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For years, Psalm 91 was a favorite of mine. I even used it as my first email address. This week, my neighbor posted this photo of our lake’s resident swan family, and I instantly recalled those beautiful verses:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Years ago, as class mom, I went on many a field trip. On one trip that took us to the Bronx Zoo, I felt like a mama hen trying to keep all her chicks from scattering. The children were only interested in the animals or attractions that lay ahead, but I knew the dangers if one of them escaped my watchful eye.

Just like these chicky little students of mine, we often run ahead toward whatever catches our eye, straying from safety or sanctuary.

Spurgeon said, “We are foolish and weak as poor little birds, and are very apt to be lured to our destruction by cunning foes, but if we dwell near to God, he will see to it that the most skilful deceiver shall not entrap us.”

We would be wise to know the “fowler’s snare.” The enemy of our soul employs tricks like the fowler:

• The fowler works in secret
• The fowler changes his trap and methods
• The fowler often entices with pleasure or profit
• The fowler often uses a bad example, a decoy

But thankfully, when we dwell in the shelter of the Most High, we are protected from the fowler’s snare. The mama’s wings covering her babe serves a beautiful picture of both power and gentleness. Likewise, He is our powerful, yet gentle, protector.

When the psalmist says “you,” he means you – singular – a personal promise:

• He will save you
• He will cover you
• You will find refuge
• His faithfulness will be your shield

These truths are for you personally if you dwell (stay, reside, have your home, inhabit, settle) in the shelter of the Most High.

If you’re like me, or like those chicks in my charge, it doesn’t take much to be distracted. It could be some bright, shiny thing that I lust after or a harsh word too easily spoken reflecting a hard attitude within. There’s only one thing to save me from myself. Or from the fowler. Sticking close to my Protector.

Will you choose with me to:

• Dwell in the shelter of the Most High
• Rest in the shadow of the Almighty
• Say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

For more of God’s promises, click here to read another post with a different take on this special Psalm.

Do you ever feel – in the middle? Having experienced tragedy or loss, but waiting for the future hope and peace that is promised? We must wait, but not as those with no hope. It was while Jesus was waiting that He set the captives free.

When I was in Israel, one of the most powerful moments for me was at the Garden Tomb. I entered the empty tomb, and after my eyes adjusted to the darkness, saw the white garments folded on the stone bench. Turning to exit the tomb and enter the light, I saw a rough, wooden sign that read:

Seeing those words in that place was a powerful reminder that He has risen. The full verse includes the words JUST AS HE SAID! So what else did He say?

We have been healed:“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”-1 Peter 2:24

We have a future:“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

So we must:“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” – Titus 1:2

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3

Today, while still in the middle, this is my prayer for you:“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

My heart is grieving for a family that suffered a tragic loss. They are in the dark Saturday tomb and have lost hope for the future. They aren’t preparing for a glorious tomorrow. They are clinging to the pain of today. Perhaps you are in that place too or know someone stuck in their dark night of the soul, a place we are meant to transverse, not dwell.

A morsel drops on the floor, and no one runs to scarf it up.

Arriving home, there’s no furry friend waiting on the other side of the door.

Hearing a knock, I look to see if she wants to come inside, but it’s only the acorns thumping on the back porch door.

There are a million reminders.

This has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do –put a sick but very happy dog to sleep. I suppose it’ll get easier with time. I’m clinging to the Dr. Suess quote: “Don’t cry that it’s over. Smile that it happened.”

Roxie was a family member, and she impacted us in ways that we’re still growing to appreciate.

A dog’s unconditional love is a rare treasure on earth. I don’t think I fully appreciated it until I lost it.

Roxie inspired several of my blogposts over the years. And so today, she is inspiring one more – a post about unconditional love.

My husband jokes about her unconditional love in one of his life lessons from the garden about the Three Types of Love. “You put your wife and your dog in the car trunk and drive around for an hour. When you open the trunk, which one jumps out and gives you a big fat kiss?”

Unconditional love is the way dogs and Jesus love. Humans, not so much.

Our love often comes with conditions. We love more when the object of our love does things we like – a call or visit, an unexpected gift, support when we need it, etc. If we are hurt by someone, our instinct is to strike back or to hold a grudge.

Not so with a dog. They don’t judge or withhold affection. They want nothing more than to please us. They don’t care if we’re fat or thin, beautiful or homely, popular or not. What they do care about is their devotion to us.

And eating.

OK, gotta be honest – Roxie loved to eat almost as much as she loved us.

But eating aside, she greeted everyone who came to our house with pure love. No one was a stranger to her.

Well, except other dogs.

She wanted no part of other dogs. She thought she was a person – so much so that if we lingered at the kitchen table after eating, she demanded a seat at the table to be part of the discussion.

My daughter said she had no concept of personal space. Wherever we were, she was there in the midst of us.

That reminds me of Someone else.

If Roxie embodied unconditional love and an ever-present-presence, then Jesus does even more so.

With Roxie, there were no “IF/THEN” love qualifications – “IF you do this, THEN I’ll love you.” We didn’t need to be perfect or worthy of her love. She just loved us.

