"Happy" New Year!

MOST PEOPLE ARE ABOUT AS HAPPY AS THEY MAKE UP THEIR MINDS TO BE. 

Abe Lincoln

But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.Psalm 68:3

Ever wonder what it is that makes children so happy all the time?  They start smiling in infancy and spend most of their childhood in that state of mind no matter what goes on around them!  They find joy in the simplest of things and their laughter comes about as freely as their breathing does!  Part of their unconditional happiness is a result of their inability to understand the difficulties of life right?  They don't get burdened by life because they live in the moment.  They dance when they feel like it, they sing when a song fills their heart, and they reach out and embrace even the most stoic of people if they feel like giving a hug!  Happiness is what most kids are all about. Their laughter is contagious!

It is a common to extend the phrase, "Happy New Year"  as we begin a new calendar year.  But I know and you know that some days are just plainly not happy.  And as a Christian, I know that God doesn't promise every day to be happy, in fact, He tells us that in this life we will have troubles (John 16:33). But in His next words, Jesus says, "take heart, for I have overcome the world!" He says, "I have told you these things so that in Me, you may have peace".  So what is happiness anyway?  Is it a feeling of bliss and a lack of sorrow, anger, or anxiety?  I don't think that the kind of happiness that God speaks of is the total absence of any other emotion.  I think He speaks of something far greater than emotion itself....something that is much deeper and complex.  The kind of happiness that God speaks of is something that surpasses and overrides any trouble that you and I may have in this world.  It is something that doesn't waver, even in the face of diversity. It is that peace that passes understanding and that joy that comes from knowing that because Jesus has overcome the world, we have too.  We are firmly rooted in Him for all eternity....and the best is yet to come!

We may not be able to shed the difficulties of life, nor should we because it is in the difficulties that we grow spiritually and gain compassion for others, but the key is to make up our minds to be happy.  To commit to look at the one thing in life that we can count as unwavering joy, Jesus...and live in His moments.  Let His songs bring singing to our lips and dancing to our feet, and let His love cause us to reach out and embrace even the most stoic of people.  Because after all, happiness can be contagious!

So, my greeting is sincere when I wish you all A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Kara

I'm the Lucky One

"Let me take your picture!" Kristin says to me, as she smiles and her eyes twinkle from across the table.  I ask why and she giggles.  I'm suspicious, "Do I look weird?  Do I have something in my teeth?  What are you up to?" I don't know how many pictures my kids have of me that are worthy of blackmail!  They are constantly catching me either sleeping with my mouth open or some other hideous expression on my face!  Kristin says, "I just want to send a picture to Kylie to prove that I am the luckiest one"....what?..."we are sending pictures back and forth trying to prove who is the luckiest one~~~I'm the luckiest one cuz I am with you!"  So she snaps a picture and promptly sends it to her sister, and gets a snapshot of Kylie back with a look of , "NO FAIR!" on her face, and a comment that says, "You're with Mama?!  I'm jealous!"
 I see this and my heart swells with gratitude.  And all of the aches of the day melt away as I realize that I am the lucky one.  Only luck has nothing to do with it~~~it is the purposeful and love-filled grace of God that gives this moment to us.

I just kept thinking of that moment all night, and each time I thought of it I got a big lump in my throat.  I am so touched by the love of my kids~~~ and the fact that they still want to spend time with me!  And I know, with all certainty, that God loves me even more!  And what if~~~what if we took "snapshots" of God and shared them with our loved ones to show them how "lucky" we are?  What if we announced to all those we know that we are the luckiest ones because we get to spend time with The Father?  I know one thing~~~there would be no need for jealousy because anyone who wants to be with Him, can.  He is present and among us at all times, and anyone who wants Him in their presence can be "the lucky one".

Could it be, that His presence is in each one of us who believe, and when we share our love with one another, we share a piece of His presence? We share a snapshot of God! I know it's true.  And when I am holding back, I am missing out on the greatest gift of all~~~the gift of making someone's heart swell with joy as He fills it with gratitude.

Thank you my sweet girls, for making your mama feel so special.  Thank you for sharing God's presence with me and for giving me so much joy.

Thank you God, for your everlasting presence in all the ways that you make yourself known~~~and felt by the heart. 

11/13

The Golden Thread

​In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:1-3

Jesus, the Golden Thread who weaves and holds all things together
​Past Present and Future~~~*
How is it possible that the unfathomable Glory of God, the Radiance of One brighter than all of the Light in the universe, could be present between the leather bound covers of the Book?

