Where Is Your Life Going? - A Devotional

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5 

When I’m out on a walk, I’m so sad to see multiple dead blooms covering most of a rose bush.  

You would be surprised if you pay attention the next time you’re on a walk, how often these shriveled remains actually account for the greater part of the rose bush, with only a few bright blossoms. This is, of course, because they have not been deadheaded. 

I remember a road trip where  I made it my gosl to try and deadhead every rose bush at a rest stop-when I was about 45 minutes in my husband said “umm, do you think that’s enough?” 

No, not enough! OK, so maybe that’s the perfectionist in me talking:)   I know life is busy, my garden gets neglected too.

The very magic of a rose bush is that it will bloom and bloom, as long as we tend to it—a simple snap of the end of that dead bloom and a new blossom will be on its way within days. Life is screaming up through the ground into the ends of those stems, wanting to create a new life, a tiny bud that will unfold into a gorgeous symphony of color— instead, it hits a dead end.

I think that’s  me- that’s us. We have all this potential throughout our lives to keep blooming, to keep bringing forth new gifts, and offerings to God—What gets in the way? We commit to things that are dead. We keep pursuing paths that will not bring us any life or joy, and sometimes there is a difficult process of removing the block that is keeping us from experiencing the beautiful life God has for us.

Many of us hate confrontation but sometimes that is exactly what is required in order for us to move on to something life-giving.

Where is all that energy and potential God has given us going? 

Are we turning to God for the wisdom to know what paths to follow ?  Which ones to turn away from?

Oh, God, help us to see what is bringing life and what is perpetuating death. 

Oh, that our lives could be full of the beautiful blossoms that God wants to grow in us. 

A Time to Bloom - A Devotional

A Time to Bloom

“There is a time for everything, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” - Ecclesiastes 3:2

Each year my mother and I wait for the garden nurseries to put out our must have flower of the summer. Wave petunias, or Supertunias, as they are often called.

You probably have some in your garden right now. I love how they sprawl out in the dirt, reaching their bright blooming arms in all directions. With some sun and rain, they will cover an entire bed with vibrant blossoms and continue to bloom all summer long.

I rushed out to buy about a dozen containers of them in various shades of pink, salmon, and white, might have even thrown in a red for good measure. I planted them in my front bed and watered them and waited for the magic to happen. Shortly after, I left for a trip. A good friend came over to water them. But when I returned, the pink ones looked happy, as gardeners like to say.

But the white ones in-between my Yews looked sad and shriveled up, without a blossom to show. Was it the soil? The sun? Not enough? Too much? I grabbed my shovel and moved them beside the ones that were thriving. By the next day, blooms were coming out.

Bottom line, they were planted in the wrong place.

I remember a job I had when I was around 20, working for a well known clothing company- selling menswear. When the store was empty of customers, I would hum quietly as I folded sweaters and straightened ties.

One day the manager, a somewhat stern man crept up behind me and said “You have to stop humming. Humming isn’t allowed in this store.”

I was equal parts embarrassed and crushed. Being a pleaser, I said “yes sir” and suppressed the tune that always seemed to be hovering in my throat.

It was as if all the joy had been sucked out of my soul, suppressing that instinct that I had been born for. It was only a short while after that I was offered a publishing and record deal. I gave notice and accepted.

I had planted myself in the wrong soil. I’m

glad God moved me. Have you ever felt like that? Do you feel like this now?

Don’t ever be afraid to express who you are. God planted you here to grow and blossom. Don’t let anything or anyone stand in the way of that.

The Green Bike - A Devotional

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." - James 1:17

“Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” - Proverbs 11:28

When I was about to turn 7 years old, there was something I wanted more than anything- a bike.

My dad was a mechanic, working long hours to feed 5 kids. My mom had made an art out of thrift store shopping. No one was wasteful, but at the end of the month there wasn’t much leftover for something like a bike.

I was vaguely aware of this fact, I guess, my hopes were not high that my birthday wish would be granted.

But on the hot Tennessee morning of my birthday, in early June, my dad woke me from my sleep and led me by the hand to the back yard.

There on a kickstand, beneath the snowball tree was my wish. A vibrant green bike with a large bow on the handle bars.

I exploded in a moment of joy. My dad’s face was the only thing to outshine it. The story of how, is what matters most.

My dad had been slowly gathering bicycle parts, from the dump, yard sales, wherever he could find them. Then after his work day was finished, he worked some more, building me a bike. He knew that I loved the color green, as he did. He spray painted the bike green. You could see it coming a mile away.

