Sun-splashed Trees: A Discipline of Thanks

Abba, I bask in the beauty of your creation, drinking in the fresh morning breeze through the window, the bobbing lemon and violet pansies in the windowbox, and tall sun-splashed leafy trees against an immaculate blue sky. Hot coffee beside me, happy family's voices echo nearby, distant traffic noises float on the summer breeze, evoking a surprisingly sentimental comfort. The sheer curtains in front of me breathe slowly in and out by the morning breeze, and my own breathing slows.

Giving thanks -- this new discipline to learn and practice daily, hourly. I forget so often. Father, forgive me, teach me, transform me, renew my mind. I thank you for your summer beauty in a Duluth neighborhood; for sandy beaches, sunscreen scents and picnics near the sound of waves. Thank you for free bike rental coupons and laughing, shrieking adventures in a single surrey and a red deuce coup on the board walk in Canal Park and on the lighthouse pier. Thank you for shared jokes with my sixteen year old as he confidently steered and veered our single surrey bike. Thank you for an unabashed three year old's stomping in warm summer rain puddles before an audience on the pier, and my tinge of sadness when he noticed them and shyly stopped, hiding his face from their friendly smiles. Thank you for lovely evenings and meals with extended family, board games at the table, movie nights in the living room, and tall glasses of home brewed sun tea with freshly picked mint leaves in abundance.

Pansies, Justice, and Spilled Humanity

Hot fair trade coffee in my black and steel mug. Daniel's discarded last orange slice beside me, in fragrance fresh. A cluster of cheerful lavender and tangerine pansies crowd a short goblet down the counter from me. I journal and read God's word while my kids sleepily watch Ponyo in the adjoining room.

Cheerful harmony failed, flopped miserably, on the drive up here the other day, resulting in tears, shame, and silence. Apologies, hugs, whispered committments throughout the day, a resolve to get more sleep and now a need to get into God's word. Chapter five in Isaiah is intriguing me right now. God made his perfect vineyard (Israel and Judah, i.e His People. Now we qualify too for future issues), giving them everything they would need to flourish and produce good results and fruit. But when he looked back at his garden of delight, looking for two things... he didn't find them. He came looking for:
-justice but found bloodshed
-righteousness but found distress.

Cool play on words here that ryhme, the study notes say. Justice (mishpat) rhymes with bloodshed (mispah) and righteousness (sedaqah) ryhmes with distress (se'aqah).

So God looks on his people searching for justice and righteousness. Huh. Wow, we (our country, church, families, ME) must fail him so often.

Lord, where do you look for justice in my life and home, yet all you see is "bloodshed," spilled life, ebbing humanity, hurt and pain? Where do you look for righteousness in my life and home, yet find only distress? Wow, convicting, obvious. Lord, renew me, transform me.

Leadership Teams and Seeking God's Leading

At work today as the church Body Life Coordinator, I have been brainstorming the small group line ups for this fall. My desire is to not simply create events for events' sake in today's overly-busy world, but to prayerfully choose what will best benefit my church body. My desire is for them to be connected with each other as a church family, to grow, learn, serve, be transparent, and to support each other as we all strive to love and serve Christ more. So I seek out feedback from the congregation and seek out my Abba Daddy's heart, wanting to hear His voice.

As summer winds down to a close, I imagine that your women's Leadership team meetings are kicking into last minute high gear too. If you have one or two last spots to fill for your speakers 2011-2012 lineup, let me offer you first pick of a brand new workshop for this year. Or feel free to use any of my other messages.

Preschoolers: Intentional Parenting

By request, a workshop on parenting our preschoolers and toddlers with a larger purpose in mind. With the high energy of constant “Why’s?” and “No, Don’t Touch that!,” it’s too easy to simply parent reactively, or in pure survival mode.  We have all done that. Take this chance to sit back, peak into God’s word, and get the larger purposes involved in parenting preschoolers and toddlers. Walk away with handy tips to diffuse tantrums, enable choices, retrain rude mouths, and build peaceful sibling relationships. Plus be inspired anew to create a sense of awe and wonder for our kids’ Creator! 

Contact me and my speaker board at (763) 780-9812 if you are interested. In the meantime, may you and I both enjoy sitting at the feet of our Abba/Daddy.

