I watched a tender video of a dad brushing his little girl’s hair as she is sobbing. When he asks her what’s wrong she chokes out, “I don’t know”. So he sweetly asks her if she’d like something special done with her hair. He was so patient with her as she finally said, still in tears, ‘curls’. While he plugs in the curling iron he smiles and says, ‘wanna hear a joke?’ He tells her a dad joke…and instantly she erupts in laughter. There’s been more than half a million views of that little video that captured a dad being a heroic #GirlDad and, ok, maybe dad jokes do serve a purpose.

Do you ever have days like that little one? You just feel blue. Maybe there IS someone or something that you’re carrying grief over. Sometimes there is just no explanation. There’s just a sadness that hangs like a cloud over your heart. Proverbs 14:13 (NLT) tells us, “Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.” My family and I are closing in on the first anniversary of the loss of my brother. We’ve nearly experienced all the firsts in this first year of living without him. My sister-in-love and I were talking this past week about how we were feeling about this milestone. It is hard to put it into words. On his birthday I wrote it this way, “I’m not sorry that you’re there. I’m just sad that you’re not here.”

Maybe you can relate. Grief has so many layers and as we go through the process we find things to smile about…maybe even laugh out loud over. I believe that verse is less about what to do or not do, and more to confirm that in this life there will be heartache, but it is ok to find moments of laughter…even joy. And that it’s alright to keep company with grief and joy side by side. We can be sure of this, when we are finding our way through those days, we are not alone. God promised that “He is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) And that is the BEST company to keep!

I love to collect certain things. If I love them and they bring me joy….why not??!! I remember buying my first Longaberger basket. Pretty. Functional. Valuable. I LOVED it! And I decided to buy more – thinking the value would only increase and…I could pass them down to my children.

Well, I now have quite a collection of functional, not so valuable baskets…and my daughter has ZERO interest in inheriting my collection! I understand. She didn’t live through the era of brass tags and limited edition collecting and hostess credits. And honestly, they are a BEAST to keep dusted!

We all tend to collect things. Either for pleasure or sentimentality, things become valuable to us. But nothing compares to the treasures we must be focused on storing up in heaven. No baskets. No jewelry or artwork or baseball cards. There’s nothing wrong with those things. But they can’t be our priority.

Matthew 6:19-21 in the Passion Translation tells us,“Don’t keep hoarding for yourselves earthly treasures that can be stolen by thieves. Material wealth eventually rusts, decays, and loses its value. Instead, stockpile heavenly treasures for yourselves that cannot be stolen and will never rust, decay, or lose their value. For your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure.”

Your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure. Wow. Heavenly treasures. If you are hearing my voice or reading this now….YOU are Heaven’s greatest treasure. That Jesus lived a sinless life here on earth, bore all of our sins on a cross, died and rose up to live again is how you and I can live forever in heaven!! Sharing His story with as many who will listen and believe…now THAT is stockpiling heavenly treasures that can never be stolen!

Patience. We all need more of it…but don’t ask God for it! You know the only way we learn to have more patience…is by going through the trials. It could be small things – like waiting for that thing you ordered in the mail to finally arrive or for the long line in the grocery store or the post office to finally get moving!

Often, we must wait for things we are not sure will ever come to pass. That unanswered prayer that we have prayed over and over again…hoping, trusting that God will bring it about sooner rather than later. It is most often NOT the way we thought God would do it and sometimes not in the time frame we were asking.

But what we do IN the waiting….is what teaches us patience. Because we get to choose. Will I be impatient and worry, grumble and complain about this lack? Or will I do all that I can and trust God to do what only He can? Because waiting is meant to be active. Maybe that’s why servers in restaurants are called ‘wait staff’?!

James 1:12 (NLT) describes the reward for those who choose patience. “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” It sounds like God considers our patient endurance to be very important. He promised the crown of life to those who love Him and patiently endure. Maybe we should thank Him in advance for helping us to choose to be patient!

