Serendipity

“Every good and perfect gift

is from above,

coming down from the father

of the heavenly lights…”

James 1:17a NIV

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays is over and the reality of winter sets in I often suffer from seasonal depression. I think it is partly because I love light and color so much. My gardens are dull, the sky is often gray, the trees are bare and it’s cold! Sometimes the sunshine is scarce for many days.

Some people love winter because of skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice-skating, building snowmen and making snow angels. They look forward to snow days that cancel work and school, a crackling fire in the fireplace, and a cup of hot chocolate! I like all of that too, but sometimes that is not reality and the gray days must be dealt with.

All of us are busy keeping our job, maintaining our home, and caring for our family. All of these responsibilities mixed with the limitations and drabness of winter can get us down. Adding children to that mix takes most of your thought time and your energy giving you less time to even realize that you are depressed, if you are! If you are a woman, there is also the chance that your hormones are raging! If you are a man you may get the back lash of those raging hormones! Just in case any of you readers are sharing my feelings about the winter blues or if you are having any other emotional instability that is threatening your well being, here are a few ideas that may help you combat the very real attack

During times of feeling downhearted I try to focus on spending additional time in God’s Word and investing in my relationship with Jesus. I also look for opportunities to touch base with friends and send notes of encouragement. Taking the time to think of another person is always beneficial to my mental health. During the winter months I typically schedule those projects that I don’t have time for during the other seasons. I also try to make some time to catch up on some of the things that I enjoy such as writing, scrapbooking, reading, and planning my garden for next spring.

But during the down days of winter or even dog days of summer, or any other time that you seem to be depressed or restless in your spirit, the never fail “Serendipity List” is always an emotional booster! Webster’s dictionary defines serendipity as “The gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.”

When I begin to make a “Serendipity List” I start early in the day, right after I pour myself a cup of coffee. Now with pen and paper in hand I head for my favorite chair and begin the “Serendipity List.” I write down all of the wonderful things that have already happened to me on this not so glorious day! As the day moves along I carefully list all of the valuable and agreeable things not sought for that began showing up in my life as soon as I woke up that morning.

At the top of my list I make note of the amazing feeling that I have because I am rested. I write down the absolutely beautiful full moon that is lighting up the backyard in the pre-dawn sky. As morning arrives I notice the way that the light filters through the trees. This too must go on the list. I jot down the enjoyment I get out of my first cup of coffee. Other things worth putting on the “Serendipity List” are the first kiss of the day when my husband comes over and says good morning. Later on is the refreshing hot shower that I am privileged to enjoy. As the day progresses it is a phone call from my son. It is also watching two squirrels scampering in a chase up one side of the tree and down the other. It is listening to my husband talk to his granddaughter on the phone. It is connecting with an old friend. Serendipity is hearing my daughter tell a funny story about my grandson. It is receiving an encouraging note in the mail. It is the happiness that I find in making a hot pot of steaming soup for us to enjoy at dinner on a cold winter day. In the evening it is the feel of crisp clean sheets as I climb into bed. But most of all it is feeling the love of God as I lay down to sleep. It is having a peace that passes all understanding even in difficult times; it is the joy of Jesus that is indescribable.

Yes indeed, the “Serendipity List” is food for the emotionally unstable depressed soul. It is acknowledging all of the wonderful valuable things that have happened to me throughout that day that I didn’t even ask for or seek out. Yes they are gifts, his amazing gifts from above. I guess the “Serendipity List” is just another way of counting my blessings. I must pay better attention to the small things in life because I don’t want to miss a single gift tomorrow!

If you are reading this and you are struggling to find even your basic needs met, I pray that you will pray and ask God to comfort, protect, and provide for you. God loves you and wants to show you his love. Look up, look down, look all around and ask God to show you something that he has made that will delight your heart. Receive comfort and hope in knowing that God loves you and he hears all who pray.


Questions:

1. Are you feeling low, downcast, or depressed?

2. Have you ever made a Serendipity List?

3. Do you think it could be a beneficial exercise in recognizing God’s love for you?

4. Today are you experiencing the love, peace, and joy that can come only from God?

If not, simply bow your head in prayer right now and ask God to take your feelings of depression and in its place give you his love, peace and joy.


Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I need for you to show me your love for me this day. The truth is, you do show me your love everyday, yet somehow some days I seem to be so self-absorbed that I miss your love for me completely! I pray that this day I will rejoice in your serendipity gifts! I am thanking you in advance for all of your good and perfect heavenly gifts. Father, please keep me from being caught up in seeking your gifts but rather may I be drawn to you, the giver of all gifts. I especially thank you for all of the delightful surprises found in the gifts that you consider to be of valuable and delightful importance. Just as I love to give good gifts to my children, I know that you love giving good gifts to me. Thank you Father, you make me smile!

