Part of the Crowd

Crowds aren't my favorite thing. I'd rather visit with you one on one, but I've found in a big group of people it is pretty easy to blend in. In a crowd, it's tempting to go with the flow and simple to lose yourself in the masses. Friend, this holy week I'd like to encourage you to think about something that's been on my mind - Are you part of the crowd?

Jesus dealt with crowds as well and he was never wrongly influenced by them. Let's make sure we aren't either.

Mass groups of people played a role in Christianity back then and they still do today. Let's take some time and get a closer look. Matthew 21:6-11 paints the picture for us. Here we read -

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” 

Did you notice a mention of crowds? What's your takeaway?

To me it seems Jesus' triumphant entry was met by many. They were welcoming him, cutting branches and announcing his coming. The whole city was stirred. That's a lot of people and activity and excitement.

In our world, Easter and Christmas morning might look a bit like this. We have more people than usual attending church services. Though Christianity is under attack, the world still recognizes these days and celebrates them as well. There is an excitement in the air and joy fills our hearts as we think of the newborn King and our risen Savior.

Let's fast forward in the story just a bit. Join me in reading Matthew 27:55-56 -

There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Let's also look at John 19:25 -  

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

Do you notice a difference? What has happened? Where's the crowd?

Friend, this may be a simple thing to overlook in the story of Jesus' last days, but I think it holds a lesson for us. The number of people at Jesus' side has surely changed and so have his circumstances.

What happens when our circumstances change? When the excitement of Christmas prep and Easter fun fades does our zeal for faith do the same? When trials come do we run from God or cling to Christ? When life is busy do we go with the flow and put our faith to the side? Are we content to be part of the crowd and praise Christ when it's convenient?

You don't have to tell me your answers, but I hope you take time to think about these questions. This holy week let's spend time reflecting on the Word and preparing our hearts for Resurrection Sunday, but may we also commit to following Christ wherever the road leads. Let's celebrate His coming and stay by His side always!

Holy Week - The Passover Lamb

Holy week has begun and as I reflected this morning, this post came back to mind. I pray it touches your heart like it did mine. May this week be one we don't rush through, but truly take time to remember what Jesus did for us.

"Do you want to try and sell those lambs?" My husband's words in the early morning had my attention. He had mentioned this briefly earlier in the week, but this time instead of going to my head his words went to my heart.

Our kids have been raising 4 orphan lambs and they will eventually grow up and be sent to market, but my reaction to putting them up for sale now, while they are still young and kind of like a pet, hit me. The thought of someone using them - Skittle, Beefy, Oreo and the lamb with a changing name, for a passover meal made me sad.

The conversation didn't go any further, but my thoughts continued to run and they led me to the Word. Friend, we are in the midst of holy week and for the first time in 41 years, I find myself thinking about the Passover lamb in a real personal way. I encourage you to do the same in the days to come.

Did you know during the original Passover, the lamb played a significant role? First of all in Egypt, a lamb was sacred, it was considered to be a god of sorts and was worshipped by the Egyptians. Clearly, the Lord had their attention when He commanded the Israelites to "take a lamb for their family" (Exodus 12:3). The Israelites exercised their faith and courage by obeying this command.

They didn't just take any lamb...it had to be a year old male without defect. (Exodus 12:5) These animals were in their prime and were the best of the flock.

The lambs weren't simply selected and quickly sacrificed...they were chosen on the 10th day and slaughtered on day 14. (Exodus 12:6) In between they were cared for...typically in the home. Think about what took place in that time. I'm sure there were messes and noise. There was also time to grow attached and hours set aside to inspect. The people were surrendering normalcy and eventually something they loved.

This story mirrors what took place years later in Jerusalem - Jesus rode into the city and was welcomed as the One who would save. For the next 4 days, He too was set apart and inspected. Just like the lamb, He was found to be spotless and without defect. (1 Peter 1:19) During that time, the people saw him work, learned from His teachings and grew to know Him more.

Friend, chances are you celebrated Palm Sunday yesterday and like the people of years gone by said, "Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" You may have plans to attend a Maundy Thursday service or a Last Supper Remembrance meal later this week. Countless services are scheduled for Friday and Sunday of this coming week as well. These events are important and powerful, but I challenge, and encourage, you to treasure the days to come.

