When Everything Changed

When Everything Changed

“It’s hard to know what the next moment will bring, so enjoy what you have while you can.”

Loren Thornburg

Life is full of markers, of moments when everything changed.  On December 14^th, 2012 everything changed for families, for schools, for America.  Although many states removed, I can’t help but think and feel a little different than I did before that day.  I wasn’t there, I don’t know anyone who was, and I haven’t had to walk through anything like it, but I can’t help but feel the weight and fear.  As I see the faces and grieve their loss I am unsure what it looks like from here.  I walk through a parking lot and wonder if that could be the place that another act of violence will occur.  Yet in that same breathe I can’t help but also enjoy all the more, the moments I have now with those around me.  You see the thing is, my safety has never been guaranteed, nor is that of any of those around me.  So all I know to do is enjoy to the full all that I have been given for as long as I am given it to enjoy.  I grieve for the day that everything changed for so many families and as I fall to my knees I find thanks for another day with those I love. 

“For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Messiah the Lord!” 

Luke 2:11 Amplified

In these days of grief I have to remember Hope.  I am so thankful for that day long ago when everything changed, but this time it was change for everlasting LIFE.  It was that day when a Savior was born for us.  Hope came in a way no one would have guessed.  No one could have made up a story like that which people would have believed.  The shepherds saw it and they knew.  Mary saw the Son and she knew that everything was going to change.  As we grieve tremendous loss and change there is one thing that doesn’t change...hope.  Hope remains because Jesus came.  So grieve, but don’t forget that long before December 14, 2012 Hope came to save you.  It came to meet you right where you are in whatever pain, loss, fear, or shame you find yourself in.  He came to give you life in the midst of those places.  Jesus came to save you...that’s when everything changed.  

2012 Devotional Books are available for purchase.  The proceeds helps raise money for Competitive Edge International.  Email me if you are interested in ordering. 

Make Room

“Make room for Love.  Make space for Hope.  Make time for Truth.  Let the things that matter most have room in your life.”
Loren Thornburg

With Christmas on it’s way we make room for lots of things in our lives.  We are buying presents, going to parties, decorating, planning and more.  We make room in our homes for the guests coming into town, but, what about the things that matter most?  What about the reasons we are doing all of these preparations?  Are we giving those things room in our lives?  We spend a lot of time preparing for the physical preparations, but what about our hearts?  Are we giving them room to prepare?  Are we making space for the things that mean the most to us?  First we need to know what those things are and then we need to make room for them in our lives.  It’s so easy to get caught in the craze of things and miss the point.  Make room for the things that matter most.  

“Let the Word of Christ-The Message-have run of the house.  Give it plenty of room in your lives.” 
Colossians 3:16 Message

God wants run of the house, not just a part of the house.  He wants plenty of room in our lives not just one of the rooms of our hearts.  So often we want to give him part of our lives and not all of it.  We think that parts of our lives are separate from Him, but He is in and through all of it.  He is there in our work, our play, our eating, our relationships, our dreams, our grieving...everything, but often we don’t invite Him into those things.  We don’t give Him permission to have His way in those things.  We are so often more concerned about our rooms looking good, our house looking good, our lives looking good, then we are with letting God into them.  We seek to impress everyone except the One who brings the love we are looking for in our impressing.  So decorate, yes; give gifts, yes; prepare for parties, yes; but not to impress, but to celebrate the One who loves us without any impressing.  Make room to spend time with Him like you make room for all the Christmas festivities.  So as we sing in “Joy to the World”, may “every heart prepare him room”...including yours.    

2012 Devotional Books are available for purchase.  The proceeds helps raise money for Competitive Edge International.  Email me if you are interested in ordering.  

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Talking My Language

“People need to hear; people need to know; people need to believe...enter in and speak their language.”

Loren Thornburg

We use the phrase, “now you’re talking my language,” when we agree or feel understood by someone.  More than speaking English or French it is a deeper level of meeting someone where they are with similar interests and likes.  What would that look like for you?  For me it might be someone talking softball or healthy living or being real.  Those are things I can understand and get on board with.  After having spent a few days surrounded by softball coaches I am reminded that to reach people we have to speak their language.  If you want to reach and care for a softball coach you would talk the softball lingo and so I did, which isn’t hard since that’s my lingo too.  But what about people who aren’t softball players or into the same things I am?  I need to discover what their language is and speak it if I want to have favor and influence in their life.  I am not talking about people pleasing I am talking about being intentional to enter into to people’s lives and meet them where they are.  Let’s enter in and hear them say…
“Now you’re talking my language.”    

“Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!”  Matthew 2:9-10 Message

I love how God speaks our language!  He will use whatever He can to speak to us.  To the scholars (wise men) studying the stars He used a star.  The star they followed led them to Himself.  He is speaking to us still today, using whatever our “language” is to meet us.  Finding Him is always His desire and goal.  Often I overlook how often a song  will minister to me not realizing God is speaking my language.  He is meeting us where we are at.  He is speaking to you in your own language.  Do you hear Him?  He is drawing you closer to Him if you will listen to His voice.  Follow Him as the wise men did to the right place at the right time...to see more of Him.  Don’t miss Him...He is speaking your language.