Let There Be Light!

Recently, my husband installed new light fixtures in our kitchen. For the 13 years that we have lived in this house, we have sliced and diced, boiled and fried in a very dimly lit kitchen. The two single-bulb light fixtures just didn't do the job.

So we upgraded to a cool new track system that really lights up the place! And I love it! Well, I love most of it. You see, with all of this new light, we actually discovered that there were some less-than-sparkling surfaces in our kitchen. Aah...horror!

Once the lights went up, the sponges came out. Now, I spend LOTS more time wiping down the stove top, back splash, counter tops, tea kettle...all things that I used to think were clean.

So, I'll be honest here. Once or twice, I've kind of missed the old dim lighting. It was a whole lot less work living in a slightly dirty kitchen, especially since we didn't know that's what we were doing.

But when I start thinking like that, all I have to do is look up at those fantastic new lights. They make the kitchen so much brighter and more cheerful than it was before. There's just no going back!

This sounds a bit like how we live our lives at times. We go along thinking that we're doing okay. Then God shines His light into our lives and we realize just how dirty we really were. And even though His light changes us for the better, we still have those days where the ease of that old dirty, grimy life seems appealing.

When those times come, re-focus your gaze. Look to the Light. Because, there really is no going back.

Being Transformers

"We cannot remove the conditions under which our work is to be done, but we can transform them. They are the elements out of which we must build the temples wherein we serve." ~Brooke Foss Wescott

Sometimes it's hard to be an agent of change; the one who refuses to go along with the crowd when the crowd is taking us down. When low morale and negativity threaten to swallow us up, it's difficult to remember that we have a choice. We can choose to be that one candle that brightens a dark place.

We can choose to stubbornly hold that candle high even in the middle of dark, discouraging conditions. And eventually, others will notice. We can transform the darkness. It's happened before.

"I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Faux Spring

Considering the weather that much of the country has had to deal with this winter, some folks might think I'm mean to write this post. But honestly, it's just gratitude. Gratitude from a person who absolutely dreads/hates/freaks-out-at snow and ice. And after our snowy, icy winter last year, we caught a break this year. God bless El Nino!

We have had an absolutely incredible winter with mild temperatures and early blooming trees and flowers. In fact, on our way to church on Sunday, I told by husband how thankful I was that I hadn't had to worry about snow or ice this winter. His reply was a simple, "It's not over yet!"

The man's a prophet, an absolute prophet. My drive home from work on Monday was through a curtain of thick swirling snowflakes! Fortunately, nothing stuck. And while it was rather frigid on Tuesday morning (27 degrees) it had cleared up, and once again, the sun found its way out.

So we've been having a faux spring with pink and white fluffy trees and bright yellow daffodils. It's been wonderful. And I've purposed to live in the moment. Next year, the cold, lousy, wet weather will probably be the norm. But this year, it's been springtime in the Northwest right in the middle of winter!

Growth

Do you remember how when you were a kid you could hardly wait to grow up? It was going to be so great! You could stay up as late as you wanted. Nobody could tell you what to do. You'd never have to do math again if you didn't want to. Right.

So, you grew up. But not everything turned out quite like you had expected. For one thing, there are still people who tell you what to do. And for another, math is still lurking out there! But perhaps most unexpected is the fact that there is still a lot of growing to do.

Over the years, I have gone through periods when I have relished the experiences that have led to growth in my life. Sometimes those experiences have been painful and scarring. Other times they have been pure joy. But almost always, they have stretched and prodded me to a new place. A better, more complete version of the person I was before.

Of course, there have also been times when I've just wanted to be left alone to languish a while in the routine, sameness of my daily life. Growth can be exhausting and occasionally we need to allow ourselves a little respite. It helps to recharge the batteries in preparation for that next great growth spurt.

In his devotional, Truth for Today, John MacArthur sums up the growth process for Christians when he says, "The growth process will end on the day that we see Jesus Christ and become like Him." Now that's something to look forward to.

Blank. Totally Blank

It's time to write another blog but my mind is blank. Empty. Totally void of anything at all.

Things have been a little stressful lately. So, in protest, my mind refuses to conjure up a single thing to write.

Just didn't want you to think that I had died or anything.

Six Months and Counting

When I looked at the date today, I was amazed to realize that it was six months ago this morning that my husband, daughter and I made a pre-dawn trip to the airport to put Elizabeth on a plane to St Petersburg, Russia where she was going to teach for nine months.

In some ways, it seems like years ago that we made that difficult trip. You can take a peek at all the emotions that filled that day here. But in other ways, I'm amazed at how quickly the time has gone. We are now down to only three months before we make another trip to the airport to pick her up! I can hardly wait!

From my experience, God has been extremely gracious to me during these past six month. For the most part, He has given me peace in letting go and trusting Elizabeth into His care.

And during the times when anxiety has threatened to grab hold, He has whispered assurances and comforted me in the knowledge that He is in control. He IS in control. I can't say that often enough! HE IS IN CONTROL. What a precious promise that is!

So, as I look ahead to the next three months, an old Imperials song comes to mind. The chorus goes something like this:

"He didn't bring us this far to leave us.
He didn't teach us to swim to let us drown.
He didn't build His home in us to move away.
He didn't lift us up, to let us down."

It's just another way of saying, He is in control for the rest of this journey.

Getting a Little Concerned

When did I start looking at the events of my life as"good blog ideas" and "bad blog ideas" ? My co-workers have even begun pointing out which things I might want to blog about.

When is it considered an obsession instead of a simple hobby?

Hmm...let me give that a little more thought and I'll get back to you. Hey, that's a great idea for a....