New Year's Eve - Things To Do

Shortly after we make it through the challenges of December, the dare of New Year's  

resolutions confronts us. I like the idea of choosing to do things better in the year ahead, 
but it brings a few challenges too, if only because of the dismal success rate.   

A statistic I read last January said only 8% of those who make resolutions succeed in

reaching their goals. That means 92% of us fall short, get discouraged, and eventually 
give up. I'm tired of the calendar being the only one who changes each year. It's time
we reached more of our goals, or more importantly, God's goals for us. So what's 
stopping us?

For some of those pursuits, we may be waiting for someone else to open the door for us. 
But whether we live our dream or not isn't their responsibility. A good writer doesn't put 
what matters most to her protagonist in the hands of another person to grant or withhold. 
In the same way, God doesn't place the fate of one person completely in the hands of another. He really does give each of us a special work, and people don't get to decide whether we'll achieve it or not. For instance, a publisher can choose whether to publish a manuscript or not but they can't decide whether we write the book.  

This New Year will only be "new" if we make it a "do" year. 2015 will bring more challenges but also more successes as we do the things close to our heart, the works God has been encouraging us to do all along. 

Have a Happy New Year pursuing, doing, and accomplishing the things that make you
you. And as you do, the people you love most will be blessed. 

Christmas Eve - Things Undone

Quiet morning, cup of coffee, and Christmas tree lights aglow. I hold this moment like a fragile ornament, knowing all the yet to do things on my Christmas list. Still, I hold onto this peaceful moment a little longer. 

Like a soldier home from battle, I can't go back to the store with the crowds and chaos of choices. I've spent more hours there in the last week than I can count. What I've already bought will be enough. I have to remind myself, the things we're shopping for aren't found on department store shelves. 
Contentment, peace, and joy don't wear price tags.

My undone list: I didn't hang twinkling lights in the outside windows. I didn't bake a single cookie. What? That's borderline Scrooge! In my defense, I did decorate the tree, the one that's leaning to the left. My husband said if it tips over the wall will catch it. Peace of mind... And I've only wrapped a couple of gifts so far though a dozen precious people will walk in our front door Christmas morning.

Somehow the presents will get wrapped. My daughter said she might have 
time to bake a batch of cut out cookies - stars, bells, and trees. The ham dinner will most likely come together and land on the table as it did last year. And all this will take place by God's generous grace.  

So what are the truly undone things on our holiday lists? Things like Pastor Saeed, a prisoner in Iran, who is spending his third Christmas Eve in a cell. 
He needs us to pray. His wife and two young children will be without him again as he endures beatings, sickness, and hunger. All because he loves Jesus, the One born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. 

The Baby asleep in a manger surrounded by animals seeking a warm place 
for the night. We see it portrayed in church yards, on Christmas cards, and in our homes. Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds adoring the newborn King, the Light of the world who came to destroy the works of darkness.

Other things undone. Many of us have grown children and grandchildren who have wandered from the truth. In their darkness they can't see what they're missing. I pray they will catch a glimpse of our Savior's Light and find their 
way back to the manger. May they discover Adoration for the only One who 
can destroy the works of the enemy in their minds and hearts. Our prayers are the most valuable gifts we can give our children  for Christmas.

The decorations, gifts, and cookies do help make the holiday bright. But a truly Merry Christmas can only be found in the Light and Peace of Jesus. 

12 Shopping Days til Christmas

"Are you ready for Christmas?" the store clerk asked last week. 

Seeing bread, milk, and nothing gift-like in my basket, she mistook me for one of those early birds who has everything bought and wrapped by the day after Thanksgiving. Only in my imagination. 

"Have you done all your shopping?" a friend asked the other day.

"You mean have I started shopping?" My rhetorical response told her I still had a long list to go. 

Some of us have problems deciding what to buy our loved ones. We want the gifts to please them, but also be something they can use long after the wrapping paper and ribbons. Ready or not, the stores steadily countdown the days until Christmas. In all the stress and flurry, it's good to know Someone already bought us the best gifts of all.

Scripture says God gives us every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). He proved it by sending His Son Jesus to become our Savior. The King stepped  
down from heaven and was born in an out building, where donkeys, cows, 
and sheep took shelter from the cold. We read how wise men from the East arrived later with gifts for their new born King, but He's the one who brought the real gifts.         

       "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His 
       glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and                truth" (John 1:14).

God, in His baffling love for mankind, sent His beloved Son to spend His first night in a manger. As a man, Jesus walked thousands of miles on dusty roads proclaiming the grace of God to a people who for the most part rejected it. He revealed truth, yet many chose to keep living in the darkness of lies. Even so, Jesus continues to offer us the gifts of grace and truth.
  