My husband, Ken, drives for a charter bus company. Sometimes his assignments could be for just a few hours in our local vicinity. Or he could drive hundreds of miles and be gone for a few days to a week at a time. But before he ever drives out of the bus yard, regardless of how short or how long his drive will be, he checks the bus equipment. I’ve watched him go through the checklist. Before he even gets to the bus lot he looks up destination details and plans his route carefully. Once he arrives, he cranks up the bus to let the engine warm up. He walks all around the bus, checking the tires, the lights, brakes, turn signals, windshield wipers, the fuel gauge and so on. It’s all part of preparing for the journey.

Every day, you and I are on a journey. How do we prepare for it? Some days we may stay close to home. And some days we may cover a lot of territory, encounter a lot of people, a lot of ‘opportunities’ to be the hands and feet of Jesus. How often do we check our ‘equipment’ to be sure we are in good working order? Getting the right amount of rest and eating the right kinds of foods is vital to our energy level and brain power; but, what about our spiritual preparation? Do we make time every day to chew on some part of God’s Word? Are we having a conversation with God each day? Are we keeping track of where He is leading us, how we are growing, where we might need some reinforcements? Are we wearing our armor?

Oh yes! We get armor!…and we’ve got to put it on every day! That’s why Ephesians 6:11 (ESV) says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes for the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God… the whole armor of God!

So check your equipment and then remember verse 13 that directs us, after taking up the whole armor of God…“and having done all, to stand firm.” Ready for the journey!

  

Remember the spices that the women prepared and took to the grave where Jesus’ body had been laid? In those days, it was customary to use certain spices to prepare a body for burial to help overcome the smell of death. We don’t know what the ladies carried those spices in and we don’t know what happened to the spices once they were surprised inside the empty tomb by two glowing angels appearance. We do know Luke 24:5 (NLT) says, “The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground.”

Was it possible that those spices were scattered about the ground inside the tomb as they dropped to the ground? Those spices would have been the last thing they would think of as they raced to tell Peter and the other disciples that Jesus was alive!

The disciples heard Mary & the other women telling the good news…Jesus is risen!…and didn’t believe them. But Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to see for himself. Luke tells that Peter looked inside and saw the empty grave clothes, and went home again, wondering what had happened.

I wonder if Peter smelled the spices when he entered the tomb. Is it possible that the aroma of their worship to honor the Messiah, their Lord and Master, still filled the air? Did you know that our worship is a sweet aroma to God and to those around us? 2 Corinthians 2:15 (ESV) says, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” The Passion Translation tells it this way: “We have become the unmistakable aroma of the victory of the Anointed One to God —a perfume of life to those being saved.”

Our worship leaves behind the fragrance of Christ and helps attract the sinner to salvation. How beautiful that God would allow us to carry the fragrance of our Lord!

I can’t imagine how Mary Magdalene must have felt when Jesus died on the cross. The One who had utterly changed her life, spoken and shown only love to her & everyone around her. He healed everyone who came in search of healing and then some. How could it be that her beloved Jesus was no longer with them?

I imagine there was not much sleep to be had in the hours that followed after Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb. The trauma of watching the One she loved with all her heart be condemned, beaten & pierced, mocked, hanged on a cross and left suffering in agony for hours had, no doubt, left Mary in shock, and numb to anything but her next breath.

That is why it is no surprise that once the Sabbath had ended, before the sun had even begun to rise, Mary & the other women were on their way to the tomb, with the spices they had prepared for Jesus’ body. Imagine their shock, panic even, that the tomb was empty. Where was Jesus? Luke 24:6 (NLT) tells us TWO men suddenly appeared in dazzling robes and told them, “He is not here. He is risen from the dead!”

Terrified at first sight, the ladies were reminded that Jesus had told them he would rise again. Then, Luke said, they rushed back to tell his disciples, and everyone else, what had happened. Today, we celebrate that the tomb is empty. Jesus is risen and He is alive indeed! Who will WE hurry to tell the Good News to today?!

Merci. Danke. Gracias. Xiexie. Grazie. Mahalo. Toda. Each of these words represent a unique people group, a culture, wishing to express one simple thing. Thanks!

