December 31. The last day of 2009. All day I've been working down through my to-do list, marking off each item as I complete it, and then moving on to the next one. It has been very satisfying to see the long list shrinking as I work to close out the year at my office, and also prepare to be gone out of town for a long weekend. But at the back of my mind something has been nagging at me, a nervous dissatisfaction that I couldn't quite place, a vague anxiety. And all of a sudden, as I pause in my busy schedule to write out some end-of-the-year thoughts, I know exactly what it is. A realization bursts into my mind with absolute clarity, and the busy day fades into insignificance.

This morning I looked down through everything I wanted to accomplish today, and mentally calculated the time the tasks would require. In so doing, without conscious thought, I made the decision to neglect my regular time of Bible reading and prayer. Instead, during my appointed devotional time, I jumped right into getting those "important" things done. Things like finishing the apron I was making for my daughter, getting a gift ready for my granddaughter's birthday party tomorrow, laying out clothes to put in my suitcase after work, taking out the trash, and a few other items. By my actions, I was giving more importance to these to-do's and ignoring my daily appointment with the King of the Universe.

But my King wants me to spend time with Him. All through the day, as I've rushed about, He has been patiently waiting for me to keep my commitment to Him, whispering for me to slow down and come before Him with praise.

It seems like this subject is very much like what I wrote about on my last post. I must not yet have learned the lesson that my Lord is trying to teach me. His word tells me, "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act." Psalm 37:7 (NLT) In Psalm 23 I read, "The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength." At the end of the chapter, my heart clutches in my chest as I see the words, "Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life."

Even on one of my busiest days, when my list is long, my Lord is pursuing me with His unfailing love, tugging at my heart strings. He is inviting me to come away with Him for a few moments to dwell on His goodness, to rest beside His peaceful stream, to recognize again that time spent in His presence truly is the most important thing on my life's to-do list. He won't give up on me, just as He won't give up on you. He'll continue to pursue each of us for as long as it takes to get our attention

So what about you? The King of the Universe wants to spend time with you. He wants to show you His unfailing love and goodness, and give you His peace beside a quiet stream. Have you given Him His rightful place in the busyness of your life?

Will you join me in a renewed commitment as we begin the new year of 2010?

God bless you with His grace and peace in 2010.

Deborah

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!

What a beautiful season of the year, the time when we pause to reflect on God's wonderful gift to us in His Son, Jesus.
Or do we? Do we take time to be grateful for God's gift of salvation? Do we open our eyes to the light to be found only in Jesus? Do we allow our spirits to swell with joy as we ponder His amazing, unconditional love for us? Or are we so busy with our Christmas preparations that we don't have time to bask in the true reason for the season?
Many years as I get ready for Christmas, I find myself feeling stressed and overwhelmed, with too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. For the last few years I've given myself a much needed time-out by attending the Christmas concert of our local choral society. Today was my time-out day.
Again this afternoon as I sat in the full auditorium listening to the songs of Christmas, the beautiful old words calmed me and pointed me back to Jesus. I was reminded anew that my Lord is not concerned about external Christmas preparations. He is looking at my heart, waiting for me to thank Him for His beautiful gift, waiting patiently for me to sit in stillness before Him and worship Him in all His glory.
This Christmas may your heart be filled with quiet wonder as you ponder the humble birth of the King of Kings, come to earth to bring us the salvation found only in Him.

Peace and joy to you--
Deborah

A CHEERFUL GIVER

Hands busy in the simple Mexican kitchen, she worked diligently for hours, mixing up the dough, forming small balls, rolling them out impossibly thin, and browning them on both sides in a hot skillet. The result was delicious homemade tortillas, a still-warm stack wrapped in plastic for each of us. Twenty-one people had been in Mexico for two and a half days, building a new home for her and her family, and she wanted to send us off with a gift in return.

The fresh tortillas were wonderful, and much appreciated. They were also a not-so-subtle reminder to me, that I should be more grateful for the blessings God has entrusted to me. Our new friend was graciously and generously sharing with us from the resources she had. How could I possibly do any less?

Lord, please remind me often of the joy and gratitude and generosity displayed in that humble kitchen. And help me follow her lead by passing along Your blessings to the people I meet.

