God's not out to get you. The early Christians understood that the monotheistic God of the Jews, manifest in Jesus Christ, was unlike the gods of their pagan contemporaries. Greco-Roman gods were duplicitous and malevolent. Myths of their nefarious actions struck fear and dread in people of the first century. Zeus had an eagle eat Prometehus' liver every day for an eternity, Antaeus sat by a road and killed travelers (until Hercules came by and crushed him to death), and Tantalus cooked his own son at a feast for other gods and served him for dinner. Imagine how afraid the average citizen was of angering their deities. Poseidon was the deity that was feared when one went sailing. He was the god of the sea and notorious for stirring up storms against sailors with his trident. In Book 5 of the Odyssey, Poseidon spots Odysseus sailing along and sends a ravaging squall that nearly drowns him. Sailors feared having the same fate. Stories like this, called 'sea narratives', were pervasive in Greco-Roman literature. On these voyages, the gods usually accompanied the sailors and, ultimately, determined their fortune. More times than not, it wasn't pretty. In Acts 27, we find a sea narrative like the one in the Odyssey.  Its is an exciting travelogue wherein Paul is sent to Rome on board a ship with other sailors. Along the journey, the ship gets destroyed and they all end up in the water. But we find something strikingly different about this narrative than the one in the Odyssey: the God of Christians is not trying to drown the sailors. He protects them (Acts 27:34). Luke, the author of Acts, uses this sea narrative to draw a contrast between the God of the Christians and the gods of the pagans. Unlike the Greco-Roman gods, he had the best interest of the sailors at heart. He is loving, benevolent, and he cares for them. Imagine how relieved a first century reader would be to hear this. No longer did they have to live under the timidity of upsetting a villainous god. They could place their hope in Christ and be recipients of God's benevolence. When we experience storms and shipwrecks, it serves our faith well to remember that our God is loving. He's not the one shaking up the seas in hopes to sink our ship. The trials we are going through are not 'pay back' for our mistakes. He's not sitting around figuring out ways to drown us. Believing this way would put our thinking into league with the way the pagans thought about their gods. Instead, we should consider that God is the One who steps into our storms to help us stay afloat. In pastoring, I've noticed how prevalent it is for Christians to think that God is getting even with them. It's often said, "this is just God's way of punishing me for the things I've done." I remember a woman who was concerned that her car problems were because she missed coming to church on a Sunday. She is a total panic. "Do you think God is letting me know I shouldn't have slept in?" This sort of thinking would make sense if her gods were Zeus and Poseidon. But she was a servant of Christ. One of the more interesting details in Acts 27 is that those sailing with Paul are prisoners (27:1). The Greek word for "prisoner" is desmotes. This refers to a person guilty of a crime and awaiting their punishment. Unlike our Western culture, there were few prisons in ancient Rome. Prisoners usually got a swift and cruel punishment. Using tax money to  take care of prisoners would have been considered a waste of time and money.They were considered the scum of the earth. Yet, God was interested in sparing them during the sea voyage. Guilty as they were, God wanted their well-being. How merciful is the God of creation that he rescues a group of no name prisoners from being swallowed in a dark, lonely sea? If God showed mercy to a bunch of criminals, is it so impossible to imagine that he wants to show mercy to you despite the things you've done? He's not like the pagan gods. He isn't looking for an awful and unexpected way to take revenge.. In other words, if you miss church on a Sunday, you don't have to worry that he will cause your engine to blow. He's more like the one who would send someone your way to help you fix it. Today, consider the goodness of God. Instead of anticipating him to send a storm your way, why not count the many times he's been merciful to you? You'll discover he's been your Helper on this voyage the whole time ... and he hasn't been out to get you.    