He spoke through the Prophets of old…..words from the lips of holy men who had the very Breath of God, forming the truths of what was, and what was to come. He spoke at many times and in various ways. The words were murmured and spoken over the ages of time, passing on the treasures of wisdom from people to people, and lived out just as He said.
Jesus was there from the beginning, connecting the story with His Holy Spirit’s powerful influence……like a needle, piercing the fabric of time, placing the Golden Thread in places…..seemingly unlikely places…..throughout the world, stitching the Tapestry of time with His very presence.

But in these Last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of All things, and through whom He made the Universe. HE MADE THE UNIVERSE….God, through Jesus, made the universe.
He not only was there from the beginning, He was the beginning. From nothing, He made something. So began the story, and the Triune God worked together, three persons, working together to form the story of life.

The Son is the exact representation of His being…..the sole expression of the Glory of God….the radiance of the Divine…and He is the perfect imprint and very image of God’s nature,
sustaining all things by His powerful Word ….upholding and maintaining….guiding and propelling…turning and twisting….weaving the universe by His Mighty Word of Power.

The Golden Thread that ties all things together
made Himself Human for a time……
in bold color for our human eyes to see,
and in stark suffering that no human heart could fathom.
Golden Thread becoming scarlet red, covered the dark places, making them bright white. He provided purification for our sins……riddance for our guilt…
Pulling stitches tightly, binding us to Himself in Holy Embrace, He wove us into His story, the Tapestry of Truth….
And when HE WAS FINISHED, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High where He waits until the Book becomes book no more…….
When the tangible fades to eternal sight, and we are in His very presence forever more.

His Word is Living. His Glory Shines. And although we hold it in our hands….
the Book…..
Is the Living Glory of God. Bound, cover to cover, with the Golden Thread of Jesus, who stitched the old with the new. Wholly God….
Holy God.

Kara
11/11

New beginnings

Maybe some would say it's no big deal, but I call it God's sweet grace......right at eye level from my place in my living room, I am experiencing the joy of watching a mama Robin build a nest in the tree in the yard! After last weeks post, "Temporary Home", it seems like God is giving me a sweet view of a new beginning! Isn't that just like Him?! He delights in delighting His children. It brings Him joy to see us joyful. We are designed for joy. I just read a quote in my morning devotion that describes this perfectly:
" For God has no glory, actively from those that behold His glory and take no pleasure in it; but the essence of the glorifying of God consists, therefore, in the creature's rejoicing in God's manifestation of His beauty, which is the joy and happiness we speak of." (Jonathan Edwards)

So as I take great delight in this picture of new beginnings and speak of it, I am bringing glory to God! It's just that simple!

Lesson learned: Take time to look around at the small stuff.....the beauty that He has created around you, and then smile and let the joy of it penetrate your heart. By doing this throughout your day, you will bring great delight to God!

Temporary Home

Hanging on by a thread......a thin brittle thread, the nest sways gently in the wind. Abandoned and worn, it's useless housing seems somehow to send a message of hope. How? How does something that once cupped fragile, naked, blind baby birds with their little beaks held wide open, desperately waiting to be filled......and now emptily bakes in the sun.....how does this send a message of hope? Well, for one who dwells a lot on what once was, this only sends messages of regret. I mean, think of how many hours that mama bird spent making that nest in preparation for her babies. Thousands of trips to the bank of the river for mud to build the foundation, and then thousands of more trips lining the nest with grasses and tiny branches......well that sounds exhausting to me! And then all that time keeping those eggs warm and safe until the hatchlings were free of their encasing and protection......what dedication! And the work doesn't stop there....thousands more trips back and forth to the nest are needed to find and feed food to the hungry little peeps, until they are big enough to fly from that place of refuge toward the next phase of life. That empty nest hanging from the tree has history!

 For sentimental types, this maybe brings a little sadness to their heart. And I have to say, sometimes that's my reaction to such things. I say, " hey, let's fix that! Let's anchor that nest back up in the tree and put some soft pieces of grass in the bottom and wait for another mama to use it!" Isn't that the nature of sentimental people? We want things to be whole again....like they once were. We don't like change. We want to fix, and fix things for others. In fact, I get so caught up in the past that I miss what is happening right before my very eyes.