And that is how Jesus loves us. Wholly, unequivocally, passionately, unconditionally.

We can’t earn His love. And nothing we do can diminish His love for us. There are no “If you do this, then I’ll love you.” He’s more like, “I love you. Period.” But because of His great love for us, we are inspired to follow His example. To love others without condition. To serve with enthusiasm. To represent Jesus and the abundant life He provides us to others.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1

Lavish love!

Lavish means “using or giving in great amounts.” He loves us lavishly, beyond measure.

Let us love with the love that we have received!

Some of my favorite Roxie posts include:

• The Gentle Leader
• Fear is A Four Letter Word
• My Treasures
• Storm Shelter

Fear is one of the enemy’s favorite tools. It affects everyone. And it can affect any area of our lives. Are we a good enough as a mom, wife, friend? How about as an employee or employer? Are we up to the task? What about our dream goals? Do we even have dreams or are we too afraid to think about them? Are there worries, even legimate causes for concern, that totally consume our minds? Fear has us focus on whatever will take our eyes off God – our weaknesses, other’s strengths.

After Adam and Eve sinned, they hid in fear. God’s question to them was “Who told you….?” He hadn’t told them to be fearful or ashamed. They were listening to the voice of their enemy.

All that God asks of us is to be obedient. To seek, to love, to serve Him and His people. When our eyes are squarely on Him, our fears fade in His light.

Years ago, I had a strange experience. I was to speak before a crowd of fellow employees at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Every cell in my body trembled in fear. I had asked for prayer from trusted friends, telling them my teaching session would begin Wednesday at 8:00 am. It was Wednesday at 7:55, and as I drifted to the podium, I was so filled with fear I wondered how I’d be able to utter a single word.

Then something weird occurred. Really weird. It all happened in a moment. I felt a tingling on my scalp, like when someone pretends to crack an egg on your head. The tingle moved down from my head past my shoulders, past my arms and torso, down my legs, and out my feet – much like a thermometer with a pinhole in the bulb and the red liquid leaking out the bottom. The tingle was fear, and the feeling was so tangible that as it left my body, I looked down because I thought I’d see a puddle of fear on the floor. All I saw were large black and white tiles. As my eyes swept back up, they glimpsed the wall clock – which read exactly 8:00 sharp. In that instant, I simultaneously remembered 3 things –

• my praying friends
• my specific mention of 8:00am to them
• and the Scripture verse that says, “Perfect love casts out fear.”

God is perfect love, and He supernaturally removed my fear.

I’d like to say that ever since that time, I have never experienced fear. But that would be a lie. What I do know is this – He CAN supernaturally remove my fear – IF HE WANTS TO. So if He doesn’t, it means that the fear is there for a reason – most likely, so that I keep tethered to Him, focused on Him, in communion with Him, dependent upon Him rather than myself.

All the fear and self-doubt that’s so prevalent and so destructive is just a tool in Satan’s arsenal, seeking to hinder the work of God. If only we can just remember that while we do have weaknesses, it’s in our weakness that He is strong. When we think we have it all together, we are at our weakest point. But when imperfect people do amazing things, God gets all the glory.

Let’s face today, and be amazing!

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… 1 John 4:18

Thirty years ago today, we said “I do.” We made a committment to love, honor, and cherish; to stand by each other for better or worse, richer or poorer, through sickness and health, good times and bad. Until death do us part.

I was a bride for one day, but as a Christian, I am part of the Bride of Christ every day . What does it mean to be the Bride of Christ? And how can we live each of our days in that identity?

What the Bride looks like:

When you imagine the Bride of Christ, what do you picture? A damsel clothed in white lace? Yet, the first person to declare Jesus to be the bridegroom was none other than John the Baptist.

“The bride belongs to the bridegroom.” John 3:29

These words spoken by John the Baptist open our eyes to a bride more rugged, truth-preaching and fierce than the delicate, frilly, and feminine damsel that’s widely depicted as the Bride. The Bride is not for women only. Christian men and women equally are the Bride.

The Betrothal: 

Being the bride is about living in the betrothal period of preparation for a wedding. There were so many things to take care of, my engagement was the only time in my life that I lost weight without trying. Although there is much work, it is a joyous labor when a bride remembers the love of and for the groom and the life they will enjoy together. Betrothal is a time of complete covenant commitment to each other and expectancy about the wedding and lifetime to come. As the Bride of Christ, do you live with such expectancy?

The Bridegroom:

The bridegroom is the bride’s protector, her security. In Bible times, the groom paid a dowry for his bride. Jesus paid more than a dowry, He paid a ransom for His bride because of His deep love for her. When I attend a wedding and the dum-dum-de-dum starts to play, all heads turn to the back to see the bride enter. But I always look to the front and watch the groom’s face when he sees his bride approach. His smile lights up the room. To think that Jesus will receive me with such a smile on His face fills me with joy overflowing. I love how Psalm 36:5-9 reads in the Message translation:

“God’s love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, …  How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, … ” 

“Say ‘yes’ to the dress.”:

In a crowded reception, can you pick out the Bride? Always – because of her garment. According to Rev. 19:6-8, the bride is arrayed in  fine white linen, symbolizing the pure, holy and the righteous deeds of the saints. Our garment is the outer evidence of our inner person, our decisions, actions, thoughts. And by the way, nowhere does the Bible actually describe the garment as a “dress.” It says the bride is “arrayed” or “clothed” in fine “linen which is the righteous acts of the saints.” Righteous acts include obedience to God’s commandments and continually striving to follow Jesus’ perfect example. So men can wear the garment too!