So it's okay if the sweaters don't fit and they've already read those books.
The DVD's, under the tree, may not be the ones they'd like to get. Yet Jesus 
still brings grace and truth. The more we learn and accept these treasures, 
the more we'll realize that His gifts are priceless and precious.

Little Steps 

Flipping my calendar to the last month of the year got me thinking about 
the first one. Remember January 2014? One good thing about blogs, they 
jog our memory. I looked back and read my first post of the year - 
"Old Year Resolutions." I mentioned things from past years that I had
yet to accomplish, like the book I'd been writing. With the second draft 
nearly finished at the time, I had no idea how much work it still needed. I 
also didn't know the details of publishing a digital book. I've been learning 
much about that recently.

Countless little steps over the past couple of years brought me to a bigger 

step two days ago. After much editing and ado, I finally clicked "publish." 

My book, The Neglected Journey, is now live, as they say, and available 

on Amazon Kindle. I wrote this book to encourage Christians to trek into 

the life God created for us. The one Jesus calls abundant (John 10:10). 
They say people write the book they need to read, and I'm no exception. 

Throughout the process I considered giving up more than a few times. But 

the Lord convinced me to keep studying and writing. He always has the 

better plan. The project finally grew into the vision I believe God gave 

me for it four years ago. 

We've all heard it took Thomas Edison 1,000 steps, or attempts, to 

invent the lightbulb. Though some disagree on how many times he tried

and seemingly failed, we all agree he's an example of perseverance.

       "Diligence is man's precious possession" (Prov. 12:27). 

Another way to say it is don't give up. Hold on to the unshakeable dream 

God planted in your heart and keep walking toward it. Because when we put enough of the right little steps together, they aren't so little after all.

Why Diets Don't Work

No one wants to talk about dieting with a feast on our tables and pies for dessert so I saved this topic for after Thanksgiving. Now, with most of 

the leftovers gone, we're thinking about making healthier choices for the 

three weeks between holidays. Eating more fruits and veggies ought to be doable until Christmas cookies and fudge start popping up. In our 
family, December also brings a few birthdays, i.e. birthday cakes, which 
make healthy eating even more difficult. 

Okay, so December isn't the best time to turn over a new leaf, lettuce leaf 

that is, but what about January? Of course, New Year's Day, the perfect 
time to start a diet! So why do more than 90% of us fail to lose weight and regain health even then? 

I discovered the reason diets don't work in the book of Romans, which is 

as applicable today as the day Paul wrote it nearly 2,000 years ago. 

       "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the 

       renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2).

True transformation begins in our minds. Unless we change the way we 
think about food, we won't change the way we interact with it. If we see 
ice cream, soda pop, and Hershey bars as "good" and eat them regularly, 
a diet plan in a magazine can't compete with that. Our accepted list of good foods has to include carrots, Brussel sprouts, and tomatoes, before those veggies will make it onto our plates. 

Diets don't work because external tools, no matter how sensible, can't 

change the internal. Their truth has to replace the opposing "truth" we've
held in our thinking for years or even decades. It looks like the successful 
diet doesn't begin in the kitchen but in our minds.

The same holds true spiritually. Romans 12:2 says to renew our minds 
"so we can prove the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God." So we 
can be more sure of His goodness than we are that the sun will rise each morning. When we take in the Bread of Life, God's Word, and let it replace 
our opposing thoughts, it transforms our spirits. To accept His word as our 
ultimate truth, changes us for the better. First in our minds, then in our 
words and actions.

We don't have to replace pumpkin pie with pickles or Christmas cookies 
with celery. Occasional treats aren't the problem. Choosing to eat truly 
good food 340 days a year will improve our physical health. But more importantly, God's Word can transform our spirits today and for eternity.
And every word of it is good.          

The List We Need Most 

Where did November go? As my "not done list" grows and the months 

fly, I think, If I only had more time...then I'd get more accomplished, 

like posting regular blogs. Yep, that's what I need, more time. 

Or maybe I fritter away too much time. Like money, when we put our 

daily hours in "pockets with holes," we're bound to lose some of it.

What creates these holes? 

Being forgetful. My granddaughter and I spent over an hour shopping for Thanksgiving. I grabbed a 21-pound turkey and a cart load of stuff, but 

forgot the potatoes. Really?? The turkey and gravy theme didn't remind 

me? So today I'll drive to the store, put things in the cart, stand in the check out line, etc. to buy items I forgot when I did all that two days ago. 

