Feb 28 - "Do The Right Thing"

Mark 2:23 - 3:6
"Again He entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched Him to see if He would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, 'Come forward.'. Then He said to them, 'Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?'. But they went silent. He looked around at them with anger; He was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.'. He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him."
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We are faced with difficult choices every day.

In the course of our lives, throughout every week, we make decisions about whether to do what we know is right, or to die a little death and succumb to that which is wrong.

I find myself on a regular basis, not faced with major decisions between right and wrong (should I return the wallet that guy just dropped or keep it for myself?), but with ones of much less dramatic impact. There can be situations where I know something can be changed for the better by stepping up and making my opinion known, but I keep silent because I fear the consequences. Many times, the simplest choice of doing a little good can make a big difference.

Why do we struggle with this? Even though we know something is right, we are fearful at times of upsetting the proverbial apple cart.

Throughout the Gospel of Mark, we have been watching the wonderful miracles of Jesus in the world. His actions and works have turned the lives of the Pharisees upside down. For Jesus, up to this point, doing the "right thing" has been without material consequence. However, we can see what is to come. The verse at the end of this reading is a terrible foreshadowing of what will happen when a group of people have decided to do the wrong thing. It is a bit scary.

Fortunately, we know how the story ends, though. We know about the triumphant resurrection. But, there is certainly some pain to come before good ultimately wins.

So, do the the right thing. You know what it is. Although this choice may, at the least, make for an uncomfortable situation, or at the worst, put some part of your life in peril, you have to do what you know to be right and good. Pray for guidance to know what is right. Pray for support and protection from harm once you take action. But when your prayers are answered, move forward. For we know that when we do what is right and good, helpful and not harmful, we are standing beside Christ and He is beside us.

Feb 27 - "Looking For Jesus"

Mark 2: 13-22

"And as He sat at dinner in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinner were also sitting with Jesus and His disciples - for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, 'Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?'. When Jesus heard this, He said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners.'"
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Over the past 6 months or so, I have come to know a very interesting and wonderful guy. His name is Alphonso Bailey. He leads and organization called Down But Not Out (check out his story at http://www.downbutnotout.org/) which minsters to men who are in prison. I have had a few opportunities to watch "Fonz" at work. He is truly amazing and at every instance, touches the hearts of the men to whom he is speaking and often brings them to know God and accept Jesus as their Savior.

When I first met Fonz, I spoke to him about the call I was feeling to become involved in Prison Ministry. My biggest fear at the time was not the fact that I may be putting myself at risk, going into prisons and correctional facilities, but that I would be sitting or praying with a man and have him say, "What do you know about the troubles in my life? How can you sit here and relate to me!?!? What is your reason for trying to bring Jesus into this prison?!?"

Fonz was able to calm my fears and tell me that in almost every situation, these men would look to me and the other men involved in this ministry as examples. They would wonder how we were able to avoid trouble, when temptation for malfeasance seemed to continually abound.

When I asked Fonz about what drives him to bring the Word of God and the love of Jesus into these prison situations, he had an amazing answer. He said, "Jesus told His disciples that he was thankful they had fed Him, clothed Him, visited Him in prison. When the disciples asked, 'Lord, when did we feed you, clothe you or visit you in prison?', Jesus replied with, 'When you did this to the least of these, you did this to Me.''

Fonz then said, "Scott, I don't go in there bringing Jesus, I go in there looking for Him.".

Wow!

This approach brought a whole new perspective, not only to the work I was trying to do in heeding this call, but caused me to look at parts of Jesus' ministry in a very different way. I have to imagine that when Jesus sat with tax collectors and sinners, when He spoke with prostitutes or Pharisees, He was not only looking to heal them, but he must have been looking for reflections of Himself and God in each of these people.

Jesus is in every single one of us. Yes...even in those, to put it bluntly, who hate, who assault, who destroy, who kill. When we open our eyes and recognize that there is a kernel of Jesus deep inside every person, we must recognize and accept that how we treat every person, is how we are treating Jesus.

So, look for Jesus. Look for Him in every person you meet, no matter how mildly annoying or terrifyingly evil they may seem to be. Look for Jesus and when you find Him, you will also be found.

