I watched a movie called “Free Guy” starring Ryan Reynolds. He plays a character named Guy who discovers he is a character inside of a video game. In this game Guy is a bank teller. He wears the same clothes every day. Stops at the same coffee shop. Drinks the same coffee. Every day. From sun up to sun down doing the same thing over and over. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Until one day, Guy discovers he can choose to be someone different. He meets someone who awakens something inside of him to want more in life. He discovers that if he puts on glasses like this other person, Guy can see the world like she does. He can choose to really live. He can help others. He can be free.

Now I wouldn’t say that ‘Free Guy’ is all that good of a movie, but I stuck with it and I found an interesting parallel to our lives. We can live day in and day out, just like Guy. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. But somewhere along the way, perhaps as a child, or maybe as an adult…maybe even stumbling upon a Christian radio station, we discover the One who awakens the Spirit in us to follow Christ. We discover we can choose to live differently. And when we ask to see the world as Jesus does, when He gives us His eyes to see, we realize that we were always meant to be different. We can help others. We can choose to live truly free.

John 8:36 (NIV) says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

There’s something so beautiful about seeing the current season fold into the next. The arrival of daffodils means gardening, backyard barbecues and that days at the lake or the beach aren’t far behind. School shopping, pumpkin spice lattes and scarecrows signal that fall is crowding out the summer. Then, falling leaves, bonfires with s’mores, and crisp, cool early mornings are a sure sign that winter is approaching.

If you live in an area with only subtle changes between the seasons, these might be the only tells that we are leaving one season behind for another. But, since I live where the changing seasons are very noticeable in the weather conditions alone, I can say I live with the anticipation of change when I see these things. Even though we may have a favorite season, there is something to appreciate about each one.

So much of our life chapters are told by the seasons of change. And there are lessons to learn mixed into each one as we learn to handle every page, every day, as a gift from God. Often, we think of the winter months with loneliness and sorrow. We would likely skip winter if we could. But just as spring always follows winter…there IS life after a winter season. Think of those daffodil bulbs buried, waiting, gaining energy to burst through the surface and remind us that hope is still here. Spring is soon to come. In our winter, there is still something happening inside of us, building energy, seeing the darkness but leaning, pressing, moving toward the light.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV) we are reminded that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Today is a gift. Perhaps that’s why it is called the present. Regardless of the season you are in, take time today to see something good around you. Maybe the good is actually happening within you!

Because of what I do I often have the privilege of spending time with some of our favorite Christian music artists. I know their music. I’ve read their bios. I know about their families and I may even know a few things they don’t always share from a stage but when I introduce them to an audience I really only know about them.

Not long ago a dear friend of mine joined me in attending a ladies Bible study that I have been honored to lead. The first night that she came I introduced her to our group and I was delighted to share how much she means to me, how long we have been friends and that we’d spent years meeting together every week for Bible study while our kids played together on the playground or the pool. I KNOW her and it was easy to let others know how special my friend is and that they might just enjoy getting to know her too!

We can read about God. We can listen to sermons, hum the words to the songs about Him, we can even serve on His behalf; but, TODAY the God of the entire universe…the One who created you and me, is inviting us to really spend time with Him. Be aware of His presence. Pray — which is really talking with Him about what is on our heart — and then listening for Him to share what is on His heart for us.

A. W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” The more time we spend with Him, the more we will know Him. And the easier it will be to introduce someone else to Him. 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT) tells us, “You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”

Tell the story of how Jesus changed your life. Tell your story! That’s the most effective way to share Jesus with someone today.

You and I do not have the corner on drama in our lives. All it takes is 20 minutes or so of reading the Bible to know that drama is part of life. Esther is one of my favorite Bible stories and with only 10 chapters in the book of Esther you could read it in a single setting. You might want to get your notebook out though, with all the twists and turns of this incredible story, it might be a challenge to keep them all straight.