We will not be bringing a lamb into our home, but I've invited thee Lamb into my heart. In the days to come I long to learn from Him and grow closer to Him as I prepare to reflect on His sacrifice and praise my Savior. I hope you will consider doing the same.

Heavenly Father, 
Lord, thank you for continually speaking into my heart and revealing more of yourself. I'm humbled to know you care and know me in such a personal way. As this Holy Week unfolds, may it be a time of reflection and relationship building. Draw me closer to Yourself as I sit with you, study your Word and experience your presence. Thank you for being my passover Lamb - your sinless life saved me from the sin in mine. Increase my understanding of this and gratitude for it. Today I struggled with the thought of giving up one of our lambs for a meal, but Father God you gave up your Son for me - thank you. May I give up my life for you. In Jesus' Name, Amen

Calm is Contagious

The title of this post is a quote I've been thinking about for a week. As my regular readers and local friends know, I'm a fan of basketball so I've been enjoying March Madness. Last week after a very intense and exciting game that put Virginia in this year's Final Four their coach said these words. To most fans it seemed winning was impossible and most fellow coaches knew it wasn't very likely, but they found a way and down the stretch the coach made a difference. You could say it was for various reasons, but his words say a lot.

I've played in a quite a few games and over the years have coached in many more...basketball is intense, nerves are involved and fear can set in. When a competitor (athlete or coach), feels like hope is gone they can let up, when fear overtakes they might be overwhelmed and when emotion takes over their role is affected. Tony Bennett is a coach, from what I can tell, who doesn't let this happen. He is calm on the sidelines and it makes a difference. It mattered again last night, when Virginia was again in a tight game...his guys held on to win and advance. Calm clearly was contagious.

So, that's great right? It played a part in their win and might help me as I coach the game I enjoy, but what does this mean for you? Well friend, I've thought about that and I believe it means a lot. Life really is a lot like basketball. Whether you are a wife or mom, co-worker or ministry partner life is intense. There are moments of frustration and fear. There are days when hope seems gone and anxiety is high. We struggle to press on and may be tempted to wrongly impact others.

So whether you face an emergency situation, the daily demands of life or the frustration of things not going your way, would you like to remain calm? Or to say it differently, experience peace? I know my answer is yes! This not only helps me walk through life, but like Tony's demeanor and attitude impacts his team, I know my reaction affects the players in my life as well.

We can try to be calm, hope to be more patience and try to prepare for peace, but this doesn't happen on its own. Especially in the moments of chaos, fear and struggle. This my friend is a gift...one only God can give.

Before Jesus departed He told His disciples, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever..." He is referring to the Holy Spirit, who not only lives in us, but bears gifts. Galatians 5:22-23 states, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control."

I believe all of these fruits are part of the calmness Tony Bennett displays. I want them to be part of my life as well. Do you?

It starts with accepting Christ and allowing Him to fill me with the Holy Spirit, but friend, it doesn't end there. We must surrender and let this Spirit live in us. We have to die to flesh and walk in the Spirit. This doesn't necessarily come natural.

When a game is tight and the time is ticking, nerves can take over, old habits and ways of thinking return. Stress is felt and the flesh wants to react. The same can happen when our toddler has a tantrum, the phone rings with bad news or a relationship falls apart. When this happens we need to make a choice.

Colossians 3:15 says, "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." In the original language the word for rule takes on an umpire or referee type meaning. Like our pastor likes to say, we need to let the Holy Spirit blow His whistle and then rightly react to the call. When you feel like calmness is fading and fear is growing, redirect your thinking, remind yourself of Truth and allow peace to replace the worry.

This is easier said than done, but it is possible. Peace is a fruit that will grow, but we must water and weed the garden of our heart and mind!

Along with this, we must choose to practice the words Paul shares in Philippians 4:6 - "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God." 

When the Holy Spirit has your attention and you realize your thoughts are going out of bounds take a moment and pray. We don't have to be in a church building to talk to the Lord nor do we always need to bow our heads to pray. In the final seconds of his team's game, I don't know if Tony Bennett was praying, but I know I've cried out (in a whispering, personal sort of way) to the Lord from the bench.

These prayers haven't always led to victory, but they bring perspective and that's more valuable than a win any day!!