It's a boy!  It's a girl! It seems like those little sentences are among the most precious in the entire English language! A baby … there is nothing like a baby! After a mom and a dad know the gender of their baby, the next important decision is: What will we name the baby? I have just given birth to a baby and it's not a boy or a girl … It's a book! My baby has a name and I can't wait to share it with you … “Rooms of a Mother's Heart” It's a book that has been a lifetime in the writing and has taken 40 years of practical experience. I guess you could say that I have been pregnant for 40 years! I have not been a perfect mom … but I have loved being a mom during every short night and every long day. My love for motherhood is bursting forth from the pages of this, my thirteenth book. Would you like to be introduced to my new baby? Would you like to take just a peak under the cover and take a look? I hope that you will “o-o-oh” and “a-a-ah” over the sweet wisdom on the pages of this book that has been written especially for the moms in your life! Children are God's love-gift; they are heaven's generous reward. Children born to a young couple will one day rise to protect and provide for their parents. Happy will be the couple who has many of them! A household full of children will not bring shame on your name but victory when you face your enemies, for your offspring will have influence and honor to prevail on your behalf! —Psalm 127:3–5 TPT You are about to enter, or perhaps have already entered, the breathtaking, fulfilling, and frustrating address where motherhood lives. This residence is unequaled by any other season or event in life. When you are gifted with your first baby, the Lord looks at you lovingly and whispers, “I've prepared a place for you here! Welcome to the heart of motherhood!” Once you step your foot across the threshold of this magnificent dwelling that is reserved for those who have been bestowed with the wonderful blessing of children, your life and your heart will never be the same. Some of us arrived at this address after nine months of aching backs, swollen feet, and heartburn that culminated in giving birth to the visual demonstration of love. Others have tentatively knocked on the door of motherhood after long years of waiting for a baby to be delivered to their heart and their home through the miracle of adoption. Others, as foster moms, are wondering how long their stay will be at this significant address. However you arrived, know that God is the One who guided you here by His divine and loving wisdom. We all long to be perfect moms—but that is not going to happen, dear one. Perfect is not a feasible option for any of us, but perhaps a better goal is wonderful. “Rooms of a Mother's Heart” is filled with stories, wisdom, tears, truth, lists, advice, and laughter. You might also discover the mother that you were meant to be within these pages. At your initiation into the sweet yet noble world of motherhood, you quickly realize that your heart is never the same. Your heart grows exponentially when you become a mom and with that maternal growth, a new woman is established. You will discover a redesigned and much-improved version of the life that you formerly lived. Remember when you were allowed to sleep all night, when you fit into skinny jeans, and when your home was perpetually neat and orderly? You will love the new you so much more than the old you! Your heart has now become a sumptuous home of the priceless treasury of motherhood. The repurposing of your heart may not be easy, but it will certainly fit you for the journey that you are on for the rest of your life. My heart's prayer for you is that you will not be a perfect mom, but that you will discover all of the ways that you can be a wonderful mom! If your children have now flown the nest, consider this book as my invitation to once again sweetly stroll through the rooms of your heart and find new joy in the trials and triumphs of motherhood. You will laugh and you may cry, but you will also rediscover all of the ways that responding to God's highest calling has made you a better woman. Many years ago, I read the story of a young woman from the heart of Texas who had responded to the call to preach the gospel of Christ to the people of Korea. Ruby Kendrick was only twenty-four years old when she dedicated herself to teaching, praying for, and taking care of sick children in Songdo, Korea. Ruby was young and beautiful; she could have accomplished many impressive achievements had she chosen to live her life in the comfort of America. However, she chose to give her life for a generation of Korean children. Ruby died from fatigue just eight months after setting foot on her beloved soil of Korea. Her untimely death inspired other Americans to take her place. Ruby's is only one of 570 graves in the Foreigners' Cemetery Park in Seoul, South Korea, that honors Christian martyrs. On Ruby's tombstone are engraved these fierce yet gentle words: “If I had a thousand lives to live Korea should have them all.” My heart lies in puddles as I contemplate who this woman was, the price that she paid, and how deeply she loved the little ones on foreign soil. I feel the same way about motherhood and I hope that by the closing page of this book, you will feel the same way, too. Perhaps the inscription on my tombstone and on yours someday will read, “If I had a thousand lives to live, motherhood would have them all.” “The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.” —Harold B. Lee

