🕊️ Rescue Story

 (Acts 12:5–11)
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
— Acts 12:5–11 (NIV)

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The Rescue You Don’t See

Peter had no idea that his rescue was happening while the angels were breaking him out of prison. Much like Peter, we often have no idea when God is rescuing us. We are oblivious to the higher realm—yet He rescues us time and time again. The church that was praying for Peter had no idea that their prayers had been answered until Peter was standing right at their door.

This makes me ask,
“How much can I trust what I see and hear when I am blind to an entire realm I can’t perceive?”

Because I can’t see the process of God working, I often wrongly assume He isn’t. I miss it. My eyes are drawn to what the world shows me instead—the noise, fear, and hopelessness that fill my screen. It’s exactly where the enemy wants my focus.

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Looking for God in the Wrong Places

So, how can I see evidence of God’s movement?
Well, it’s not on TV or social media.
If social media is my only indicator of the movement of God, I’m in trouble.
My best source for seeing His hand at work is to pay attention to the prayers I pray.

I must remember what I’ve asked for and follow through. Sometimes it may take years, even decades, to see an answer. Yet other times, God responds in an instant. I’ve seen both.

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A Moment on the Road

As I was traveling home from work on a wooded, winding, dangerous road, a motorcycle—one of those fast “crotch rockets”—flew past me on a blind curve. I imagined his demise and prayed for his safety. About a mile down the road, I saw that same motorcyclist stopped on the shoulder, frustratingly trying to start his stalled bike.

That moment stopped me.

Few prayers are answered in a minute. But that one was.

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Write It Down

Since most answers take time, how can I remember what I’ve prayed for with my poor memory?  

        Write it down. Check that list daily. Then record the answers. 

                                                          You will be amazed!

Because we cannot see the actions God takes, never assume He isn’t responding. His timing is not our timing.

And just a word of advice: remember, these prayers are not wishes sent to a genie. They are conversations with the Creator. Prayer must always come from a humble, honest relationship with Him.

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Be Persistent

Scripture tells us to pray about everything.
So pray about small daily irritations as well as the big, life-changing events—and keep track of them. Day by day and year by year, you’ll begin to see results from many of those prayers.

Be persistent. Changing hearts—especially hearts with the freedom to reject truth—is a slow process. But God begins His work when we ask. He is always moving on our behalf.

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Watch and See

When Peter was set free, he didn’t realize it until he was already outside the gate.
You may not recognize your rescue until much later either.
But trust this—God is already working it out.

Watch and see.

Dare to Imagine Heaven

We talk about heaven so little, you’d think it was a taboo topic. And when it does come up, it’s often reduced to vague, cloudy clichés that feel more like a bad greeting card than the hope of eternity. But what if we dared to imagine it—really imagine it—the way Scripture hints and our hearts long for?

While writing this blog, I witnessed a near miss—a speeding small car almost collided with a big semi that had pulled out into the middle of traffic. Nothing makes me think about my existence after death more than DFW traffic!

Heaven is a topic we seldom talk about. And if we do, it is usually in very vague terms. That’s probably because it’s the one thing no one on earth has ever truly experienced. We don’t have experts. We do have a handful of people who died, felt God’s presence (or absence), and were then brought back to life. But even they didn’t see the full heavenly experience.

As a child, my dad and grandfather would endlessly discuss how and when they believed Jesus would return. Way too early in life, I was exposed to words like premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. To this day, I couldn’t tell you much about any of those terms because my mind tuned it all out. In fact, for many years I read passages in Isaiah and Revelation much like I would read Narnia, thinking, “It’s a nice idea—but get real.”

Then I read a book that changed my whole perspective about our heavenly future. It was called All Things New: Heaven, Earth and the Restoration of the Things You Love by John Eldredge. I loved that it didn’t try to give me a timeline. Instead, it focused on the glory we will experience someday. It gave me a hope I had long ago buried and left my imagination to fill in the beautiful details. Now, I see our final destination as something to anticipate and savor—it is the prize Paul talked about in Philippians.

🎢 Camp Fear or Camp Fun?

 

How hope—not fear—changes the ride

Scripture:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

—John 16:33 (NIV)

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There are two types of people when it comes to roller coasters—those who scream in terror and those who scream with joy. Everyone seems to land in one camp or the other. People in Camp Fear find the sensation of falling out of control too much to handle. The people in Camp Fun? Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on in their heads—because I belong squarely in the first group.

