Storms

No matter what part of the world we call home, we all experience storms at one time or another. But it's the way we respond to these storms that seems to say a lot about who we are. There are some who chase storms. They anticipate when a storm could threat, and when a monster of a storm builds, they grab their cameras to hunt this natural phenomenon. These storm chasers anxiously seek opportunities to capture the glory of untamed elements. Then there are some who shrink away from storms. If they do not evacuate, they go to great lengths to take the right precautions by installing hurricane-proof windows on their homes, and by stocking their pantries with enough food, water and batteries to carry them through to safety. But altogether different from these two types of people are those who do not chase and those who do not prepare. They believe that storms are too temperamental to predict who will experience harm and who will go untouched, so they do nothing.

Where do you stand? Do you chase storms or do you let them chase you?

In Matthew 8:23-27 we read about how Jesus can not only calm such storms, but he can also calm the storms that brew inside our hearts; "Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, 'Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!' Jesus responded, 'Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!' Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. 'Who is this man?' they asked. 'Even the winds and waves obey him!'”

Scripture

I was blessed by this Scripture in my devotional time this morning...


Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because he is faithful.
He sends you abundant showers,
both autumn and spring rains, as before.
The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm—
my great army that I sent among you.
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.
Then you will know that I am in Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.
The Day of the Lord
“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days."
-Joel 2:23-29

The Palatte

I realized my somewhere over the rainbow was not so far away when I started dreaming dreams that carried color. But the colors did not come until I encountered Christ and my heart became his palatte. Now with each stroke, his brush highlights my heart more brilliantly than the mere stains I could create. And as he continues, it appears more and more like the heart of a word artist who paints pictures with words to illuminate the gospel.

What is it that God wants to paint on the palatte of your heart today?

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
-2 Peter 1:3-8

The Climb

At first I only planned to walk a mile, but ended up walking for what seemed like a lifetime. That's probably because I thought the road would be flat and smoothly paved, but I mostly climbed along a steep, narrow road. And as I climbed, I began to shed layer after layer of myself. The sun grew warmer, and more and more of me melted out of my pores, falling onto the very same dirt my feet then trampled. So that as I reached the top, I saw only a mere shadow of who I was at the bottom.

"That's why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ's mighty power that works within me."
-Colossians 1:29

The Heavens

A small caravan of clouds travels through a golden desert on a journey to a place called night. Each one weary from the heat of day, but hopeful for the gentle breeze to offer a little push to a place where the sky turns pink. Their shadows mirror across a breaking shoreline where children play and seagulls swoop. And I understand a little more fully Psalm 19:1, "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship."

Making Statements

Leaves fall in a cascading shower of red, yellow and brown. At this time of year a jacket is a necessity for some. But for this Floridian a jacket is a novelty. It almost becomes a fashion statement. And I wonder if it's the same with Christianity? Do I sometimes wear Christianity as a necessity or a novelty, depending on what kind of statement I want to make? How about you?

Womanhood

When I wanted to hang up my hat and go home, I remembered I was still just a woman-to-be wrapped in the heart of a girl. So I packed up my gypsy ways, tightened my grip on commitment, and walked the road most traveled: the road to womanhood. Day after day I walked until eventually I disappeared. Maybe I was lost. Maybe I was found. Either way, the girl I once was is not the same as the woman I have become.

How would you describe your journey?

"When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things."
-1 Corinthians 13:11

Focused

Life is a tightrope. A fine line on which to balance. Lean a little too far to the right or to the left and you may fall off. So you concentrate. And you give. And you take. So let me ask you this: What is your focus? We all need a focal point, don't we?

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus . . . " -Hebrews 12:1,2