In Your Name I pray, Amen.

Delight Me Lord

“How priceless is your unfailing love…
you give them drink from your river of delights.”

Psalm 36:7a-8b

I was very surprised to learn that the God of the universe wants to delight me! I was specifically created to bring pleasure to God but nevertheless, he enjoys delighting me. I have found that if I pay attention I will see more of the delights that God has for me.

This morning I awoke very early. The dawn was just lighting up the back yard. As I lay in bed a thought kept popping into my head. It seemed that the voice was soft; in fact it was no louder than a thought. The voice was saying, “Paula, get up I want to delight you.” I rolled over, snuggled under the covers, and tried to get back to sleep but the voice kept saying, “Paula, get up I want to delight you.” So finally, I gave in. I sat up and put on my furry slippers, grabbed my comfortably, worn robe and headed for the great room.

I glanced over to the windowed wall that provides a magnificent view of our wooded back yard. Ahhhhhh yes! To my utter surprise, there was my delight! While I was sleeping, God was busy dusting the entire backyard in a wet clinging, brilliantly white snow. The contrast of the pure white snow against the dark bark of the naked trees provided an incredible winter wonderland. The snow clung to the huge cedars, the evergreens, the bushes, and the picket fence. The yard itself was covered in God’s beautiful blanket of snow.

This was not a deep snow, only about an inch or two and I have learned that snow here in the North Carolina piedmont can be completely melted by early afternoon. No wonder God was nudging me out of my warm bed. If I had delayed I might have missed out on the delight that God had for me this day.

I poured myself a steaming mug of coffee, curled up in my chair, and began to enjoy the delight that God had sent to me. In a very few minutes more delights began to arrive as several bright red cardinals ate their breakfast from our feeder. It really was Christmas card perfect!

A little later my husband emerged from our bedroom and I shared my story with him. He grinned and accused me of selfishly keeping all of my delights to myself! But there was still time and God delighted him as well. God’s priceless unfailing love never tires of blessing his children from his endless river of delights.

I use to feel that God was too busy for me. That he was off somewhere far away where he was busy dealing with the really big stuff in life. I wasn’t even sure that God knew my name. I had received his gift of salvation but I really didn’t want to bother him with my insignificant life. But over the years God has blessed and delighted me in so many ways even without me asking. I have now come to know that my God is a God of surprises! He makes my life full and interesting. Some days God blesses me so much that I feel like I’m his only child. My God cares for me so much that he even wakes me up so that he can delight me the very first thing of the morning. Incredible! Simply incredible!

Questions:

Do you know that God loves and cares for you as if you were his only child?

Has God ever delighted you?

What was the occasion that you experienced His delight?

Have you ever told him thank you for the amazing delights that he brings into your life?

Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you that you are such a personal God. I am flabbergasted that your love goes so deep that you desire to delight your children. Thank you for the many delights that you send my way. Help me God to be alert and observant so that I see all of the delights that you have for me. I don’t want to miss a single delight! I thank you God for the very visible pleasures that you send my way because they assure me of your unfailing love for me. How blessed I am that you desire to delight me.

In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.

Simplicity

“…and he sent them out. He told them:

“Take nothing for the journey – no staff,
no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.”

Luke 9:2-3 NIV

I have always been familiar with the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, and fasting. But I was very surprised to learn that simplicity, solitude, submission, and service were also spiritual disciplines. About six years ago God began to speak to me about the spiritual discipline of simplicity. God began to teach me that I needed to simplify my life so that I could make more personal time for him. This was a challenge!

I was working outside the home and had the responsibilities of caring for my home and family. I also led a women’s Bible study which required weekly preparation, I co-chaired the mentoring program at our local church and in addition, I personally mentored several women. I was becoming stressed out in the midst of doing good things. God seemed to be showing me that he wanted me to monitor and guard my time and my activities so that I might have more personal time for him. I realized that I was so busy doing good things that I missed out on quality time with God. My prayer life suffered because most of my prayers were on the fly! I began to look hard at what I was doing and began guarding my time and streamlining my activities.

God began to teach me to throw away, give away, and donate personal stuff! I went through my house and one by one picked up my knick knacks, and if the word “love” did not come to mind, out it went! I emptied my closest of things that had not been on my body in years! I gave away useless kitchen gadgets and appliances that I knew would never be used. The point being, my needless possessions made housecleaning more difficult and took up valuable storage space.