But maybe that’s the key: what’s going on in our heads. One group interprets the feeling of plummeting as exhilarating. The other? We’re just trying not to barf. It all starts with how we think.

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So how do we in Camp Fear overcome anxiety?

It’s not just about roller coasters.

Fear of cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, the loss of loved ones—and for me, Dallas traffic—are all very real. We’ve seen it. We know 💩 happens. Life can—and will—go wrong.

So if all that is true, how do we overcome fear?

The Bible tells us “do not fear” more than 300 times. That tells me two things: (1) fear is part of the human condition, and (2) we are called to something better. God doesn’t ask us to fly without wings—and I don’t believe He would command “fear not” without giving us a way to do it.

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Is fear the opposite of faith?

I used to think so. That if I feared, I lacked faith. And then came the guilt.

But Moses experienced both. So did David. Jesus, in the garden, was deeply troubled. Maybe fear isn’t always the absence of faith. Maybe it’s a mindset.

I fear the blows that life (or the enemy) might deal me or my loved ones. This world is hard. God promises to bring beauty from ashes, but I still dread the fire. Maybe that dread is where the enemy wins—not just in the pain, but in the anticipation of pain.

I’m not about to pretend that God makes life on earth rosy. He doesn’t promise that. But when I let fear dominate my mind, I destroy my chance at joy. Maybe this is why God commands us not to fear—because fear robs us of the joy of walking through life with the Spirit.

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Fear may not be the opposite of faith.

Maybe it’s the opposite of hope.

Hope keeps our eyes on the final outcome.

Fear fixates on the next possible disaster.

God can bring beauty from ashes—but fear? I can’t recall Him ever transforming that into something beautiful. Fear poisons relationships. It wears down our bodies. It steals our joy and blinds us to God’s nearness.

So maybe the answer isn’t to expect an easy ride—but to throw up our hands and trust the track.

Because in the end, God wins.

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Reflection:

When I find myself white-knuckling through the day, I must remember my hope. I must pry each finger off the safety bar, throw my hands in the air, and join Camp Fun. Not because life is painless—but because the ride ends in glory.

Let the enemy do his worst—I know how the story ends.

What Makes the Difference?

 One of my favorite movies is It’s a Wonderful Life. I know I’m not alone in this since it is considered the number one Christmas movie of all time. Like George Bailey, I sometimes question the difference my life makes. And is there really any distinction between a life lived in faith and a life with no faith?

Since I was a small child, I have been a Christ follower so I have no idea what my life would have been without that faith. I would like to be able to peek at the life I would have lived without my faith in Christ but I am smart enough not to want to actually experience it. I know the story written of Scrooge and what he saw was scary! Unlike the fictional Scrooge or George Bailey character, we don’t have this opportunity to go back and see what could have been. 

The song Thank God, I Do by Lauren Daigle addresses the same sentiment.

I believe this passage that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth gives us an understanding of life with and without faith in Christ. 

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NIV

Those with faith in God go through the same trouble as everybody else. We deal with opposition, slander, anxiety, suicide, depression, loss, tension, misunderstanding, and oppression just like those who do not have faith. Many Christians have been and are being tortured to their death. So what is the difference, pray tell? 

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With faith we have hope. Hope in the promises of God. One of his promises was that he would send us each the Holy Spirit to live our life with us. This Spirit is with us when we wake up, go to sleep and in all the boring stuff like washing dishes or taking out the trash. He is with us throughout this trek on earth. He speaks wisdom to our hearts and he points direction. It is our choice to listen and follow. No matter what scary moments this life on earth dish out, he is with us. When we tap into this power, we realize we are never abandoned and our spirit cannot be destroyed. We have hope in God’s promises of ultimate rescue when others go through this scary life without that hope. 

And he gives us love. It is the difference maker. Love is what helps us identify other Christians and know that we are not alone. God is love. And when we see love from a stranger or a friend we know we are seeing the fingerprint of God. God is the author of love. Without God, there would be no such thing as compassion, kindness,  patience, goodness, self-control, gentleness, peace and joy. When you meet a someone who has these expressions of love in their life, you are looking at a fellow child of God. Pay attention. Take note. Notice when you see these virtues. It will point you to a sister or brother in Christ who listens to the spirit within. (And the reverse is also true 😏, just saying.) 