Phone calls. My friends and family have all sorts of schedules, so calls 

come in randomly and regularly. (I'm still learning how to let them leave 

a message during the hours I set aside for writing.) My other big problem 

is saying "yes" when my priorities tell me to say "no." 

I don't have to look too far to find a few of the hole makers in my pocket 

full of time. So I don't need more time after all. I do need to learn how to 

spend it wisely.

   

Another easy list are the things we lack. We know what we need and don't 

have, especially around the holidays. It's amazing how the neglected home improvement projects stand out when visitors are headed your way. Rugs 

need cleaned, walls need paint, and the kitchen and bathroom needs remodeled. New furniture wouldn't hurt either. If we just had a nicer house, family gatherings would be more pleasant. 

So far I've started  two lists: 

1. My to do but not done list  

2. My want but don't have list.    

These may appear legitimate but they only distract me from the one I 

really need - a list of all I'm thankful for. Thank God for Thanksgiving, 

which is more than a day in late November and a holiday for Americans. 

It's a global reminder that our greatest need is a grateful heart. 

Inspired by Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, I've been jotting 
down thank you's to God this year. I'm on number 1,135 and those just 
reflect the ones I've thought of when my journal and pen are close at 
hand. I also thank God when I'm driving, washing dishes, or walking with 
my granddaughter. Blessings everywhere. 

It turns out the best way to grow thankful is to say "Thank You". Most of 

us have enough time and enough stuff, but we can never have too much gratitude. God bless your thanks giving on Thanksgiving Day and every 

day.  

Bark With Faith

Willa, our German/Australian mix shepherd looks forward to going out 

every morning as most dogs do. Though it's still dark, she does her 

business then sits on her covered porch and enjoys the smells and sounds 

of early morning. After an hour or so she wonders if I'm cooking anything 

yet.  

"Woof!"(one sharp bark means she wants in.) 

Let me finish this thought first, I think sitting at the table surrounded with 

my Bible, other books, and stacks of scattered notes. 

As I scribble another sentence in my journal she barks again. By Willa's 

third bark I open the back door and see her curled up on her outdoor dog 

bed. She hasn't moved an inch from her comfort zone. Once she sees me 

open the door on her behalf, she stretches her legs, slowly stands, jumps 

down, and walks though the open door.

"Gosh Willa, can't you bark in faith that I will open the door, even though 
it may not be until your third request?"

At once I see a picture of myself praying as if from her dog bed. Yelping 
out prayers without moving one inch closer to the door I desperately ask 
God to open. Not a single move until I see God's answer unfold with my physical eyes. What's wrong with this picture God is showing me? 

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11: 1.)

Other times Willa crawls under her porch and sleeps there. Later in the 
day she often barks from down under and waits for me to open the door. 
But when I do, she can't even see me standing there saying, "I thought 
you wanted in?" Sometimes I shut it and wait until she's serious enough 
to crawl out from under her circumstances to show me she truly wants in.

"Bark in faith Willa! Show you trust your master to open the door by 
moving toward it."

"Pray in faith, Kathleen! Show you trust Your Master to open the right 
door by moving toward it. Live as if He listens to your prayers."

God loves hearing our prayers, and even treasures them in heaven. 

Thank You, God for reminding us what a powerful treasure we hold every 
time we pray. Thanks for showing us to step toward the door, believing 
You will open it. And if it's not the right one for us, guide us to the right 
door.  
    

      

Finding Purpose

Grocery shopping fulfills a purpose. People like to eat and families 

have favorite recipes which call for certain ingredients. Hence, grocery 

shopping has a direct purpose. I find myself at the grocery store far too 

often. In fact that's one of my pet peeves and the reason for a forming resolution: Only one trip to the grocery store per week. My mom used to 

shop for the entire month, surely I can make once a week work. 

But this post isn't about grocery shopping.

In order for a direct effort to take us closer to where we want to be, it 
must have a clear purpose. I began this blog to see if I could, or would, 
post frequently enough to connect with some readers along the way. 
Since I had no idea if I'd find and maintain momentum, I've told very 
few people it exists. I admit, some months have been fairly sketchy. 
Weeks tend to get away from me while I shop for groceries and get 
distracted by all the other activities of maintaining a household.

Still, the real reason for my hit and miss posts is a lack of clear purpose 

for posting in the first place. Every good purpose is built on priorities. 

I've prayed, considered, and decided the ongoing direction for this blog. 

The following quote sums it up rather well. 

