A Belated Thanks-Giving

It’s been a long almost-7-months.  My husband is coming home so soon!  Yesterday, while I was in a bad mood and irritable because I’ve been having trouble sleeping, I was walking back to work after my lunch-time Starbucks run, and passed by a woman outside her car in the corner of the parking lot.  And it reminded me how much I have to be thankful for.

The woman was so thin.  It was clear she must be so hungry.  Calling her car a “car” at all is probably being generous.  It was packed to the ceiling with her belongings, and several of the windows had been broken and were covered with plastic bags and duct tape.  She wasn’t wearing any shoes as she hobbled over to another car and used their driver-side mirror to glance at her reflection after snuffing out her cigarette on the roof of their brightly shining sedan.  As I walked by, wondering at her situation, I noticed cans and bottles outside her car.  And underneath the car, likely being shaded from the intense Hawaiian sun, was an uncovered, half-eaten sheet cake that I suspect she’s been eating for a few days. 

There’s this other man I see literally every day after work.  He sits in the shade of the parking garage with his little dog.  Bless his heart, a while back I saw him at Starbucks (!) asking for a cup of water, which he promptly took outside and gave to his little pup.  If I was really generous and self-less, I might have stopped and offered to either one of these people a sandwich or just spoken to them like a valued human being rather than passing by, hoping not to smell their filth or be otherwise affected by the deprived state which our depraved world has placed them in.

Instead, I’m ashamed to say, I did nothing.  The Lord graciously reminded me in that moment of how much I have to be thankful for, which is particularly cliché this time of year.  But how can I keep from giving thanks to Him?  I have a home in paradise (with AC!), a car that works most of the time, a job, and a wonderful husband who is coming home to me.  I know for a fact that there are several wives from his unit whose husbands are not returning this week, having been tragically lost overseas.  I have MUCH to thank the Lord for.

Let’s take this beyond coffee….yes, I’m sitting here in ANOTHER coffee shop as I write…what can you be thankful for this year?  It’s not cliché.  Our world is just so used to complaining and whining and being ungrateful that the idea of a season which reminds us to be thankful is simply a bit odd.  The endless slew of TV specials and Hallmark movies don’t help.  We have reason to be thankful every day of the year.  So take a moment and thank the Lord for the little things in your life, like the AC, and the big things, like having your loved ones safe and sound.  And when you’re done, consider how you might be used in someone else’s life this season.  As for me, I’m considering buying a sandwich and some dog food :)

Fleece

Once again, it's been a while since I've sat down with some coffee and a much-needed dose of Jesus-truth.  But here I am again.  My sweet husband is still gone, but there is a light at the end of this tunnel.  And today, on Veteran's Day, I'm reminded that God has been so faithful in caring for us both.  That's not to say that were my husband one of the many to give their lives in service to their country that God would be any less faithful, but He has cared for this weak daughter with such kindness and mercy.

That said, I've been thinking lately about what it looks like when we're living for the Lord.  About a month ago I wrote a paper for a Grad class about Gideon.  I hardly remembered anything about him.  He was that guy in the book of Judges who had the whole fleece episode.  And apparently he was regarded as someone of great faith because the author of Hebrews includes him in his "Faith Hall of Fame" along with other less-savory Judges (Heb. 11:32).  I assumed that Gideon was there because the whole fleece episode was some great act of faith (do you remember?  He asked God to show him a sign that He would really do all that He had said).

But I was wrong.  See, Gideon was actually a man of fear. He came from a lowly family and thought he wouldn't amount to much (Judges 6:15). He was afraid to live life as a follower of Yahweh, so when asked to tear down the altar of Baal, he did it at night so he wouldn't be caught (vs. 27).  The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and emboldened him to deliver Israel from the Midianites.  But even though Gideon had been visited by the angel of the Lord (actually, the Lord Himself!), and had been given boldness and opportunity, he was still scared.  And that's why he asked God for a sign.  And God used all of these things to grow him into the man of faith he was intended to be.  In fact, God knew ahead of time what He was going to do with Gideon--when He first approached Gideon, He addressed him as a valiant warrior.  He saw the end-product, even if Gideon didn't.