I don't know if Virginia will find themselves in another tight game tomorrow as they strive for the championship, but I know their coach's approach will make a difference, win or lose. You and I won't find ourselves competing in front of millions, but we're living in front of others and our approach will have a ripple effect as well. Do you want your attitude and mindset to be caught by others? Remember "Calm is Contagious!"

For my married friends...

Hello all, I'll keep this short today, but wanted to take a minute and invite my friends who are wives to Encouragement Cafe. I'm sharing a devotion called, "What Kind of Wife are You?" You can read it HERE. I pray the words bless you, encourage or convict. If you have any words of wisdom about living out this role or a story of God working through it, please share in the comments. May your day be blessed!

Words I would say...

Recently I've talked with a few athletes walking through an injury, which always takes me back. This post from 2016 came to mind and in case any of my reading friends are dealing with an unexpected setback I decided to share them again. If you find yourself in a place of pain, I pray these words provide a little perspective.

Life as I knew it changed. I could no longer do what I had always done. My eyes were opened to the fact that I found my identity in what I did, not who I was. Looking back I realize things could have been much worse, but as a 19 year old tearing my ACL was almost more than I could handle.

I blew out my knee doing what I always loved, playing a game that my world revolved around. It was the end of my freshman year in college and though nearly 21 years have passed, today I found myself back in time thinking about what I experienced back then. 

Yesterday I found out another girl from our school tore her ACL only a week after a young man from our church did the same. Three high school seniors, all basketball players, walking a road they didn't sign up for. My heart hurts for them.

This morning as I found myself thinking of them and praying for them too, I had a thought, "What would I say to them?" Friend, chances are you're not a high school athlete struggling with an injury, but maybe you're at a place in life where everything is changing, things aren't going like you expected or there's a bump in the road that leaves you defeated. If so, I pray these words will speak to your heart. 

Friend, I know this isn't what you expected. This isn't the way you thought things would turn out. It's not the plan you had for the months to come. I know I've been there. You may be angry. I was too. You may be sad. It happened to me. You're in pain and you wonder why. Let me encourage you to deal with those emotions. Talk to a teammate, coach, friend or parent. Don't walk this road alone. Others have travelled the same path...reach out to them for encouragement, help and perspective. 

Now for the part you may not want to hear. I say that because these are words that made me want to scream in the days following my injury, so scream if you want, but please hear me out. Don't just read the statement, but listen to my reasoning. OK, I'll say what I never wanted to hear - "It's just a game." 

The people who said that to me weren't athletes and didn't love a game. Friend, I did. Basketball was my life...I had a shirt that said that and my thinking would have proved it. I didn't drink because of basketball. I didn't date because of basketball. I worked out for basketball. I chose my college because of basketball. Basketball was more than a game I loved, it was the god I worshiped. 

I didn't do this intentionally. I never prayed to my ball or bowed down on the court, but the game was the most important thing in my life. I didn't realize this was a problem...well, until the game as I knew it was gone. 

I had surgery, rehabbed and tried to come back, but for me it was never the same. (If you have dreams of returning to the court, it is possible and I pray you do!!) This void, coupled with my struggle with depression, pushed me deeper into the pit. No longer part of a team, I found myself lonely. No longer doing what I loved left me discouraged. Eventually I found myself empty and without hope.

I grew up going to church and being good. I believed in God, but I didn't live for Him. I'd heard of Jesus, but never heard from him. I spent my time reading Sports Illustrated instead of God's Word. It didn't happen over night (it actually took about 5 years), but once the idol of basketball was removed from my life I was able to see God as the One who was worthy of my worship. (Rev. 4:11)

Basketball is still a game I love and I actually coach my daughter's now, but I've learned it is just a game. A game God can use for much and we can enjoy, but something we are NOT to worship or let dictate our lives. Friend, I know you love the game, have made sacrifices and been dedicated, but it won't last forever...even the best athletes hang up their sneakers eventually. 

Grieve your loss and work through it, but turn to God in your time of need. If you've never received Christ as your Lord and Savior, do that now. May what feels like your greatest loss become your biggest gain! If you have a relationship with Christ, allow this to draw you closer to Him - the friend who will never change and will always be there. Cry out to Him, share your heart and your needs. He can and will provide. He alone has the power to heal...that's not a guarantee your knee will someday be 100%, but your heart can be renewed. 

