Changing Times

It is a season of change.

Each year the turning of the leaves is God's gift to us to remind us that the things we take for granted are not forever. The trees I pass each day with little notice were brilliant with their fall foliage this morning. From hot red to orange to yellow, the leaves were shimmering as the rising sun reflected off of the morning dew. In a brief time, they will turn brown, drop to the ground, and be but a memory as I pass the naked tree trunks throughout the winter, waiting for that first green hint of spring.

And, what I see in the natural is also happening here at the Texas Capitol. This week we closed down the office of the state representative for whom I have worked for the past nine years. We packed away and sent to storage the mementoes of his 18 years of service. It was a bittersweet time. On the one hand, anyone who faithfully serves in the Texas House for 18 years deserves a time of rest. On the other hand, a good and godly man chose not to return. He will be missed.

As we took down pictures, cleared out desks and appropriately routed files, it was a time of remembrance.

There were the Far Side cartoons I had taped to my wall that reminded me of the session we used Gary Larson's humor to get us through the tough times. By the end of session, any one in the office could say, "Beatings will continue until moral improves," and get everyone out of the doldrums. Praise God for the team He brought together and the humor we shared.

There were the files on eminent domain and informed consent for abortion that literally consumed my life for years. They were a reminder that we are not leaving things the way we found them. God could have chosen anybody to fight the battle to protect innocent lives and private property rights. But I praise Him because He let me have a small part in it.

As I cleared out my desk, I found notes and letters of encouragement from people over the years and re-read each of them. (I only keep the nice ones.) Yes, policy has changed during my time here, but more importantly, I have had the privilege of touching people's life. I Praise God for the people and the relationships He has given me.

The pictures came down, packed safely away. Books were packed away. The techs came and took the computers. Movers came and took the furniture. The place I had called home for the past two years was stripped of all things that made it a refuge and turned back into a naked office - nothing but walls and carpet. I closed the door behind me for the last time, stuck my head in each of the neighbor's offices to say, "see ya!" and walked away.

And started working on a project for the new state representative I will be working with in the new session.

Lord, thank you for the seasons and the opportunities you give us in our lives. May we always be aware that the ending of  one season is merely the beginning of another. 

His Will Be Done

Just when you thought it was safe to start listening to talk radio again, the race for the Texas Speaker of the House tumbled into full swing.

For those of you not in the daily grind we call the Texas Legislature, here is some helpful information and background to help frame this discussion. The Texas House has 150 members chosen from districts throughout the state. On the opening day of session (January 11, 2011 this time), those 150 members vote to choose one of their own to serve as the Speaker of the House. The Speaker presides over the daily happenings of the House, makes committee appointments, and generally sets the tone and direction of the House. Next to the Governor and Lt. Governor, the Speaker of the House is probably one of the most influential persons in Texas politics.

Now, for the history lesson. The Texas House was dominated for years by a Democratic majority. In 2003, Tom Craddick became the first Republican Speaker since re-construction. Prior to the legislative session in 2009, Representative Joe Straus from San Antonio formed a coalition of mostly Democrats and fewer Republicans to challenge and defeat Speaker Craddick to become the second Republican Speaker in recent history.

And, that brings us up to current events. When Speaker Straus became Speaker, the Republicans held a small majority 77-73 ish in the Texas House. After last Tuesday, the slit is 98 to 51 in favor of the Republicans with one seat open due to the death of Rep. Edmund Kuempel. There is at least one Republican contender who is challenging Speaker Straus and a strong push from grassroots groups to affect the outcome of the race.

Truth be known, there are arguments that reasonable men (and women) can make for supporting either of these candidates. In the interest of full disclosure, I actually do have a personal preference in the race. But, my choice doesn't matter. My heart's cry is for the Lord's will to be done. In the event that you need a written invitation to intrude into business you may not consider your own, consider this it. I invite you to pray for your leaders in the Texas House of Representatives. Pray that they will fear God more than man. Pray that they will follow their consciences without regard to opinion polls or offers of positions of influence - from either Speaker candidate. Pray that all candidates will be able to conduct themselves above reproach as they seek this responsibility of leading their peers.

I know no better prayer for the circumstances than the one Jesus taught His disciples:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth (in the Texas House) as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Amen.

Go Vote!

Today is the day.

If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2Chron. 7:14

Lord, have mercy on our nation.

Am I there Yet?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2


Election day is tomorrow. For better or for worse, after the votes are counted, we will know who the players will be in the political realm for the next two years. 


For the past week I have not posted a devotional. I have been in East Texas getting a feel for the district that is home to the state representative, God willing, I will be working for in the next session. As we have met people in coffee shops and Chamber luncheons, in churches and on the street, I have been reminded that Austin, the seat of government in our state, is not what makes us special. It is the people who send their representatives to Austin who are special. My theory that Austin is 40 square miles surrounded by reality has been re-affirmedl. As has my belief that representatives to Austin and Washington should be required to spend the majority of their  time at home in order to provide the necessary inoculation against the dread disease of  "government knows best."


When this series of devotionals started, my goal was to take to heart 2 Chronicles 7:14 and endeavor to "humble myself." It seems that the difficulties I have with humility were shared by Benjamin Franklin. In his own quest for humility, he noted:


In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had compleatly overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.