Interesting to think about.  Let's take this beyond coffee (yes, I'm drinking mine right now!).  Sometimes God comes down and speaks to us clearly about our purpose.  But let's be honest - we're not all Gideons and, for most of us, living a life of faith involves a much higher degree of mystery.  What then, has God asked YOU to do?  Specific life situations and callings aside (that's another post!), God has told us exactly what to do in life:

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

If you're like Gideon, weak of faith (chronically, or even just occasionally), know that God isn't shaking His finger at you.   He dealt graciously with Gideon, and He does the same with each of us, in our own way.  Live for Him in whatever way He puts in front of you....and enjoy your coffee!

Harvest is never easy . . .

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that my blogging has taken a backseat to life recently.  After all, what in my life have I EVER done consistently?  The truth is, I simply haven't had much to write about over the last 2 months.  My beloved husband is still gone.  I've had some particularly hard weeks dealing with that and wondering why God has left me feeling so alone.  So, today's post will be very brief.  

David, the great King of Israel, a sinner who loved the Lord, was no stranger to bouts of melancholy.  Here are his words from Psalm 13:  "How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long will I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day?"(vs. 1-2)

We all get bogged down with the weight of life.  For me, this deployment is heavy.  I carry it around all the time.  It sits on my shoulder taunting me.  And the Enemy uses it to magnify my insecurities.  But God hasn't changed.  And no matter what burdens we carry or what things in our lives are weighing heavily on us, David reminds us that we have every reason to trust and praise the Lord.  He writes, "But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me." (vs. 6)

The following quote from Samuel Rutherford stuck out to me, "Why should I be frightened and surprised by the plow of the Lord, which makes deep furrows in my soul?  I know He is not some arbitrary or irrational farmer. His purpose is to yield a harvest."

Let's take this beyond coffee (did you have yours today?).  It's true that life can be hard.  And there's no need to compare your hardship with others'.  God plows us each differently because he made us different, and he has a different purpose for each of us.  Whatever hardships you may be experiencing, and whatever burdens you're carrying, take heart.  God is not an irrational farmer.  He deals with us kindly, though sometimes painfully, so that a rich bounty might be harvested in our hearts and lives.

Manna from Heaven

 In my quest to figure out what it really means to live your life for the Lord – what it means to live abundantly – the latest question I’ve been pondering is “What does it mean to live by faith?” 

I like to think of myself as a woman of faith, and even if I can’t quite define what that means, I believe that the fact I have a strong, active faith in the Lord as my savior qualifies me for the title.  But I suppose it makes sense that I’m struggling understanding what living by faith looks like when I can’t even define it.  Here’s a quote I appreciated from a book I’m reading, Streams in the Desert:

We must be willing to live by faith, not hoping or desiring to live any other way.  We must be willing to have every light extinguished, to have every star in the heavens blotted out, and to live with nothing encircling us but darkness and danger.  Yes, we must be willing to do all this, if God will only leave within our soul an inner radiance from the pure, bright light that faith has kindled (Thomas C. Upham).

It sounds to me like living a life of faith really doesn’t have much to do with how I feel about the Lord, or whether there’s some super-spiritual connection between the Most High God and myself on a regular basis, though I could be wrong.  It sounds to me like living a life of faith is a choice, or perhaps a series of many choices, to allow God to be our everything (see my previous post for my ponderings on that!).

The people of Israel, for example, had to live by faith when they were sentenced to 40 years of wandering in the desert.  They had to have faith that God could be everything for them and that He would provide for their needs.  Luckily for them, God provided for them regardless of how their faith was doing:

“He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

What can we learn from this?  Let me highlight the last part of that verse for you again, “…man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”  I’m no commentator, but that seems pretty significant.  Living a life of faith, a life of believing that God is who He says He is, and living that life in such a way that your God is proclaimed to the world, requires more than bread (or coffee!).  It requires understanding that bread alone, or any of the enticing things the world has to offer, cannot get you through life.  You might survive okay.  But you cannot live without the words of God.

In light of that, let’s take this little tidbit beyond coffee and out into the real world.  When you wake up in the morning, do you choose to live your life by bread or by the very words of the Lord?  It’s really an easy question, but if you’re not quite sure, then let me restate it: Does the energy and ‘sustenance’ for your life come from bread (the world) or from the Lord and His word?

