The Importance of a Crossroads Moment

We semi-celebrated our son Oliver’s 22nd birthday yesterday. We didn’t have any major plans so we went to lunch. I apologized that we didn’t have any big hubbub planned & asked if there was anything he’d like to do. He said, “No worries, I just wanted a low-key hang with fam & then maybe write my 22 goals for the year ahead.”

I love creating goals so I was excited to ask questions & help him create his 22 aims for the next 12 months. I like to call those “Crossroads Moments”, when you look around at what’s been, evaluate where you are & then make intentional decisions for which road you’ll take to move ahead.

We walked through the various areas of his life spiritual, physical, emotional, relational & financial. The process of dreaming WITH & ON his behalf was so fun! At one point he said, “I have an amazing mentor in my friend John. I wished that he lived near me in LA. I think I’d like to seek a second mentor who can also meet face to face.”

I was beyond elated! Y’all there is no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in Truth! I shared with him the importance of discipleship in his life - having someone who is walking ahead of you & warning you about the pitfalls ahead, someone who is walking beside you & asks daily questions that cause you to pause & then having someone behind who is watching all you do.

The prophet Jeremiah warns the people of Israel to, “Stop at the crossroads & look around. Ask for the godly way & walk in it. Travel it’s path & you will find rest for your weary souls.” 

The Israelites are on a path of destruction & yet they reply, “No, that’s not the path we want!!” They blatantly choose to go their own way & thus miss out on the promise of rest that comes from the ancient path.

Sometimes hardships orchestrate a crossroads moment & other times, we need create one by pausing long enough to look around & search for the ancient way forward that leads to future rest.

Father, may we not need a prophet to speak warming about our path. Holy Spirit, give us cause for pause if we’re too busy to slow down & ask for the ancient way. We don’t want to miss out on the rest You have for us - here on earth as it will be in heaven 💕

#OneYearBible

October 6th One Year Bible Readings

💡JEREMIAH 6:16-8:7

💡COLOSSIANS 2:8-23

💡PSALM 78:1-31

💡PROVERBS 24:26

The Secret Life

If we discovered some amazing secret about the future, wouldn’t we tell everyone we love? Like nothing else would matter but proclaiming this amazing discovery that would impact their lives for the remainder of this one & even unto eternity?

Yesterday one of my sons asked me if I do anything for fun. I immediately responded, “Yes!” I had several things I could say but the first thing I blurted out was that I love to write! 

The passion is fueled by the fact that I know something, like intimately & confidently, that others may not. Kinda like the secret I mention above🤗

Paul writes about this great secret that was kept quiet for centuries in a letter to the Colossians:

“And this is the secret: Christ lives in you.”

The One who lived a sinless life became sin for us so that we could spend eternity in heaven with Him!

Y’all, do you ever ponder the thin veil between heaven & earth? We are not guaranteed tomorrow-we aren’t even guaranteed the right to live through today!

If we knew the date of our last day, how might we live? How might we love? What would we define as fun?

If you know Jesus as your Savior, then you know that once we were far away from God-not by His making but by our doing. He gave us the ability to claim all rights to ourselves or to relinquish all, receiving His salvation & allowing Him to be Lord.

If I knew I’d be buried tomorrow, I’d carry a flint-like focus through the remainder of today, making sure I’d say what I need to say & do what I need to do before my hour of departure arrived. The fun of this world would fade because I’d become keenly aware that I’m about to leave it all behind.

There’s a treasure that does not fade nor fail & its Jesus. We will all die. We don’t know the length of our dash between our beginning & expiration dates, but we do know of The One who can fill the space beyond with His eternal presence & treasure unfathomable! We need only invite Him in!

Father, remind us of the brevity of time we have on this earth. Jesus, You dwell IN us. Help us love with no expectation of return for we know not the date to follow our dash. Holy Spirit, help us proclaim the great secret of our Savior on the rooftops of our lives.

#OneYearBible

October 5th One Year Bible Readings

💡JEREMIAH 4:19-6:15

💡COLOSSIANS 1:18-2:7

💡PSALM 77:1-20

💡PROVERBS 24:23-25

Sometimes Pain is the Necessary Ingredient for Change

The other day, my son Tommas sent me a song that I’ve had on repeat. A phrase popped out as I listened each time, sometimes “necessary pain is the ingredient for change.”

Pain is never fun in the moment, but if it can be wielded for growth & change, then it was well worth the momentary sting.

When my boys were little, “training them up in the way they should go”was hard. Opportunities for correction  seemed endless so it took an extra dose of Holy Spirit patience to discipline with love.

One day as I journaled about the hard of consistently training their little hearts, I felt the Lord whisper,

“Thank me for these blessed inconveniences to align their hearts with Mine.Train their willful hearts to discover the joy of following Mine now as the consequences of defiance only grow greater as they grow.”

👆🏽That little revelation became fuel to train with diligence so that they would be guarded from greater discipline later in life due to an undisciplined heart.

Psalm 76:10 speaks to this idea of the blessed inconvenience of a stubborn heart. It says that human defiance only enhances God’s glory for He uses it as a weapon.

The NIV version calls it “God’s wrath of mankind” & proclaims that it will either result in praise or restraint.

The sin that bubbled out of my little guys became blessed inconveniences to train them up in wisdom - if I followed the Lords lead, correction & discipline in love could be wielded as a weapon against enemy operation.

God is the blessed controller over ALL things

- over the passions of people

- over kings & princes

- over storms & earthquakes

He can make all things lead like streams to His will for His glory.

Any sort of wrath that is manifest among us can be employed by God to result in the praises of His remnant people.

We will all face many blessed inconveniences in our lives due to unfaithdul friends, unjust leaders, circumstances out of our control & sin in our own hearts.

The question lies herein: Will we allow our Father’s permission of momentary pain to become an ingredient for change? Will the hard result in praise of The One Who bore our sins & saved us from death, or will God have to restrain our undisciplined hearts? 

#OneYearBible

October 4th One Year Bible Readings

💡JEREMIAH 2:31-4:18

💡COLOSSIANS 1:1-17

💡PSALM 76:1-12

💡PROVERBS 24:21-22