I then tackled the issue of my time. I had to literally set on my hands in meetings so that I would not volunteer to do something else. I had to learn to stop digging up more flower beds; I needed to cook more simply, to hang up clothes, to do less laundry, and to put things back where they belonged. I then attacked the time that I spent in the car. It was crucial that I stop my habit of constantly running here and there on a whim. I made lists and then crossed things off of the lists that were not a priority. I also adopted a new philosophy in house cleaning. I vowed to be neat first, to be clean second, and to be polished last. I spent less time on the phone and for the most part stopped watching so much TV. I did major grocery shopping once a month and only shopped for perishables in between.

Simplicity is not something that you learn but rather a lifestyle that you practice. I had to give myself permission to say no to good opportunities and needs that came my way. I continued to do what was already on my plate, but I now approached my responsibilities with less stress because I didn’t continue to add more to my plate. My goal was to become more organized so that I could free up some additional intimate time for God. I also wanted to take time to enjoy life and smell the roses.

I also tried to learn how to lace my work with my passions. I love music so I played music while I worked and when I was in the car driving. I love to write, so I kept a notebook near by so I could jot down my thoughts in between chores. I love to garden, so I prayed as I worked in my garden. I love to scrapbook family photos and it became my habit to pray for those whose pictures I was placing in my albums. When I started practicing these simple things I began pursuing God as I worked and as I played.

Jesus was busy, yet he lived a simple life and when he sent the disciples out to work, he encouraged them to do the same. His message was “keep it simple.” I do not believe that Jesus was teaching the disciples that it was wrong to have possessions, but I do think his message was simplicity. Things and unnecessary activity bog us down. Jesus was busy, yet he found time to relax with his friends, and time to separate himself from his responsibilities and go away from the crowd and pray.

The discipline of simplicity does not come without effort. It is an ongoing struggle to practice simplicity in my life. But when I do, it most certainly frees me up for what is really important in life. Work with no play is dull, dreary, and depressing. Too much work and play for me is disastrous! I have found that it is an absolute necessity for me to spend consistent time with God. He is the one who is able to help bring balance into my life and to help me keep that balance from gradually slipping away. Sometimes even good things have to go!


Questions:

Have you ever thought of simplicity as being a spiritual discipline?

Do you see value in simplicity?

What are some of the things that you could do to simplify your life?

Do you think that simplicity would eliminate some of the stress in your life?

Do you think that learning to live more simply would provide opportunity for spiritual growth in your life?


Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you for your message regarding the discipline of simplicity. Oh God, you know that in my own strength I am hopelessly undisciplined. Show me this week one thing that you would like me to change in order to simplify my life. Help me to depend on you. Teach me to simplify my life by eliminating unnecessary tasks and activities. Guard my time and my activities so that I will be free to enjoy you and the passions and blessings that you have given me. Give me your help and patience as I endeavor to simplify my life one day at a time.

In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.

Passion or Platitude

The low easy road of "Platitude" or the soaring high road of "Passion"


“For we are God’s workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

Even when I have been actively seeking new spiritual truth I have still felt at times that everything seemed to be commonplace and dull. At times God even seemed to be far away. Have you ever been there?

Acting on shear faith that God was near and that he loved me I begin to search my heart and ask God to do the same. Self examination always offers me time to think about where my passions lie. When I am able to identify my passions I am able to ask God to help me see ways that I can move away from dullness of platitude and on to the zeal of passion!

Some times when I allow myself to enjoy the personal things that I am passionate about I begin to feel guilty, selfish, and even irresponsible. Let me say here that I believe that God has given us our gifts and talents to bring us personal relaxation and joy. These gifts and talents are also to be used to serve others. But without a doubt I know that my gifts and talents must first of all be given back to God to be used as a tool for his use and his glory.

Today I am reflecting on the fact that even before I took my first breath, God had given me my own set of “talents” that he designed specifically just for me. After I became a believer, God also gave me my own special “spiritual gift” so that I might do his work using the giftedness that he placed in my spirit on the very first day that I became a Christian. My God-inspired passion is the vehicle that God uses to carry my giftedness and talents into is service. You too have your own unique package of at least one spiritual gift and many talents that God has designed just for you!

None of us needs to be reminded that our work and responsibilities can weigh us down. Our obligations can become so burdensome that they rob us of finding God’s joy in our life. If our work and responsibilities go unmanaged our daily life becomes so out of whack that we find our life whirling out of control, even to the point of becoming depressed, stressed out and even sick.

Our passions and talents have been given to us to serve as a buffer and they are to be used as a tool to bring relaxation and joy into our life. It has been hard for me to recognize my spiritual gifts and talents. I had to learn to pay attention to what I loved and to what others said that I was good at. The things that I loved and what others said about me became clues along the way to help me to discover my spiritual gifts and talents. When I use these precious life enhancements, I have discovered they are the very things that make me truly happy.