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Know that all people will suffer injustice and loss. This life is hard for all of us. But the difference for those of us with faith is that we will never be abandoned and our soul will never be destroyed. We know from the promise of Jesus that this life is short and there will be a next life. This promise gives us peace in our hearts when the world around us may be falling apart. We know that the next life will be beautiful, satisfying and joyful. It is our treasure. This treasure is hope in the face of hopelessness and it makes all the difference. 

Scratching That Itch

 

In dry, cold weather my skin begins to itch. I slather on lotion, essentially taking a bath in it, and in a few hours it begins to itch again. But this is true for all things in this world. Solutions are always temporary and problems are seasonal. And I am a fixer. I become unhappy with this or that and I search for the YouTube video that will help me solve my problem. Occasionally I find a solution. But usually the solution is far too costly or it doesn’t come close to fixing the issue. If, by chance, the issue is fixed, I am quickly onto solving the next problematic matter. There is no end to this cycle! And there is always another itch to fix.

We all seem to be searching for a way to solve the issues of our world because we are unhappy with the way things are going. If only this decision would be made or if only this circumstance would change this would be a better place to live. If I were in power, I would… 

But I’m not in power. And if I was, my solution would not be good for everyone. It would only be good for me and that would be temporary. It would be much like those who win the lottery then quickly blow through that money and end up bankrupt. Or like those who are billionaires yet they are always looking for a way to make more money. There is never enough. They can never permanently scratch that itch and be satisfied. It becomes obvious that we live in a broken world. Will it ever be made right? 

The answer is an emphatic YES! For those of us who love God, we will see it all made right. That is God’s promise to us. Jesus is preparing a place for us where everything will be right. No more YouTube videos to fix stuff, unless you enjoy that sort of thing. No more politics. No more snarky memes. No more wars fighting over who is in power. No more cancer or death. It is God who is in power and we will all agree that his decisions are perfect. He is good, loving, kind, brilliant and all powerful. He is what we all long for. 

But the answer is also “not today”. So should we quit trying to scratch the itch? What do we do while we wait? How should we live? I believe that a concise answer that fits us all is given in Micah 6:8. Here it is as written in The Message translation:

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.

You will probably recognize it better in the NIV translation. 

Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Choose Hope

 I’m a mess. There, I said it. I struggle with issues like anger and fear. To top it off, I am a control freak. It is so hard for me just to stand down. And I find myself in a world that has lost love, kindness, sanity and is full of greed and depravity.

But…

I have hope and hope makes all the difference! My hope is in Christ. God wants to save us from our own destruction because He created us and loves us. He created us with the freedom to choose. All we have to do is believe and trust what He said. He said that God created everything and then sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to live in the flesh among us. And that Jesus was crucified over 2000 years ago on a real Roman cross to his death and that His body was buried in a real tomb and three days later He rose to life in the flesh. He returned to heaven after leaving behind the Spirit form of God to help us grow as believers. And He said that on a day that we have no idea about, Jesus will come again and gather up all of the dead believers and those believers left on earth and take us to live in an unimaginably beautiful place with Him to live a totally fulfilling existence without pain and death. And in this lies all my hope.

Here are the words of Jesus explaining to a guy named Nicodemus, who wanted to know why the Son of God came to earth to live as a human among us.

John 3:16-17 AMP
"For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world, that He even gave His One and only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him as Savior shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world, but that the world might be saved through Him”.

So He clearly lobbed the ball into our court. We each must choose to participate by belief and trust. We must choose to volley our thoughts and beliefs daily with Him or to walk off and leave Him. But if we participate, we become the recipients of grace for all the messing up that we have done, are doing, and will do.

It is this hope that keeps me looking to God. My hope keeps me talking to him. My hope holds me up when the world knocks me down and consequently, love and compassion grow where there was none before. Everyday my hope is in Christ. Everyday I talk to Him about letting go of my anger, fear and control issues and I see that He is making improvement in spite of me. So I have hope for a bright future knowing someday, all these issues will be a thing of the past.

If you haven’t made this choice and want to, simply tell God in a humble prayer that you choose this hope and believe in your heart that He will do what He says He will do. If you have this relationship with God, may you find a way to share it with those who want it.