 This morning as Scott and I sat in the campground with our coffee, I glanced up just in time to see a Robin flying toward a tree with long strands of dried grass trailing from her beak. I'm not sure I've ever seen that so closely before, but it caught my attention because of the grass flying through the air. She was making a new nest in the tree 30 feet from the hanging nest. That's when I got it.....I got the message! The old nest was a temporary home. It wasn't meant to be permanent, nor was it meant to be fixed. It served it's purpose for the time that was intended. Birds know these things! Apparently even my "bird brain" cannot accept such things as part of life!

 Most likely, after those mamas pour out their efforts for a season of reproduction, their purpose is served and they die. Their purpose is to grow strong enough to reproduce and provide for the next generation......and then they are done with their life here on earth. What about us? Isn't this a temporary dwelling place for us to grow strong in so that we can pass along the treasures of truth and provide for those in need? Shouldn't we be more heavenly-minded, accepting the changes of life as part of our journey away from this temporary home?

 We cling to our possessions here on earth like they are our hope, but are reminded that because of Jesus sacrificial death on the Cross, so that we may be reconciled unto God, we have eternal life......only not here on this earth. This is our temporary home. Our bodies begin to waste away, and eventually we are like that swaying-in-the-wind empty nest.........done. We die. We begin the next phase of life in the presence of The Lord. That is, if we believe the treasures of the truth of Christ and accept it for our own life.

 Since this life is temporary, the message of hope is this: we don't have to FEAR the changes of life, we don't have to FIX the changes of life, and we don't have to FLEE from them. We only have to have FAITH, that the changes in life are are part of God's grand plan, and are moving us FORWARD toward our next phase of life. In the meantime, we FIND purpose in what is set before us and we make nests of refuge for others as we share the message of hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
 2 Cor 4:16-17

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that 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 14:1-3

Meadowlark music in the misty morning

Hunkered down in a snow-misted morning, cozy and warmly tucked in, I sit with a steaming cup of java.  It's really not supposed to be this way.....I mean it's the end of April and there are supposed to be daffodils lining beds of moist brown earth, and fine blades of fresh grass sprouting in the yard.  The children are supposed to be playing in schoolyards in only their light jackets, and sunbeams on their faces.  Baby animals should be learning their first clumsy steps in the warm friendly fields, and people should be out for their morning walks with dogs in tow.  But instead, we are forced inward by a sudden frigid bout of snow and fog.  The sky is gray, most trees are barren, and the grass is still dead amber. The only daffodils I've seen looked like they had proudly poured forth their cheerful blooms, only to be knocked into a wilted stupor, laying low to the ground in quiet surrender to the cold.   Little finches crowd our feeder as if they were foraging for sustenance in a barren land, and the sky is absent of flitting mama robins preparing their nests.

I wonder, does your life feel like this too?  Is it supposed to be the "springtime" of your life but you are finding yourself all hunkered down in your soul?  Do you have visions of all of the good that you could be doing, only to have been knocked down by cold, dark times?  Are you like those precious daffodils laying low to the the frigid earth in quiet surrender to your circumstances?  Where are the sunbeams and sprouts?  How does one prepare a nest of dreams when everything seems covered with a cold damp layer of sorrow? I've been there....and I understand.

I gazed out at the misty morning and then turned away, determined to find comfort in my inward shelter.  Sometimes that's hard to do.  But this morning, my comfort didn't come from inside....it came from that gloomy cloud covered canopy.  Somewhere, hidden in the trees came a familiar sound.  It was a sound not equated with the picture I was looking at...maybe that's why it seemed so lilting and sweet?  It was unexpected, and it's song broke through the snowy stillness.  The music of a meadowlark hearkened my heart like hope amidst hopelessness. My head snapped back to the window and I was reminded that springtime happenings are all around, despite the unexpected things that stifle.  Beneath the snow, the earth soaks in moisture greatly needed in order to bring forth blooms and blossoms.  Bountiful pine boughs provide cover for mama robins as they await.  And you know what?  Those children, although not covered with natures sunbeams, are filled with Son-beams as they find joy no matter where they play!

We can count on "springtime happenings" even in the darkest seasons of life.  We don't have to surrender to the coldness of hopelessness because deep within the soul we are constantly being nourished by the Son and living water of His Spirit. Son-beams shine eternal hope in a hopeless-seeming world.

The weather forecast says this is all temporary.....it's going to clear up soon.  Remember that will you?  This life is temporary....and all will be clear soon, because with Jesus, there is always hope.  Even amidst the cloudy days.  The time of hunkering doesn't need to be wasted.  Find your Meadowlark Music ....it's song is lilting and sweet, especially in the darkness of the hour.  <3 Kara

The Glove

                                                                                                 

An old leather glove

worn well, broken-in, and tanned,

work rubbed the softness right in,

and time shaped the glove to the hand.