Feb 26 - "Getting Through"

Mark 2:1-12
"When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in the front door; and he was speaking the Word to them. Then some people came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, carried by the four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat, on which the paralytic lay."
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It is amazing how full of "things" our lives can be, at times. Between family, work, kids' activities...trying to exercise and stay healthy...our favorite TV shows, reading a book...and let's not forget we still need to eat and sleep every day...time can really fly by due to the number of items we "need" to get done in the daily course of our lives. Is it so hard to believe, then, that it is hard for us to make room for Jesus?

The clutter of our day stacks up against us. The things we have chosen...and sometimes not chosen...which churn through the minutes and hours can put up a barrier between each of us and a relationship with God, and His son, Jesus. We barrel along through our day, and then a week goes by...then a month. We realize we haven't spent time in prayer, or gone to church, or simply reveled in the majesty of Creation or the simple joy of a goodnight kiss on the forehead of a sleeping child.

But like many of the things we do each day and week, we are fully able to make finding Jesus a "habit". It can be in the simplest thing...a short prayer before bed time, or when we first open our eyes each day. It can be anytime we are feeling thankful...or full of the Spirit when our favorite song comes on the radio (or iPod) and we feel moved to sing along at the top of our lungs, a huge smile spread across our faces.

For me, I always try to remember to say a prayer after each time I go for a run. Before I step foot back into our house (or hotel, very often as of late), I stop, close my eyes and say; "Heavenly Father, thank you for this run today. Thank you for giving me a spirit to run, so that I can be healthy...and for keeping me healthy, so that I can run." I then take a moment to thank God for the work He is doing in my life at that time; for watching over my family. I pray for help or guidance, peace or strength...or all of them...and then praise Him for the graceful, merciful and majestic Lord that He is. I finish with, "Heavenly Father, I offer these prayers of thanks, petition and praise to You in the name of Your son, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, as one God, now and forever. Amen." I find myself renewed.

In whichever form it comes, we need to find a way to clear away the clutter and be in personal communion with Jesus. We are compelled to make a determined effort, digging through the detritus of our daily lives, to be with Him. Not because Jesus needs it or God demands it as some type of ticket to Heaven. No, we need to do it because our spirits thirst for it!

So, are you getting through? Will you make time today to quench the thirst? Take time, take this moment to be with Him and be refreshed.

Feb 25 - "Patient Growth"

1 Corinthians 2:14 - 3:15

" I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."
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What thing in your life today are you waiting on to grow?

Our middle daughter Rachel in the process of creating a terrarium in her science class at school. Although she was probably most excited about drinking the root beer in order to empty the 2 liter bottle needed for the project, she is also excited what will grow from the tiny seeds she planted in the soft soil of her project. Last night she said "I can't wait to see my terrarium tomorrow to see if my peas have grown." I didn't spoil her excitement by telling her that she still had a while to wait before little green shoots emerge from the surface.

We can all be impatient at times with others, but especially with ourselves, on the time it takes for something to grow. We make a commitment to lose weight or learn a language or change a behavior with which we are unhappy; or, as my sister and her husband are feeling, they can't wait until their beautiful little baby Myra grows out of the colicky stage she is in.

It is really hard to wait on growth. Many times, we don't see an immediate result to our efforts and we lose heart. Sheryl Crow is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. A line from one of her songs Maybe That's Something says, "Making miracles is hard work, some people give up before they happen." The impression we sometimes have is that miracles just appear in a magical "poof" right before our eyes; most times, they take some effort. As we know, to witness the miracle of a beautiful sunset, you have to wait all day for it to get there.

In today's reading, Paul says that the "planter" and the "waterer" are not important in the process of growth. Of course they are, but his point is still valid...God is the one who takes our seeds of joyful expectation and brings them to their full potential. There are times, of course, when we see a quick result. But most often, we need to be patient with the growth that is coming. We need not be so hard on ourselves if the goal we are trying to achieve doesn't yield an immediate result, even when we are still maintaining our efforts in a focused and diligent manner.

So, wait on the Lord, dear friends. Be patient, but remain faithful to the work which must be done to make that miracle. For during the time we are waiting for something else to grow, we grow too.

Feb 24 - "Simple Faith"

1 Corinthians 2:1-13
"When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God."
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Do you remember your earliest feelings about God or about Jesus? What were they?