Photo by Laurissa Noack

Choosing Joy: #Asburyrevival

 He prayed then preached a normal sermon in a college chapel service on a Wednesday. It was given in a quiet humble spirit. It wasn’t what you would think of as deserving of an amazing response but it was from the heart. He spoke of love. He spoke of all the kinds of love. He spoke of horrendous acts of evil that masquerade as love. Then he spoke about agape love. He explained that agape love was perfect sacrificial forgiving love for friends and enemies. He spoke of his own works-based futile struggle to love like this. In conclusion, he stated that all agape love has One Source and we can only receive it by truly believing that we are loved by God. The agape love of Christ will naturally overflow from us to the world. He prayed again and the camera shut off.

What happened next has been told by many sources. I picture it like dominoes falling. Students began quietly, humbly pouring their hearts out to God. And it continued until at present count, ten days later, people are still lined around the building waiting to come in and experience this amazing outpouring of grace. Stories of acts happening in the event sound like those that the apostle Paul spoke of in the book of Acts.

A friend posted this verse in response to this outpouring of the Spirit.

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

My gut response over this news is two-fold. I am naturally a jaded fearful human who knows how the evil one and his army can spin things. And I have no doubt that he will do so. But I am also a child of God. And I know His power over evil. So this response is joy.

I choose joy.

#Asburyrevival

One Right Decision

I have been rescued. And I am rescued on a daily basis. No, I was not a drug addict. No, I didn’t suffer from alcoholism. My demons are covert, they are many and I am under the delusion that I hide them well. They vary and come at me from every angle. They resemble self-pity, anger, bitterness, selfishness, self-righteousness and a plethora of other chains all of which stem from pride. Any one thing on this list can destroy faster than a heroin addiction and I am inflicted with these demons on a daily basis. But God…

Yes, I have been rescued today. And I was rescued yesterday and I will be rescued tomorrow if I choose. All I have to do is make one right decision. I have to let go and give it to God. It is a choice. It is the one right decision. To let Jesus take the wheel even though I grab at that wheel during the stressful moments of a day. But making this choice consistently and daily over the last seven years has brought me peace and joy that has rooted and grown. Most of my days I am not aware of this change since it isn’t one of those bolt-of-lightning type changes. But sometimes I am given a glimpse of someone who is like me who hasn’t made that decision and my eyes see the miracle that God has produced in me and I want this so badly for them too. He is cutting my chains off one by one, replacing each with his peace, love and understanding and I am so grateful. 

I am beginning to understand this verse from the Apostle Paul. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Feeling the Agony of Defeat?

 

My husband and I have a passion for protecting Texas public schools. We did not plan this, it came about organically due to working in public education for 37 years in various positions from teacher to superintendent, all over the state of Texas. Together, we have a perspective into public education that very few Texans are privileged to see. We have seen the amazing work that public school employees do daily, against all odds and we know it is God’s work. We have repeatedly seen educators take on the role of not only educator, but protector and mentor for the children in this state and we are passionate about public education for that reason.

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40, 45, NIV)

We have also seen first-hand, the well-planned relentless attacks and lies about public schools and their educators by those in state office who want to use public school funding for their own purposes. Many Texans are buying into their deception and we are heartbroken. In our own county, we have seen a qualified experienced public school supporter defeated at the polls by an unqualified candidate who supports the defunding of public education. We are discouraged to say the least. But the following story helps me take heart in the face of this defeat.

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In Acts 20, the situation was that the Apostle Paul had been spreading the good news about a risen Christ to people all over, establishing thriving churches full of followers of Christ. However, Paul is told repeatedly that he would go to jail and suffer for this work. And he knew this to be true.

 "And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don't know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:22-24 NLT)

We know that Paul continued in his work and was imprisoned and he did suffer. He must have had moments where he succumbed to thoughts of defeat. In his lifetime he only saw a tiny portion of the success of his mission. But we also know, looking back two thousand years later, that Paul’s efforts were not in vain. God used his work in spreading the gospel to the world and today we read his words in the millions of Bibles that are currently published.

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You see, the lesson is that yes, we may not see success of our mission in this lifetime. But God is in charge and he will make beauty come from the ashes. And our part we play is to listen to his voice and follow the God-given passion in our hearts. So know that if God has ordained it, you must continue even in the face of eminent defeat. We have seen that God takes small efforts and assignments and exponentially multiplies the outcome.