come and worship…

come and worship…

Do you know why I love running so much?


Not because of the cardiovascular benefits.
Not because of the endorphin release.
Not because it feeds a twenty plus year obsession.
Not because I hold any illusions of ever being a size 8 or even a size 10 again.
Not because it’s an escape from my children.
Not because it puffs me up.
Not because of the great outdoors.

Not because of any of these reasons.

I like running for many of them, but the reason I love running is that when I am running, I experience a closeness with Jesus that I don’t experience at any other times during my week. When I run, my heart feels most ready and most willing to meet him. Most amenable to the idea of the sky splitting wide open and of my running home to be with him forever.

Perhaps you’ve known this feeling. I imagine it comes to each one of us in different ways via different venues … at least I hope it does. When God meets us in an intimate forum, on familiar ground and with consistent measure, we cannot help but want more of him and, therefore, move our hearts toward him.

Whatever gets you to the feet of Jesus this weekend, do it. Meet him where you’ve met him before, and should the sky split open and your faith catch a glimpse of your glorious forever, cradle that moment in your heart as a sacred gift from a gracious God who loves you.

Who came for you. Who waits for you. Who longs for you… just you. Come and worship your King this day.

As always…

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"see to it"…

“Tell Archippus, ‘See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.’” (Colossians 4:17).

Last evening, I rushed home from our Bible study launch of Priscilla Shirer’s “one in a million” to participate in an on-line conference hosted by A Women Inspired. I missed most of the first session, but was excited to learn that my girl, Kristen from Exemplify, was hosting the second session. Like most of us in blogland, Kristen and I have yet to make a face-to-face connection. Thus, I was all the more eager to at least “hear” her voice; it didn’t matter much to me what she would be talking about. She could have talked fashion for all I cared; I would have listened (despite my careless attitude along those lines). It wasn’t the content I was after. It was the relationship. But my sister had a word to further validate the person she is … the person I’ve grown to love and admire throughout my time in the blogging world.

A simple, tender admonition to “see to it”. See to the work you have received in the Lord. She repeated the phrase throughout her presentation, and at one point, inserted my name into the mix (she knew I was there because participants are on-line “chatting” while the presenter is speaking).

“See to it, Elaine, see to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”

I’ve thought a lot about that “charge” in the past fourteen hours, and I’ve asked the Lord a few questions along these lines. What is the work I have received from you Lord? What are you calling me to complete? What are the unfinished “chapters” that need words and punctuation and thematic flow? What is the work that is mine to conclude, and what is the work better left to someone else’s conclusion? Show me, Father, my place in your kingdom plan.

I went to sleep pondering my thoughts; I awoke with the same and then “happened” upon Mark 8:22-25 in my time of morning devotion.

“They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”

Today, like the blind man, I linger on the outskirts of Bethsaida with my questions regarding my “see to it”. My eyes vision partial; my heart all the more. Where I desire clarity, there are trees walking around. I am not alone in my contemplations; my Savior is here with me. In fact, he led me here by his hand and is administering his own form of clarity in the matter. He reminds me that clear vision takes faith, takes trust, and takes the necessary steps toward having trees turn into people. Dreams turn into realities. Hopes turn into the “surety and certainty” that roots me back to the Author and Perfecter of all “see to it’s”.

Seeing clearly begins with a willingness to walk with the Father to the outskirts of the village where we normally reside. Normal, usual, and daily routine don’t typically birth clarity regarding our “see to it’s”. Taking time to be Jesus in quiet isolation, away from life’s distractions, brings perspective. It is in those moments when we best pay attention to the hands of Christ’s administration over our needs. His “see to it’s” for each one of us are best seen when we can clearly hear the whisper of our names on his lips, offering us his tender admonition:

Elaine, do you see anything? What is coming into focus for you? See to it, child, see to the work you have received in my name.

How about you, friend?

____(your name)___, do you see anything? What is coming into focus for you? See to it, child, see to the work you have received in my name.

Today I have ample time for the contemplation because I am well aware of the human condition—the limits our bodies allow us to travel before putting a “halt” to our intentions, our lists, our “seeing to it’s”. It’s been looming for a few days now (read my last post). I’m fighting its arrival with plenty of prayer and over-the-counter wisdom, but even then, a “halt” has become my necessity.

Rather than seeing this day as a day lost regarding my many “lists”, I’m investing this time with my Father on the outskirts of my normal and asking him for his hands to sharpen my vision along the lines of my “see to it’s”. I believe him for as much, and I am exceedingly grateful for these moments I’ve been given to step aside with him in isolation.

I pray the same for you in the days to come. God has given each one of us some “see to it’s”. There are seasons when it’s hard to clearly determine his intentions along these lines, but as we take time to be alone with Jesus, he takes the time and is more than willing to sharpen our focus and to strengthen our steps for the duration and completion of the ordained works he has placed in our hands.

