Starting Somewhere

We all must start somewhere, but I don't always know where that somewhere may be. The world tells me it should be as glamorous as somewhere over the rainbow, but I can't trust the world. I just know that when God is present, somewhere is a great place to start!

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight."
-Proverbs 3:5,6

In the Margins

On paper she lives her life somewhere in the middle among the well-dressed and the well-fed. And on most days that is good enough for her. But on the days when it is not, she scribbles her faith down in the margins of her life, trying to hold onto something bigger. But God is not asking her to squeeze him in the margins. He is telling her to keep him in the center.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -Jesus (John 15:5)

Spills and Stains

The culture we live in is not contained. It spills out. It overflows. It splatters. It even splatters onto our children.

As a woman madly in love with Jesus Christ, I always feel the need to come alongside my daughters with a wet rag to wash their hands and faces. But I realize that no matter how hard I try, I still miss a spot.

So I tuck my girls into bed and take Jesus by the hand, asking him to go where I cannot go, to see what I cannot see, to clean what I cannot clean.

And when the culture has spilled and left some stains, I trust that Jesus knows how to clean it up.

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young-
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
9 They will be a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
-Proverbs 1:1-9

This is the Day

There is a room in my house where the light glows dimly at night while an end table boasts with beauty as her silhouette cascades across one wall. She commands the stage for an audience of several furnishings that sit silently holding their applause. And they do hold their applause until 7 a.m. when tiny little feet clap against the cold tile floors.

Suddenly the staged room no longer illuminates with the legs of a table, but with the legs of a child. My child, in fact. She emerges from a dressing room of sorts to take place on the center stage of my day in my house where the light glows dimly at night.

So I give my regards to the quiet of night, and welcome the beauty of day.

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." -Psalm 118:24

Super Size It

I find that when my life seems larger than me, then it also seems out of my control. But when I feel larger than life, I feel very much in control. So which way would I rather have it? Well, my head thinks it is best for me to have control, but my heart beats differently.

So go ahead and make mine bigger. Super size it. I want to be living large with God in command.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." -Proverbs 16:9

Brave Heart

Openly embrace the redemptive work of God in your life instead of avoiding it.

There was a time when you sang, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..." But now you sing about a time when love left you hurting.

So you sit with a wounded heart that was once called brave. And now God is calling you to stand again . . . and shine.

"Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." -Jesus (Matthew 5:16)

A Lost Soul

For the longest time, I felt like a lost soul trying to hitch hike my way into heaven. Until one day I realized I needed more than just a free ride. I knew I needed a relationship. But not the kind to call me on the phone or take me to dinner. No, I did not need a casual date, just like I did not need a casual Jesus.
"For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost." -Jesus (Luke 19:10)

Bridges

I do not believe in airing dirty laundry. But I do believe in telling others about those times and places in our lives that God has redeemed. We should share our stories to build bridges into the lives of others. Those bridges lead us to the gospel.

Do you remember the story that built a bridge in your life?

"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress;
he led them by a straight way, till they reached a city to dwell in.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men!
For he satisfies him who is thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things."
-Psalm 107:2-9

The Path

Sometimes I clearly know the path God wants me to walk, and yet I still tip toe along the way. Perhaps I feel timid, perhaps I have doubts. But then faith takes me by the hand and confidently leads me on. Suddenly I don't feel quite so timid as my heart bravely swells.

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." -Psalm 16:11

Life

Life is a pilgrimage of sorts. It is a collection of experiences we keep tucked in our pockets. It is a collage of people we keep close to our hearts.

Life is a journey with a beginning and an ending. But I would say that life does not begin in the cradle. It begins at the cross. And it does not have to end at the grave. It can end with grace.

"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'" -Jesus (John 3:5-7)

Healed

When I first came to Jesus, I did not feel like a golden girl of summer.

I felt burned and blistered after staying out in the world for too long.

And even though the world scorched my life, Jesus still soothed my soul, healing the blisters and burns.

"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." -Jesus
(Matthew 13:15)

Slaying Dragons

Some days I think we still run around in our super hero jammie's with plastic swords in our hands, conquering fire breathing dragons.

