The sunlight conquers darkness-gradually

Have you ever watch the sun come up? A sunrise is the most glorious if you are in the country or on the beach away for the light pollution of the city. Either way, it's an amazing thing to watch. It's interesting how the sunlight conquers the darkness little by little. It's doesn't suddenly become daylight like a switch being turned on. It's gradual. And, there is no doubt that the sun will shine. We don't have to stand at the window each morning wondering if the sun will come up; we have faith that it will. We expect it to arrive. You can go about your everyday life while the sun is coming up. You can fix breakfast, make your bed, watch the early news, take a shower - anything you need to do. It never occurs to us to "worry" about whether or not we will see sunlight.

That's the way it is with expecting change in our life. Most of the time, change doesn't happen instantly. You can't lose 20 pounds by snapping your fingers (though I wish I could). You can't improve your relationship with you husband or children in one day. After all, such problems usually don't develop in just one day. Most change takes time but that time is wasted if it is spent worrying about whether or not the change is coming. Also, that time is wasted if you just sit and do nothing while you're waiting for it. Go ahead with your responsibilities, recreation, work, worship, day-to-day life. Change will happen when you seek God and his will for your life. Your relationship with the Creator of the universe becomes deeper gradually. Be patient. God will answer your prayer. Happiness and joy will arrive - in God's time. After all, the sun comes up little by little every morning, doesn't it?

2 Corinthians 3:18 (The Message)
And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

I choose to wait-Biblically

Psalm 130:5-7 (Amplified Bible)

I wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope. I am looking and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, I say, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is mercy and loving-kindness, and with Him is plenteous redemption.


When I hear the term watchman, I think about the guard that is on duty all night at a military base or at a big bank. His job is to keep his eyes open and be aware of everything going on - always looking and listening. Always expecting something. In the Bible days, the watchman stood guard over the city at night in case their enemies attacked. But the watchman was only on duty for one shift - the night. He had a family at home waiting for him. No doubt breakfast was waiting on the table and a bed was waiting support him while he slept. The watchman was waiting for the first sign of morning - the first hint of light. He was expecting it. He had no doubt it would show up. He had faith in the sunrise.

This is what the verse in Psalms means when the author is talking about waiting on the Lord. Waiting comes with expecting. It is a joyful thing. How many of us when we are waiting on the Lord to follow through on His promises or to answer our prayers wait without hope or expectation. How often do we sit twiddling our thumbs saying with a downcast face, "I'm just waiting on the Lord..."? That's not Biblical waiting! Biblical waiting involves hope and joyful expectation of what the Lord has in store for us. There is no pity party involved in waiting for the Lord. There is faith, happiness, anticipation, envisioning and thankfulness for what is coming. No more solemn, depressed waiting for me! I choose to wait Biblically!

Many scholars believe that the Israelites sang Psalm 121 (one of the Psalms of Ascent) as they were on their journey to Jerusalem after they had been held captive by the Babylonians. They sang this song as they were still in a place that was not their home and while they were yearning to be with God in his house. Walking day after day on their long trip, they could see the hills in the distance realizing that Jerusalem and the temple were near. Looking to the hills reminded them that their help, their strength, and their courage comes from the Lord. The hills would have been their constant encouragement and reminder that God was always with them. It is the same for us. As we travel on the journey God has unfolded before us, we can be easily discouraged by the trials and heartaches that come our way. But if we look to the hills we will stay focused on the One who gives us help to get through the day. Praise the Lord.

Not enough Time

"One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy."~ Elisabeth Elliott ~

So, here's how it breaks down. If I am carrying around the weight of yesterdays gone by, then I cannot focus on today's task and purpose to which God has called me. If I am preoccupied with worry about tomorrow and the future, then I don't have the energy or brain power or emotional stamina to deal with today. Father God, forgive me for my busyness because you called me to obey You and not to simply be busy. Here's my day, it's Yours!