When I think back, I remember some very early days in Sunday School with Mrs. Snyder, learning "Jesus Loves Me"...or the story of Noah and how God brought him, his family and a bunch of animals safely back to land after the flood. My feelings about God were uncomplicated. I knew that God was in heaven, He loved me and He sent His son Jesus to be in the world for awhile. When Jesus was on earth, He talked a lot, served bread and fishes and said "Let the children come to Me." He seemed like a nice guy. Later, Jesus died, but somehow came back to life and went to heaven to be with God again. It was simple.

Most of us start our lives with a faith that is uncomplicated. As we age and move through the world gaining "wisdom", our faith becomes more complex because of the pressure the world puts on that simple faith. The world says, "If God is so good, how can He let people die tragically and allow terrible things to happen?" The world says, "If Jesus was so powerful, why didn't He save himself from death?" The world says, "Why do we have to feel pain?" The world asks these questions of our faith in an unrelenting barrage of doubt. In response, our faith must become more complex in order to answer these questions; not only when they come from the outside, but when they come from our own minds.

As our lives progress, we can lose that simplicity of faith. What evidence do we have that all the things we believed so openly when we were young are really true? Many times, faith crumbles. It does not often happen in a giant fall, a single event, but rather as a constant wearing away. What was once a small stream of doubt weaving harmlessly through our consciousness, becomes over time, a Grand Canyon-like gulf, making us feel separate from God.

Does it have to happen this way? Do we have to lose that simplicity? Wasn't it better when we didn't know so much?

When our faith is less complicated, we have the ability to rest in the simple beauty of the love God has for us. We can marvel at Jesus' miracles. We cheer when Jesus enters Jerusalem, the crowds waving palms in adoration. We weep when the nails pierce His flesh and when he dies. We sing with joy when He rises from the dead.

So, let your faith be simple. Know that God is real and you are loved by Him. Know that He sent His Son to die, so that you will live forever. Know that when you show love, kindness, generosity, grace and forgiveness, you are in communion with God. It's simple.

Feb 23 - "The Imperfect"

1 Corinthians 1:20-31
"Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God."
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Are you good enough for God?

I am amazed every day by all the things Greta (my wife) gets done on a daily and weekly basis for our family. Not only does she manage the logistics of activities for our three girls, make sure we have good food to eat, pays the bills and keeps the house clean, but she also teaches a Spinning class or Yoga 4-5 days each week. How does she do it all?

There are weeks when I look at my workload or travel schedule, my training plan as well as any other personal and family responsibilities I have and wonder how I am going to be able to get it all done. How will I fit it in?

The only way Greta or I are able to accomplish all that is set before us each week is because we make a great team. There are times when both of us need the other in order to get through the week because, if tackled alone, something will get missed. I am especially conscious of this when Greta takes one of her trips each year, visiting her sisters or learning new yoga and spin techniques. When left by myself to take care of all the things two of us would normally try and do, I always fall short; laundry stacks up...meetings get missed...a training run gets blown off...we make a last-minute trip to McDonald's for dinner.

Both of us, in our imperfection, when combined with the other, brings a perfection, of sorts. I certainly don't mean to imply that we do no wrong...believe me, mistakes are made on a daily basis since we are both figuring out how to raise a teenage daughter (who is 14 today...Happy Birthday to Maddy!!!) and not mess up the other two girls too. But, in our combined efforts, with a foundation that places God as the 3rd leg of our stool (is it sac religious to refer to God as the leg of a stool?!?), we do something greater than either of us could do alone.

We are imperfect: Greta, me, you...all of us. Therefore, do we just give it up? No. We need a partner to make us complete. An advocate who can take our imperfections and make good use of them.

Just over two years ago, I was at a funeral. We were celebrating the life of a man who, although great in many ways, had imperfections too. The pastor giving the sermon during the funeral service said something that day which struck me to my core; it has resounded in my daily life ever since hearing it. He said this: "God uses imperfect people to accomplish his perfect plan." What a concept!!

Look at all of the stories in the Bible. Were all of the people God chose to be a part of His plan perfect? Far from it! Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit...Moses initially rejected God's call to be the leader of the Israelites; David sent a man to his death so he could possess this man's wife; Paul persecuted the early Christians before he himself turned to Christ. The list goes on and on.

All of us, with faults and foibles aplenty, play a role in the plan God has set out for the world. We should allow Him to use us as a part of His plan. Never think we cannot play some role in the greater good, even if we see ourselves as less than good, at times.