Our attitude: 

There’s a tv show called “Bridezillas”. According to the dictionary:

Bridezilla: noun. Formed from blending of the words bride and Godzilla (Japanese movie monster). Used to describe a woman whose behavior becomes outrageously bad in the course of planning for her wedding; a bride-to-be who focuses so much on the event that she becomes difficult and obnoxious

We become “Bridezillas” when “it’s ALL about ME!”  What do I want? Our prayers are about what WE think is best. We get disappointed or disillusioned if things don’t go our way. We need to remember we are betrothed, redeemed, preparing, and waiting with eager anticipation for our Groom. It’s not about us. It’s about Him.

So let’s live every day with a committment to love, honor, and cherish our Lord; to stand with Him for better or worse, richer or poorer, through sickness and health, good times and bad. Until death do us see each other face to face.

Last but not least – Happy Anniverary, honey!!! So thankful for the godly husband and father that you are, for the 30 wonderful years we’ve had together and the many more to come!!

Several years ago, I was asked to speak at a women’s retreat. Their theme was “How to Keep Growing When the Son Don’t Shine.” I struggled with this idea for a while until it struck me – the sun is always shining! We may not see it, but the sun never ceases to shine.

As for the Son, He never ceases to shine either. He IS the light of the world – not He will be nor He was – but He IS the light of the world. Always IS. Present tense. Yesterday, today and forever, He shines!!

So then, why does it seem dark sometimes?

1. One reason is because it is nighttime. At night, the earth is turned away from the sun. And when it seems dark spiritually, perhaps it is because we have turned away from Him. Have we stopped spending time with Him? Are we standing in or relying on our own strength?

The answer is simple: turn our focus back to Him, spend time in the Word and prayer, enjoy the fellowship of believers. I know I said the answer is simple, but that’s just simple for me to say. It is not always easy to do. Just take one tiny baby step in the right direction, and God will meet with us. He may ask us to keep taking those steps, but He gives us the strength to do it as we lean on Him.

“For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” (2 Cor. 4:6-7)

2. Other times, it seems dark because something is blocking the sun, like an eclipse or dark clouds. There are things that seem huge and overwhelming, but the fact is – nothing is bigger than the sun! It’s just that these issues are closer. When is your thumb bigger than the sun? When it’s right in front of your eye! These obstacles capture our attention and block our view of the Son. But if we can step back and put things in the proper perspective, they shrink in comparison.

We are engaged in spiritual warfare, and an effective enemy tactic is to distract our focus. He uses busyness, family or friend problems, work concerns, over-sensitivity, self-consciousness, financial worries, etc. to attract our attention. When we concentrate on eternal matters, the things of this world dim in comparison. Like looking through the lens of a camera, if our focus is on things nearby, those details in the background are fuzzy. When we adjust the lens, we can bring the background into crisp detail, and the close things are less harrowing.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”(Heb. 12:2-3)

3. Lastly, when the sun’s glare is difficult to endure, we put on our sunglasses. We can still see the sun, but it’s dimmed. And people can’t see us as clearly either. We hide behind a façade, and don’t face the issues that keep us from the light. From minor misunderstandings to serious hidden sin, we can cautiously be near God, and yet separated from Him. We put up a barrier to keep God and people at a “safe” distance.

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. God removed the barrier to the Holy of Holies signifying our new opportunity to have a direct personal relationship with Jesus.

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away. … All of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more.” ( 2 Cor. 3:16-18)

Oh, may we become more like Him and reflect His glory more and more!! That is my prayer for you and for me, beloved.

So they hurried off 

and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, 

who was lying in the manger. Luke 2:16

Hurry. It seems that’s all we do lately. And so we are often encouraged to slow down, be still.

And yet there is a time to hurry-
~Zacchaeus, filled with curiosity, hurried ahead to climb a tree so he could see Jesus.
~The father, filled with compassion, ran to welcome his prodigal home.
~Mary and the women, filled with confusion, ran to the disciples – who ran to the empty tomb.
~Philip, filled with the Spirit, ran to the chariot to share the Word with the Ethiopian.

And the shepherds, filled with wonder after their heavenly host encounter, hurried to Bethlehem, ran to see Jesus.

When should we hurry?
~When it is running to Jesus!
~When it is hurrying to show compassion.
~When it is eagerly sharing the Word.

After they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. 
Then they returned [to their neighborhood, their work, their environment] glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 

Solomon said, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” I’m going to boldly add to his list in Eccl. 3:1-8: There is a time to hurry and a time to be still. Oh that we would know the difference!

Do you (like me) ever confuse when to be busy and when to be still?
What do you do about it?