The End... er... The Beginning...

May 31
Living a Life that Matters… 

“For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” 

                                                                                                                –Philippians 1:20-21 (NLT) 

& so we’ve come to the end of it… the end of May & the end of Philippians.

Last night as I lay in bed, I was thinking how much I love Philippians. & while I know it’s time for me ‘break camp’ & move on, I just couldn’t help mulling over all of the things that God has taught me this month. Some things have been eye-opening & others have been really good reminders to ‘buck up’ & be joyful as I continue down the path He is showing me.

Here are a few things I love…

I love that Paul tells us that as we draw closer to Christ, our love for others will grow. I have found this truth evident over & over in my own life.

I love that Paul is aware that even though he is in prison, nothing can imprison the Gospel. Such a great reminder that while I have a part to play in sharing the Good News of Jesus… it’s not all about me.

I love what Paul shares about being a slave to the Gospel. How he implores us to work together towards the common goal of Christ, to be humble, put others first & to be deep spirited friends.

I love what he says about being joyful no matter what the circumstances, encourages us not to worry but to be content in all things.

& here is what I think I love most… or maybe this is just what has convicted me most:

The way I live my life should demand an explanation.

Oh yeah.
I said it.

Our lives should DEMAND an explanation from a world who does not know Jesus.

Radical love. Extravagant grace. Supernatural peace.

Whoooohooooo!

These are the goals I’ll be striving for. 

             “Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.”
                                             -Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

Searching for the ever elusive ... contentment...

May 30:

Living a Life that Matters… 

Philippians 4:10-14

“I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.”

Contentment. It doesn’t really fit in our culture today does it? We are raised striving to tackle the next thing… college… career… marriage… parenthood… retirement.  We are a nation of planners that rarely veers off the path we create for ourselves. We make every effort to upgrade… upgrade our jobs… our homes… our cars… our education… our relationships. All this in the quest for contentment.

I have to admit, I’ve been caught up in this madness. Chuck & I worked hard to get the education he needed to ‘succeed’ in life (he worked long hours & I waited tables), we worked hard to save to buy our first house, to move into an area where our kids would have the best opportunities, we invested so we could retire when we reached 60, Chuck took positions at work that would make him more marketable in the workplace & would bring home a paycheck that afforded us a comfortable life. We were living the American Dream & still we were not content. 

When Chuck walked away from his high powered career to become a pastor. I grieved. I grieved for the hard work ‘gone to waste’. For the things I would never have…. the home I would never own… the vacations we would never take… the opportunities our children lost… for how hard life would be. It felt like such a sacrifice then having to go back to work outside our home, not going to have my nails done every week, not going shopping or meet my girlfriends for lunch every day, not having to worry about how we would pay the bills or plan for the future.  

Here’s the surprise… I am more peaceful now than I have ever been.  Don’t get me wrong, I still have moments when I am restless… I’m actually struggling right now to be at peace in my job. Although now I feel that my anxiousness stems from somewhere deep inside my soul that is longing to DO something that really matters. What a change! God has worked so intricately & often times painfully, in my heart that I have learned to be content where I am… I no longer yearn for those ‘things’ that were once so important. 

I am content to rest in Him… to allow Him to give… & to take away… 

My life. 

My life belongs to Him. 

"May today there be peace within.

May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.

May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."
- Saint Terese of Liseaux

Worry wort...

May 29:

Living a Life that Matters… 

Philippians 4:6-9

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

When I was younger, I worried about everything. Would Chuck be sent overseas with the Marines.? Would my boys grow up to be heathens? Would there be enough money for groceries? Would I ever find a Christian friend? Would I always feel alone? Would I always feel inadequate? & on & on & on... I worried so much that a dear friend of mine gave me a ‘worry wart’. Similar to the picture above, it had bulging eyes & a freaked out expression. I worried… “Do I look like that”? 

So I dug around in an old concordance, opened my Bible & began reading Philippians with fresh eyes & an open heart… It changed my perspective… & thus began my yearly pilgrimage through this precious book.

Perhaps you too want peace in your troubled heart… maybe you long to be content, yet you hear the voices that say " be successful, be popular, be beautiful, be perfect". I cannot stress enough how we have to STOP listening to these voices. Instead we need to listen to God's voice.

We must take control of our mind. Here we are commanded to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" We can do this when we hold the negative thoughts captive & dwell on the positive.

Ultimately, peace & contentment is more a shift in attitude than a change of circumstances.

“Never allow yourself to complain about anything–not even the weather. 

Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else. 

Never compare your lot with another’s. 

Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise. 

Never dwell on tomorrow–remember that [tomorrow] is God’s, not ours.”

 –Linda Dillow, Calm my Anxious Heart.

Sportin a tude...

May 28:
Living a Life that Matters… 

Philippians 4:4-5

“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!”

 Ever have one of those days where you want to crawl back into bed before the day really even gets started? I had a morning like that. Running late, anxious to fit in a few errands on my way into work, my mood was hardly cheerful. As I pulled into the library I decided to drop off my three gigantic size books in the outside book drop so I wouldn’t have to try to manhandle them into the building with the rest of my work paraphernalia. The book drop was full & bursting so I pulled into my parking space a teensy bit frustrated. I did manage to get out of my car without incident & began the precarious walk to the building balancing the three oversize books, my large purse, an empty egg carton (to trade for some farm fresh ones a coworker sells) & my coffee cup. As I approached the building it began to rain… of course the card I have to get into the building wouldn’t read through my purse like it usually does… in a panic (because of the rain & my complicated hair) I tried to reposition my purse… it was then that I lost my balance… the books began to topple… I spilled my coffee onto my skirt & into my purse… the door unlocked… & then relocked before I could collect myself & squeeze inside. Needless to say, I let a less than ladylike word fly, felt my eyes fill with tears & I have to admit in that moment, I wanted to leave all that ‘stupid’ stuff lie, get back into my car, drive home & crawl back into bed. 


Celebrate God all day, every day… sigh… 

This is hard, even for a girl who tends to have a cheerful disposition & who generally looks at life thru rose colored glasses. 

There are some many things that rob us of our joy… some as small as spilled coffee & complicated hair… some as big as cancer, divorce, or losing a loved one to death.  When our attitudes are in the crapper, it’s difficult to celebrate God & definitely difficult to encourage those around us in the spirit of joy & harmony.  

& yet this is what we are called to do. After all… life is not about us… it’s about living above our day to day circumstances in a way that cannot help bring Glory to our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.  

“Life is a gift...
Life is a test...
Life is temporary assignment....”
- Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here for?

I'm gonna 'fluff' you up...

May 25:

Living a Life that Matters…

Philippians 4:1

“My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God.”

Philippians 1:4 is one of the reasons I love this book so much. It speaks to me. I’m super relational & an encourager by nature. At my house we call me the ‘fluffer’ because in a crisis it’s my inclination to hold a person tight… pour a cup of chamomile tea… listen… ask questions… encourage aka ‘fluff up’… comfort… pray… & send them on their way feeling a little lighter.

On the flip side, I struggle with holding people accountable. In my desire to encourage, to show compassion & communicate positivity sometimes it’s hard for me to hold them to a standard.

We must have both of these things to stay on track & I’m learning if I truly do want the best for those that God brings into my sphere of influence, I need to love them in a balanced way.

“The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word.”  - Oswald Chambers