So, brothers and sisters, you are imperfect, but YES...you are good enough for God. He is strong where we are weak...He is wise where we are foolish...He completes what is incomplete. When we are in communion with Him, our imperfections are smoothed to perfection.

Feb 22 - "What Dreams May Come"

Genesis 37: 1-11
"'Look, I have had another dream: the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.' But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, 'What kind of dream is this that you have had? Shall we indeed come, I and your mother and your brothers, and bow to the ground before you?' So his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind."
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The story of Joseph Bar-Jacob is a favorite of mine. As I have written before, it is a wonderful way to see how God's plan works over long periods of time. There are many times in this story, which extends all the way to Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt (Joseph was how they all got there in the first place), when it seems God may have forsaken one of his chosen or even the Israelites as a whole.

Today, we see a part of the story in detail and how it begins. Joseph tells his brothers first about a dream where their sheaves of wheat bow down to his. Then, he tells his brothers and his father, Jacob, about the dream which, in their interpretation, signifies that Joseph believes they should all bow down to him. Joseph's brothers become even more jealous of him than they had been, due to Jacob showing favor to him. Even though we see Jacob rebuking Joseph, he seems to have thought that something else might be afoot: "...but his father kept the matter in mind." Jacob seems to know that something bigger may be at play.

In this story, we don't see any discussion of whether Joseph struggled with a decision on whether or not to tell his brothers or his father about these dreams. He seems just to have blurted them out, not considering their likely insinuation. God had clearly laid on Joseph's heart that he should share these dreams, which we can now see were a divine foretelling of Joseph's future and a part of God's plan.

I think we all struggle with similar situations on a regular basis. We know there is something we should say...some guidance we should give, yet we hesitate because we fear unintended consequences or an incorrect interpretation of our motivation for delivering the message. God puts things on our hearts at times which He knows we should share. These things can eat us alive when the call goes unheeded. Have you had the situation where you looked back and said to yourself, "I knew I should have said something...". How did you know?

We often pray for guidance...for the right words...for the wisdom to know how to approach a situation. Unless we are open to the sometimes tough message God may be sending to us, our prayers are empty requests whose result we have no intention of heeding. Prayer is an amazing and powerful thing, but we have to ready ourselves for action when the answer we seek comes our way.

So, seek...question...ask...dream...pray for wisdom and direction. But even if the answer is not the one you expect, embrace it for the wonderful gift from God that it is.

Feb 21 - "The Missing Piece"

Psalm 63:1-8
"O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a barren and dry land where there is no water."
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Have you ever seen that picture/image of the circle with a wedge missing, which rolls along until it finds the wedge that fits perfectly? If not, picture a pie or pizza with one of its eight pieces missing, leaving an empty space where something was once complete.

Are there times when you feel like that circle with the missing piece? You may go along for a while, rolling smoothly through your life. Then, all of the sudden...BAM! You stop abruptly; your life comes to a screeching halt. Maybe it's not even something that dramatic. Maybe it's just that you feel like something is missing... Sometimes the impact of the missing piece can be masked a bit because of how full our lives can be at times with people, activities and worldly possessions.

But I guarantee you, we all have a missing piece.

When we come into this world at the beginning of our lives, we are born separate from God. There is nothing really magical or complex about it; we are here on earth and God is in Heaven. Yes...He is all around us at all times in all things that are His glorious creation. But, we are not in direct communion with Him in the same way we will be when we shuffle off this mortal coil and return to Him at the end of our earthly lives.

There are worldly "fillers" to this missing piece all around us; work, relationships with other people, hobbies, material things, good times... Or worse, we as humans can abuse these worldly fillers and take them to negative extremes, forsaking any one of or many of these things for other areas in our lives; words like "workaholic", "alcoholic", "adulterer", "self-centered" come to mind. These things are ways we can take to the extreme, our desire to find the missing piece.

Why does it have to be this way? Why would God allow us, in the created perfection of His image, allow us to be born broken, with a missing piece? Is it some cruel joke? Absolutely not. It is really a gift. That may sound crazy, but I really believe it to be true.

What is this gift? It is the work each of us must do to come into relationship with God. It is the struggle we have through our lives in coming to our personal awareness of His gifts, His grace, His mercy...and most importantly...His love. Not that God is elusive, hiding this potential relationship from us. He is right there beside us, behind us, in front of us...we only need merely to turn to him.