So in the words of the Apostle Paul, and in the words of my good friend Kristen, see to it today. See to Jesus. Be with Jesus. Walking trees are just the beginning of a sharper beholding. As you are faithful to hang on for more, God is faithful to reveal to you his more. As always,

peace for the journey,

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Making Sense of Mustard Seeds

“Again he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.’” (Mark 4:30-32).

I’m not sure how it all fits together; all the stuff of my Sunday.

Sick children;
Laundry rotation;
Clorox wipes;
Temperature taking;
Non-stop Sponge Bob.
A Wal-Mart run for meds.
Throw-up clean up;
Make-up homework;
Bible-study prep work…

Some prayers;
A Scripture;
A Kingdom;
A mustard seed;
Some birds.

A blog post.

But something tells me they fit; Someone compels me to make them fit … at least to ponder their collective wisdom and then to scrawl a few thoughts in between runs for cool washcloths and requests for more attention. And here’s what I’m thinking tonight…

They are God’s kingdom, these two young ones I’ve been given in my later years. I never imagined them on the front side of my motherhood. Their two older brothers were enough to fill my maternal longings. Then again, I never imagined starting over in a new marriage. But I did start over. And by God’s grace and only through a loving provision I cannot begin to merit or adequately explain, I was granted the privilege of having two additional children.

I’ve not always done it right; in fact, many times I’ve gotten it wrong. All of us have some battle scars to prove it. But even in the mistakes, I’ve always been mindful of the sacred responsibility to do it. To parent in the light and shadows of a greater cause … a kingdom cause. If I don’t, someone else will, and what God wants growing in my garden is a planting filled with the mustard seeds of a heavenly kingdom, not the weeds of a worldly domain.

The world grows weeds … useless, unimaginative, ugly to the eye, and difficult to erase.

All I have to do is look out my bedroom window to a neighboring lot and see the effects of a worldly neglect. But when I look inward to reflect on what’s growing inside these four walls, to the young ones who are within reach and are well-tended to this day, I see the effects of a Godly intention. A sowing that exceeds any amount of energy expended on the cultivation.

I see God’s kingdom—two children growing faster than my heart can handle. There is nothing useless, unimaginative, and ugly about them. Instead theirs is a beauty that, when beheld, no one wants to erase, for in their eyes … on their faces and beneath their skin, there radiates the glow of heaven. A golden hue reminiscent of a golden road that links them directly back to the inapproachable light of a glorious God.

God’s kingdom is like them; tiny mustard seeds growing alongside their brothers and sisters in Christ to develop into a garden without boundaries. A garden that multiplies over time to become the sought-after perch and shade for the birds of the air.

We are there too, being cultivated and grafted into a kingdom without end. A golden carpet of splendor rolled out for all of humanity as the pathway home to the King. As you consider your “plant”—your part in God’s kingdom this week—be reminded that your beauty is needed. The light you carry within added to the light I carry within becomes an illumination that beckons weary travelers to pause from frantic flight and to, instead, find rest within our branches.

God has fashioned us to be his perch and shade to a world in need of a safe place to land. In doing so, his kingdom advances. One seed at a time; one heart at a time; one prayer at a time; one cold compress and one temperature-taking at a time; one Scripture at time. One blog post at a time.

That is how my Sunday fits together … a day fast approaching its end. It’s been messy and cluttered and filled with ranging emotions, yet when all is cast at the feet of the King, all becomes material he can work with. He’s done it for me; he’ll do it for you as well.

Blessings this week as you fan into flame your candle and expand your branches to become God’s extension of rest to a people who need the truth behind their sacred worth. We are all the useful, imaginative, beautiful, and unerasable work of his hands.

Walk your inheritance well. As always…

peace for the journey,

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Home

Home

“By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:9-10).

I’ve been thinking about home this morning; not this one, the one where I currently lay my head at night, but that one … the one I’m headed toward.

In many ways, I’m already there. My heart resides with God. The older I get, the stronger my clarification in the matter that this life is but a walk-thru and, accordingly, about my need to keep the tent pegs pliable—moveable and sitting on “go” for the road up ahead.

I cannot see far down the path, but I can see enough to know that there is coming a day when I will sit with Father God, look back over all of this mess I’ve called my life, and label it done. Completed. Perfected and well-lived. In this immediate season of my crazy mixed-up life, I can’t imagine that moment of final clarity, but I can trust God to make all of my “current” count toward a better good, a greater plan, his kingdom gain.

I want to be on the move with God; not mired down in the frailty of my flesh which is content on keeping me comfortable. I want a heart and life that boasts the faith of a pilgrim journey—a stepping forth and stepping on so as to keep in step with a forward God. Sure, I’ve got a past that follows me and therefore invites me to an occasional backward glance, but the closer I get to home, the lesser my desire for an over-the-shoulder, looking-behind lingering.