So, 40 days into my quest to humble myself, I can truthfully tell you that the end result is a realization of how far short of the goal I continue to fall. Like the kids on the family vacation, I keep asking myself, "Am I there, yet?" But, humility is not a 40 day process. It is a lifetime process. Andrew Murray, in his book Humility reminds us:


The command is clear: humble yourself. That does not mean that it is your work to conquer and cast out the pride of your nature, and to form within yourself the lowliness of the holy Jesus. No, this is God's work; the very essence of that exaltation, wherein He lifts you up into the real likeness of the beloved Son. What the command does mean is this: take every opportunity of humbling yourself before God and man. In the faith of the grace that is already work in in you; in the assurance of the more grace for victory that is coming; up to the light that conscience each time flashes upon the pride of the heart and its workings; notwithstanding all there may be of failure and falling, stand persistently as under the unchanging command; humble yourself. Accept with gratitude everything that God allows from within or without, from friend or enemy, in nature or in grace, to remind you of your need of humbling, and to help you to it. Reckon humility to be indeed the mother-virtue, your very first duty before God, the one perpetual safeguard of the soul, and set your heart upon it as the source of all blessing. 


Lord, help me to remember to do my part to enable you to do your part. 

We Have Met the Enemy

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and will turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Ever so often I drag myself out of my comfort zone of policy and venture into the world of politics. Hence, I found myself at a political rally over the weekend. Here was a group of people, an obvious answer to my prayers over the past 18 years, that are awakening from their complacency and determined to make a difference in our government. It was good to see the enthusiasm and spunk of the Texans who are fed up with the status quo and ready to make a difference.

Wandering through the group, I was reminded how differently people look at the same circumstances. And, Jerry was reminded why he does not let me out alone in groups of people who may say ill-advised things about issues they do not understand.

There was a table at the rally promoting the defeat of all members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The talking points were correct:

1. The House belongs to the people, not those who are elected to represent them.
   
2. Power corrupts.
   
3. Members have become entrenched.
   

I could have just as easily passed by the table with no comment. Instead I asked why they wanted to defeat those legislators who were doing a good job.

"Because we need a change." (Change was what we got in the last election. How's that working for you?)

"Term limit them all because we don't need career politicians. Let the people replace them."

That prompted my Term Limits 101 discussion.

1. Every Congressman is elected for two years.
   
2. His term limits are determined by the vote of his constituents.
   
3. If they do not like the way he votes, then all they have to do is vote him out.
   

"No," they objected, "the power is balanced in favor of the politician. The average citizen doesn't know what is going on."

And, whose fault is that? If the average citizen does not know what is going on, why do you trust them to vote to replace the politicians who are currently in place. Instead of having some good elected officials who know what is going on, you would have us replace everybody so that there would be no experience in place?

The truth of the matter is, the situation we have in our seats of government are a symptom of the problem. The problem is that we have abdicated our responsibility as citizens to elect men and women of virtue. We have rewarded those who vote earmarks for our communities with re-election. We are getting exactly what we tolerate. Term-limiting an elected official for doing what we reward him for does not make sense. It makes even less sense to term-limit those few who do the right thing in spite of our expectations.

It is like the Pogo comic strip that declares, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Vote the bums out? Absolutely if their voting record warrants it. But, don't expect that to solve the problem if you continue to fail in your responsibility to know who you vote for. And think about it, isn't it much nicer to know that you have control over the source of the problem (turn from your wicked ways) than to blame it all on someone else?

Lord, help us to see our situation from Your perspective and to take appropriate action.

 

 

 

Trust

Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You and were not ashamed. Psalm 22:4-5

Eleven days until the election. Campaign ads are flooding the airways. The skeptic in me leads me to disbelieve most of what I hear. In the past 18 years I have learned to watch a politician's actions, rather than put a lot of confidence in their words. And, if I, who am surrounded by these people on a daily basis have difficulty sifting out the truth, how much more difficult must it be for those who only engage during the election cycle.

And yet, my hope remains high.

Someone recently told me that they were afraid for our nation - that the people were waking up too late and too slowly to save this great bastion of freedom. Ah, you of little faith. Remember your history. God loves to come in when most have given up all hope and deliver His people. When God led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt they weren't on the road, they had reached the destination of slavery and been there for 400 years.

The circumstances then were not too difficult for God.

And, they aren't too difficult for Him now.

Lord, we unashamedly cry out to You in our time of crisis. We trust You to deliver us.

Holding Grudges

"For is you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matt. 6:14

Many years ago both my husband and I worked for the same company. We had a boss, who was also a personal friend, who used to say that he would rather see Jerry mad every day than me mad once. At the time, Jerry had a quick temper. It didn't take a lot to set him off, but he cooled off quickly, also. I, on the other hand, did not get angry easily or quickly, but boy could I make you suffer when I did get angry. My cold logic and sharp tongue could cut someone to pieces before they ever realized they were in a danger zone. It was not pretty.

I was also particularly adept at holding grudges. I think my record was the six years I refused to have any contact with my father. The reasons for the breach in our relationship were real, but irrelevant. They did not warrant my response. Shortly after my salvation, the Holy Spirit convicted me and the Lord required that I make amends. People with cold logic and sharp tongues do not have an easy time eating humble pie. But, the result was a restored relationship and a grandfather for my children.

That event, coupled with the unexpected deaths of several close family members, trained me to keep accounts with the people who are close to me up to date. If there is an issue, it needs to be quickly resolved. If the fault is mine, confession, repentance and amends need to be made quickly. If another offends me, the offense needs to be shaken off, forgiven, and forgotten. It is easier said than done, but the more often it is done, the easier it becomes.

Fast forward to current news events of this week:

1. "Have you no shame?" It is the question one congressional candidate asked another as his commitment to his faith was questioned. He then refused to shake the other person's hand after a debate. (Note to self: people will judge you by your actions, not your accusations.) If I want to prove to someone that I am firm in my Christian faith, turning the other cheek might be more appropriate than snubbing the accuser.
   