Counting Gifts and Other Lessons from the She Speaks Conference 2011

The words dripped off her lips. Slowing her cadence, she naturally wove her story around us, drawing us in. "Open handed living is the only way to take the hand of God. Counting gifts changes my default of discontent to doxology. Never disdain the small; moments are what add up. A pen can be a cheap medicine. We are made to give thanks, to give him glory. Write 1000 gifts." "Give thanks to the Lord forever, His love endures forever. What is always the strategy? Gratitude, thanksgiving," breathed author Ann Voskamp.

Lysa Terkeurst, Glynnis Whitwer, and many others taught and inspired the 650 of us women last weekend at the She Speaks conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Three days of workshops, keynote sessions  and networking times have swamped my brain. Dreaming to-do lists, writing imaginary thank you notes in anticipation of my printer being fixed, and brainstorming my next steps have made this week fly by. I pause in thankfulness though for my family, for this great conference, and for the joyful noises of Vacation Bible School children at my church this week.

Join me in this new adventure, will you? Naming gifts from God. Pausing the frantic pace to savor, name, and thank the Artist.
...for the sweet fragrance of a sun-swept toddler's cheek and curling tendrils of hair, nuzzling into my face
...for the vulnerable words of my willowy teen daughter, "Come look at my new book, Mom"
... for the rough face of my man, as I welcome him home from work

Honest Struggles and God's Tender Heart

I confess. Wednesday and Thursday were harder days for me. I was in the throes of a conflict and was trying to respond well to it. I was hurt, angry, and discouraged.

Waking up early Thursday, I made some strong Turkish coffee and hunched over the kitchen table with my Bible, journal and Bible study book. God, with his funny sense of humor, had best planned the timing of this conflict by having me be several weeks into a study called "Conversation Peace" by Mary Kassian. The verses we had worked so hard to learn were popping into my head at the right moments.

"For whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech, he must turn from evil and do good, he must seek peace and pursue it" (I Peter 3:10-11). Wow, I needed to love life again this morning. This two-day funk had stolen my normal joy and hope. I would keep my tongue from evil... seek peace, and pursue it. Okay, God.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer," (Psalm 19:14) I remembered. Whew, that's hard, God.

"You were taught with regard to your former way of life to put off the old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires and to be made new in the attitude of your minds, to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24).

I spent some time in prayer, smiling with my God, then I loaded my family into our green van for our weekly Bible study at church. This group of multi-generational women are a treasure for me! Older and younger women come together in laughter, tears, honesty and a love for God's Word. That morning, I 'fessed up to my feelings of struggling. They prayed with me, offered me warm smiles, and our day continued. But my Father's words continued to work on my heart. He helped me seek peace and pursue it. Peace followed!

This July in North Carolina, Proverbs 31 Ministries is hosting their She Speaks conference for women who wish to build their writing and speaking skills for God's glory. I'm saving up, and entering scholarship opportunities to go. If you are interested too, check out this link. These are women who delight in God's "perfect timing heart" and tender love for us too.

Snowy Streaks

There she was! The garage door was open, her back car lights were red, and I couldn't tell if she was coming or leaving. My elusive neighbor was a regal-looking Asian Indian Grandmother who was new to the area. She worked fulltime, and then spent several nights a week learning English from community classes. Despite her hard hours, we had enjoyed connecting with each other whenever we were both around at the same time. I had welcomed her to the neighborhood, and offered to have her over for tea, or to help her with her English homework. We chatted throughout the summer.

Over Christmas I had returned home one day to find a Christmas present on my snowy front steps from her. Since then I had been looking for a chance to give her a thank you card, and a belated Christmas letter from our family.

There she was! As I was bending over my son's chemistry homework at the kitchen table, I suddenly saw her car across the street. This was my moment. With no time to change, I glanced down at my casual grey athletic shorts, and patted my disheveled hair. "Oh well!" I laughed aloud.

Grabbing my jacket, and tan fur-tufted boots, I sprinted across the street. Horrified, I noticed that my long black peacoat hung just low enough to obscure my shorts. "What would the neighbors think?!" Stretching my grey shorts down low on my legs, and hoisting my jacket higher on my waist to prove to any observing people that I really was wearing pants, I emerged at her driveway.

"Kokila? Kokila!" I caught her in time, explained my odd attire, and we smiled at each other. We talked for several minutes, and I invited her over for tea in the future. I got a chance to meet her three grandchildren there in the garage too, and we talked briefly. Then I excused myself and scurried across the street, my legs beginning to feel chilled.

Shutting the door behind me, I laughed at the mental picture of myself flailing across the snowy streets in short grey shorts, and a hitched up Navy coat. But it was worth it. Jesus loves this woman so much, and I am enjoying getting to know her too.