Sunday Morning with Tyson

My sweet doggie Tyson is dying from cancer. He was diagnoed in January and at this point, I believe we will only have him a couple more weeks - maybe less. He's weak and has trouble moving around. We've discovered that he loves laying in the sun. In the mornings, he lays in the small sun patch that comes in the back window. Since the weather has gotten nice, we bring him out in the front yard in the mornings while we sit on the front step and slowly wake up. Tyson lays on his side in the sun soaking up its warmth. He loves it. He lays there so long he begins to pant, but he lays there anyway. I've realized that laying in the sun seems to be an instinct for him. I wonder if its because sunlight has vitamin D in it and Vitamin D is a cancer fighter. It's an interesting thought.
It makes me thinks about us as human creatures when we get weak and sickly. Don't we also have an instinct to lay in the sunlight - or more accurately the SON light. Isn't it nice to feel the warmth of Jesus shine on us when the weight of the world eats away at us like the cancer is eating away at poor Tyson's body. I look at Tyson laying so peacefully in the sun. The cancer hasn't taken away his peace provided by the warm sun. Lord, help me to always remember that no matter what trials and pain this world brings to me that there is always peace in the SON.

What are you wearing for Easter?

I come from a conservative southern Christian family. Growing up, I always had a new Easter dress, new tights and new shoes to wear on Easter Sunday. Of course, it was never an appropriate outfit to wear out in the field for the easter egg hunt but I didn't care. I carried this "new dress" tradition to my own children. Often I would make my daughter's dress myself. I can still see those patton leather shoes now! I never really thought too much about why we had the "new dress" tradition. And, I think I followed it because it was the way I was raised and it was just what you do for Easter. But now I think I have some fresh insight about this tradition.

Isaiah 61:10 (New International Version)

10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

It seems that God is very concerned about my clothes. Not the same way I am of course, but He has dressed me in a robe of righteousness and adorned me with jewels. But lets think for a minute about how our Lord Jesus was dressed when they crucified Him on the cross. The book of Matthew tells us that the guards around him divided up His clothes after they crucified Him. Not only did our Lord endure unimaginable pain when He died, but He suffered humiliation as well. And He did it willingly. But the book of Revelation tells us more. Even though the people who crucified Him saw his nakedness, God saw Jesus dressed in a robe dripped in blood. (Rev. 19:13) Why is this important?

Hebrews 9:22 (New International Version)

22In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Without that robe dripped in blood, there would be no forgiveness for us. Because Jesus chose to wear that bloody robe, God in turn clothes us in the robes of righteousness and the garments of salvation. We should all celebrate this fact by wearing our "new dress" on the day we celebrate the resurection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This Easter, as a symbol of my appreciation for what Jesus did for me, I'm going to wear something new. My money is a little tight right now, so it won't be a whole new outfit. But it will be something to honor my Lord.
What are you wearing for Easter?

Getting wet

There was a song we sang in church when I was a little girl written by Daniel Whittle in 1883 called Showers of Blessing. It's based on Ezekiel 34:26. Here are the words:

There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!


There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.


I have a perennial flower bed planted on the South side of my house. I've tried to plant several kinds of flowers right up next to my house that would grow tall any maybe even vine up the bricks. While I've been able to establish plants that grow several feet away from the wall, nothing grows well right up next to the wall. Why? It's because of the overhang of our roof that sticks out about three feet. It keeps the rain off the plants and consequently they usually dry out quickly, fail to thrive and eventually die. Even though I plant low maintenance (meaning drought tolerant) plants, they still need more rain than they get under the overhang. Those plants aren't positioned to receive the showers God is sending them. The showers of blessings would nourish and refresh them enabling them to be the beautiful flowers God intended them to be.

The same is true for us. God sends showers of blessings our way constantly. The problem is that we are often not positioned to receive them. We've planted ourselves under the overhang through our disobedience to His Word and our self-centered life styles. Positioning ourselves for showers of blessings means we follow the commandments Jesus spelled out for us in Matt:22:36-40:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Surrendering your whole heart, soul and mind to God and loving your neighbor as much as you love yourself may sound like an impossible task. Actually it is. It can only be done as a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. The good news is that if we ask for His help to be obedient to his commandments, He is faithful to change our hearts in a way that we could never think possible. Also, if you're like me, you have to ask for His help to be obedient daily. That's OK. Ask daily. Otherwise, the rain will never get you wet. Go ahead, position yourself for a good shower.