2. The wife of a sitting Supreme Court Justice called a woman who made an accusation against her husband during his nomination process 20 years ago. If reconciliation is the point, so be it. If an apology is the point, turn it loose. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself, not someone else. You do not need an explanation, understanding, or apology to forgive someone for something they have done to you. (And, don't even go down the road of, "you don't understand my circumstances." Of course I don't understand your circumstances, but I learned this lesson over forgiving the man who murdered my mother. Still want to trade stories?)
   

The bottom line, life is too short to hold grudges. Examine yourself and see if there are any accounts that need to be settled in your personal relationships. Letting the past go and choosing not to pick up new offenses is like losing weight - everything around you seems better.

Lord, bring to mind any accounts in my relationships that need to be addressed. Help me to be quick to apologize and quick to forgive.

You Can't Fool a Flight of Stairs

O, Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
Psalm 139: 1-3

There is an ad currently running on a local radio station for an area pharmacy. In the ad the question is asked, "What kind of physical shape are you in?" They go on to say that it is difficult to fool a flight of stairs.

How true. Before every legislative session I make a concerted effort to get into better shape, because I know that the demands of the legislative session will take their toll. But, most importantly, I know that the elevators will be extremely crowded during the session, and in the interest of saving time, I will have to take the stairs. But, I don't get to stop at one flight of stairs. The minimum I challenge myself to master is the number of flights it takes to get from my office to the House floor.

The year we officed on the fourth floor of the Capitol and the run to the House floor was two flights down, was the easy year. Currently we are in the underground and there are four flights up to reach my objective. My huffing and puffing after two flights is a dead giveaway of my physical condition. You can't fool a flight of stairs.

You can't fool God, either. As you contemplate the idea of humbling yourself and turning from your wicked ways, remember that nothing you confess to God is going to take Him by surprise. He already knows what condition you are in.

Lord, You know me. You know the things that need to change - even the things of which I am not yet aware. Show me, Lord, the condition I am in so that I can agree with You what needs to change.

Turn from Your Wicked Ways

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Early voting began this morning. For those in the political realm, it is the beginning of the end for the elections cycle. On the other hand, for those more interested in policy than politics, the election in two weeks will represent the end of the beginning of the legislative process.

Have you noticed that while the motivation behind this devotional was to seek God's face on behalf of our nation, there has been little time spent on "the headlines." So far, things have not improved. We still have a health care bill we do not understand and cannot afford. We are losing personal liberties on a daily basis. Our national deficit promises to plague our children's children. And, every economic indicator is shouting out warnings of what lies ahead.

But, don't let the news distract you. Those issues are not the problem. They are only the symptoms that are a result of the underlying decay caused by our failure to turn from our "wicked ways." "Wicked ways" is an incredibly politically incorrect concept in today's society. But, we all understand the concept. Our wicked ways are the things we are doing that we shouldn't be doing.

Unlike God, who was able to put His expectations down on a couple of stone tablets, there are currently over 50 title of federal statutes, representing countless pages of expectations of behavior. In addition to the federal statutes, there are another 25 feet of book shelf space writings in federal administrative expectations. Then, we have all the state statutes and local ordinances to deal with. How realistic is it for a person to keep up with all those laws?

Well, for the devotional purposes, I am going to give you a pass on everything that was not on God's top 10 list. If you will just take care of those areas of your life, the rest of the stuff generally falls into place. So, just for review, here's the list:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
   
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
   
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
   
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
   
5. Honor your father and your mother.
   
6. You shall not murder.
   
7. You shall not commit adultery.
   
8. You shall not steal.
   
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
   
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.
    

So if we had a pop quiz on how you are doing on the top 10, how would you score?

Lord, help me to see my actions as You see them. Please give me the gift of conviction and repentance in those areas of my life which are not pleasing to You.

 

Be Still . . .

I'm in a bit of a rush this morning. You know how it is. Things to do, places to go. But, I set aside some time to "practice the presence of God" to get an indication of what needed to be in the devotional for today.

Initially, I heard nothing. It was a very loud, very prominent nothing. There was no missing it and no mistaking it.

As I watched the limited time I had chipped away at, ideas for devotional topics I have had in the past began to go through my mind. Maybe I could use one of those. Remembering, however that I had come before the Lord asking for an answer, I was hesitant to use an idea of mine and credit the Lord with it. The only honest choices I had were not writing an entry at all or admitting to you that the devotional today was about nothing.

Just as I decided to see how much I could write about nothing, the Lord reminded me that He had given me the topic yesterday.

Be still and know that I am God.     

Sometimes it isn't about what He says. It is enough to just know that He is.

Lord, thank you for the reminder that You have already given me the answers to most of the questions I have. And help me to be still so that I may know You and who You are.

Practicing the Presence of God

That as for the miseries and sins he heard of daily in the world, he was so far from wondering at them, that, on the contrary, he was surprised there were not more, considering the malice sinners were capable of; that for his part, he prayed for them; but knowing that GOD could remedy the mischiefs they did, when He pleased, he gave himself no further trouble. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Several years ago the little volume The Practice of the Presence of God was recommended to me. It consists of a series of letters written about the author's conversations with Brother Lawrence, a lay brother living in a monastery during the late 1600s. Since then, the book has been included in my re-read at least once a year stack. In my prayers about the devotional this morning the excerpt from above came to my mind.

Truly, we spend a lot of time worrying about things over which we have no control. And, if they worried God as much as they do us, He could certainly remedy the situation if He so chose. So, if God (who can "remedy the mischiefs") does not see fit to do so, why do we (who have no control over the situation or the outcome) fret about it?

Two possible answers come to mind:

1) We overestimate our power to do things only God can do.

2) We underestimate the power of God to do things only He can do.