How do you feel about transition? Do you dread it or do you choose to embrace it?  Do you joyously accept change and actually look forward to the next season of life with exuberant expectation?  Or, do you drag your feet while looking longingly backward? So … how DO you feel about transition?  Are you going through an unwanted and unwelcome upheaval of stability today? I'll never forget the season of change that blew into our lives when our oldest son, Matthew, left home for college.  He was 18 years old and definitely ready for the next season in life.  Matt loved the Lord, was wise beyond his ears and couldn't wait to begin his days at a Christian university. I wasn't ready for him to be an adult … I wanted to go back in time and feed him baby food and rock him to sleep and read my favorite book to him, “Are You My Mother?!” Matthew, however, embraced the freedom of college and independent living with a gusto that hurt my feelings! While I loved yesterday … my oldest child longed for tomorrow. We were both experiencing change … and Matthew was doing a much better job of it than I was! He became the teacher and I became the student … a strange and awkward reversal of roles. Change is one of those intangibles in life that has the inherent capacity to either bring out the emotional best in a person or the emotional weaknesses in one's heart. Often times in life there is absolutely nothing we can do to inhibit the shift and so we must ride the exhausting yet exhilarating wave of change. We must ride it or drown. We must ride it or become stagnant. We must ride it or become boring. We must ride it or become useless. Kids grow up and leave home … bodies grow older with the passing of time … summer turns to fall … expectations change … finances change … styles change … moods change. Some change is well within one's power to control. I can choose to let my children leave my little nest or not.  I can choose to spend too much money or not. I can choose to eat that donut or not. I can choose to read my Bible or not. I can choose to love my husband or not.  I can choose to exercise or not. I can choose to ask God for wisdom or not.  I can choose … or not. Transition.  Change. Shift. Evolution. Conversion. I can foolishly choose to stay stuck in the safe little rut of the past or I can bravely choose to march boldly toward the future with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. I can determine that the very same God Who was with me yesterday will be with me in all of the tomorrows in life. I can joyfully choose to trust Him while my world is shaking with unwanted and unexpected quaking. I can remove my eyes from the rearview mirror of life and set my gaze on all the wonder that lies in front of me! I can.  Oftentimes, when I am experiencing an upheaval in my personal circumstances or the realignment of a season in my life, I force myself to lift my hands toward heaven and sing the song that thousands and thousands of world-weary saints have sung before me: “Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not. As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be!” It is in that place of resolute melody that I am able to convince myself that although the world quakes beneath me and the storm roars around me that I serve a God Who faithfully and constantly takes care of me. And so … rather than deciding to panic in the midst of unwelcome change … I choose to sing. Rather than to worry when the world seems topsy-turvy … I choose to rely upon the Father Who never changes. Rather than to hold onto the good old days of my old-fashioned and out of date past … I choose to welcome the glory and goodness of God in all of my tomorrows. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8 I believe that sometimes that the Lord allows change … even stirs up change … so that we, as His beloved children, do not place too much value in a certain season of life. Truly, the stability of circumstances only presents a false security. God calls us to trust Him and to treasure the things of eternity rather than the temporary comforts of this life. I have come to believe that God … the One Who never changes … actually loves change! Change it causes His dear children to follow only Him! Change initiates the refusal of clinging to the fake assumptions of visible consistency. Has your world been rocked due to the effects of transition? Did your last child leave the nest recently? Are you newly retired and find yourself valiantly searching for purpose and productivity? Did someone whom you love dearly recently pass from time into eternity? Did you receive an unwelcome and unexpected medical diagnosis?  Were you the victim of a pink slip at work?  Have you been left with the raw and jagged edges of regret?  Do you wish you could have a “do-over” on yesterday? Do you falsely believe that your best days are behind you? Perhaps, like me, you need to learn to rejoice in today with all of its changes, in all of its differences and with all of its delights! Perhaps you need to sing a song that reminds yourself that God will have the last word during every tumultuous time in your life! Perhaps you need to embrace change like a long-lost friend and just reacquaint yourself with the possibilities of a bright and captivating tomorrow! Get your walking shoes on, sister!  Walk boldly into the future with the expectation that God will meet you there! Get in the “go-position”, brother! You are about to run a new race that only God can help you to win! Stop whining … and start singing!  Quit worrying … and start worshipping! Cease dreading … and embrace the unknown! I love change, don't you?!

            Life is hard, isn't it? Disappointments hammer us ferociously while discouragement bullies us daily. Difficult people refuse to leave us alone and rejection is often a constant companion. There have been hard things in my life that have threatened to crush the very purpose for my existence. I know that you have experienced the hard in life as well although yours might look different than mine. I may not understand what you are going through today, but I do know the One who knows your pain and I am intimately acquainted with the One who hears your gut-wrenching cries. In my life, I can assure you, it has been through the deepest pain that God has harvested the most vibrant fruit. Although we would desire that the ability to live a vibrant life would exclude painful experiences, it just isn't so. The most beautiful gardens and the sweetest fruit in life are often found where joy and sorrow meet. There are many challenging occurrences in life over which we are powerless. We might even believe that these unwelcome guests are mangling our ability to live a life of beauty and productivity. My friend, absolutely nothing could be further from God's truth! If you feel that you are in a circumstance today that you are unable to do anything about, let me assure you that God wants you to do something with it. He wants you to rename that devastatingly hard place, “Joy.” You might not be able to change that place, but you can allow it to change you to be more like Jesus. He wants you to rediscover Him there. We are not the first Christians to go through difficulties, nor will we be the last. It seems that suffering may actually be a theme in the history of Christianity through the ages. Two thousand years ago, a man named Peter wrote a beautiful letter to a group of people who were suffering. These Christians, persecuted by the cruel and corrupt ruler Nero, had been driven from their homes and forced to live in alien lands. It is to this group of scattered, broken souls that Peter writes: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” —1 Peter 1:3–5 Peter instantly turns these broken hearts to the life-giving option of praise. Paul breaks out into a written song as his words travel from his heart to the suffering first-century Christians ... and to you and me. His call to worship all that is eternally hopeful has not diminished in the two millennia since it was written. Peter immediately turned the attention of the persecuted sojourners away from the hardships they were facing and defiantly toward all that is ours in Christ Jesus. I have found, in my challenging journey this side of heaven, the vital necessity of determining the direction of my thought life. I can either think about me, or I can think about Him. I can either ponder my disappointment, or I can linger on His hope. I can either meditate on my pain, or I can bask in His promises. I must choose what will fill the thoughts of my days and the words of my prayers. I must choose. Peter was the cheerleader and the voice of hope to this weary group of pilgrims. Would you allow me to be your cheerleader and your voice of hope today? Would you allow me to remind you of the eternal truths found in the Bible? Peter reminded those early Christians to travel through and even beyond the painful days of life. The first lesson that Peter presents is to worship. When your life collides with human suffering and pain, lift your hands in the air and begin to worship. Break out into a song of faith before the fleeting moment of suffering becomes your reality. Interrupt your disappointment with a melody so rich and so deep that heaven gasps in wonder. I have learned that I am able to sing and cry at the same time—and I often do. While tears are coursing down my middle-aged cheeks, I raise my voice to the Father and worship Him. When my heart is breaking with the pain only a mother knows, I refuse to let my unique song become a dirge. I will sing in spite of pain, in the face of discouragement, and defy depression. Peter can't sing for me and I can't sing for you. You must choose to bless the Lord at the worst moment of your life. You must determine that nothing short of death will deny you of the audacious ability to sing in the dark.    