Before I even began teaching my children their ABC’s or how to count to 10, I was teaching them to say “please” and “thank you”. Common courtesies that really aren’t so common. I hope we never lose the capacity, or the good manners, to pause even for a few seconds, to look someone in the eye and tell them “thank you”. In that little expression, a whole conversation could be shared. Gratitude for a kindness shown, or ‘you noticed me!’ It could mean ‘I appreciate your service’. It could even mean ‘I was feeling overwhelmed and you have no idea how much what you did means to me.’ Thank you.

I think we all tend to walk around in our own little world much of the time. We’ve got a lot of responsibility, a lot of things on our minds. When we stop to say thank you to someone, for even a few brief seconds, we open the door of our little world to see someone else in their little world. And aren’t we supposed to be mindful of each other?! Romans 12:13 (NLT) describes it well. “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.”

“Thank you” can help to open the door!

One of my favorite promises in the Bible is this: “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” And wow! Did God fight for His people! The story in Exodus 14 is packed full of drama, mystery and miracles! It’s the story of the Red Sea and about a million of God’s people walking on dry ground between two incredibly gigantic walls of water as God held back the sea to rescue the Israelites.

Oh there was a LOT of celebrating on the other side of the Red Sea once they saw what God did to save them. But what were they doing BEFORE the answer arrived? Pretty much freaking out! Complaining. Wishing they could go back to Egypt where they’d been enslaved and abused. Not one of their finest moments, to be sure.

If we are being honest, we’ve all been there. That “Red Sea” moment when we thought God was leading us in a direction and all of a sudden the enemy came rushing in. Whatever it is…or was…it felt like life or death. What God did for His people in Exodus 14 is a reminder of what He will do for us now. Moses told the people in Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV) “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

What if we choose to worship God – in front of the Red Sea. BEFORE we can see the outcome…what if we trust Him…and instead of worrying we choose to thank Him for His provision AHEAD of the storm! God gives us that direction. We can pray His Word in confidence and expectation…like this: I will not be afraid! Lord, I am going to stand still and watch You rescue me today. Thank you that You, God, are fighting for me. And in that, I can just remain calm.

An influencer is a person who inspires or guides the actions of others. Today, when someone is called an “Influencer” it usually begins with a capital letter “I”. Depending on the size of a person’s social media following or brand, a person could receive a large sum of money or various other perks for simply giving a testimonial or recommendation for certain products or services, and most likely lists “Influencer” in their bio.

It’s nothing new. The Bible recounts many stories of influencers. History certainly gives us accounts of influencers both good and bad. Fifteen minutes in front of the television is all it takes to see some of today’s influencers. Magazines. Billboards. Social media. They are everywhere. People using their platform to try to sway you and I in a certain direction.

The greatest influencer ever? Jesus Christ!! He came to show us the way to real life…not just for now but for all eternity. And He changed the world!! Something really cool about being influenced by the King of kings is that He gives you and I a platform to influence others…and His love lived out in our everyday life… is contagious! Whether we know thirty people or thirty-thousand people that platform is an opportunity to inspire and guide others to know the King of kings for themselves.

Jesus said it. In Acts 1:8 (NIV) He said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Let’s use the platform that Jesus has given us to be an influencer for the Kingdom!

If you’ve ever boarded an airplane you know that part of the pre-flight instruction to all passengers is that you must put your cell phone in airplane mode. That setting on your phone disables all of the bluetooth, wi-fi, cellular and data connections on your mobile device. The reason is so that nothing onboard interferes with the airplanes sensors and equipment.

Usually the first thing every passenger does once we’ve landed is turn off airplane mode. Ever notice the buzzing and dinging that can be heard all over the plane as messages, missed calls, calendar notes and other notifications all come through. So much information, some important and some distractions compelling us to pay attention.

What if we purposed to spend some time every day in airplane mode? It’s not just the phone. TV, social media, email, even conversations at times….The constant humming and buzzing of information that our brain is constantly trying to take in and file…somewhere…is enormous! It can definitely hinder us from hearing that still, small voice that calls us to a deeper conversation with our Maker.

Psalm 62:5 (ISV) says, “My soul, be quiet before God, for from Him comes my hope.” Are you struggling with hopelessness? feeling overwhelmed? Do you need peace today? Switching to airplane mode to have conversation with God is a good place to begin.