I have many things that I am passionate about. I am passionate about my family. I am passionate about nature. Sunrises, sunsets, the beach, the mountains, beautiful flowers, the changing seasons. All of those treasures thrill me to death! I am also passionate about doing anything that involves my creativity. I am passionate about uplifting and encouraging my family and friends. I am passionate about my quiet time with Jesus. I am passionate about helping others to grow in their faith. All of these things bring me so much joy that I can only respond to God in elation because he has allowed me to enjoy so much! The fact is, because I am passionate about the things that God cares about, I am also passionate about him.

I have also discovered that when my passions are misplaced they are selfish and sinful and I am not passionate about God. When we exchange sinful, self motivated passions for “godly” passion we then become people of purpose. God’s purpose is fulfilled through our life by doing the work he prepared in advance for us to do. Recognizing our passions and using our gifts and talents to serve God brings glory to him, blessings to others, and contentment and pleasure to us. What will you choose – passion or platitude?

Questions:

What are your passions?

Do you have any harmful, selfish, or sinful passions?

Have you discovered your God given passions, talents and gifts?

How can you use your gifts and talents to enhance your daily work and responsibilities?

Have you ever taken a spiritual gift assessment? If no, I would highly recommend doing so through a local church.

Have you ever given your spiritual gifts and talents back to God, and asked him to choose for you and show you how he wants you to use those gifts and talents for his glory?


Prayer:

Dear God,

Forgive me for sometimes living the comfortable life of platitude. Thank you for showing me today that my passions, talents, and gifts are from you and that you have uniquely designed those things just for me. Forgive me when I dismiss using my personal gifts because I feel I am too busy. Help me to identify and find purpose in using my spiritual gifts and talents in all that I do throughout my day. Show me ways that I might use all that you have given me to serve others and build up your kingdom. I thank you that you are not a hard taskmaster that wants only work without passion. God, help me to learn to use my talents and giftedness in ways that are pleasing to both you and me. Above all God, I want your son, Jesus Christ, to be my highest passion. God, I desire that my life bring pleasure to you everyday as I go about my work.

In Your Son's Name I pray. Amen.

Kicking It Up a Notch

“But grow in grace and knowledge

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 3:11 NIV

As we begin a new year we also begin to contemplate change. Striving to improve our self is always a good thing. Today I am thinking that in our marriage, in our friendships, and in our jobs we are never to become too satisfied, because if we do become contented it will affect spontaneity, maturity, excellence, and personal growth. I have learned from personal experience that when I become satisfied with where I am in life I soon find myself in a rut of dull monotony.

In education we know that there is always more to learn. If you are a person who works out regularly you always want to take your workout to a new level. Even in our recreation and travel it is fun to go to a place where we have never been before. The same is true in our spiritual life; we must always be seeking to know God in a fresh and new way. The Bible admonishes us to “grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.”

If you are a brand new believer, there is so much that God wants to teach you about himself and his ways. It is important for you to make an effort to learn more about God every day, because new knowledge will strengthen your faith.

If you are a working mom, a single parent, or a stay at home mom, your day is full. Likewise if you are a working man trying to get ahead at work and balance your job with being a wonderful husband and a fantastic father, you too have more than enough on your plate! Most of the time, all of us think there isn’t enough hours in the day. Making time to grow in your faith is always a challenge.

If you are a long time believer, you may have become complacent and find that you are satisfied to be “a sponge” on Sunday morning as you soak up the sermon and then leave church and go about doing business as usual on Monday. Maybe Satan has lied to you by saying, “you will never get it right – so why try?” Satan often tries to convince us that we will never get it right until we get to heaven, so we believe that lie and tell ourselves that it is hopeless to try to be better. As a result, our personal quest for growing in our faith suffers and so do we.

Real maturity in our faith comes when we decide it’s not OK to remain in “sameness” when it comes to our relationship with Jesus Christ. It really is not an issue of time; it is an issue of desire. If you have even a tiny spark of desire ask God to help you find a place to get alone with him. God will help you set the pace and help you manage your time. Your personal time alone with God has a definite effect on your godly influence in this world and on your outlook on life.

Never forget that Satan cannot take away your salvation, but he will try on a regular basis to distract you from God in any way he can. It is his goal to orchestrate hectic schedules, busy work, interruptions, depression, discouragement, and stress in your life as a means of taking your focus off of God. His goal is to make you an ineffective Christian and a discontented individual. Often Satan uses the subtle tool of dull monotony to suffocate our spiritual growth. When I began to realize that fact, I had to purposely choose to “kick it up a notch” so that I could become a better influence for Jesus and a joyous and victorious believer.