Do you see yourself in either scenario? Do you feel a compelling need to fix situations or things that other people are dealing with? Or, are you content to pray and only do what the Father tells you to do? Parents often cross the line in this area, trying to rescue their children from the consequences of their actions. Actions have consequences. When a parent continually shields their child from natural consequences when they are young, it is a rude awakening for them when they get out into the world. Likewise, making excuses for our bad behavior or choices or the behavior and choices of those around us (think drug and alcohol use, sexual sins, lies, cheating, stealing, . . . .) gives the false impression that the sin has a solution other than repenting. It indicates an unspoken belief that if God was as smart as we were He would know the reasons that people act the way they do and make exceptions to the natural consequences in these circumstances.

Such action also indicates that God is not able to "remedy the mischiefs" if we just sit back and let Him do what He does. So, it's a two-fer problem. We think too much of ourselves and not enough of God's power.

Instead, consider it from Brother Lawrence's perspective. Pray about those things you see happening around you. But, don't let them trouble you too much. God can remedy them. And, He is faithful to do so when we get out of the way. That knowledge only comes from being in the presence of God.

Lord, help me to practice being in Your presence.

 

Act Like You've Been There Before

Recently a friend called to tell me about a scenario that simply had no hope of a good outcome. After telling me the facts and the possible consequences of each proposed action, my response was to recommend the least pleasant course of action, and pray for the Lord's favor and mercy. It involved taking responsibility for one's action. My point was that sometimes going ahead and owning up is less painful than anticipating the penalty of an action. (Yes, I rip band-aids off, I do not pull them off slowly.)

Knowing that most people who request your advice don't really care what you have to say, after shooting up a quick, "Lord, have mercy" prayer, the issue drifted to the back of my mind. Later on my drive home, I called to see how things had worked out.

When my friend answered the phone, she was crying and I had to ask her to repeat herself so I could understand her. I knew things were bad, but was wondering how much worse they had become in the time since we last spoke. She finally pulled herself together enough to choke out, "God answered your prayer."

It took me a second to gain control of my mouth before I blurted out the first responses that came to my mind. They included non-edifying pearls of wisdom such as:

"Well, duh."

"Of course He did."

"Don't act so surprised."

"What were you expecting?"

Fortunately I realized that the Lord was using this as a faith building experience for my friend. So, instead of laughing at her disbelief, I just chuckled and reminded her that it had been her prayer, too. All we did was agree with God with what He wanted to do anyway. And, that's the joy of prayer. Not that we have a to-do list that we present to the Lord and ask Him to sign off on. But that we have an opportunity to enter into communion with the creator of the universe, be shown what He is doing, and then get to be a part of it through agreeing in prayer.

It is a favorite of football coaches to tell their players that when they get to the end zone they should act like they have been there before rather than celebrating like it is New Year's Eve. The sentiment is true in your prayer life. If the fact that God answers your prayers surprises you, it is time to work on the fundamentals of your faith.

Lord, thank you for the gift of faith. Show me what it is that You are doing so that I may enter into prayer in agreement with Your purposes.

 

 

Humility - Again (Yes, it's a theme)

Take a second to look at the ring finger on your left hand. What do you see? Now, for the next few minutes, I don't want you to think about the things that are associated with that finger. Don't remember the time you shut it in the car door and flattened the nail bed. Don't think about the ring on that finger (or lack of one) and contemplate what that means about your personal relationships. Don't consider whether you need a manicure, or moisturizer or if your hand is beginning to look its age. Really, stop thinking about what you are looking at.

Are you still thinking about your hand? That's how I am with humility. Anytime I purpose to humble myself before the Lord, my mind immediately begins to shoot off in tangents about how humble I am, why I am not humble, what happened last time I tried to humble myself, or whatever.

The problem is, humility is not about me. It is about my relationship with the living God.

The solution is to lose myself in Him.

Still thinking about your hand?

Get lost. It is not about you.

Lord, You are the answer. Deliver me from trying to understand all the questions.

Whining

If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14.

There are 20 days left before the November 2 general elections. That puts us at the midway mark of the 40 days of prayer and fasting. I'm not sure about you, but 40 days doesn't seem like that long for me to master all the skill sets required in my humbling, praying, seeking and turning so that God can do His part. But, I'll give you the good news up front in this segment. This is like riding a two-wheeler bike. You take the training wheels off and fall. You try. You fall. You try. You fall. You try. You fall. But then one day, suddenly, you can ride the bike. Oh sure, there will still be a few falls and a couple of major crashes. But, they won't keep you from getting back up on the bike, because you know you have places to go.

But, success is not the topic for today's devotional. It is not unusual for me to get a spark of an idea for a devotional when my mind is actually engaged in other activity. Experience has taught me to jot the idea down for future mulling over. Yesterday the spark was "whining." The thought came to me in mediation over 2 Chronicles 7:14 in the section where it says that God will "… hear from heaven…". If the conditions for God hearing are the "humble, pray, seek and turn" issues, then if we pray without doing those things can God hear us?

It brought two thoughts to mind. First, our oldest basset hound is the master of whining. Yes, he can bark and howl with the best of them, but his favorite form of communication is whining. We refer to it as murmuring. If he wants his spot on the chaise lounge, he whines. If he wants food, he whines. If he wants in or out, he whines. When he whines too much, I wine. (Just a little alcohol humor there to see if you are paying attention.) Anyway, nothing seems to solve the problem of his whining, other than giving him what he wants or banishing him to his crate and ignoring the additional whining that ensures. In the interest of true confession, more times than not I cave in to shut him up. I need to work on that.

The other thought that came to mind was the way whining was handled with my children. It was not tolerated. When a young child of mine whined, they got one warning that, "Mommy can't hear whining. If you want something, you have to speak up." After that, mommy became deaf to all the whining in that conversation. Being really quick learners, they gave up the whiny voices.

