United and Unique

      Just as the baby boomers of South Minneapolis are united in our shared memories of times and places, of friends and memories, so, too, are we united in prayer as followers of Jesus.

     Our prayers are powerful. Our prayers are heard. Our prayers rise to the throne room of heaven, as we pray for each other and our country. Our prayers are needed and they are heeded.

     You are gifted by God, for this time and for this season. Use your personality, your natural talents, your spiritual gifts to make a difference. There is only one you. And together, we are turning things around. God uses us for His purposes with His perfect timing.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Ephesians 4:7

     Gifted with God’s grace for such a time as this, united in faith, each serving in our own unique way.

Lord,

Show us how and where to make a difference for You in the short time we have on this earth. Guide us to show Your love to others and to keep encouraging each other.

In Jesus name,

Amen

     

Happily Ever After

 

     I have been honored and blessed to have my husband in my life for 35 years. He has put up with my blindness, my weaknesses, my quirks and with the complete opposite parts of our personalities for a long time. He continues to be my safe and happy place in this crazy world, my earthly happily-ever-after.

     Together, we are moving into what, not that long ago, we considered, “old age.” The cremation plans have been made and paid for and we have given our daughters instructions. The joints are beginning to ache and we are appreciating the blessings of each and every day as we have said our earthly goodbyes to so many we love.   

     My husband loves the movie, “The Great Escape,” starring Steve McQueen. As the prisoners in this movie worked to escape the prison walls, they slowly dug a hole through the floor of their cell.  Little by little, they placed the dug-up dirt in their pants legs and slowly let it out in the prison yard. Since my husband knows Lake Nokomis continues to be a special place for me, he said he could do the same with my ashes if I am the first to go home to heaven. I’m down with that!

     After our earthly deaths, we will be in our ultimate happy places forever. In fact, Jesus tells us he is preparing a place just for us! Maybe my mansion will include a lake and, hopefully, a palm tree or two.

My Father’s house has many mansions. If it were not so, would I have told you I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me where I am. John 14:2-3

     Our earthly bodies will wear out, but our eternal bodies will be ours forever in a place meant just for us, our happy place, our eternal home.

Jesus,

Thank You for preparing the perfect spot for each of us. There are days we can’t wait to be with You. In the meantime, keep us focused on what is important to You.

Amen

Our Happy Place

 

     Do you have a happy place or two? Our home is one for me, any place with family and friends and Lake Nokomis. Lake Nokomis is a happy place for many of us from South Minneapolis, a place filled with sweet moments, with shared memories, over the decades. The husband of my best friend died several years ago and she and her family spent the weekend at his happy place, a cabin in the woods to celebrate his birthday. All of our happy places fill our hearts with memories.

     Think about the places that have and continue to bring smiles, that inspire your heart. The best place to find true happiness is anywhere spent with Jesus. His joy, His presence, run deeper than any place or circumstance experienced throughout our lives.

     His joy is available no matter our mood, no matter the time, no matter the suffering, no matter the place.  His love penetrates beyond “happenstance.”  Happiness often depends on our feelings and on what is happening around us, rather than our spirit-deep truth.

     Let Jesus remain as your go-to happy place. Recognize what He offers in your life. Give Him your thoughts and your feelings and your hopes and dreams, your sadness, your blessings, let it all out. And this happy place, surrounded by His love, will become as real as the best memories in your past, the happiest moments in your present, and the dreams for the future.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

But may the righteous rejoice and be glad and rejoice before God. May they be happy and joyful. Psalm 68:3

Lord,

Your joy is our strength. Thank You for the happy places, the happy times, the happy memories You have given us. You remain our true joy.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Prayer Power

 

     If you are reading this, know you have been prayed for this morning. I love the fact that we are connected through the Holy Spirit. God tells us we are of one mind and of one spirit living as the body of Christ.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called. Ephesians 4:4

     Let’s continue to hold each other up, to pray for each other, to recognize the power living within us, to have confidence during these chaotic days, to trust Jesus above the highs and lows of life. He is the risen Lord. Be of one mind and be at peace. And keep praying for our country.

Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Philippians 2:2

Jesus,

We belong to You. Let that be enough for us each day. Your grace is enough. We thank You for the connection between us. Keep us united in spirit and in peace and in prayer.

Amen

Heavenly Health

 

     We are savoring the last warm days of a Minnesota summer. Trees are beginning to change and soon we will feel the chill in the air. The days will become shorter and the snow will fly. This year we will face more challenges than the snow and the cold and the ice. The patios will be closed, along with the windows. The flu season will arise and Covid will continue to live among us.