Only our dragons no longer appear green and scaly, but instead they come knocking on our door for a 9:00 a.m. conference call, or they jump right out of our day timers.

But now that we are adults, we have a choice to make. Do we slay the day, seize it, or put our swords down and surrender it?

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." -Proverbs 16:3

Setting Sail

There comes a time when we must take up our anchors and set sail on the open seas to navigate through uncharted waters.

But sometimes our anchors get rusty. They have been buried in a watery grave for too long.

Perhaps the time has come to cut the line?

What are the anchors in your life that keep you bound to familiar waters, preventing fresh winds from catching your sails?

Got Routine?

You may know how to find a diamond in the rough, but do you know how to find beauty in routine? I realize that for some, routine is spelled m-o-n-o-t-o-n-y. And for some, routine appears when you turn the computer on again, or when you change another diaper, or when you take the next semester of classes.

So how do I find beauty in routine? First, I realize that this is the day the Lord has made and if God has made it, then something somewhere must have beauty. So I choose to look for it, but I also ask God to reveal it.

Does God need to uncover some beauty in the midst of your daily regime? If so, ask Him to refresh, recharge, renew your perspective!

Control Freak

Have you ever wondered if you really are a control freak dressed up with degrees, a good career, and a happy family? I have. I admit I am sometimes guilty of wearing a cool facade while below the surface I am treading water to stay afloat in a sea called control.

I recently shared my perfectionist tendencies with a sister in Christ and she threw me a life line when she pointed out that perfectionism really is about having control. When we are drowning, we cannot rescue ourselves.

What kind of sea are treading in today? Perhaps you should take it to someone who can throw you a life line?

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." -Proverbs 27:17

My Independence

Somewhere between being a girl and becoming a woman, I bought into the idea of living independently. And while independence can be good in certain contexts, it can also be detrimental.

As a freshman at Penn State I spent my nights socializing at fraternities. "This is Leaha. She is an Independent," the frat brothers would introduce me in this way to point out that I was not affiliated with any sorority.

Now, so many years later, I still find myself living up to that label. But independence can come with a price. Often for me, independence is spelled
L-O-N-E-L-Y.

You see, independence clashes with community. Like siblings they rival with each other, unable to get along. So while I crave community, I often default to independence. For me community is the sibling I don't naturally seek out while independence is always eager to play.

1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another..."

How about you?

Go

Time tugs at my life like a kid sister, eagerly leading me by the hand.

Bravery pushes me forward like a high school friend shouting, "I dare you!"

Faith stretches out like a shadow-always present, but not always seen.

And God calls with a megaphone to my heart saying, "This is the way; walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21)

. . . All so that I cannot help but feel compelled to go.

The Seasons

When I think of the word "seasons" I first think of the four seasons. But what about the seasons of our lives?

Like winter we have dormant seasons. These are times when part of us hides away from the light. It stays hidden. It slumbers.

But then spring dawns with a new sense of awakening . Hope sprouts up after being summoned by cleansing rains.

And then the sun breaks through, welcoming summer. Suddenly, life is a picnic.

Until a chill forms in the air, ushering in the autumn. And life seems less vibrant. Perhaps even a little dry.

What kind of season are you in today?

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven . . . He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time." -Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, I sang a Capella to an audience called "Me". Now I sing Hallelujah to an audience of One.

Once upon a time, the world called me "Daughter". Now I am a Daughter of the King.

Once upon a time, true love was a fairy tale. Now true love is mine.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love . . . " -Jeremiah 31:3

Running?

There is a restlessness beating in every heart that is apart from God's peace. And that beating heart pumps complacency through the blood until it infects the whole body, so that all there is left to do is run. But that kind of running can land you in the belly of a whale.

Are you running today?

If so, stop. God does not want to trap you, he wants to talk with you.


Jonah's Prayer (from the book of Jonah, Chapter 2)

1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. 2 He said:
"In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave [a] I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.

3 You hurled me into the deep,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.

4 I said, 'I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.'

5 The engulfing waters threatened me, [b]
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.

6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,
O LORD my God.

7 "When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.

8 "Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the LORD."

10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.