General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, spoke these powerful words over a century ago, “Some of my best men are women!” Those words send a chill up my spine and, as a woman, cause me to set my gaze to the future with greater enthusiasm, renewed purpose and unshakable resolve. “Some of my best men are women!”             It is a magnificent quote from one of the most powerful Christian leaders of the nineteenth century. With his high estimation of the female gender and its capabilities, General Booth certainly was a man before his time. It was nearly a century later, in 1975, that Time magazine gave its “Man of the Year” award to “American women.” “Some of my best men are women!” Now that you've considered these profound words for a moment, would you allow me to me stretch you just a bit farther? I wonder, I just wonder, if the same words are not also in the heart and mind of God at our moment in history. I wonder if, when the Father looks down from His bird's-eye view of all that is happening on the earth today, He turns to His Son, seated at His right side, and, with a twinkle in His eye, echoes the words of William Booth: “Some of My best men are women!” And I wonder if the Holy Spirit, who is most certainly eavesdropping on the conversation, raises His fist in the air in complete agreement with the Father. God is looking for “a few good men” and “a few good women” to make a difference in His kingdom at every juncture in history. Perhaps the Father, who created all of us in His heart of love, is not as concerned with the gender on our birth certificate as He is with the condition of our heart. If you mistakenly believe that God chooses not to use women in His grand story, let me remind you of the names of some women in the New Testament who used their voices, their heart and their talents to spread the message of the Gospel. The world knows about the resurrection because two women were told to “Go and tell”. Junia, in the New Testament, spent time in prison because she was a faithful witness. Phoebe delivered Paul's letter to the Romans and ministered to people there. Nympha led a house church. Euodia and Syntyche were leaders in evangelism in the first century church.             I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy.... Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. —Joel 2:28–29 Now, more than ever, women need to understand their important role and their significance in the call and intent of God. God's plan is that His Holy Spirit endue humanity, both male and female, with power from on high. Men and women receive the same power in the same measure. The power that both men and women receive from the Holy Spirit includes the ability to be courageous witnesses and to fulfill the God-given mandate that is particular to each generation. What is God calling you to do through the power of His Holy Spirit? The days of cowering in fear, hiding behind insignificance, and wallowing in lack of opportunities are over. God is blowing doors wide open for women as never before. It is time for us to march forward in grand anticipation of all that God can do through even one woman who is submitted to the call of God and filled with His Spirit. A woman's voice in the marketplace, in the church, and in the home offers a perspective and a tone that is valuable and unique. We are not fragile clones of our male counterparts; rather, we have been outstandingly fashioned by the God of the universe for a role in the story of humanity that is utterly feminine, powerfully impactful, and undoubtedly irreplaceable. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:28 The Holy Spirit of Pentecost has been poured out upon your life! What will you do with this gift? Don't waste these days of power and open doors! When Peter received the Holy Spirit, thousands of people were saved. When John received the Holy Spirit, lame men walked. When Paul received the Holy Spirit, prison walls fell down. I believe that God is looking at your life, this very day, and, with a twinkle in His eye, He is reminding you that some of His very best men, indeed, are women! They are significant women.

Life at its finest is a process. It is a process of trials and blessings...of challenges and tests...of pain and delight. Life is a process of the "Why, God?! Why do I have to go through this?" days that we all experience this side of heaven. Not one of us enjoys the fire, and all of us may scream, wiggle and complain in order to avoid the fires of life. However, even in the fire, God is refining, defining, and preparing each one of us for purpose in His unshakable Kingdom! There is a way to go through the fire and not even have the residue of smoke rest upon us. There is a way to be in the fire but not of the fire! God is using the process of the fire to turn you into something more beautiful than you could ever be without the process of the fire. Although God doesn't “set” the fires in life, God is well able to use the fires in life for His extraordinary and miraculous purposes. God uses this process to turn a man or a woman into a productive member of the Kingdom of God. God's process will always refine and define a child who is willing to be turned into someone usable for Christ and His Kingdom. The next time you find yourself in the direct path of a searing fire of life, you need to recognize who God is and glorify Him as such! The primary venue from which we truly know God, and we are able to discern the nature and the name of God is the Bible. One must thoroughly study the Word of God and determine what the Bible says about our eternal Father. It is in the rich treasury of the Bible that you will be introduced to the Eternal Divine known as "God." Knowing God, declaring God, and worshiping God while in the furnace of great affliction is what will transform your life into a trophy of pure gold. If your focus remains on the goodness of God and you begin to worship Him in spite of the extreme heat of the fire, it may become your very finest hour. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. - Romans 8:29 God delights in taking the things that have roared painfully through your life and use those exact events to make you think, act and emote like Jesus. God's plan trumps the devastation of the enemy every single time. The enemy wants to destroy you with problems, challenges, and storms, but God intends to turn you into the representation of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is your elder Brother, and it is time for you to start acting like Him! As a believer facing the fiery darts of the enemy, our foremost thought should not be fear, but it should be on the promises and the presence of God. Rather than rehearsing and marinating in all that is wrong with life, perhaps a better idea is to remember all of the promises of our great God! Especially when confronting a fire, it is of vital importance to think about and then to talk about the goodness and the promises of God. What will you choose to do while in the fire? Will you bless or will you blame? Will you whine or will you worship? There is only one way to survive the fires that you will certainly encounter in the duration of life... make sure that the flame of Christ within you burns far brighter and hotter than any fire that burns around you. It is with the flame of Christ that you will find the joy in the middle of any ferocious inferno. It is when His presence, which is defined as "joy," becomes your constant and comforting companion, that others will see His reflection in your life. Even in the fire.