     Appreciating our blessings will be of vital importance this year. Keeping ourselves active and healthy may be a bit more difficult, but we can do it. The apostle, Paul, loved athletics, but he understood the deeper value of keeping our souls in shape.  

For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

     Keeping our bodies healthy is important, but keeping our souls healthy is valuable for us now and for all eternity.  As we hunker down and get through this time, let’s continue to encourage one another with Scripture, with love and with hope. We can do this!

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Timothy 5:11

Father,

Show us how to build one another up during these times, to fill our souls with good nourishment, to keep our bodies healthy and strong. Encourage us so we may encourage others.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Rainbow Reminders

 

     The rainbow after the storm. When food tastes good again after chemo. First steps after a major stroke. The first breath of fresh air after an asthma attack. The call that a loved one is safe. We should bottle these moments in our lives. Why does it take suffering to recognize all we take for granted? The ordinary blessings of an ordinary day should be treasured. Every single day. Somehow, it takes disaster and grief to appreciate the daily gifts of God.

     And, yet, we blame Him when things go wrong, when the diagnosis is not what we expected, when a loved one dies too soon. The world fell thousands of years ago when man turned away from God. Natural consequences and a fallen world lead to the hardships of life. But God works in them and through them. He redeems and rescues. And He resurrects.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

     Christ suffered for the beauty that awaited Him. He suffered for you and for me. When we have Christ, we have a new beginning waiting beyond every end. We have hope and it will never fade away. He is always there at the end of every story, even on to our eternal home of blessing.

Jesus,

Glorying in our suffering sounds impossible. With You, all things are possible. We thank You for every good and perfect gift we take for granted. Help us to look around today and appreciate You and all we have.

Amen

Sunflower Smiles

 

     The heads of sunflowers rise and turn to follow the sun. A sunflower field was planted in honor of a beautiful young woman names Madie this summer. Just two years into her marriage she died suddenly and unexpectantly. The diagnosis was, “natural causes.” Who can explain it? Only God knows the number of our days.

     Madie made her short life count. Her light shone brightly in her music, in her work with children, in the beauty of her smile. The garden was a reminder of the way Madie lifted her gaze to the sun and to the Son.

     A good friend of mine just “happened” to run into Madie’s mom on her visit to the field planted in her honor. They had a long conversation. Madie’s mom said, as a Christian woman, she knew she was just a few footsteps behind her daughter.

     God took Madie home. We wanted her here for so much longer. Maybe her purpose was fulfilled. Maybe God was protecting her from something down the road. One day we will know. In the meantime, remember your loved ones in heaven are just a bit ahead of us. This perspective keeps us moving with anticipation, with hope and with purpose. As Peter reminds us, we are just here for “a little while.”

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 1 Peter 1:6

Father,

Thank You for Madie’s life and example. Keep our heads turning to the skies where You and so many others wait for us. We wait expectantly, filled with hope.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

A Free Spirit

 

     Did you grow up in church? I did. Every Sunday we would use part of Psalm 51 as a doxology, as a blessing. Maybe you recognize the words. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized these words came straight from the Bible.

Create in me a clean heart O’ God and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy or Your salvation and uphold me with Your free spirit. Psalm 51:10-12

     I did not comprehend the depth of these words or the joy of my salvation until I was well into my 30’s. Knowing Jesus, knowing we need not fear death, understanding His presence, gives us the ability to let our souls and spirits be truly free. That freedom gives us confidence in the choices we make. It gives us the ability to abide in His peace and joy. Listen to these words from another Psalm and do not be shaken.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. My body will also rest secure because You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will You let Your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 16:8-11

     Eternity awaits. In the meantime, rest in His presence. Soar free in His Spirit.

Lord,

We thank You for the words that guide us, for the depth of what it means to follow Jesus. Keep our focus on Him.

Amen

The Word

 

     Here is a quote I came across about the Bible: “The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning and  for theologians to swim in without ever touching the bottom.”  Have you been swimming in God’s word lately? I love the ways God teaches us. A Scripture read hundreds of times will suddenly jump off the page with new meaning. A Scripture meant just for you and me will keep coming up at a time we need it most.

     The Word of God is powerful. It represents Jesus from cover to cover. The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119 and it is all about the word of God. This Psalm reminds us to keep the word in our hearts, to delight in it, to draw wisdom from it, to know God through it.

 You are my refuge and my shield. I have put my hope in your word. Psalm 119:114

Turn to me and have mercy on me as You always do to those who love Your name. Psalm 119:132

     God has changed me through the Bible. He has confronted me, loved me, given me peace and filled me with deep joy. Sink yourself into its depths. There is no end to the glory and grace it will bestow.

 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Lord,

Today we thank You for the Bible. Keep us on Your path as the world goes astray. Keep us focused as we continue to dive into Your word and its depths.