If you’re living like me, mostly by the bread of the world, then do you even realize that there is another option?  You can choose, daily, to live by the Word of God.  How exactly may look different for everyone, but for me, I have to literally, maybe even audibly ask myself how I’m going to live on a daily basis.  If the answer is by the Word of God, then there better be a steady diet of it in my day.  God has provided for us.  Just as He gave manna to the people of Israel, we are blessed with an abundance of His word at our disposal.  But it doesn’t do anyone any good just sitting on the ground.  We have to eat it.  Have you eaten yours?

'Everything' is a matter of perspective

This past week my running partner has been on vacation.  A crazy thing happens when she’s gone – I suddenly find that my motivation for running has…disappeared.  So I was pretty proud of myself this week when I got myself out there, pounding the pavement two whole times in the last 5 days. 

My second run was longer and provided me a while to think and talk with the Lord about my previous post.  In case you don’t feel like reviewing it, I expressed that I’m working to understand how, in a practical, day-to-day sort of way, God can be our everything.  We certainly know that He is more than sufficient to fulfill all of our needs but what does that really look like?  Anyways, this week I’ve been thinking more about that and thinking about what promises God has made that I can claim during this time.  What promises can I claim which will help me understand that (and live as though) God is my everything? 

Here are just a few of the promises God has given us:

He hears us (Ps. 34:4)

He is with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9)

His grace is sufficient for us (2 Cor. 12:9)

He is our help in times of trouble or distress (Ps. 32:7)

He will complete the work He has started in us (Phil. 1:6)

There are countless others, but the one that gets me the most is that all-too-familiar verse in Jeremiah 29:11, “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope.”  As I was running and thinking about this it occurred to me that God has fulfilled that promise in Christ Jesus, for no matter what happens in this life, our future hope is secure.  Our future has been purchased by Christ’s blood. 

As I wait for my husband to return to me and try to think about how I can let God be my everything, I’ve discovered that ‘everything’ is really a matter of perspective.  I have to let go of the ‘need’ for my needs to be fulfilled elsewhere.  I need to let God be everything.  It’s a choice.  I can either feel sad, empty, unsatisfied, impatient, and restless, or I can choose to let God’s promises be enough for me.  If my both my present and future are secure in Him, then I should be able to be content wherever I am.

Let’s take this beyond coffee…Maybe it’s not so important that I feel happy and content.  Maybe I don’t really need to replace the loneliness of my empty house or the penetrating silence of every single evening.  Maybe it’s almost too much to ask that I somehow not feel sad about being so long and far separated from my husband.  Because what really matters is that God is still in control.  He’s faithful.  He has not forgotten, left, or forsaken me.  He has secured my hope on high.  I need to let that be enough…or get out of my self-absorbed little hole and understand that it truly is enough. 

God can be our everything...right?

It’s been about 2 weeks since my last post. I’ve been enjoying time visiting with my parents who spent 10 days on-island with me. It was so nice to see them and show them a bit of the Hawaiian life. And Tuesday night I finally heard from my husband, after receiving no contact from him for almost 4 weeks. That was tough, and as I thought about why it was so hard, I made an interesting discovery.
 If you’ve known my very long, you may know that I have often prided myself on being strong, independent, assertive, and decidedly not-needy. In many situations, these qualities (obviously not the pride part), have been very helpful. But in the midst of other circumstances they have proven to be a mask for other emotions or qualities and, at times, even detrimental to my life.

For example, in my relationship with my husband I’ve consistently been emotionally “strong” and prior to his deployment he mentioned several times that he was grateful I was such a “strong woman”; he knew he wouldn’t have to worry that I would totally fall apart. But if you could have seen me in those weeks before you left, you would have seen that “strong”, as least as it was displayed in my behavior, was really a substitute for “I’m-stubborn-and-if-I-don’t-maintain-control-I’ll-really-fall-apart”. I was cranky, irritable, nit-picky, impatient, and very needy.

That neediness - really an insecurity - has only been magnified over the last few weeks. After all, my husband isn’t here to remind me that he loves me, to affirm me or encourage me, to challenge or motivate me, or to lead me in our life and marriage. I can take a deep breath, put on a strong face, and walk around as though I’m unfazed, but I’m not. I’m quite fazed, thank you very much.