Time ... where does it go? The most valuable commodity that we have been given as human beings is the gift of time ... of minutes ... of hours ... of days. It seems like only yesterday I was looking forward to my senior year of high school and now I am a grandmother. When did that happen?! When did I graduate from playing with Barbie dolls and practicing piano to being a wife ... and then a mother ... and now a grandmother? When did that happen?! When did my raucous, noisy, messy nest get so empty? When did that happen ...please tell me when. It happened in a thousand yesterdays. It happened in a thousand yesterdays that are filled with the memories of cherished friendships ... bittersweet good-byes ... the echoes of laughter ... and the daily reminders of what is truly important in life. The scrapbook of my heart is filled with a collage of moments too precious to verbalize and too valuable to calculate by any earthly economic currency. As I flip through the intangible pages of the days that have been given to me, I realize that some days were wasted with impatience and disappointment. When the endowment of an ordinary day is overshadowed by human frustration or disillusionment it becomes mere refuse and leaves a putrid odor rather than a glorious fragrance. I have wasted time being angry at a person made in the image of God. I have thrown away days being depressed due to situations and events over which I had absolutely no control.  Who do I think I am?! I have frittered away days spent in the worry of an unpredictable tragedy that never actually happened. I have minimized splendid days in the fear of the shadow ghosts of weakness. What a colossal and meaningless waste! I have misused the treasure of an extraordinary day by spewing the venom of my heart on the lives of people whom I love dearly.  I am ashamed. The untold wealth in this cherished peek into the past thankfully also holds the abundance of all that has been meaningful in my life. I am amazed that I was given the delight of raising 5 little lives for the Kingdom of God!  After so many years of barrenness and infertility ... of standing in faith and begging God for more ... He opened the windows of heaven and breathed joy unspeakable in my lowly direction. I loved every minute of peanut butter and jelly kisses ... of paper dolls and birthday cakes ... of choo-choo trains and baseball games.  Those were the best days ... the days that mattered eternally ... the pieces of gold in my life. Is there a gift this side of heaven so priceless as the moment when two little arms are wrapped around your neck ... or your legs ... or your heart?! Career promotions, enormous retirement accounts and academic pedigree become tawdry and bargain basement exchanges for the heavenly inheritance of the living human beings given to our parental charge. I have loved being best friends with my mom. How I wish that you could know her! A woman of excellence and humor!  A woman who prays and believes and prays some more.  A woman who celebrates life with gusto and grace! I loved falling in love with Craig and realizing that he was “the one”. I'll never forget our first kiss that came with a marriage proposal.  He has always been a man of honor ... a man whom I could trust ... and a man after God's own heart.  What have I ever done to deserve this man whose heart is pure gold? And then ... the gift of girlfriends.  Truly a fortune so rare and precious that it could fill the vaults of banks too numerous to count! Time ... where does it go? Oh!  How I yearn to live well the rest of the days that have been given to me by the calendar of heaven's bounty. There are days in the photo album of my mind and heart that are as yet blank ... unfilled.  They are waiting for memories ... for moments ... for people ... and for blessings. It is up to me how I feel these quickly turning pages of life.  It is up to me whether the photos are taken in the brilliance of a technicolor and vibrant existence ... or from the only gray and black perspective of blame, discontent and frustration. I determine to spend my days encouraging people and writing thank you notes. I determine to invest the rest of my days believing for the best and not giving in to disillusionment or despair.  A very wise man once told me, “It's more fun to believe!” I determine to lavish in the laughter of children, to wade in the gift of extraordinary friends and to drown in the beauty of creation. I determine to be kind to cantankerous and fractious people.  When I have been loving and generous in the face of personal cruelty and gossip, I have created a day that God Himself would applaud! Life is too dear and much too fleeting to waste the glory of one ordinary day. I will not waste this life.  Not one day.  Not one hour.  Not one minute.  I will pray for miracles and I will also look for the opportunity to be someone else's miracle. I now understand that tomorrow's memories are being created today.  The choices and memories that I craft today will fill the pages of the scrapbook of my life in all the tomorrows yet to come. And so, I resolve, this day, to splash extravagantly in the joy of His presence.  I resolve, this day, to be heaven's gift to the world in which I have been placed for only a moment.