In Jesus name,

Amen

A Fresh Start

 

     God loves new beginnings. He sees the small steps we take and rejoices. In Zechariah 4, He says, “Do not despise the small things…”  Let Him guide You into what is next. He is with us as we begin again.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

     The Bible tells us over and over to not fear, to not be discouraged, to not give up hope. Our eternal God has a way through, a presence available to show us a way, to give us a new purpose, a new plan, a new perspective even through a dark and stormy time.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and His understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28

     Don’t understand? God does. Give Him your worries, your sorrow, your fear, your uncertainty. He is our rock, our anchor, our foundation.

Lord,

You always bring us back to hope. Show us a way through. Give us fresh hope and new beginnings.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Your Value

 

     As we talked about yesterday, God is involved in all of the details of our lives. Along with collecting our tears, He knows the number of hairs on our head! And His Word reminds us that not even one sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge. You are valuable to our God.

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:7

     He is there to heal us, to understand our deepest needs. Our God is beyond our wildest imaginations. He created the sun, the moon and the stars and He numbers and names each one.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power. His understanding knows no limit. Psalm 147:3-5

Father,

Your infinite wisdom comforts us. Your creation astounds us. To think You understand us and all we do. Give us Your unending peace today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Our Tears

 

     God is familiar with everything in our lives. Because He walked the earth, He understands our sorrow, our joy, our hunger, our weariness. He experienced it all, just as we do. But as eternal God, He also understands the unanswerable questions that face us.

     Did you know God keeps our tears in a bottle? That is so comforting. He holds our happy tears and our tears of deep grief and sorrow.

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book. Psalm 56:8

     Our loving God is with us through it all and one day, we will understand. One day all will become clear. And one day, He will wipe all of the sadness, all of the heartache, all of the worry away.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21;4

Lord,

As we wait for the day we meet You, it helps to remember, You understand it all. Comfort us as we wait and thank You for each blessing You give us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Abundant Blessings

 

     What do you need today? Comfort? Peace? Love? Hope? I think we could all use the above, and all are freely available through Jesus. Jesus is there to meet our every need. He knows you better than anyone. Read through Psalm 139 and notice His nearness, His ability to understand what we will say before we say it, His presence surrounding us day and night.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen

     He meets our needs abundantly! His grace will be enough right now. Breathe it in and be blessed. The inner heavenly blessings of life with Jesus will be enough.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen Philippians 4:23

 

A Wedding Blessing

 

     The son of one of my best friends is getting married this weekend. Along with so many others, it has been a crazy and challenging year. A wedding date was set. And then it wasn’t. A second date set. And cancelled. The third time will be the charm.

     The crowd will be smaller, but the love will be huge. The smiles may be mask-covered, but the joy will be contagious. Patsy’s earthly presence has been absent from us for more than 7 years, but her spiritual presence continues to be with us 

     A rainbow spotted on our girlfriend’s shopping weekends, the due date of her grandson and the grandson to come just “happen” to be on her birthday, and she will be there on Saturday in the love and kindness of her children, in the memories we all share and who knows what other surprises she will bring?

     The times we shared over forty plus years often centered on our children. Her smiles, and her unconditional love will be felt as her son marries his love.  She continues to shine through her son and daughter. Patsy taught them well. And all of us who loved her will continue to cheer them on, to love them and to pray for them. She would want it that way.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

And now these three remain; faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

 Lord,

Bless this very special day. And thank You for Patsy. May her presence be felt in real ways on this beautiful day, along with her love and Yours.

Amen

Heaven-sent blessings

 

     This weekend, we finished yard work, visited two sunflower fields, took long rides in our convertible, ate non-healthy food and relaxed watching baseball and golf. Ahhh! The last vestiges of summer were savored. We needed a break. How about you?

     I don’t know about you, but the world keeps intruding on my peace of mind.  News of pandemics, politicians and protests have overtaken all of our lives. Division is all around us. People are leaving many of our beautiful, big cities, fearing for their safety.

     Focus on the inner workings of Jesus. I keep going back to Him where peace, joy and hope reside. It always and forever goes back to Jesus. He is our firm foundation, our anchor in the storm, our truth through the turmoil. Let’s step into the world He offers with some Scriptures and take in some peace of mind.

     God offers us spiritual blessings not found anywhere else. When our world is changing and appears out of control, our God remains steadfast and unchanging.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 117

     The spiritual blessings offered from Jesus are heaven-sent!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms, with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

Father,

We thank you for our heavenly blessings, for the good gifts that are given only through and by Your Son, Jesus.