Let me close with words that brought perspective following my surgery...

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, 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

A Christian teammate shared this passage with me and I clung to this first sentence in an attempt to find a reason for my injury. Initially the athlete in me found purpose in my injury as I was getting stronger, but after coming to Christ I realize these words say so much more. Friend, our suffering does have a purpose and God works through it to do much. 

If you are struggling with a knee injury, a broken relationship or a financial issue perhaps it's an opportunity to remember who is in control - God the One who gives hope and has a plan. He is good, faithful and powerful, join me in trusting Him with all your heart. 

I don't know if these words have helped, but I pray they've made you think. I also hope they remind you, you are not alone. Others have been in your shoes and God will always be at your side!

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, 

for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." 

Deuteronomy 31:6

What do you do with a loss?

March Madness is upon us, which is great for basketball fans of all ages. It can be exciting and fun, but when the losses come it is difficult. Last night my favorite team, the Iowa State Cyclones, took an early exit from the tourney. It's easy to question the coach, fault the players and blame the refs, but my thoughts went deeper today.

First, it is a game. There are worse things than a loss in an athletic contest. This is not a matter of life and death. The sun came up today and most likely the Cyclones will be playing ball again next season.

Second, this hurts the players and coaches more than it impacts any fan. Sure your bracket may be busted, but their season is over. They have poured blood, sweat and tears into this. They set goals and dreamed dreams and now it's all come to a close. I never played in the NCAAs, but I've played in some year ending defeats and coached in them too. Regardless of the stage, it's not a moment you enjoy.

Finally, the focus of this post. As I thought about our team's loss, I thought about the lesson it gives for life. Chances are you're not sitting in the losing team's locker room, but you may have experienced a loss in life. This won't show up on the scoreboard or in the local paper, but life can leave you defeated. So friend, my question is: What do we do with a loss?

The coach in me will provide the most important answer - learn from it. When we experience a loss, be it on the court, in a relationship or at our job, we often want to move on and forget about it, but that should not be our go to response. Take a look at your situation. Ask yourself some questions. Why did you fail? What could have you done differently? How can you improve?

As I thought about this 3 areas came to mind. If you've recently experienced a big loss or feel like you're in the midst of a losing streak would you think about this?

Check your heart. If we want to experience success, our heart has to be in it. We need to be devoted and engaged. If I want to win as a wife or a mom, I must be present. Not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually and mentally. If I have dreams of success as a woman in ministry or at my place of work, I need my heart and plans to be aligned with God's. On the basketball court it doesn't take long to recognize someone who's heart just in it and the same can be said for the game of life. If your heart is the issue, use Psalm 51:10 to guide your prayers - "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." 

Check your effort. Effort is basically another word for work. This is a necessity on the basketball court. It's easy to tell when this is lacking and it almost always leads to a loss. I'm sure the Cyclones are reliving the game in their minds. It's not that they played lackadaisical, but each one can probably point out one individual mistake that played a part in the loss. In the game of hoops every possession matters; in the game of life every word and every action makes a difference. Oh to be mindful of that always. Friend, today instead of just reading this verse, I pray we make it our mission. Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Check your focus. I have no idea how many times I told my elementary girls to focus this year, but it was a key word for our season. I've heard Coach Prohm often talk about staying the course. Often in a loss we can look back and see a lapse in thinking that led to a mistake. Sometimes when we watch a game, we see a player whose focus is on himself rather than the team. This often leads to a loss. Friend, as you strive for victory in this life, what is your focus? Is it on you or Jesus? Hebrews 12:2 instructs us to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Are you striving towards your goals or working to live out God's commands? Psalm 119:112 says, "My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end."

Finally, a loss isn't always a bad thing. It can be a motivator. It can lead to improvement, which results in more success. So friend, no matter what loss you walk through, know this - it is hard. There will be pain, maybe even tears, but if we respond rightly it can play a part in victory. I hope and pray the Cyclones reflect on the game and remember the pain as they work towards next year.

We never set out to lose, but like my grandma always told me defeat is part of playing the game.  I'm asking God to help us recognize the losses in our life, so that we can learn from them and experience more success because of them. Friend, win or lose may we make living out Psalm 34:3 our goal!