Does anyone else remember the song that asserts, “Fairytales can come true … they can happen to you … when you're young at heart!”? I've always loved that melody and the lyric of that tune. It seems to me that everyone would like to stay “young at heart”. Do you remember, in about the fifth grade, studying Ponce de Leon and his quest for the “Fountain of Youth”? I have often found myself on that same quest that Ponce de Leon so bravely began. As I have trudged along, in search of yesterday, I have asked myself these torturous questions … Is there a fountain of youth? Where is it?   Can I get to it from here? And if I somehow … miraculously happen upon it … does it actually work?!! One of my favorite songs from decades ago is sung by Old Blue Eyes himself … the talented Frank Sinatra … who was known for having a “velvet voice”:

“You make me feel so young You make me feel so Spring has sprung And every time I see you grin I'm such a happy individual”

What is it about being young … staying young … feeling young … that so enamors us even as we continue to age? I have always emphatically believed that when you are young … you really don't appreciate it. You don't appreciate it at all. You don't appreciate the fact that you can eat lots of carbs and your stomach still stays flat. You are not grateful for the fact that you can actually see the fine print on a document and then read it without having a massive magnifying glass in your hands. You are unaware of the fact that once you hit about 45 … you will never again sit on the floor and be able to stand up in a gracious manner. You are completely blind to the wonder of running up and down stairs without having to balance yourself with the handrail. As the playwright, George Bernard Shaw, so wryly commented, “Youth is wasted on the young!” However … here we all are … wherever we are … on the continuum of aging. If you are a teen-ager or are in your 20's reading this blog … just trust me. You will feel this way some day in the not -too- distant future … so read on and learn with your heart not just with your head. Some of you reading this are in your 30's … and you might already feel that you over that infamous hill. But you are not over the hill … you don't even know the magnitude of the hill. That darn hill. If you are in your 40's … and are piqued by this topic … you know that you are just beginning to get a handle on the topic of aging yet staying young amidst the gray hairs growing …the joints beginning to ache … and those cheeky teen-agers rolling their eyes at you. If you are in your 50's … you know that the aging process is inevitable but you are hoping to live for decades beyond the half-century mark. If you are in your 60's … as I am … you definitely know that more of life is behind you than in front of you and you wonder if you have enthusiastically lived the life for which you were created. You wonder. And if you are in your 70's or 80's … well … let's just say … that you are the well-seasoned version of all that was meant to be “you”. I have yet another birthday approaching on the horizon of my quickly moving life. This particular birthday has caused me to ponder what it takes to stay young while the years continue to swiftly fly. I have asked others … read articles … listened in on conversations … and even prayed about what I could possibly do in order to ensure that I stay as young as possible for as long as possible. This is my list … I hope that you will come up with your list as well. I call this list, “Carol's Fountain of Youth”. Surround yourself with beauty. Beautiful music … lovely flowers … long walks in every season of the year. Incorporate beauty into your life just as you do with vitamins and with plenty of sleep. Decorate for the holidays even if you are all alone. Don't just throw food on the plate but arrange it in an artful and whimsical manner. Cultivate beauty and your soul will stay young and vibrant!

“In the central place of very heart, there is a recording chamber; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer and courage, you are young.” - Ullman

Keep learning. Keep reading. As long as you are breathing, there is something new that you can learn. Read books … instigate stimulating conversations … listen to the opinions of others … watch documentaries… ask riveting questions of others. Attempt new crafts and hobbies. Tackle the basics of a new language. Cook new foods. Travel to places you have never been.

“Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” – Henry Ford

Exercise every day for as long as you possibly can. I believe that if you can keep your joints active, your mind will follow. Lift your arms above your head 20 times today … go for a brisk walk around the block … do a sit-up or two if you can … squat by the bed and then stand up. Lift a baby … take the trash out … join the gym. Don't sacrifice your body on the altar of old age … but as long as it is humanly possible … move a muscle and lift a finger! Keep a song in your heart. Music keeps the soul oh! So young! Sing while you do the dishes and play worship music while you are in the shower. Listen to the great hymns of faith when you are folding laundry and enjoy the pop tunes of your youth when you go for your daily walk. A soul that is filled with music will embrace the eternal essence of all that is fresh, new and alive! Encourage someone. Don't allow the latter years of your life just to be about you. Find someone who needs hope and give them some of yours! Attach yourself to a despondent human being and make it your personal assignment to inject some of your joy into their pain. Write notes to the younger generation … call your friends and family members … send an e-mail or two every day just to let someone know that their life matters. It matters to you and it matters to God!  Laugh. Giggle. One of the very best parts of being young is having the capacity to chuckle on the spur of the moment. Buy a joke book and read one a day! Call a friend and remind this person of a humorous event that you shared. Watch comedies on TV. Hang out with people who instantly make you smile.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22

Don't forget to play. Try to do something fun every single day. Your idea of “fun” might be different than “mine” but you do you. Dig deeply into the soil of your garden if you deem that activity as fun. Play tennis. Go to the movies. Make cookies. Go out for lunch with a friend.