Is there anything in your life today...think about it...really hard...is there anything you truly treasure that came easy? Whether it is the relationship you have with a close friend or spouse...or a child, now grown, whom you have sent into the world and has a wonderful life of their own...or that home project...or anything that took a boatload of blood, sweat and tears to achieve. Did any of it come easy? No. You had to work for it. You had to come through the fire, refined like gold in the crucible of struggle.

Does God need this? Is there something He receives by starting us out with this missing piece? I don't think there is. I believe the joy which comes from this gift of the missing piece is fully ours to realize.

So, do you feel the missing piece? Embrace it and know that when you fill it with things not of this world, but work to fill it with a relationship with Him, you will be made whole once again.

Feb 20 - "Pray for Rain"

Song of Three Young Men, 35-65 - Daniel 3: 26-90
"Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, drops of dew and flakes of snow, frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, praise him and highly exalt him forever."
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For you friends who live in the northern parts of the US, are you tired of the snow yet? I have shoveled my driveway 3 times in less than 2 weeks. I love snow, but we may have too much of a good thing going on here.

Today's reading comes from the book of Daniel. It is a "song" that Daniel and his friends sang together after walking around in an oven of burning flames, into which they had been thrown by their captors. They had just been saved by God, as they knew they would...protected from being burned to death. As the flames abated, they broke into a very long song of praise, basically listing out everything in creation they could think of to be thankful for. Among these things, were snow and frost and cold and sleet. A few items we may have had enough of for the time being.

Similar to this reading, one of my favorite songs by Nicole Nordeman called "Every Season", similarly praises the special elements associated with all parts of the year; Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring. The build up at the end of the song after praising even the cold of winter, goes:

"And everything that's new, has bravely surfaced, teaching us to breathe.
What was frozen through, is newly purposed, turning all things green.
So it is with you, and how you make me new."

Whether it is the meaning of one of my favorite Jewish prayers, which has a line that says "When it rains, pray for rain"...or the analogy of the ugly duckling to beautiful swan...or the caterpillar to chrysalis... All things have a purpose and all things a part of creation are to be praised and glorified.

So, be thankful even for the snow...even when you are shoveling for the 4th time in 3 weeks (likely today). All of these things are a part of the wonder of creation which surrounds us every day.

All of these examples, to me,

Feb 19 - "Finding Peace"

Philippians 4: 1-9
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
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Instead of posting just a snippet of today's reading, as I normally do, I wanted to put the whole thing out there for you to read. Besides the opening verses of John's Gospel, this is my very favorite reading in all of the Bible.

Paul's simple words to his followers at the church in Philippi, who were having a conflict within their community at this time, are to me, a thing of pure beauty. Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter, yet, he was still able to find words of encouragement and give comfort to his friends. In spite of the fact that he likely had no comfort at this time, no one giving him encouragement, he was still able to provide an inspiring message to the church.

I've been having a rough couple of months. In the scheme of things, my life is so richly blessed, I am almost embarrassed to complain about anything. But, my travel schedule has taken me away from my family more than I'd like; work has been been a string of 12+ hour days with the weekends serving as time to catch up vs. being time for renewal; some of my responsibilities to others outside of work have fallen behind; there is an unresolved divide between two of my very closest friends; I have been unable to get out and do my favorite thing...run...as much as I'd like to. These things, when I think of them, drive me into cloud of worry, fear and doubt.

What does Paul say about this? Let them go.

I try to, but, MAN, when everything around you seems to be pushing you away from peace, from contentment, from smiles and laughter, it's really hard to just let them go. You try to struggle through, work it out and forge ahead, thinking that by sheer grit and determination, you can get through it.

I find myself praying more during these times. I pray that God will just get me through the week; that He will watch over my family when I am away; that I can provide words of support and encouragement to my friends, hoping to bring about the resolution and renewal of their relationship.

But wait...

When I look back at past times when life has been "tough", hasn't God brought me through every single time? Is God looking down on me with a loving smile? Is He, right this very moment, beaming with the countenance of a father who looks at his child when he is unnecessarily struggling, saying, "My son...peace. I will provide. I've got you covered. I will support all that you ask for in the name My Son, Jesus Christ."

And when I think about it...when I think about God and this image of Him being my sure defender, His being a mighty fortress for me; this true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable and excellent thing that is worthy of praise...I AM at peace. I have this feeling of, "What was I so worried about?!?". (God is great!!!)