Amen

Spiritual Blessings

 

     Reconciled…justified…forgiven. As Christians, we are remade, renewed, redeemed in Christ. God now sees us as new creatures, in the image of Jesus. His life, death and resurrection make all things new. And this week, we will renew our spirits in His great strength and power.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

     Transformed from the inside out. I pray you believe and that you know the power of the risen Christ. We no longer live under the burden of sin and death. We have been given eternal life as a free gift, no longer condemned. No longer prisoners of sin and bondage. Let your soul soar and be at peace. He has risen! And so, too, will we!

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2

     Our bodies will wear out, but death no longer has power over us.

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. Romans 8:10

Lord,

Free us from all that holds us down. Let our souls and spirits soar up into heaven where we are citizens. Lift our spirits high today. We need it.

In Jesus name,

Amen

    

Refreshed!

 

     How are you adjusting?  Work or no work? School or no school? In the office or at home? Seeing friends or not seeing friends? We continue to weigh the risks vs. benefits each in our own way. My husband and I have a four-day weekend beginning tomorrow! A time for refreshment and rejuvenation.

     Yes, we are adjusting to being back on full-time grandkid duty. Our youngest daughter is back to teaching. Talk about adjusting! They are distance teaching. She is a special-ed teacher in Bloomington and she and her team are working hard with new computer programs, figuring out teaching plans from afar and meeting with extended team members including co-teachers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists and their special ed leads and will try to meet the needs of these wonderful kids without seeing them physically. Whew!

     It is frustrating to say the least when all they want to do is be with these kids in person. Our 2 ½ year old sweetie Gavin is also adjusting to a new 3-month old baby brother, Grayson. He calls him, “that baby.” When one of us is holding him and Gavin wants to play, he says, “Put that baby down!” When he wants to tell Grayson something, he says, “Tell that baby I am playing with my dump truck.”

     We’re not sure he wants that baby hanging around. Exhaustion, chaos, fun and so much love surround us each day. What a privilege and we know this opportunity won’t last long. Soon enough they will be off to school (hopefully in class full-time!)

     In the meantime, we smile at their antics, try to get up off the floor after playing or asking for help off of a chair when holding the baby. We aren’t 30 anymore.  I pray you are adjusting as well as you can. I also pray you have a wonderful weekend. God insists that we have times of refreshing. After all He gave us Sundays for a day of rest.

     Take some times of refreshing and I will see you here on Tuesday.

So that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. Romans 15:32

You give abundant showers, O God, You refreshed Your weary inheritance. Psalm 68:9

Sweet friends refresh the soul…Proverbs 27:9a

 

 

Then and Forever

 

     There was then. And there is now. And there is forever. I tend to over-think. To move into the what-ifs and the details that really don’t matter. Can we trust Jesus just for now? Can we sit in the moment and listen for His voice? Can we believe that the past is just that and believe Jesus can be there with us minute by minute?

     That was then. Forever is ahead. And these uncertain times? God is in control. He spelled out all that is happening in detail after detail, point after point. As events and circumstances appear fully out of control, God is setting up His purposes. Now is the time to spread the word of the Gospel. Now is the time to trust Him with it all. Now, this minute, relax into His love and power.

     Take a deep breath. Understand that He is God. He is in charge. All will work for good in the end, and He wins. The victory over death and evil was won at the cross. It is finished. Now, and ever-after. He is God.

He says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a

Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3

Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. Psalm 113:2

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8

To the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages now and forevermore. Amen

Lord,

You are God. We praise You now. We praise You forever. Take our hand this moment and let us savor it. You ask us to “Be still.” We are Yours.

In Jesus name,

Amen

After

 

     Do you remember life without Jesus? Some of us have known Jesus since childhood. Others of us, like me, didn’t really have a relationship until later. I was over 30 when I started asking questions and seeking Him.  I have friends who received Him as Savior in their 60’s and 70’s or even on a death bed. Don’t wait if you don’t know Him. Life changes dramatically when He is involved.

      What changes from before? Peace? Deep joy no matter the circumstances? Losing a fear of death?  Before Him we wonder why? We wonder what? We wonder how?

     Somehow, all of the answers of the soul become clear after we believe. After we see Him as Savior. It all makes sense. And we can journey through life with our Redeemer. The One who sees beyond the here and now. To be able to see good beyond the grove. To make us understand that the work we do now can matter after we are gone. To give us love even when others don’t understand.

     The unanswered questions don’t matter. He has the words to eternal life. If we trust Him after death, can we trust Him with our lives? The answer is a resounding, “Yes!”  Where else would we go?

Simon Peter answered Him. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68

Jesus,

Where else would we go? You have the answers now. You reach back and heal us from behind. And You move us closer and closer to You with ever-increasing glory. You have always been there. Before. And ever-after.

Amen