“It's not how old you are but how you are old.” - Dressler

Eat healthy. Watch your calorie intake and make sure that you are eating fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins every day. Every system in your body will thank you. Keep the sweets, fats and carbs to a minimum but do allow yourself a treat from time to time. The food that you eat today is the person that you will be tomorrow. Remember. Take some time every day to remember a happy day in your life. Think about your childhood and count your blessings. Pray for a teacher who impacted your life. Remember lessons that you have learned and recall the people who have made you who you are today.

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” – Mark Twain

Dream. Look ahead with hope! Plan a trip! Make a new resolution! Save some money for tomorrow! Paint a room! Plant some flowers! Write a book! Do what you have always wanted to do!

“A man is not too old until regrets take the place of dreams.” – John Barrymore

Five words have changed my life: “For that ..I am grateful.” Five words that are able to swiftly right my emotions, clear away discouragement and renew my focus. Over the past several years, I have been reminded that gratitude is not an emotion. Gratitude is a choice. Choosing to be utterly grateful and sincerely appreciative should consume more of our lives than a single holiday is able to facilitate. Gratefulness is not determined by a date on the calendar. Rather, it is a bold resolve and a courageous lifestyle. And so, often, when a storm is brewing on the horizon of my life, when shame or discouragement come calling, when I am lost in the fog of disappointment or loneliness…I take a pensive look at my life and find something for which I can say, “For that…I am grateful.”

“Family, food, a home - for that…I am grateful.”

Thanksgiving should indeed dominate every waking moment of our lives, on every day of every year.  Being grateful for the life that we have been given should be our first thought in the morning when we awaken.  Counting our blessings should fill every minute of every hour. Our “Gratitude Lists” should be enormous and never ending.  When one notebook is filled with the blessings of our lives, then we should start another one, and another one, and another one.

“For a song to sing and the Bible to read - for that...I am grateful.”

As I have learned, Thanksgiving is not a holiday, but it is a willful determination. It should be remembered and honored for more than just a month of the calendar year. Thanksgiving is more fulfilling and delicious than a gourmet meal! Thanksgiving is more celebratory than a parade marked with colorful balloons and loud marching bands! It is more victorious than a championship football game! Thanksgiving is a calling…it is life at its finest.  

“My friend, you haven't lived until you have chosen to exhibit extravagant thanksgiving on the worst day of your life!”

I don't know what pain or challenge has marked the days of your calendar in 2021, but let me assure you that each one of us can dig deeply down into the experiences of this year and loudly proclaim, “For that…I am grateful!”

“For health, friendship and the glory of creation - for that...I am grateful!”

Life is hard at times, but can you discover the good in the midst of the hard?  Can you see the fingerprint of God in spite of human pain? I hope that your ability to give thanks and to celebrate your many blessings has roared over the circumstances of your life.

“For freedom to worship, books to read and grandchildren to hug - for that...I am grateful!”

I have traded my sorrows for a song of unending gratitude to the Friend who made me, who sustains me and who loves me. I refuse to be distracted by disappointments. I choose to be captivated by His power and grace.

“For the hope that tomorrow will be better, for the faithfulness of God - for that…I am grateful!

Remember...there is always, always something for which to be grateful!  Always!!

“For the testimonies of others who have trusted God, for His goodness that trumps over evil and for the resolve of the Pilgrims to give thanks - for that…I am grateful!”

One of my favorite Thanksgiving hymns has always been, “We Gather Together.” Although this song is sung traditionally only at Thanksgiving, it was actually not written by the Pilgrims nor was it written specifically for this American holiday. This beloved hymn of the church was written in 1597 after Holland had suffered devastating losses in battle to Spain. Dutch citizens had been weakened by the pervasive and cruel exile of thousands. In order to help Holland acknowledge their turbulent past yet look ahead to a promising future, the words of this triumphant hymn were penned by a young tax collector, Adrianus Valerius. We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing; He chastens and hastens His will to make known. The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing, Sing praises to His Name, He forgets not his own. Beside us to guide us our God with us joining, Ordaining, maintaining His Kingdom divine. So from the beginning the fight we were winning; Thou, Lord, was at our side, all glory be Thine! We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant, And pray that Thou still our defender will be. Let Thy congregation escape tribulation; Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free! What have you gone through this year?  Has your life been devastated by disappointment and by losses? Have your joy and hope been taken captive? When in a battle, it is the most appropriate time to sing and to sing loudly!