As the summer rolled past I spent hours each day on the bike. I had a Wonder Woman beach towel that I would tie around my neck. When I rode down hills the towel would fly out behind me, like a super hero cape. I felt invincible and free. No gift of my childhood was ever so cherished. How could a pile of parts left for the trash could be fashioned into a portal of adventure and wonder in a child’s eyes. What was the secret ingredient? Love. What I know now, is that my father’s work and love to give me the gift was truly the greatest part of the gift. The gift was not actually the bike. The gift was my father.

I think of what I pray for now. Both the green bike and my father are no longer here.

In the absence of my earthly father’s love, I hope I have learned by now, to seek the gift-giver, more than I seek the gifts.

Like my father was the true gift, far above the green bike- so God is my treasure, above any earthly treasure I could wish for.

Why is the true treasure hard for my earthly hands to take hold of like I did the handle bars of that green bike.

Sometimes we fear to trust. To let go of the handlebars, if you will, give complete and utter control to God and let him take us somewhere beyond what we could have imagined.

I sometimes dream of that Green Bike and what it felt like to fly down the hill, the wind in my hair. The true feeling of freedom. The most wonderful freedom I am still reaching for daily is to put my trust in the God of adventure and comfort and love- who wants to give us gifts better than anything we even know how to ask for.

Addicted to the Crash - A Devotional

We have a family cat. His name is Snowy. He is an indoor/outdoor cat. He comes and goes as he pleases. He is a fluffy white, Rag Doll Himalayan. A rescue kitty.

Each morning he comes to my window and wakes me up. I let him in and I walk him to his bowls. He rubs against my pajama leg as I lift the bag of cat food to his bowl and that’s when he he crashes into my hand causing me to spill his water bowl and cat food.

My daughter says that he is claiming me. He is reminding himself that I am his person and, I guess, that he is mine.

Maybe we’re all like Snowy— so hungry for love that we will crash into someone or something just to feel a connection.

I remember this quote from the movie ‘Crash’ from several years back,

“In any real city, you walk, you brush past people, and people bump into you. In L.A, nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other just so we can feel something.”

Our appetite, cravings for something we can’t quite put our finger on.

When we crash into each other, what are hoping to find? We were made to be a feeling and passionate people but there is a moment when the drive to feel something becomes like a drug. We become addicted to the feeling, to the crash.

But if instead we crash into God- no matter how long and hard we crash into Him, He doesn’t move. Though He is moved by our suffering and our pain, His conditions don’t change.  His love is constant.

 “He fills us with a sense of joy and peace that cannot be found in any other person or pill or treasure or honor.

He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.”

Proverbs 21:21 

Waiting - A Devotional

Pictured: Bailey, one of the many dogs my husband has rescued. He found a wonderful home for her.

It seems that our lives are full of waiting

Are you waiting for a prodigal daughter or son?

Are you waiting for a medical diagnosis?

Are you waiting for the long awaited love of your life to come along?

Are you waiting for justice to be served on someone who has wronged you - or someone you love.

Are you waiting for God to heal your body, a broken marriage, a broken relationship or are you waiting for God to step in and protect you from what you feel you cannot protect yourself from

Waiting is a huge part of life, and yet it is one of the most difficult things that God asks us to do.

But waiting can feel like being tethered to something immovable and grounded. Grounded can be a good thing, but not when what you want to do—is fly.

I remember years ago, a family I knew had a sweet faced, dog that stayed chained to a stake in their backyard. I think his name was Max. Max constantly tried to run past the length of the chain, but he never could.

We tried to do our part. We offered to take him for walks when we’d visit, give him a break from the chain, but the owners said “no thanks —he’s fine.”

Max wasn’t fine.

We were so relieved the day a relative of theirs rescued him from that chain.

In Psalm 130 (a song of ascent) it says

“My soul waits for the Lord

More than those who watch for the morning—

Yes, more than those who watch for the morning”

I couldn’t help but notice that the phrase “more than those who watch for the morning” is repeated twice.

My daughter, Savannah, who is a theology major explained to me that ascent means to GO UP .

In biblical times, it was a tradition to sing a series of songs from the Psalms as they traveled the many miles on foot to the temple in Jerusalem.

The people of this time were largely nomadic, the watchmen were those who waited up all night to protect their camp from villains, wolves, and other dangerous animals. The very image of someone waiting there in the darkness for danger is wrought with anxiety.

Again the verse says , “more than the watchmen desire the morning”.

Why did they desire the morning? Because it meant the waiting and the watching was over.

Whatever you are waiting for, God is ever present with you in the waiting. Don’t give up. The dawn is coming sooner than you think.