

Interested in reading more like this? Check out my new book: Fit Faith: A Seven-Week Weight Loss Devotional Journal, now available on Amazon!

Waiting

Isaiah 40:31, “…they who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” NIV

I’ve heard it said, “Until God opens the next door, praise Him in the hallway.” Well, I’m in the hallway. The fact is, I’m waiting outside the door that He’s already revealed that He’s going to open. I have confirmation, and steps have been taken. Now that I think about it, in reality, the door is already open, but we’re just not through it all the way…yet.

My husband has been promoted, we’re moving to Arkansas, we’ve sold our house in Mississippi, and we’re living in corporate housing while my husband trains for his new position in Alabama. Yes, it’s confusing to me too.  My husband’s time is filled with appointments, conference calls, meetings, business trips, and general stuff I don’t know anything about. But the kids and me…we’re pretty bored. We don’t know anybody here, and it’s sooo incredibly hot. It’s so hot that it’s miserable. The last thing any of us wants to do is go outside.  The bright side, though, is the gym in this apartment complex. I could go on and on for days at the luxury of having a gym on site! It’s so incredibly nice, and apparently, no one else here is concerned about their health, because I typically have it all to myself!

But I’m lonely. Loneliness is just that…lonely. While I’ve been disciplined with my exercise and for the most part, with my nutrition, I’ve been depressed in my spirit. It’s not healthy. If my emotions and spiritual life isn’t on track, I’m not healthy.

And so we wait. At this moment, we’re on day 9 of a 30-day arrangement, and time seems to be only creeping by. We’ve exhausted all of the appropriate movies that are playing in the theatre, and we’ve visited a few free museums in the area. But we’re running out of options. We’ve attended a local church for worship both Sundays we’ve been here, but it seems utterly pointless to put forth much effort into building any sort of relationship because we’ll be leaving soon. What’s a girl to do? How do I stay healthy, both in body and spirit while I’m waiting in the hallway?

I’m a person that thrives in a fast-paced environment. I make quick decisions, and I’m a quick learner. I like to keep busy too, because it seems to give me a feeling of accomplishment. When I’m not busy, I tend to get depressed, feeling that I’m not being productive and contributing anything of value. But when it gets too hectic, I get frazzled easily and cave to stress.

Today, I told God all about it. And He responded. He’s faithful to do that. He brought to my mind Isaiah 40:31. In this chapter, Israel is complaining. They’re, in a way, accusing God of not listening too. And He responds to them as well. Wait. It’s very simple, but He reminds them of who He really is, and His power that He provides to us. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.”

Could it be that God has given me this time to simply rest? It’s a time that I normally would never take on my own, and so God has purposely provided a time for me to simply soak up His goodness and prepare me for the next chapter of life.  The last few weeks before we sold our house were so frantic that I would go to bed at night and cry from the stress. God has given me this time to force me to be still, and all I’m wanting to do is join the fast-paced world once again.

But God wants to provide new strength. His purposes for me are perfect, and this new chapter of life promises to reveal His plan in my life. Instead of struggling against the God-given reign, I choose to joyfully walk in line with it. When life throws its stressors and frantic times my way, which it always does, I can face it with renewed energy and strength, knowing that He has equipped me.

Where are you in life right now? Maybe you’re like me and are praising Him in the hallway. Maybe you’ve just started a new chapter and need His renewed strength. Or maybe you’re at the end of a chapter and need fresh wings on which to soar.

He has promised to help you.

Encouragement for Today

Psalm 27:13-14 “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” NIV

Lamentations 3:25 “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” NIV

Interested in reading more devotions like this? Check out my new book Fit Faith: A Complete Seven-Week Weightless Devotional Journal, now available on Amazon!