But here’s what I’ve realized: I can’t rely on my husband to fulfill my needs. That’s certainly true while he’s gone, but it’s also true when he’s here with me. This may be old hat to some of my readers, but to me this realization is pretty significant. My husband has neither the responsibility nor the ability to fulfill all of those needs for me. That is God's job and His alone.  He's most equipped after all, He knows my needs better than I do!  Phillippians 4:19 says

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.

Isn’t our Lord supposed to be everything we need? Sometimes He provides for our needs through other people and relationships. So what do we do when those people are absent? I have to admit, I struggle understanding how to make this true in my life on a daily basis. Let’s try to take this beyond coffee…what can we do to bring our needs before the Lord and allow Him to fulfill them? How does He become our everything in a real, tangible way?

I don’t have an answer yet, but I’ll keep working on it.

Bless the Lord...always

My husband and I have a friend who is a very talented singer and songwriter.  He sang in our wedding, sharing two songs, one of which, Bless the Lord, is one of my favorite worship songs.  The text for this beautiful song is drawn from another beautiful, rich text: Psalm 103.

I like this Psalm for two reasons. First, it reminds me that we have innumerable, incredible reasons to praise the Lord. I've often found myself coming before the Lord a bit tongue-tied, resorting to such eloquent words as "Thank you Lord for this day, and for this food, and thanks for saving me, and thanks, um, for my family. And, uh, please let me get good sleep tonight. Amen." Not that there's anything wrong with thanking the Lord for those things, but David shows us in Psalm 103 that the reasons we have for praising the Lord are anything but ordinary. They're incredible. Here's just a few:

[He] . . . pardons all your iniquities . . . heals all your diseases (vs. 3)
. . . redeems your life from the pit (vs. 4)
. . . is slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness (vs. 8)

Secondly, this psalm reminds me that we have reason to praise the Lord always. He does not determine His actions according to our behavior (vs. 10) for if He did, He would change as much as we do. He is constant, unchanging, and that means that the above qualities which make him so worthy of our praise apply always.

Let’s take this beyond coffee. How can this understanding affect the way you come to the Lord? As for me, I need this reminder, perhaps on a daily basis, that no matter what circumstances I may be facing, no matter what my emotional or spiritual state, God is worthy of praise. I need to, as David did, “forget not His benefits”. How incredibly heartbreaking to forget how blessed we are! There is no reason to be tongue-tied if I know who the Lord is.  Forget not His benefits, friends. Remember them. Daily.

Where do you go first?

Hello friends.  My husband has been gone about a week now and while I can't say exactly how many we still have to go, it's a lot.  My heart has been all over the place for the last week...I've cried a lot, been a little angry that my love has to be away, and been reminded that we're blessed it's only 7-8 months and not the 12, 14, 18 months that many other military couples deal with.  I've faced alternating spouts of incredible inspiration when I think of all the things I can accomplish on a day-to-day basis and throughout the coming months, and periods of incredible lack of motivation where even making breakfast is just too much effort.

Pretty pathetic at times, I have to admit.  But last week God gave me a very clear glimpse of at least one thing He wants me to learn during this time.  I was sitting on the couch, crying and feeling sorry for myself, and decided I wanted to write a letter to my husband.  It would be theraputic, I thought, to share with him what I was feeling and to tell him how much I loved him.  As I glanced over to where my stationary was, my eyes fell on my Bible and I knew that God was asking me to come to him first. 

You see, it's not that God wants me to not think about my husband, or to pretend it doesn't matter that I'm living without him for an extended period of time, and I'm sure God wants me to be encouraging to my husband as much as I can, be it through letters, packages, prayers, or whatever, and I think it's even okay that I find comfort in hearing from him, sporadic as it may be.  But God wants me first to come to Him.  And last week, as I was journaling, I wrote the following:

Truthfully, I'd rather be writing to my husband right now [than to You] and I'd definitely rather be sharing conversation with him.  I'm sorry God.  I know I need to long for you first but You gave him to me to love...I want my husband, my love, here with me.  I know You're here, but it's awful quiet and lonely here in this house...I need to hear Your voice and know You're here with me.  It needs to be enough.

That's all well and good while I'm having my quiet time, sipping my vanilla latte and enjoying some time away from the house, but what about when I come home?  Let's take this beyond coffee.  On a daily basis, I have to go to the Lord first.  It seems so simple when I say it.  But that means that before I plop on the couch and wallow in self pity, I have to come to the Lord.  Before I write a letter to my husband, or journal about how sad I am, I have to come to the Lord.  And before I call a friend or family member to chat and fill the silence, I have to come to the Lord.