As teenagers the whining was not so much tone as, "It's not fair."

Mom's response, "Life is not fair. Deal with it."

And the conversation was over unless they actually had some concrete facts to bring into the conversation.

So, my question is this, when we are praying and using either the whiny tone or the life's not fair card with God, can he hear us?

Lord, deliver me from whining and whiners. Remind me to keep to the facts in my prayer life.

Excuses

Over the years I have had the privilege of working for several no-nonsense bosses who would not entertain excuses for failure to achieve a directive. These men were not insensitive or lacking in compassion. They were simply honest. The result has been that I learned early on to carefully consider an answer when an inquiry is made about a failed objective.

Early in my retail sales experiences I learned that the failure to achieve a sales goal was not the fault of the customer, the economy, or the weather (unless we were closed due to a hurricane). It was a tough business, but as every excuse was taken off the table, I learned that the reason my store missed its sales goals was because I had failed to sufficiently motivate my staff. Immediately when I took responsibility for the problem, solutions began to come to mind on how to overcome the obstacles. As long as the excuses, rather than the reasons for the failure were the focus of the discussion, I was a victim of the situation. When the reason became my focus, I was not longer the victim, but the director of my circumstances.

Fast forward thirty years and I am working in the office of a state legislator who is a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserves. Same song, different verse. We have an office environment where failure is not an option and excuses are not allowed. Interestingly enough, rather than that being a difficult environment, it is one of the easiest in which I have ever worked. When there is a mistake, after we work through the crisis at hand, there is a thoughtful inquiry into where the system broke down. Did someone just drop the ball? Did someone throw the ball and another failed to catch it? Was it a lack of communication? Was there a training issue?

The point is, no one on staff is looking to throw another staffer under the bus for failures. Our boss readily accepts ultimate responsibility for any failure of staff. Knowing that, each staff member is diligent to take responsibility for our duties, knowing that if we fail, it will affect him as much or more than ourselves. When we do have a major snafu (and they happen from time to time) where things are handled less than elegantly, there is a freedom in the office for any level of staffer to bring the issue up for discourse. That freedom, coupled with a sense of humor, an attitude of forgiveness, and a genuine desire to improve has ensured we have a staff that understands 1 Peter 4:8 Love covers a multitude of sins.

Of course, working in that type of environment has also taught me a lot spiritually.

For example, "The devil made me do it."

So, of course I had to eat that third brownie. The devil is real, but I can get into plenty of trouble without his help.

"I don't have time."

That's an excuse for lack of planning and prioritizing.

"He/she/everybody else is doing it."

Excuse for not taking personal responsibility.

God knows and accepts my weaknesses and failures as a fallen human being. He loves me and by His grace, I am restored to right relationship with Him. And, my making excuses does not make any of that less true. But, my greatest leaps in spiritual growth have been when I give up the excuses and acknowledge my own personal responsibility in my sins.

Do you find yourself going around that same old mountain yet again? Drop the excuses and ask for directions.

Lord, thank you for the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the gift of repentance. Help me, Lord, to quickly acknowledge where I am wrong and get me back on track. There is so much to get done and so little time, help me to avoid the unnecessary wanderings in the wilderness.

Discipline

Sometimes the answer you are looking for is so obvious you can't see it. But, when I finally realized the Lord was showing me the same song, different verse in multiple areas of my life, it finally registered.

For me, the answer is discipline.

Committing to 40 days of prayer and fasting for the upcoming election, I began to seek the Lord for how He would have me walk that out. The first thing I knew was that I was to write another devotional. That required me to become more disciplined in my time.

As I prayed about what to fast, the answer I received was that I was to give up my excesses. OK, I don't want to go into more detail than you need to know, but have you ever thought about how much we do in excess? Too much TV. Too much talk radio. Too much food. Too much inactivity. Too much talking. Too much entertainment. Too much video games. Too much shopping. Too much football. Too much . . . you get the idea. In other words, discipline my actions.

About the same time I was contemplating the devotional someone here at the Capitol came up with the brilliant idea of a group of us committing to an exercise "boot camp." Knowing that up to this point my personal commitment to exercise has been the concession that I would run if someone was bleeding (preferably someone I really care about) or something large was chasing me, I nevertheless thought, "Hey, what could it hurt?" (Just in case you find yourself in the same situation, be advised, it can hurt every single part of your body - really bad.) The truth was, I knew I needed the discipline of a group environment to get into physical shape.

But, the whole discipline connection did not hit me until last night. I was on "grandkid duty." Hannah has recently become the proud owner of, Princess Chloe, a tea cup Chihuahua. Tuesday night is Puppy Kindergarten night, so with mom out of town and dad at work, Migi agreed to take Hannah and Chloe to school. Chloe has no concept that she weighs less than five pounds, or that the other dogs could flatten her with one paw. And, she is pretty obstinate. She is not taking particularly well to the concept of walking on a leash. She would sit down and plant her front feet, refusing to move. I was instructed to just pull her along behind me. Not a problem for me. Sam, the basset hound, went to puppy kindergarten eight years ago. While he did not graduate in the top ten percent of his class, he did get tired of being drug around in the flying squirrel position and consented to walking politely at the end of his leash. It just took a little discipline.

Let me see if I can sum it up. Regardless of the area of life you need to get control over, the answer is discipline. Too much debt? Be disciplined in your spending. Overweight? Be disciplined in your eating and exercising habits. Life too hectic? Be disciplined in your time management. Spiritual life lacking? Be disciplined in your time with the Lord.

"But, God, I was looking for the easy answer."

"No problem, when you get tired of Me dragging you around in the flying squirrel position, you can get up and walk."