If you haven’t read it – this is a spoiler alert! But the summary will help shine a light on something we need to remember. Esther becomes Queen after winning the heart of the King. But Esther is a Jew and Jews were hated by some who were close to the King. Haman is evil and plots to annihilate the Jews. Esther rises to the challenge that she must intercede on behalf of her people to save them. So she throws a dinner and invites both the King and Haman to the table.

I don’t know how long this banquet lasted but Esther 7 starts out with them conversing over the ‘second dinner of the evening’. Esther is courageous. The king’s heart is moved by his queen and he has an epiphany of the caliber of evil within Haman’s heart. I’m not giving up anymore of the story right now…but I want you to remember this powerful lesson. Especially when you find yourself in a battle that feels full of twists & turn in your own story. Remember this story of Esther, and Haman, and the king and know this…the presence of your enemy at the banquet table does not diminish the presence of your King.

Psalm 23:5 (CEV) tells us, “You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch. You honor me as Your guest, and You fill my cup until it overflows.” When you choose Jesus as your King, it will not matter who else is at your table.

When my kiddos got old enough that I could let them play in the backyard for a while by themselves I would tell them, “Stay where I can see you!” I might be folding laundry or washing dishes but I was able to glance out of the kitchen window or the back patio and keep an eye on them. Of course, I wanted to keep them out of trouble but I also wanted trouble to stay away from them…and I wanted them to learn to follow directions.

Sometimes they got interested in something beyond the backyard and would go beyond where I could see them. And I would go find them and bring them back. When they got into something they knew they weren’t supposed to get into….they would hide. As a parent, we know that is a sure sign they are likely up to something!

That’s nothing new. We don’t have to read very far into the Bible to find people hiding. Adam & Eve, Elijah, Jonah…hiding for a variety of reasons…but none could hide from God. And neither can we. There’s a great benefit of staying where God has us. It’s not that we could possibly hide from God. The benefit is OURS when we stay where we can see HIM!

Psalm 139: 7-10 (CEV) reminds us that He is always with us! “Where could I go to escape from Your Spirit or from Your sight? If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, You would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead You would also be there. Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean. Even then Your powerful arm would guide and protect me.”

So it’s not about staying where God can see us. Let’s determine today that we are going to stay where we can see HIM!

We’ve moved four times since I’ve been married. The first three times we boxed up our belongings & moved our furniture and I’ve looked forward to the new memories we would make in our new home. The last time we moved was different for many reasons. I think the hardest part was that we were leaving the home we had raised our children in. So many memories within those walls .. like the doorframe into my office that had each height measurement & birthdate of our kids from the age they were when we moved in until we moved out etched into it. That was hard to leave behind.

My girlfriend told me that she had a similar experience. She had been dreading taking things off the walls and moving the furniture out because so much life had happened in her home. But walking back into the empty room was good for her because she realized…there’s no life in the room. Life was in her!

What a beautiful thought. We take our memories with us wherever we go. And because we have life within us we can make new memories wherever God leads us next. It might not be a new home. Maybe it’s a new job, a new fellowship, a new community of friends. Isaiah 43:19 (VOICE) reminds us to look for it! “Watch closely: I am preparing something new; it’s happening now, even as I speak, and you’re about to see it. I am preparing a way through the desert; Waters will flow where there had been none.”

Look for it!

The marimba is one of my favorite instruments to hear played. The wooden bars have a nice tone but what makes the marimba sound amazing is the long metal tubes, called resonators, that hang below the wooden bars that are each a different length and amplify the sound vibrations making them richer, more mellow and beautiful.

Did you know that everything in the universe has a vibration? Everything! Even WE have a vibration and everything around us vibrates at a high or low frequency around us. Interestingly, the process of matching the natural frequency of a body to produce maximum effect is called “resonance.”

So, when we say, “that really resonated with me,” we’re saying that it hit our natural frequency. And, while most things would normally not affect us that deeply, that “something” found the sweet spot that moved us to maximum effect.