Matthew 6:33 says this,

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

In context, it may not be talking about comfort, but I know that in seeking the Lord first, He will give me comfort.  And last week, He also gave me phone calls from my husband.

Seek Him first.  Go ahead.  Just try it.

Despair

My husband will be deploying within the next week and we've selected a devotional book to read through together, Streams in the Desert, by L.B. Cowman.  I've been quite emotional lately in anticipation of my husband's departure, so yesterday's entry was more than appropriate.  If you have time, take a moment to read through Psalm 27. 

I know that the coming weeks will be difficult, but I don't believe I'm going to fall apart while my husband is gone.  It's true that he'll be in a place that doesn't seem as safe as here on our little island, and it's true that we will most likely have very little contact with each other.  It's also true that he'll likely be put in situations that are potentially very dangerous.  Did you notice anything in those last few sentences?  I don't actually know anything that will happen.  So, I can either worry about what I don't know or choose to trust in the Lord, who I do know. 

When David was depairing, he didn't try to keep his mind occupied and just not think about it.  He didn't become overwhelmed with worry, though he certainly struggled with it at times.  But neither was he in denial about his life circumstances.  The answer he demonstrates in Psalm 27 is this: "Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord."

Our Lord is in control of all.  Either you believe it or you don't, but that's what we learn in His word.  As for me, I believe and trust in Him.  And that's why I can let my husband go away and know that his life will be protected.  Whether he is here in Hawaii, on the mainland working a desk job, or in the desert protecting his fellow countrymen, the Lord will not allow him to depart from this life a minute sooner (or later) than He wills (Psalm 139:16)

These truths, that we can wait on (or lean on) the Lord to be our help in times of distress, and that he is fully in control of our lives (and our death!), have the potential to be life-changing.  So, let's take this beyond coffee.  In what ways can you attempt to apply these truths to the way you view and live life?  In what specific circumstances might God be asking you to wait for [Him]?  As for me, I'm going to continue meditating on these verses and seeking out ways to demonstrate trust in the Lord in every situation . . . and so should you!

Life is a kayak

My husband and I recently returned from a brief trip to Kauai, one of our neighbor-islands.  We had a great time hiking, ziplining, photo-taking, sunbathing and...wait for it...kayaking.  Though it was not our first time on a kayak, we went through the little paddle-training time with our guide before getting in the water.  The person in front has one responsibility: constant, steady strokes - just keep it going.  The person in back, though they also help provide speed, is entirely in charge of steering.  Sounds simple enough, right?  Boy did I have trouble.

You see, the 'front position' is not for the strong-willed.  Over and over again I noticed that our little kayak was going in what I felt was the wrong direction.  Sometimes I felt we were about to run into something, like another kayak, a tree, a rock.  And every time I took a break from my steady paddling to let my husband know about the impending danger.  Every time he responded, "I see it, Love". It finally occured to me that I was making things a little difficult for him.  In order for our kayak trip to be successful, we both needed to play our roles, me in front being a constant paddler, and my hubby in back, watching out for us, steering us in the direction he felt was best.

Marriage requires this same skill - I have to step back and let my husband lead us, even if I might sometimes doubt his abilities or his awareness of our surroundings (sorry babe, but I'm a sinner, what can I say?).  Sometimes, as we splash around in the river of life, we're hit by each other's sin.  Sometimes by accident and other times intentionally.

Regardless of whether or not you're married , there's a lesson here for all of us.  Life is a bit like a kayak, or at least life with the Lord is.  It works best when we, as His children, just do what we're told.  The difficulty comes in trusting Him to take care of us.  We have to trust that He sees where we are, knows where we're going, and has the ability to get us there in one piece.  And then we have to just let him do His job and stop interfering.  It's not our job to question, though in His loveingkindness He's very patient when we do (and, praise God, so is my hubby!).  Our job is to do as we're told, and to let God do the rest.

Let's take this beyond coffee. Do you have difficulty trusting the Lord (or, for your wives, your husbands) to lead you?  Do you truly believe that He will anticipate and care for your every need?  Sometimes I feel like Jeremiah 29:11  is a bit overused.  But it IS true.  Take comfort in knowing that the God steering your life is one who knows the end and who has your best interests at heart.