Ouch.

Lord, thank you for making the answers so simple. Apart from You, we can do nothing. Sometimes it does feel like I am being pulled through life in the flying squirrel position. I pray that You will help me to become more disciplined in every area of my life.

 

Your face, Lord, I will seek

When you said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek." Psalm 27:8

It is a rare night when sleep eludes me. But last night a combination of allergies, a sore throat and the basset hounds tag-teaming whining managed to keep me awake until about 3:00 am. On a normal evening, bedtime for both me and the hounds is around nine o'clock. We have the ritual of one last run outside (for the dogs, not me), then the basset herding into their crates. But, last night Jerry broke with the routine and tried to put the dogs to bed early. Forget that. Samuel can obviously tell time. He was not amused and used the basset equivalent of "I need a drink of water and there is a monster under my bed" to get me to spring him lose. After several attempts to convince him that he was going to stay in his crate, I caved in and admitted I just did not have the energy to fight the battle. So, he got to sleep on his chaise lounge in the living room. It wasn't long before Tillie realized she was in her crate and Sam wasn't, so we had round two. This morning when I walked through the living room and saw them both snoozing peacefully, I considered waking them up just to get even, but the whole "let sleeping dogs lie" seemed to apply.

Anyway, between my basset battles and trying to sleep there was ample time to meditate on the thought, "Seek My face." Watch how I tie those two things together.

Basset hounds have taught me a lot of things that I wish I had known before I had children. Perhaps the most important thing is that if a basset hound is not looking at you, he is not paying any attention whatsoever to what you are saying. (There is probably only a 50-50 chance you are getting through if he is looking at you.) It is true with all dogs that eye contact is important in the training process. That is why one of the first lessons of Puppy Kindergarten is teaching the puppies eye contact. When the puppy will look you in the eye when you call his name, you reward with a treat. The idea is to get the dog to be sensitive to look to you for commands.

Now, before bassets, we had a dog that had long mastered the art of watching my every move. He slept by my bed, sat by my chair, and if I moved, he moved. He always met me at the front door. And, during legislative sessions when my hours would get longer and longer, Jerry would have to remind me to go into the kitchen and offer Fritz his food bowl. He would lose weight because of his refusal to eat unless I had handed him the bowl. He followed me from room to room and desired nothing more than to have me reach down and rest a hand on him. His faithfulness to me was always a challenge to me to strive for that level of devotion in my relationship with the Lord.

But, alas, puppies do not actually replace loyal dogs. They just keep you too busy to focus on grieving the loss of the old friend. I find that in my own spiritual life, there is still a lot of the basset puppy in me. Because I get busy following some exciting trail (or trial), I forget to watch for my master's face. Oftentimes, like the basset, I get so focused on the scent of what I am following, I don't even hear when my name is called. Then, there are the times like when we have Samuel out for a walk. After repeatedly calling his name, we step in front of him to break his line of vision. He will suddenly realize we have been trying to get his attention. And, since the only thing he knows he is always expected to do on command, he will automatically sit. Sitting may or may not have been the point we were trying to get across, but that response is how we know we have his attention.

So, how often does the Master have to call your name, jerk your leash, step across your path, or break your line of vision to get your attention? And, what is your response when you finally realize He is talking to you?

Lord, I pray that you would make me ever mindful of Your presence in my life. Remind me to be sensitive to those things that are important to You. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear what You are doing in the world around me. Lord, I seek Your face.

Facebook 101

… if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways…

Having discussed who "My people" are and the concept of humility, it seems like time to move on to the next part of 2 Chronicles 7:14 - praying and seeking the face of God. It dawned on me that humility before the Lord really can never be achieved apart from an intimate relationship with Him. Like all relationships, both quality time and quantity of time are required for any level of intimacy to occur.

Interestingly enough, a search of scripture gave only three returns on the phrase "seek My face." The first is the scripture we are focusing on in 2 Chronicles. The second is Psalm 27:8 where David declares:

When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, Lord I will seek."

Seems reasonable. God said it, so David obeyed.

Then, in Hoses 5:15, we see the phrase again in response to Israel's failure to seek the Lord's face:

I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.

So, let me see if I can sum this up for you. God says to seek His face. David does. It goes well for David. Israel does not. Things do not go well for Israel. In fact, God allows affliction to overcome them knowing that in their affliction, Israel will earnestly seek Him.

I believe a pretty good argument could be made for the fact that we as a nation, and certainly the Church are in the position of Israel and needs to "acknowledge their offense." And, when I say the nation and the Church, I mean you and me - the "My people" in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

So, here is the question of the day. How much time do you spend a day "seeking the face of God?"

And, one follow up. Is that more or less time than you spend on the internet or with your Facebook account?

You see, our nation is to the point where the most important Facebooking we can possibly do is with the Lord our God.

Lord, help me to properly prioritize my time, putting my greatest efforts into the things with the greatest returns. Help me to remember that nothing is as profitable as spending time with You.

Humiliation

Do you know the difference between "humility" and "humiliation"?

Humility is the tax collector in parable Jesus tells about the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:13. While the Pharisee was praying, he thanked God that the he was not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or the evil tax collector. The tax collector, on the other hand, ...stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God have mercy on me, a sinner. Luke 18:13

Humility is standing alone before God, convicted of our sins and sorrowful of our actions. It is the recognition that apart from the love and grace of God we really are only worth the $4.50 sum of the value of the minerals in our body. (OK, that number is negotiable depending upon the current rate of exchange on specific minerals, but you get the point.) The Holy Spirit's conviction and the gift of repentance enable us to return to right relationship with the Lord, regardless of the magnitude of our sins.