       "I love little children and it is no slight thing when they who are fresh 

        from God love us." ~ Charles Dickens

The Lord has graciously placed children in my life and I thank Him for 

that blessing on top of all the others. Yet it's also a responsibility. We 

owe our children love, prayers, respect, and encouragement. We also 

need to help them learn the truth about God, their Creator. We live in 

a dark world, one determined to grow darker and further from the Light 

of God's Word. It's up to us to teach our little ones about the Lord.

For now this blog is primarily a reminder to myself and others of the 

treasure we have in our children. Precious and worth every moment 

we spend with them. Priorities like taking a walk together, coloring a 

picture, and baking cookies. They sound cliche`but my granddaughter 

and I just baked chocolate chip cookies. We had fun and created a 

tasty treat too.            

Children grow up fast, another true cliche`, as anyone with kids can 

tell you. May the Lord remind and enable us to cherish them every 

day in word and deed.   

You're Forgetting 

Lily, age 4, walked in one morning ready to spend the day at grandma's 

house. She looked around and saw something amiss.

     "You're forgetting," she said, smiling.

     "What is it?" I asked.

     "The gate," she pointed to the stairs. "You forgot to put the gate up." 

Oops! I immediately clicked the portable gate in place so she wouldn't be tempted to run up and down the stairs, not safe for a preschooler.

Very little gets past the sharp eye of a child. Perhaps because their 
minds aren't cluttered with concerns or weighed down with worries.

In the midst of trying times we tend to forget important things, like how 

much God cares about us. Someone may say, "God loves you," and we 

accept it with an anemic smile. Then like other Christian cliches`, it 
slides off without changing the way we  perceive or deal with problems.

Distracted by so many lesser things, we truly do forget the depth of 
God's love. I ran across an amazing verse in the obscure book of 
Zephaniah.

       "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He 
          will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you in His love, 
          He will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).

It's like we know God loves us, but when was the last time we heard 
Him sing to us? Ever? The drama and clamor of this life crowds out the 
song we most need to hear. Jesus said we'll always have the poor with 
us. We'll always have circumstances vying for our attention as well.  

So I close my eyes and listen for heaven's song. Because only in His 
song will we begin to know the depth of His love.  



      

    

Making Room for Yes

I actually did it.

"No, I'm sorry," I said over the phone. "but I need to work on my book 

if I ever expect to publish it. I can babysit for a couple of hours 

tomorrow though."

Okay. So it wasn't a clean no. I qualified it with a yes for the next day 

but I said no first, something I rarely do. It felt unusual like a sunny 

morning after a week of rain. It also felt like an opportunity and a 

responsibility.

I said no for a specific purpose and needed to take my work seriously. 

How can I expect anyone else to if I won't? So that day I edited two 

difficult chapters and emailed a publisher asking permission to quote 

one of their books. 

Isn't it amazing that the Creator of heaven and earth invites us to work with Him on projects? It pleases Him when we make those things a 

priority. Saying no to friends, family, and phone calls (sometimes) 

enables us to say yes to God more often. It's one way we can thank 

Him for including us in His plans.

God's thoughts about us outnumber the sand (Ps. 139:17,18). For 

those who rarely walk along the ocean's shores let me remind you, no 

one can count the grains of sand. We can't count God's thoughts about 

us either. So much of His truth exceeds our ability to comprehend. 

  

I recently ordered The Best Yes, wise decisions in the midst of endless demands, a book by Lysa Terkeurst. I have a feeling it's one I seriously 

need to read because most of the demands that keep me from saying 

yes to God come from myself.   

The yellow buses have started circling through our neighborhoods again. 

As kids get back into the school routine, it's a good reminder for us to 
continue learning and growing too.   

       

   

What Grows in God's Garden?

My dog, Willa, and I took a walk this morning. With little or no green thumb of my 
own, I admire the late summer flowers growing  in other people's yards. One 
driveway in particular is lined with brilliant orange and yellow nasturtiums. We 
walked past several gardens too, full of tomatoes, squash, green beans, and rows 
of corn. 

God likes garden's too. (That's why He created them.) I recently read a short list of 
some of His favorite things to grow. 

Speaking to His people, Israel, God said, He will make her "wilderness like Eden 
and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in it, 
thanksgiving and the voice of melody" (Isaiah 51:3 italics added).

It's too easy to misplace joy and start thinking it comes from what I manage to 
accomplish. But joy grows from realizing what God has already done for us. Like 
eternal life, no small thing. 

We grow glad from a greater acquisition of joy through thankfulness. Yet we can 
get so used to listing the things we don't have that we neglect to thank God for all 
we have. For the chronically lack-minded rather than like-minded, joy evaporates.

I'm amazed how many verses remind us to thank God. Such a simple thing and yet 
we often forget. "Thank You, God for___________." We could fill the blank with a multitude of everyday or unusual things, all equally wonderful.