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Heartbreak

The other day I had one of those no good, terrible, horrible, very bad days.  You know the type - you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, the world is clearly out to get you, and nothing goes the way it should.  Oh, and it rains.

Luckily, the Lord reminded me of  one of my favorite worship songs, Hosanna by Hillsong.  In the bridge, the lyrics call to the Lord to "break my heart for what breaks Yours" and it occurred to me that my heart was "breaking" for some very silly, worldly things.

God's heart breaks for the lost, for the suffering, the hopeless, the despairing, those who wander from Him, orphans, widows, the persecuted and oppressed...I could go on and on.

Lately my heart has broken for...the breakouts on my skin, my frizzy hair, the way my time is "wasted" in traffic, my lack of sleep...and countless other selfish, vain causes.

Clearly there's a disconnect somewhere.  My heart has been so focused on my personal life, my present circumstances, my desires and ambitions, and my vanity, that I've pushed God's heart to the side, intent on satisfying mine instead.  It's completely backward!  Paul has left us a pointed reminder in 2 Corinthians 10:5:

"We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

Let's take this beyond coffee.  Are your thoughts captive or are they captivated by the world?  Is your heart broken as the Lord's is or are you, like me, allowing the strings of your heart to be pulled by things of earth?  Let your heart strings be pulled by, and broken for, the things that break the heart of God.

Harsh Reality

My husband and I have been working our way through the book of Psalms.  After more than a year, we finally made it to Psalm 109 a few weeks ago and, let me tell ya, it's a doozey.  If you're not familiar with Psalm 109, take a moment to read through it. 

My initial reaction was Wow.  Um, isn't this kinda harsh?  My very basic summary? David is being falsely accused of something and prays that his accusers will die...give or take a few verses.  He calls for some serious judgement upon them:

"When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, and let his prayer be sin.  Let his days be few.  Let another take his office.  Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.  Let his children wander about and beg; and let them seek sustenance far from their ruined homes" (vs. 7-10)

The commentator for the ESV Study Bible points out that, in this particular psalm, King David is proclaiming himself innocent of the accusations against him.  David then calls upon and rests in the Lord's steadfast love to deliver him from his accusers (vs. 21).

Now, if an unbeliever were to read this psalm they would be outraged.  Truthfully, I'm a little appalled myself.  David comes across as this self-righteous, arrogant guy who has the gall to ask God to totally blot his accusers out from the earth.  I mean, seriously.  That's not very...um, nice, is it?

It just seems harsh.  The way that David talks about his accusers and then calls on the Lord to help him (and come on, David wasn't perfect!) - it offends my delicate sensitivities.

The irony is, I'm offended not by the sin of David's accusers but by the seemingly extreme penalty for their sin.

Now there's a thought.

Who is the Lord?  He is a righteous judge, good and perfect.  Being perfectly good and righteous and just, He is compelled to demand payment for our sin.  If He didn't He would be neither just nor righteous.  Who are we but offenders of this Most High God, in debt to His Holiness.

David may or may not have been totally innocent here...but his sins were paid for in blood, as were mine.  We both were blessed that the blood shed was not our own.  David's accusers?  Clearly they chose to bear the cost themselves.  And what a cost it is.

Isn't the truth that we all deserve the same fate?  And were it not for the unfathomable grace of God, we would share it.

Welcome to Moving Beyond Coffee...

If you're anything like me, then maybe you've found yourself having what I like to call 'coffee-flavored epiphanies'. You know those moments - when you're sitting in your favorite coffee shop or cafe, bent over your journal or Bible, or perhaps engaged in a great conversation with a fellow believer, feeling a sweet conviction of the Holy Spirit and the encouragement of the Lord as He beckons you to return to Him. Ah...it's so inspiring. You get up, discard your empty cups and napkins, maybe the paper you were doodling on, and the several packs of sugar you used to sweeten your brew, and head out the door, returning to life with a fresh perspective. A mere minute or two pass and, before you know it, your Lord has been left behind in the shop, and you've returned to life without Him.

I want those moments, those 'epiphanies', to play a more central role in my life. I want them to continue to affect my thoughts, actions, and my relationship with the Lord, once I've left the shop. And if you're anything like me, then this place is for you.