So, even when it seems darkest, even when it feels like there is no end in sight to the earthly struggle through which you are treading, be like Paul. Give words of encouragement when you may have none given to you; be gentle when the situation seems to call for brashness; offer peace even if you seem to be surrounded by conflict; rejoice in the Lord! I promise you, dear friend, you will be encouraged, you will have peace and you will feel restored.

Rejoice in the Lord, again I say, Rejoice!!!

Feb 18 - "Be In Awe"

Habakkuk 3:1
"O Lord, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work."
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Why do we go to a museum to view beautiful works of art, peering closely at the brush strokes? Why do we sometimes make a special effort, driving miles or treking through a deep forest to a distant beach to watch a sunset? Is there a particular reason why we would choose to see a movie in super-digital, 3D, Dolby 7.1, surround sound, IMAX instead of watching it on the 9-inch black and white portable TV my parents used to have? The story is the same, right? What is the big deal?

Why? Because we love to be amazed! We find some deeply-rooted, ancient pleasure in having our socks knocked off...our minds blown. We feel enriched, with a smile so big our face can barely contain its breadth, when we see, feel, hear, smell, touch, sense that we are in the presence of something truly awesome.

When I think about the way God has blessed my life in so many ways...growing up in a loving family...finding the love of my life who is my best friend...being blessed with 3 amazing and beautiful daughters...now living in a beautiful place just minutes from my brother and sisters and their families...I am in awe. I am amazed. I am deeply humbled.

Sometimes, we are so caught up in the details of our daily lives, hours...days...weeks...months can go by without taking the time to sit in awe of something beautiful. The wonderful thing about God, is that He gives us beautiful things every single day. Yes...seriously...not only every day but dozens, even hundreds of times each day, if only we look for them, seek them out.

God's awesome-ness is around us at all times. The peaceful face of that sleeping baby, nestled in your arms; heavy snow (we've had plenty) on the trees, bathed in sunlight; Mozart's Requiem Mass, or Paramore's CrushCrushCrush; a smile; a laugh; peaceful rest. All of these things bring their own level of awe into our being. We merely have to open our eyes, stopping for just a brief moment to see them, all around us, every day. Do you get it? When it happens, you know it.

So, seek out the awesome! Be in awe! Be amazed by the glory of the Lord and the amazing things He has put into our lives every single day. Relish the beauty of His works. Absorb into your very soul the warmth of His light, and become refreshed and renewed.

Feb 17 - Ash Wednesday - "Run with Perserverence"

Hebrews 12: 1-14
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set out before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame..."
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Here we go again! Another season of Lenten Meditations.

I have been both looking forward and fearful of this effort, beginning its second year. I had gone back and forth about writing every day for Lent...as I said last year, "giving something out, instead of giving something up". But, fortunately, I had a couple of people ask me, "Are you doing that blog again for Lent this year?"

And so...here I am...in the early morning hours, my face lit by the light from my laptop, seeking inspiration, and maybe hoping to give some, saying a prayer: may the words of my mouth (fingers) and the thoughts of my heart be Yours, Lord; and that I may be humbled by Your power, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

When I reflect on today's passage (from Morning Prayer, The Daily Office, Book of Common Prayer), how can I not be inspired when the author of Hebrews is talking about "running"! It is my favorite thing to do!

But, of course, he is not talking about going out for a six-mile tempo run. His focus is on perseverance.

As you digest the entire reading (only a snapshot above), you see that the focus is on staying strong in spite of the obstacles which can often be set before you. Christ is our perfect example of that. Yeah, I know, he was God incarnate, so how hard can it be to stay strong when you are God? But Christ was also fully human, as we are. He most certainly had days where He felt that the task before Him seemed insurmountable. Whether it was speaking to the five thousand next to the sea, or sitting in silent, fearful prayer at Gethsemane, Christ most certainly felt the struggles we all feel every day. Be comforted by the fact that He too had fear; He too had pain; He too experienced sadness and wept; He too had to stay strong.

Lent is a bit like a long-distance race. If you, faithful reader, also choose to give something up or out for this time, there are points over the next 47 days where you may feel weak, but stay strong! We have a glorious day coming our way at the finish line of this Season.

So...there will be pain and fear and times when you want to give up, but run the race with perseverance, so "that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." Run on friends, because we know what is at the finish line!