Humiliation, on the other hand in when you read about your sin on the front page of the newspaper or see it on the evening news. Rather than conviction, you feel ashamed of your behavior and betrayed by the one who "outed" you. Instead of sorrow, humiliation generally drives people to damage control of the situation, denial or shifting blame.

It is a wonderful thing that the Lord will generally give us a private opportunity to repent of our sins and get back into right relationship. However, failure to listen to that still small voice results in more drastic measures being taken. God's desire is for us to be in right relationship with Him. He will even use the gift of humiliation to get our attention.

As I used to tell my children, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. But, we are going to do it."

Lord, thank you for the conviction of the Holy Spirit and for the gift of repentance. Make me quick to hear and swift to take actions on those issues in my life which are not pleasing to you.

Humility

OK, be perfectly honest with me. Is anybody else having difficulty with this "humility" thing?

Andrew Murray in the preface to his book Humility writes:

When we see that humility is something infinitely deeper than contrition, and accept it as our participation in the life of Jesus, we shall begin to learn that it is our true nobility, and that to prove it in being servants of all is the highest fulfillment of our destiny, as men created in the image of God.

I sort of get that concept. I understand that humility is the answer in our lives and in the life of our nation. I acknowledge that it is the key to fulfilling our destiny. Then, it seems as if I put the book down, forget all I read, and take one more trip around that mountain of pride.

You see, with the fall in the Garden of Eden, a terrific battle began in our lives. The life God intended for us became corrupted by Satan's planting of that seed of pride making us believe that we could "be like God." God knew we could not overcome that weed in our lives, so He sent Jesus Christ. Jesus is the example of what God intended for man in the first place. We are to live lives of obedience and humility before God and to be servants of those around us. That is our destiny.

But, that weed of pride in my heart reminds me of the weeds in the vegetable garden I planted a few years ago. For some reason, the weeds flourished regardless of the conditions. Too hot for the vegetables? The weeds did fine. Too much rain and vegetables all turn yellow? The weeds multiply and grow 18 inches. Forget to water the garden and the vegetables are wilting? The weeds grow another six inches and look like they are about to go to seed. Why do the weeds do so much better than the crop we are intending to cultivate?

Weeds (pride) take the path of least resistance. Unchecked, they will consume their boundaries and overflow into other people's gardens. Cultivated plants, on the other hand, require consistent attention. They need to have the correct soil, the appropriate temperature, and attention to food and water.

Humility, a cultivated state, requires our attention to the details in our lives. We have to prepare the soil of our heart to be able to cultivate humility in our lives to enable the Holy Spirit to harvest the destiny the Lord intends for each of us.

See, the concept is not all that complex.

Well, that's all for today. I have to go pull some more of those pesky weeds.

Lord, do not let us become discouraged with the weeds in our lives to the point that we decide the garden is not worth the effort. Remind us that the consistent cultivation of a life of humility will produce in us, exactly what You intend.

 

Humble Yourself

So, we are five weeks out from the national elections. We are parked on 2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. In the last week we have established that God's actions are conditional on the actions of those who are called by His name. For convenience sake, I will assume that if you are reading this series, you are one of His people. So far, so good.

Now, the more difficult part. We are called to humble ourselves. Try this little experiment. Close your eyes and think about humbling yourself before the Lord. What do you see in your mind's eye? The first thing I see is an image of me kneeling in an Episcopal church. The light is streaming through the stained glass windows and the organ is playing ancient hymns in the background. Tiny little problem. I have not been a member of the Episcopal church for over 15 years. That's what we call a clue that we might want to study the subject a bit.

And, before you laugh at me, (any more than you already have) you might want to think about your own concept of humility. In preparation for this series of devotionals friends and colleagues were put on the spot as I asked them what the word meant to them. Nobody came up with a really clear, concise answer for me. My search of scripture brought up every verse that had the word "humility" included. My search of outside sources led me to some awesome writings on the concept.

The bottom line - the concept that seems too complex to articulate is extraordinarily simple. We just need help to see it.

Since my teenage years I have had to wear glasses or contact lenses to correct my vision. For those of you who share the problem of poor vision, try to remember the first new pair of glasses you had. Walking out of the doctor's office I was awed by the fact that trees were not just fluffy green things, but actually had distinct leaves. With my new glasses, things seemed brighter, more focused, and I was certainly less likely to confuse the cat with the dog.

So it is with humility. God figured out pretty early that we were not getting the concept. So, He sent Jesus for our salvation. Humility, viewed through the corrective lenses of our salvation, comes into much sharper focus.

Everything about the life and death of Jesus points to His humility. He humbled Himself and came down from Heaven to live on earth as a man. He humbled Himself and became a servant to those around Him. He humbled Himself and died on the cross so that we could have the Holy Spirit to enable us to also live lives of humility.

His humility is our salvation. Our salvation empowers us to live lives of humility.

Lord, the answer is so simple. We just need to be more like Jesus. And, yet, so difficult. Show us the way.

My People, Who are Called by My Name

Do you ever ponder your identity? Who are you? Who do other people think you are?

As a parent and a grandparent I learned that my identity has changed with the generations. The birth of my first child changed my identity from that of a wife and business woman to a mother. For the next 15 years I was known as "Stormi's Mom." My entry into the political and public policy realm returned to me my personal identity. And, life carried on quite happily until the birth of Hannah, my first grandchild.

Grandchildren are one of the things that man does not share in common with God. God has no grandchildren. We are all equal as sons and daughters of God. Each of our children must make their own personal decision about their faith and relationship with the Lord. They will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven on our coattails. Even so, I believe that the Lord gave us grandchildren to help us to experience the joy He had as He brought all the animals to Adam for him to name.