Last evening, just before I closed the curtains, I noticed the sky, soft blue, with 
streaks of pink clouds. It look like a pastel water color painted by a Master artist. 
So much beauty to thank God for. 

Everyday I want to wake up more thankful because that's where real joy and 
gladness grow. Not from more stuff but from more gratitude for the stuff we 
already have. And may we remember to thank God for the priceless treasures 
of love, grace, His Holy Spirit and the amazing people He put in our lives. 

Like me, you may not have a knack for growing great gardens. But we can all 
flourish like flowers in His garden just by making a habit of saying thank You.  

          

      

A Tale of Two Yards

Sometimes the best way to understand problems in your own life is to 
walk in someone else's neighborhood. One day I took my car in for new 
tires. Rather than sit in the waiting area and breathe the smell of rubber 
for an hour, I took a walk. A few blocks later, houses, trees, and flowers 
surrounded me.

Gentle wind moved deep green branches. Orange and gold nasturtiums sparkled in the sunlight. But the glorious day was some what wasted on me. 
I had just received two rejections for a kids series I thought was promising. The more rejections piled up, the more I questioned my writing direction, in fact writing in general. A little discouragement goes a long way.

Then I stopped to look at an unusual yard. Every blade of grass clipped, 
hedges shaped, lawn edged. Happy bunches of kale, lettuce and carrots 
grew in two raised beds. A shade tree swayed as if to music. I couldn't 
help but smile as I walked on. A few feet and one hedge later I stopped again but for the opposite reason. 

Dandelions gone to seed filled the yard next door. A moldy throw rug 
hung in a wilted tree. Dented pop cans and food wrappers scattered 
across the dry grass. A rusted pet carrier lay on it's side against the 
hedge. An empty grocery bag blew past me like a tumble weed. The 
torn screen door and taped window on the house completed the picture.

The first yard spoke diligence and revealed the power of direct and steady effort.
The second yard spoke negligence and revealed we only have to ignore something to destroy it.

As often happens the Lord nudged my thoughts back to my struggle and 
encouraged me to consider it from the view of two yards. The only real
difference between them was hard work, not a lack of opportunity or money. Pulling weeds and planting seeds are equal opportunity options. One family worked in their yard while the other walked past theirs. 

How much real work had I put into my writing projects? How many 
times did I let endless distractions steal the time I planned to spend 
working at my craft? 

The tale of two yards tells me I can't give up on the series idea because I haven't worked at it enough to say I've tried. If it were a yard, I still had 
weeds to pull, grass to mow, seeds to plant and water. I walked back to 
my car with renewed resolve.     
     
If we want to be happy with what we accomplish, to feel contentment 
of a project well done, there's no way around working at it. That's one 
reason Jesus said, "If you know these things happy are you if you do 
them" (John 13:17). This simple cure from the Lord has the power to 
change our lives if we'll put it into practice.

God Bless the work of our hands.   

The Ongoing Pursuit of Happiness

Last time I listed 7 of the many things Scripture recommends for anyone searching 

for happiness. Yet has just reading the list made us happier? Doubtful so let's take 
a closer look at them.

Salvation and Fear, the first two, are inseparable. We won't realize our need for 

Jesus without some fear or reverence for God. As fear of Him grows, so does our appreciation for being a member of His family. 

Remember the first years as a Christian when we couldn't help but talk about 
Jesus? Just the mention of His name made us smile.The following verse explains 
how to get that back: "Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him that glory 
may dwell in our land" (Psalm 85:9). 

When we keep our position as God's child up close and personal, an underlying 
happiness grows. And as we express our thankfulness and joy over being saved 

we'll bring God glory. 

On the other hand, some of us act like John 3:16 is less important than last week's 
weather report. Our outlook tells everyone we need so much more than Jesus to 
be happy. We often sound like Mrs. Popham in Summer Magic, who said, "I always 

expect the worst and I ain't ever been disappointed." Maybe we've lost sight of our 

redemption and the friendship Jesus wants to share.   

The third principle leading to happiness is learning to do His Word. Sounds like a monumental request and only becomes possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. As

an example, I just randomly opened the Bible and read, 

       "That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment 
       of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus," (Philemon 6)  

Sounds like to do that verse means we count our blessings and give God the 

credit for them. Then others may see our peace and joy in the Lord and be drawn 

into His family as well. Could anything make us happier than helping change 

someone's eternal destination? 

These are just a few more words for thought on a subject one could study for 
years. Next time we'll continue looking at the 7 principles leading to happiness. 
If you have any thoughts to add, I'd be glad to hear from you.