I’m not into “stalled” living, friends. There was a time when I found some immediate gratification in my compliance to stay stuck, but not anymore. Perhaps age has something to do with it; statistics say I’m at the half-way point of my pilgrimage—my journey home that began 43 years ago. I’m not one to put a lot of weight into statistics; I’ve witnessed the fragility of life first-hand, and I no longer hold any assumptions in the matter.

The measure of time I’ve been granted on this earth matters little to me. What matters the most is that I walk my time forward, with God and with few possessions to weigh me down. Like the ancients of old, I want to live with the perspective that no matter how good things look here … feel here … seem here, things are going to be better there. Thus, I keep my bags packed, my boots on, and the tent pegs of my heart loosened for the next time when God says “move”.

In many ways, I’m hearing his summons along these lines. One or two big “moves”; a multitude of smaller “moves”, but all “moves” intended to keep me on the move with God’s plans for my life. One of the minor forward “moves” was making some changes to my blog. I resisted the “move”; I’m not one for change along these lines.

When I began blogging eighteen months ago, I had no inclination of moving past a few posts to whet my appetite. I quickly came to the realization that blogging (at least for me) was more than a casual journey into cyberland. Blogging has become the venue for me to creatively express the thoughts of my heart. Accordingly, I don’t take my “canvas” lightly. If I’m going to “paint” my heart, I want the brushstrokes to land in a beautiful place—a home that reflects the penchant of my longing.

For a while now, I’ve quietly sat on the sidelines, admiring George & Ashley’s work at tekeme.com. Believe me when I tell you that I’ve “searched” long and wide for just the right designers. Many of them weren’t a good “fit” for me because I’m a bit of a “designer” myself, therefore not easily pleased. But there was something unique about the Weis’ work. Something that clicked with me and allowed me the freedom to trust them with my canvas. Together, we talked and worked and shuffled around some ideas until we came up with this… a new look for peace for the journey.

The message will remain the same. Peace never loses its cutting edge. The author? Well, I’d love a make-over of my own, but alas it’s still the same elaine you’ve come to know. The canvas, however, is fresh and marks the beginning of a new chapter in my journey of faith. A faith that is pushing me forward and pulling me ever closer to the place of God’s intention.

Home.

My suitcase is well tagged, don’t you think? (Thanks, George, for thinking of it; I didn’t really catch the magnitude/analogy of it all until I saw the final product.)

The prayer of my heart for the future worth of this canvas exceeds the money spent on a new design. God will determine the worth in the end, both of my words and my heart. How I pray to always be found on the road with him, moving forward and with the Great Commission as my guiding strength.

Thank you for indulging my thoughts this day. If it wasn’t for you, my faithful readers, my words read in isolation. C.S. Lewis once said, “We read to know we’re not alone.” By you being here, and by my being there … with you at your cyber address … we share in the great fellowship of believers realizing that, in fact, the road home is crowded with kindred pilgrims. Let’s continue the walk with our Lord and with one another. What a privilege to carry my suitcase alongside all of you! As always…

peace for the journey,

PS: Please take the time to visit George & Ashley over at their website, tekeme.com. They do beautiful work and have the servants’ hearts to go with! They are “come alongside you” kind of folk–two people who are content to work behind to scenes to bring about positive changes and progress for God’s kingdom gain. I am the better person for having had our paths cross at this season in my journey. Thanks, again, Weis family, for your integrity in the process and for allowing God to hold the pen of your creativity. Blessings and then some…

PSS: Some of you have let me know that you aren’t able to clearly “see” all the elements in your web browser. Ashley has sent me this link for you to update your Internet Explorer. She thinks this is where the problem lies: click here. Hope this helps.

a quick update…

Hey friends…

As you can tell, the blog is undergoing a make-over with a few more additions to come over the next few days. I will also be switching the domain address to a dot.com address and will keep you posted as details arrive. I can’t wait to tell you about the fabulous designers!

On another note, I wanted to let you know the winner of the Bebo Norman CD: #16 LauraLee Shaw from Selah, Pause, and Ponder. Congrats LauraLee!

A final thought for your Wednesday:

“My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;
they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble;
when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your feet from being snared.” (Proverbs 3:21-26).

Whatever you have to do today to preserve sound judgment and discernment, do it. Wrap them around your neck; do not let them out of your sight. We live in a fallen world, and the enemy’s prowl has never been more vicious; more vigilant; more firm and more diligent.

But neither has our God’s. He, too, is on the prowl (from a higher and better vantage point). His vigilance and diligence on our behalf exceed the enemy’s attempts at the same. The LORD, our confidence, comes behind us and goes before us. Our responsibility, today, is to secure ourselves firmly in between these sacred Bookends.

Do not let your confidence slip; instead, fix your eyes on Confidence and find God’s peace. As always…

peace for the journey,

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