The Lord has an extraordinary sense of humor. As the first child of my first child, Hannah took Stormi's identity as swiftly as Stormi had taken mine. However, not understanding the rules of "naming", Stormi made a futile attempt to manage my identity as a Grandmother. The first grandchild on the other side of the family had staked a claim to "Grammy" for that grandparent. Stormi decided that my name should be "Nana."

I, on the other hand, could never envision myself as a "Nana," so I was holding out to be "Grandma."

Hannah, in her role as the "Adam of the grandchildren" listened to neither me or her mother (this is sure to be a topic for the devotionals as she grows older) and bestowed upon me the title of "Migi." We have no idea where she got it. One day she was pointing at all the pictures of me and saying, "Migi." But who cares where she got it? Nobody questions Adam about naming an animal a hippopotamus or an aardvark, now do they? Migi I am. And, proud of it.

Changing your identity with the generations just goes with the territory. But our identity as children of God never changes. Do you know whether you are included when scripture says, "If My people, who are called by My name…"? When someone asks you what you believe, or more importantly, who you believe, what is your response? Do you believe that you have the power to humble yourself, to petition the Living God to heal our land? Do you believe He will answer as His word promises?

In 2 Chronicles, the Lord - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - was making a conditional promise to the Israelites. If …, then… . Galatians 3:16 tells us:

The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, "and to seeds," meaning may people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.

The promise is as good today as the day it was made. If you identify with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If you believe, as the Nicene Creed states:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

If you believe and identify with our Lord, Jesus Christ, then you are included in the "My people" promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14. If we humble ourselves and pray, He will hear our voice from heaven and He will heal our land.

On the other hand, if you think that a single person has no impact on the destiny of nations, then you just might want to re-examine your faith. You are depending upon your own strength, thereby negating the resurrection power of Christ in you. Repent of your unbelief!

Lord, apart from you, we can do nothing. We cannot even repent of our sins and unbelief until you send the gift of repentance. I pray that you the Holy Spirit will convict me of my sins and that you will send the give of repentance into my life. Lord, I believe your Word. Help my unbelief! Amen.

 

If

Most of the devotionals I have written have really just been a reflection of my obedience to sit down at the computer, setting my fingers to the keyboard and saying, "OK, Lord. Whatcha got for me today?" But, preparation for this devotional has been different. Even as the idea for the devotional began to grow in my mind, I was aware that I was going to have to work for it.

So, the devotional is going to be parked on 2 Chronicles 7:14 for a few days in order to share some of the process involved in getting to me to where I am. For those of you light years ahead of me, this will not be revelation. But, as with any treasure hunt, I have truly enjoyed finding these treasures that have been hidden right before my eyes in plain view.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

My entire professional life for the past 18 years has been focused on finding political and legislative solutions to our state's ills. Guess what? I am doing nothing but holding my finger in the dike. (Well, when the Legislature is in session I have all my fingers and toes in the dike, but that is another entry.) And guess what else? The success or failure of our nation, state or local government does not rest in the hand of the elected officials. It doesn't even rest in the hands of the majority of voters. It rests in the hands of those people who God refers to as "My people who are called by My name."

So, don't like your taxes? Don't like the government intervening in your personal business? Don't like the government telling you how to raise your children, or what you should eat? You can march on the Capitol, vote in every election, and sign every petition, but things are not going to change until we try things God's way.

God says that His people must:

1. Humble themselves,
   
2. Pray and seek His face, and
   
3. Turn from their wicked ways
   

In order for him to:

1. Hear from Heaven,
   
2. Forgive their sin, and
   
3. Heal their land.
   

If we do, He will. If we don't, He won't.

Really, could He make it any simpler than that?

Lord, I recognize that this isn't rocket science. You clearly laid out Your plan for our success in scripture. But, somehow, I have gotten so far off track that it is difficult to even see the way back. I place blame where it doesn't belong and refuse to take responsibility when I should. Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring conviction into my life and that You will send the gift of repentance so that I will be able to humble myself and seek Your face.

40 Days of Prayer and Fasting

September 23, 2010

40 Days before the November elections

Several months ago more and more people began discussing the great need in our country for prayer and fasting prior to the November general elections. Few have been left untouched by the economic downturn in our economy. They are alarmed at the out of control spending of our elected officials at all levels of government. We are saddling future generations with unsustainable debts that will strip them of their ability to continue to live the American Dream.

At the same time that we are facing monetary bankruptcy, our nation is also facing spiritual and moral bankruptcy. Sin is rampant in our midst and we, as a people, rarely even take notice of it. Sexual immorality is considered nobody's business. Sexual perversion is considered a protected right. We lie. We cheat. We steal. We do not honor our elderly or care for our children and their future. We worship media, public figures, and money. We do not honor God. And, we wonder why it feels like things are going to Hell in a hand basket.

Originally, I was asked to pray for the names of ten people who I would be responsible to getting to the polls on November 2 to vote in the election. In turn, I was to ask each of them to pray for ten people with whom they had influence to do the same. But, as soon as I began to seek those ten names, the Lord revealed to me that this battle will not be won in our voting booths. It will be won in our prayer closets.

You see, this is not a political situation we have. It's a sin situation. Neither Republicans, Democrats, nor Tea Party candidates can solve our problem. No march on the Capitol will change things. It does not take a move in Washington or Austin or any earthly place to reach a solution. No elected official's policy can change the course of this nation. Now, all those things may eventually come into play. But, restoration of our land will not come about before or until, God's people truly humble themselves before their Lord.

And, so began my journey to better understand 2 Chronicles 7:14:

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

So, for the next 40 days, you are cordially invited to join me in humbling yourself before the Lord and seeking His face. Whether it influences the elections or not, God promises He will hear from heaven and heal our land.