In the last few years I have made a conscious effort to choose to move forward in my relationship with God. I don’t want to be in the same place in my faith today that I was yesterday. I don’t want to ever become satisfied with just professing that I am a Christian. Spiritual growth comes from biblical knowledge. I have found that I must seek God, privately and also seek him as I worship corporately with other believers.

I refuse to allow Satan to make the amount of time that I spend with God, (or fail to spend) into a defeating guilt trip. Rather, I want to allow God to show me how to order my life so it will include more time to sit in his presence and learn about him. However, it is my responsibility to make the choice to obey the promptings of his Holy Spirit, so that I can experience the joy of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This year it is my deep desire to “kick it up a notch!”


Questions:

Are you satisfied with your relationship with Jesus?

What keeps you from becoming more focused in your spiritual life?

Do you lack time, desire or both?

Do you believe that God is able to help you discover a plan for spending consistent time with him?

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

I love you and I need you. I am surrounded by so many distractions. I know that you understand what it is like to have people and their needs pressing upon you. This year help me to desire to “kick my spiritual life up a notch.” Please show me a time and a place for prayer and reading your Word. Lead me to a time and a place that will work most of the time in my busy schedule. Lord, help me to choose to respond to your plan for me as I move toward forming a quiet time that is to be found only in the garden of my heart. Lord, I pray that I will always desire to increase the amount of time that I spend seeking to know you and your ways. Protect me from those times and when I fail, help me to not make perfection the goal but rather give me a seeking heart and a burning desire to keep on trying.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.

Christmas Leftovers

“In my Father’s house are many rooms;

if it were not so, I would have told you.
I am going there to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me

that you also may be where I am.”

John 14:2-4 NIV

The aftermath of Christmas can be depressing. The beautifully decorated house is now scattered with new gifts and toys. Crumpled wrapping paper and bows fill garbage bags for the next week’s trash. Dishes from the delicious Christmas meal are stacked waiting to be loaded into the dishwasher. And if you have small children you are exhausted because you have been up before the crack of dawn!

As we begin this week, Christmas is but a memory and there are decorations to be taken down and stored. Maybe even a few gifts have to be returned. But take heart, I am reminded that something very special still remains from Christmas.

Yes, it is the Christ Child. Now is the time for me to pick up my Bible and in the weeks ahead read about the life of the Christ Child, his youth, his ministry, his teachings, his miracles, his love, his sacrifice, his resurrection and his ascension into heaven.

In addition, today I am thinking of yet another “leftover.” It is Jesus’ promise to all humanity. In this promise he clearly tells us that he is coming again. Jesus will return to this earth a second time. This time it will not be as a helpless baby, but rather as a victorious, conquering King! For all believers this will be a wonderful, joyous experience. Jesus told us, I go to prepare a place for you that where I am you may be also. For those who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, it will be a sad time of eternal separation from God. Time will be up and there will never again be another opportunity to accept God’s forgiveness.

Jesus’ first arrival was at Christmas two thousand years ago. Another wonderful “leftover,” is the Biblical account of Jesus’ life which remains with us today. God’s Word provides the written account of the life and ministry of our Lord and Savior. As we study the Gospels we see how Jesus’ lived his life. God’s Word provides an incredible example of how we are to live our life as we endeavor to pattern our life after the life of Jesus. It is Jesus’ desire that we believe on him and what he has done for us because he desires that we live with him forever.

When Jesus returned to heaven he promised to send the Holy Spirit to live inside all believers, and he did. The Holy Spirit is a helper and a comforter to all those who believe. It is and always has been Jesus’ desire that every person who ever lived would make it safely back to God. Some people will accept him and others will reject him. God’s Word has been given to help people who do not know him find him. Jesus also left believers with hope. Before Jesus returned to heaven he left us with today’s promise. Jesus is coming back for all who have put their faith and trust in him, and he will be taking us to a place that he is now in heaven preparing for us. God’s Word and hope are two precious “leftovers” from both Christmas and Easter to be treasured!

Questions:

What part of Christmas do you love the most?

Which “leftover” from Christmas do you treasure the most?

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

I am excited to know that you are in heaven preparing a place for me. I look forward to your return and experiencing all that you have prepared for me. I thank you for the wonder of the Christmas season but I thank you for the incredible “leftovers” that I can now treasure until you return. I love your Word, your Holy Spirit that lives within me, and your precious promise to come a second time as my King! I celebrate your first coming and I anticipate with joy your second coming.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.