Imagine when the Holy Spirit whispers to our spirit, either through His still, small voice or a message or a song. When both vibrations are dialed in and match up…that’s when we are moved to tears, or overwhelming joy, unexplainable peace and even courage that we didn’t know we had the capacity to walk in. When those frequencies resonate to the depth of our soul…that is right where God wants us to live.

1 Corinthians 2:10 (TPT) reveals, “But God now unveils these profound realities to us by the Spirit. Yes, He has revealed to us His inmost heart and deepest mysteries through the Holy Spirit, who constantly explores all things.”

That really resonates with me. I hope it resonates with you!

When I was a kid I loved watching a TV show for kids called “Romper Room”. The host would hold up a magic mirror so she could see the kids watching at home. She would call out “I see Johnny, and Betsy, Danny and Matthew, Bobby, Brenda, Donna….”. Each time I watched, I waited and hoped that she would call my name. That she would “see” me. But, she never did. It didn’t stop me from hoping, waiting, listening.

We all long to be seen. Oh, we may do our best to blend into the crowd or slide into the back pew at church. But there is something in each of us that wants to be acknowledged…to be known. Luke 19 tells a story about a man named Zacchaeus. He was, shall we say, vertically challenged, and a chief tax collector at that. So no one was going to help him get to the front of the line to see Jesus. Zacchaeus ran ahead, climbed a tree, and waited. Not only did he see Jesus…but Jesus looked up and saw HIM…and called Zacchaeus by name!

There is so much I love about this story. Like the fact that Jesus didn’t care what Zacchaeus did, nor did he care what others thought about Zacchaeus. Jesus said salvation was coming to his house that day! Can you imagine how Zacchaeus must have felt?! One of my favorite things about this story though…is that on THAT day, Jesus SAW him! And Zacchaeus’ life was changed forever!

Today you don’t have to climb a tree…or wait for someone to notice you in a crowd. God sees you! He knows the challenges you are facing and the insecurities you feel. He is calling you by name. And if you will respond to His call, your life will never be the same!

Have you ever noticed how much of life happens when you’re ‘on the way’ somewhere? I’m not just talking about our daily destinations but our long-range goal destinations as well. You plan to reach a certain weight, a certain pay grade, a special vacation spot for a milestone celebration….but along the way something happens that slows us down or even changes our course.

We see that same thing happen over and over with Jesus and His disciples in the gospels. So many ministry moments happened when they were ‘on the way’ to a city or town. Jesus used all of them as teachable, often life-changing moments to reveal God’s goodness and His glory. 

Jeremiah 29:11 – “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.”

The next time we feel our plans are being interrupted by someone or something maybe we should consider this – some of our greatest ‘opportunities’ will come at some of the most inconvenient times! And yet, they happen right when they are supposed to happen. We might consider these accidents or coincidence; but in God’s time frame….how we journey is as important as the destination!

Marshawn Evans Daniels said, “God is calling you out of the familiar and into the spectacular. I am praying that heaven continues to lead you, grow you, and equip you with courage as you learn to live outside the boat.”

Wait. OUTSIDE the boat??!! I saw that phrase and thought immediately about Peter and how fast his courage evaporated when he stepped out of the boat. I’m not sure how long his ‘walk on the water’ lasted but I’ve never thought about it being long-term before. And she said her prayer and encouragement for us is to learn to LIVE outside the boat?!

And yet…it resonates with me that the ONLY way to truly experience the SPECTACULAR with God…is to have the faith and courage to LIVE outside the boat. I am captivated by the imagination of what is waiting for us if we are willing to leave the familiar and follow His lead.

We can stay in the boat, or we can hear God calling us to step out, and experience all that He has for us outside of the boat. If you’re waiting in the boat for God to lay out His plan for you before you take that leap it might be good to go back and read Matthew 14. Jesus only said one word to Peter. “Come.” But it was an invitation to experience a life fully trusting in God, regardless of what is happening around us.

Ready for the spectacular life God has planned for you? Jesus said, “Come.”