2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Grace to you--

Deborah

YOU ARE ON HIS MIND!

"How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!" Psalm 139 17-18 (NLT)

Amazing thought, that God spends time thinking about me! Not just once in awhile, but all the time. So many times, in fact, that His thoughts about me cannot be counted--like sand on a seashore. What's even more mind boggling is that God can think about each one of us like that. Because God is infinite, without limit, He can be smoothing your path in front of you, at the exact same time that He is holding my hand and encouraging me on, at the same time that He is listening to your sister's prayer, and on and on.

In His infinity, His attention to you is not diminished by His attention to me, or to anyone else. Isn't it wonderful to know that God doesn't get distracted! He's not going to get overwhelmed. He's not going to miss anything. And He's thinking about me (and you) all the time. Oh, thank you, Lord!

Grace to you--

Deborah

OH, I NEED THAT!

God blessed me this week with the privilege of starting a noon Bible study for working women who don't normally get to participate in a women's group study. As I've talked to different ones and told them what we're doing, a common response has been, "Oh, I need that."

You probably know how it is. We get busy taking care of children, or parents, or working long hours at a job, or whatever it might be, not really noticing how parched we're becoming--like working long hours in the sun without a drink. Until someone says, "Slow down, take a break, come meet with us to pray and share scripture." And then, just like someone bringing us a cool glass of water, or like seeing an oasis in the desert, our souls say, "Oh, I need that."

God made us for fellowship and connection--the kind where we take time to share our thoughts, prayers, concerns, blessings. Where we can encourage and lift each other up, and grow together in love. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another . . ."

As you go through this beautiful fall season, I hope you make the time to connect with a friend, share a scripture and a prayer, encourage each other, and let God quench the thirst within you.

Grace to you--

Deborah

"The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand." Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)

Last weekend we were privileged to spend a few days in Colorado with two of our daughters, our son-in-law, and our granddaughter Rebekah. Rebekah, who is almost ten months old, is just learning to walk. Still a little unsure, and not quite ready to do it alone, she loves to walk with someone helping her. Here she is, stumbling over a pile of rocks, with her Mommy holding her firmly by the hand. We laughed at her eagerness, her little steps unsteady yet with no risk of falling as long as Mommy was holding her.

What a great reminder of how God is with us--delighting in every detail of our lives, just as we delight in our granddaughter. It's easy to forget, isn't it, that we're safe. That God is directing our steps and holding our hand, keeping us from falling as we stumble on our way. Oh how comforting it is to have this promise we can depend on, even when the circumstances around us may be rocky and uneven.

Grace to you--

Deborah

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

This afternoon, as my husband and I flew west across New Mexico and Arizona in our small airplane, I was amazed again at the glory of God--spread across the sky for all to see. For almost an hour we enjoyed a brilliant, fabulous, glorious sunset as it spread itself from horizon to horizon, as far as we could see in every direction. Starting out with soft pinks and blues, the colors gradually deepened into choral and gold and violet, and continued on to deep purple and fiery red until it was overtaken by the blackness of night. From the vantage point of 12,000 feet in the air, the sight was awesome beyond words. And it reminded me again of God's great love for us--love so deep and wide and high we can hardly fathom it.

In fact, his love for us is so amazing the Apostle Paul knew it would be difficult for us to comprehend it. That's why Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17-19, "...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

That's quite a prayer, to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Where would a person even start on that quest? Very simply, by opening the door of our heart and inviting him in. He is standing at the door knocking, waiting for us to hear his gentle voice, open the door and let him in. He wants to fill us with the fullness of his love for us! What could be more glorious than that? Nothing! Not even a sunset.

Lavish Grace

"In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:7-8

God's lavish grace pours over us, soothing our hearts, covering our sins and giving us courage to keep moving forward. His grace is lavished on us, not just randomly, but "with all wisdom and understanding". God knows our hearts, knows our need, knows our sins and failures, and loves us anyway. In his great love and mercy, he continues to shower us with his blessing, and his lavish grace is enough. Enough for what? Enough for whatever comes our way. Enough to fill the deepest longing and heal the most painful wound. Enough to calm every fear and encourage us to press on. Enough that we can pass it along to the people who cross our paths.

God's lavish grace is enough.