 Although not so pretty anymore,

it is better than before.

It's better because it was filled by the Hand,

it's better because it was used by the Hand.

Used to grip tightly, and to fix rightly,

used to lift up, and to touch up,

used to hold what was once lost

no matter the cost.

Inside and outside

all is worn....

but all is well

when glove and Hand abide.

Used up?  Absolutely not!

For new life unfolds 

as it tenderly holds

Grace in it's palm.

Light shines from above

soothing like balm

on the tattered and torn,

well worn glove.
                                    Kara

“So we’re not giving up. How could we!

Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace.

These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us.

There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow.

But the things we can’t see now — will last forever.”  2 Corinthians 4:18 MSG

Dawn Design

                   

This is what I saw first thing this morning.  Before the sun was able to warm up the sky with light, the residual from the darkness lay stubbornly upon the window of my car.  Evidence of frigid fog clung, determined to show that there is beauty that comes from darkness and cold.....only it can't be seen until the sun comes up.  Each tiny frost pattern, different in it's own way, shined like a twinkling star in the sky.  The intricate tendrils began to melt in a blink of an eye, and before I knew it, my vision was clear and I could see beyond the once crystalline confines.  I have to say, I was a little disappointed that I didn't have time to sit and look awhile before the flaky design faded, but as usual, time left no room for that.  

I can't help but compare this to experiences of life.  Dark and cold times come in and out of our lives, most of the time unexpectedly.  During the nighttimes of hardship or trials, we struggle.  But when the dawn breaks, and the warmth of light penetrates the soul, we can see that somehow, good came from the difficulty. Tiny patterns of purpose are revealed, as we wait for clearer vision to move forth. But with the busyness of life, we seldom take the time to ponder the grace, the lessons, and the strength that came from the frigid and foggy stretch of time.  We rush on, wanting desperately to see what lies ahead, and in a blink of an eye, we have forgotten that those crystalline confines right at the beginning of dawn, are meant to show us glimpses of the intricate plan of God in our midst.  He puts grace marks that cling, right in front of our eyes so that we may know His mercy and care in every darkness of our life.

Take time to examine His goodness in every trial. Take time to notice that He is always with you, and His light follows every darkness, revealing glimmers of His plan and purpose in all things.

The Washing of the Water

I saw it on Facebook~~~it was one of the most beautiful things I had seen in a long time.  A Baby Bath? Yep!  For those of you that know me, you know that I LOVE BABIES and everything about them!  God has blessed my love for babies by giving me a career that involves caring for them.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for His gift to me.  So when I saw this video, I was naturally taken by the sheer tenderness displayed as this nurse bathes a newborn baby for the first time.

I've probably given hundreds of newborn baby baths, but what is it about this video that moves my heart so? I watch it again and again and I see things that go beyond a routine baby bath.  There is a sacredness to this act of love.  I find that as I see the baby being soothed, I am soothed as well.

Fresh from the warmth of the womb, a child's first experiences of life in the world can be harsh.  After being thrust from the confines of safety into the bright and open world, so many stimulating sensations happen at once, many of which are unavoidable and just part of being born into the physical world.  But as we seek to find ways to make the transition easier, we have to look deeper into the true needs of the tender and fragile little life of a newborn. There are ways to nurture the peace that was created inside of that little being, so that new life begins with a feeling of protection and safety, rather than fear and discomfort.  This video is a picture of that nurturing and love. But I wonder~~~is there something even more profound here?

As I watch how the nurse handles the baby, I notice that her hands never completely separate from the baby's skin during the entire time. She makes sure that there is steady support as she cradles the infant in her hands and arms. Constant touch gives this infant security. Slow and relaxed movements keep the baby from startling and careful positioning keeps the baby in it's fetal position of comfort.  But it's the water~~~it's the washing of the water that brings me to tears.  And it's then that I realize the profoundness of this beautiful video.  The Washing of the Water is what makes New Birth sacred.