“Battles do not have the power to diminish the human song of thanksgiving; battles, instead, should always fan the flames of honest gratitude and cause the melody triumphant to burst forth in spite of tragedy.”

I pray that you will discover with the pilgrims of old, with Adrianus Valerius and with me, “So from the beginning the fight we were winning, Thou, Lord, was at our side, all glory be Thine!”

“For the victories yet to come, for the strength that only He gives, for that and so much more…I am exceedingly grateful!”

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

Christmas is a tender time and yet it is a moment in all of our lives when heaven bids us come into the heart of joy. You might be dealing with emotional pain this year, but that doesn't mean you are excluded from the joy of Christmas. If your heart is broken this year, that doesn't mean the song of the angels has no meaning for you. Perhaps you are in the midst of grief, discouragement or even depression but even that doesn't preclude you from the eternal celebration of God's love. Conversely, if you are deliriously happy with your life, the happiness of this singular time of year is immeasurable. I want to talk to both groups of Christmas people today…those who are sad and those who are happy. Wherever you are on your emotional spectrum, Christmas is especially for you! Joy is palpable this time of year, is it not? It seems that all of Western culture celebrates with joy – even though they don't know what it is that they are celebrating! All they know is that in December there is an unseen reason for music, merry-making, gathering and for giving! The world responds like this at no other time and for no other event…only for Christmas! Let's go digging for gold in the Christmas story together and quietly observe one lovely place where the word “joy” is used to describe what was happening historically. Let's allow this age-old story to strengthen our weary souls. Believe me – you are going to LOVE this! And let me say – the joy of Christmas is especially for those of you whose worlds have been impacted by circumstantial pain and situational letdown…so, read on! Shepherds were a crew of dirty, uneducated men with grime under their fingernails and nothing to look forward to - they knew that nothing about their lives would ever change. Life can become quickly pointless if you are a man who lives with sheep drool on his clothes and sheep dung between his toes. There were a group of these shepherds one night, huddled around a fire in the inky, black of night.  These muddy specimens of humanity were cold and shivering while trying to stay awake. Suddenly, in an instant of time, something so miraculous happened that life would never again be the same for these men. And the miracle of it all is that life will never be the same for you, for me, or for all of humanity! Unexpectedly, heaven exploded into their small, cold and dark world. The song of the angels burst forth into the earth and proclaimed the joy of heaven into the hopeless existence of the shepherds. Stars were falling and bursting in rare and glorious colors while the heavens opened and a majestic angel choir began to sing a mighty symphony that can still be heard today! Jesus invaded this dark, cold world with heaven's joy, and it is still His gift to you today.  His presence in your life makes shepherds dance and angels sing. Your heart can become an explosion of joy because of the birth of a baby over 2,000 years ago. And what was the song that the angels sang that dark night?

“And behold, we bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all the people; for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:10

The first word that the angels used to describe the birth of Jesus Christ was the word “joy” and I believe that it should be the first word used to describe you as well! Joy is the birthmark of a Christian because when you accept Jesus into your heart you are branded for life with His joy. When the angels sang that night, they were singing to those of you with the drool of life upon your heart and the dung of circumstances in your soul. The symphony of heaven ricochets through the ages and has as its focused destination your cold and lonely existence. Joy truly has come to your world and nothing will ever be the same again! But that grand star didn't stop shining that night; it continued on to lead others into His presence as well. The star led the Magi to the Light of the World! When the magnificent star stopped the Magi in their wealthy tracks, the Bible says that these learned men, “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy”. And what a celebration began that night! Just as you savor your Christmas dinner morsel by morsel – we will savor the response of the wise men as well. The word “rejoiced” is translated as “let the hope of future blessedness give you joy! This word communicates to all of us, from every generation and at every moment in all of recorded history, that because of the baby born in the manger, we can look ahead not with dread and worry but with hope and expectation. The wisemen rejoiced“exceedingly” and this word is defined as “greatly” or even “violently” or vehemently. The joy that they experienced in the presence of Jesus rocked their academic world!  These men were jumping up and down in the presence of the Baby Boy King. The Magi were whooping and hollering because after years of study, after decades of hitting dead-ends as to the meaning of life, they had found the Creator of this miraculous universe. “Great” as used in this context means “with great effort of the affections and emotions of the mind”.  It is significant that this particular definition of the word “great” includes the word for “mind”. The Magi were men of scrolls and cerebral intensity; at the moment this star stopped in the presence of Jesus, all that they had ever learned or studied paled in comparison to this one momentous event. And finally, but far from least in meaning, the word “joy” is defined as “the blessedness that the Lord enjoys”. When they discovered the baby boy, they also tapped into the mother lode of joy! They hit a vein so rich and generous in joy that it changed every detail, both large and small, concerning their impressive lives. Every blessing that the Magi had and you now have is because of Christmas!

“In His Presence is fullness of joy!” – Psalm 16:11

You have become a vessel of His presence and it is the only place that you will ever experience true and complete joy this Christmas season. Christmas is for you, my friend! Joy has certainly come to your world!