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

Is change possible?

Have words from your past ever come back? Sometimes this happens and it's a bad thing and others well, it just might be encouraging. Today, Encouragement Cafe shared a devotional,  "Ever Felt Unworthy," that I wrote a few years ago. I don't know if God used it anybody else's life, but He spoke to my heart.

The devo opened with these words -

“She’s better than you. You don’t deserve to be her friend. She was a Baylor Beauty and you, well you’re a Riceville Reject.” These are the thoughts that ran through my mind as I thought about making a call to a friend.

Honestly, I had forgot about this, but as I read I went back in time. I not only recalled the words, but I remembered the emotions. Living with such insecurity and a complete feeling of unworthiness was hard. The battle to try and measure up paired with the feeling of endless failure left me depressed and without confidence. I lived that way for a long time. And most of the time, I never thought it would change.

Praise the Lord it has! That's not to say there aren't moments of doubt or fear, but my identity is found in Christ and I know He paid the ultimate price to claim me as His own. I could say a lot about that journey, but today the encouragement I found in this flashback is: Change is possible!

The last couple of months I've found myself in the midst of a different struggle...I tend to feel overwhelmed at times. If you're a wife, mom, employee or woman in the world today, you might experience the same. Our to-do lists never end nor do the troubles in the world. Our schedules are full and sometimes the bank account is empty. We can wrestle with worries of the future and regrets from the past. Decisions might create anxiety while times of waiting make us restless.

Thankfully, I'm not facing a major life-altering situation or illness, but friend, would you agree sometimes daily life can be a bit overwhelming? As I walk through normal days on our busy farm trying to teach our 5 kids and organize our busy schedule sometimes I'd like to hit pause. In reality that's not possible, so rather than survive this season of life I'd like to thrive.

I find myself thinking back to when our kids were little before the days of basketball, football, track, wrestling and softball. There were no games or meets, FFA meetings or youth group gatherings. Life seemed simple then, but it wasn't easy either. It could leave me overwhelmed too, which leads me to this post - I'd like for this to change. And, I have hope that it can and will.

Matthew 19:26 says, "But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" Jesus is referring to who can be saved, but ALL is absolute. Our great God can do all things!

In Luke 1:37, an angel says, "For nothing will be impossible with God." Because of God, a virgin gave birth. Our great God has ways that are not our ways.

Mark 9:23 tells us, "If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes." This is a snippet of Jesus' conversation with the father of a sick boy. You may notice the words are a bit different. He's clearly already told us ALL things are possible for God, but now adds a stipulation for us. Friend, you and I must believe.

We don't have to believe in ourselves, actually we better not believe in ourselves. We must believe God. We need to believe His Word.

I believe change is possible. Do you?

My words from the past remind me this belief is step one. Long before I came to that place of understanding my worth in Christ, I knew the Bible said God loved me and Jesus died for me. I knew the Sunday School answers in my head, but I struggled to accept them in my heart. It wasn't until I started seeking God's Word and crying out to Him that true transformation took place.

Clearly with God change was possible, but I had to hide His Word in my heart and allow Him to change me from the inside out. This didn't happen overnight and sometimes it was hard, but it was worth it.

I read those words from my past and I praise Him for the work He did. And, tonight I ask Him to begin again. There's more change to come. I no longer want to be overwhelmed by this life, I long to be overwhelmed with His love. I don't want to drown in my fears, but be flooded by His promises. I don't want to be burdened by my decisions, but be blessed with His plan. I don't want life to leave me defeated, but instead walk in the victory that is mine.

I don't know how long this process will last or what it will look like, but I believe the change is possible. I look forward to seeking Him, I plan on praying for change and I trust one day I will again look back and praise Him for His transforming power.

Friend, what work of change has God done in your past that can give you hope for the future? Have you accepted something as normal when God has a plan for so much more? Whatever it is - an identity struggle, a relationship conflict or the feeling of being overwhelmed, I encourage you to surrender that and seek God for change. Find promises related to your problem, replace lies with Truth and get to know God more!

Rest in these words from Jeremiah 32:17 today!

"Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth 

by your great power and by your outstretched arm! 

Nothing is too hard for you."