For me, this video symbolizes how we are taken from the confines of the physical world into the actual hands of God when we are reborn in the Spirit of Christ and receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior.  Complete and utter surrender to the capable and loving arms of God brings a deeper security than we've ever known.  As He seeks to nurture that peace within our soul~~~the peace that He created within us~~~the peace that passes human understanding~~~we begin new life in the safety of eternal salvation.  God's hands never leave us.  His touch is evident all around us as we experience His grace in so many ways.  Prayerful communion with Him brings assurance as He moves us to new positions in life, so we need not fear~~~He is always with us.  Living in the constant flow of His Living Water~~~~allowing it to wash over and into our entire being~~~brings rest and restoration to the soul.

It's the most beautiful thing~~~watching New Birth rest peacefully in the arms of God.

Heart Sore to Heart Soar

The heart......the core of life....physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Without it, we would physically die. It's vital to a sustained life.  Maybe that's why it is referenced in so many ways emotionally and spiritually?

Is it possible to be heart-sore and heart-soaring at the same time?
                         I believe so

Some may call it "bittersweet", and some may say they have "mixed emotions", but it's all the same really.  I believe that things can touch us so deeply that our hearts feel pierced, but at the same time are so profound that they take us to a new heights of understanding.
                 I believe God does that.


Yesterday, I saw a man, thinned by cancer, walking slowly down the sidewalk holding the tiny hand of his granddaughter.  He had the most gentle and tender look on his face as he led her to the front door of the town candy shop.  Emotions washed over me like a giant tidal wave.  Sadness, adoration, gratitude, and hope.  My heart was made sore as I thought of this fleeting moment in time and the temporariness of beautiful moments with this sick grandpa and little girl.  At the same time, it was one of the most precious things I had seen all day.  It was a blessing. It made my heart soar to think about how God can take the hardest things of life and transform them into fleeting moments of tenderness and love.

 Those things that pierce the heart can sometimes be felt like a physical ache from deep within.  An ache that makes the heart heavy.  An ache that makes one feel all broken inside.....broken to the point of no return.  And we can stay there if we choose.....all caged up and bound.....separated from the rest of life.
                 But that's really not necessary.


We have a God that cares.  We have a God that not only comforts sore hearts, He also has a way of causing them to soar in ways we never could have imagined, teaching us to look for the hidden things in each moment..... the blessings of His grace.....the lessons that we can take along with us as we soar to new heights of awareness of who God is.  

We live in a world full of broken people.  Not one of us is free of a sore heart at times.  I believe God made us that way.  Why?  Because without the sore heart can we really experience a soaring heart?
Without darkness, would we ever really know what light is?  Without cold, would we ever really understand warmth?

In this world you will have troubles, but take heart!  I have overcome the world.
 John 16:33

Sometimes I feel so hopeless and helpless.  I hear the problems of my loved family and friends,  and my heart hurts.  It's sore with sadness, guilt, fear, anxiety, and just plain tiredness.  I can't fix things.  I want to, but I can't.  But God can.  The thing is, He does it in His own way and time.  And usually that's not in my way and time and so I get discouraged.  But He sees the entire picture from beginning to end, and He knows how it all fits together.  So when I take my sore heart to Him, He lifts me up and shows me things from His perspective.  You see, it's not because of who we are.....it's because of Who He is that our hearts can soar. When He dwells in our heart, we can soar above the troubles of the world. Because of His wisdom and grace, He works all things out according to His purpose.  He can bring good out of every single situation.  He already has overcome the world.  In Him, we are saved from a forever sore heart.....How?  By His Son Jesus who was pierced for our sins so that we could have eternal life in Him.   So that we could have soaring hearts, even when we have sore hearts.

Eternal Epidemic

Fever, coughing, headache, sore throat, body aches.....it's like an epidemic around here. So many people have been infected with the flu virus. People of all ages are carrying the virus from place to place, and it's contagious nature is oppotunistic as it invades healthy bodies and makes them very sick for a time. One day there were 100 children out of an elementary school in Billings. The spread of disease can be devastating.

All of this got me to thinking the other day.....you know, sometimes these dismal thoughts can get a person down. I don't know---is it a human tendency to focus on all of the things going wrong in the world, rather than the things going right? For me, it has to be a conscious choice each day to pull my thoughts away from the negatives so that I can see the blessings and hope around me. I mean, in this situation I thought, "wouldn't it be great if the spread of goodness could be so contagious?" It can be! We can all be carriers of love and hope, infecting the hearts of others in epidemic proportions. Instead of a short course of infection, it could be an eternal epidemic! I see it happen every day....not just during "flu season!"

So, next time you hear the statistics on how rampant the flu is, think feverishly of extending God's love and infecting a few people for Him!

Achooooo!