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I was struck by this man’s quote crafted from his own experience of pain and brokenness, revealing a journey through his valley of death, while uncovering a resurrection and ascension into his higher calling that was waiting for him in the wings. A realization that he was made for something larger than he could have imagined.

The higher the calling, the greater the preparation!

Your life has not been full of setbacks and injustices; but rather, a training ground for integration, regulation, empathy, and grace. You are more like Jesus because of it!

Your purpose is established on a foundation of struggle and failure. Your purpose is revealed when Jesus meets you in your story and exposes His healing Grace in your mind, heart, and relationships. You are only enhanced and strengthened when Jesus uses your struggles as teaching aides – a reminder that when you are weak, then He makes you strong.

Enjoy your story today! It is leading you to your higher calling!

Rod Suydam, whose quote this is, holds a powerful story of God’s redemptive Love. He dares the reader to find Jesus within their own story. I am drawn to the parallel between Mr. Suydam’s challenge and the Words of the Sovereign God.

You see, your story has been written and published in the Heavenly realm by the God named Love.

Love looked upon your unformed body as He anointed your substance with His Divine seal. Anticipating your arrival, the Lord bookmarked the page that bears your name, identifying the moment you enter the scene according to your appointed days.

In the Father’s infinite Wisdom, He knew the plot between your wandering and the Accuser’s attempts to steal your innocence and bargain away your glory, but the Author of the Book holds the power to rewrite the false twists in the storyline that you have mistakenly claimed as yours. The Savior knows the great burdens that have been laid upon you in this world. He longs to restore your wounded heart and broken spirit, rearranging the building blocks of your story, in order to revive the original Divine Script.

Will you allow the Lord to forge Goodness out of the evil that has touched you in this fallen world; or will you choose to have the stolen version of your narrative engraved in rock forever?

Which version of your story will be your final cut?

Insight provided through Psalm 139:16, 56:8, 119:10; 2 Chronicles 24:27; Hebrews 12:2; Job 19:23; John 10:10; and Ephesians 1:13.

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Listen to The Bookmark – 

It was the two-year mark of my husband’s death as I sat in a room filled with pointless voices and clanking dishes, my eyes glancing toward the entrance watching for my stepson.

The tall, handsome man soon appeared coming around the corner carrying a black canvas case which was immediately recognizable to me. Sitting down at the table, my stepson pulled out his dad’s bible along with a small piece of paper that contained his father’s handwriting, revealing scripture references with one-word explanations tied to each scripture.

My stepson hesitated for only a moment, before handing me the small piece of yellowed paper. “I think I am supposed to give this to you.” he said. “It was stuck in dad’s bible like a bookmark.”

“Ok,” I replied, quickly glancing at the note hoping to connect with my husband’s heart. None of the scriptures applied to anything I was struggling with currently, so I tucked the note away in my purse knowing it could be for the future.

After breakfast, we went to visit the gravesite. Standing before my husband’s headstone, I asked, “What would you say to your dad if he were here?”

The question was answered but a profound inquiry followed. “Do you think people who have died watch over us and can hear our prayers?”

Touched by the longing in his heart, I answered, “I only know there is a cloud of witnesses who have gone before us in faith, who are praying for us to be successful in our own faith. Your dad is a part of the cloud of witnesses.”

The following morning as I sat in my quiet time asking the Lord for specific next steps in this new facet of life, my phone pinged with a text from my stepdaughter. She was also in her quiet time, multiple states away. Her text spoke of the brief conversation she had last night with her brother. He mentioned their dad’s bookmark and suggested she get a picture from me. Being a Daddy’s girl, she naturally wanted to see the cherished note that had been pressed between the pages of his bible. At the moment I was holding the bookmark in my hand, my stepdaughter sends a picture of her and one of their dogs with a caption, “Look how this dog butted her way into my quiet time with the Lord.”

Clicking an image of the bookmark, I was stunned by the timing of her picture now displayed on my screen. Fascinated, I said out loud to myself, “That’s funny…this bookmark cautions how meddling is like taking a dog by its ears. What a strange coincidence.”

I hit send. Thirty seconds might have passed when the response appeared. “Oh, my Lord! This answers the prayer I spoke to the Lord this morning. His answer is on the bookmark! It is right here on Dad’s bookmark! God & Dad are telling me not to meddle in the affairs of the world!”

Both of my children had their questions answered by the Lord of Hosts in a personal and unique way, loved dearly by both their earthly father and their Heavenly Father, who are watching and praying from within the cloud of witnesses.

And what about the question on my lips as I received that first text? I was asking the Lord what He wanted me to write. His answer? This story.

Some see a strange coincidence: while others see a Sovereign God, who heard each of us and answered us together by orchestrating earthly elements, showing Himself Majestic in the big things and the little things.

Which one do you see?

Referenced Scriptures: Hebrews 12:1; Proverbs 26:17

Isolation and separation. A common tactic used in war to breakdown and destroy a captured enemy. But this also represents the state of our lives today, living through a pandemic. Isolation and separation, over a long period of time, can cause sensory deprivation, the inability to perceive by means of your 5 senses, which can give place to extreme anxiety, depression, hallucinations, and delusions.

Unfortunately, this pandemic has forced us into our current state of existence, making our homes feel like a type of concentration camp. Which, of course, is an exaggeration, but worth mentioning. We may not have guards outside our doors to ensure containment, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that we have an invisible foe who stalks us with an intent to destroy.

We know the physical world mimics the spiritual world. It got me thinking. Are we experiencing sensory deprivation on the spiritual level? What senses are being hindered in our individual and collective lives?

We were created with 5 God-given senses to not only live in this world, but also to experience our Creator.

We have been endowed with sight so we can see God’s Goodness; our hearing allows us to hear the voice of the Lord’s Words; our sense of smell to determine the fresh, sweet aroma of our sacrificial gifts; touch so we can receive Jesus’ healing; and taste to enjoy the sweetness of the Lord’s Words.

Have our spiritual senses become dulled and void of understanding?

The Holy Spirit spoke a warning through Isaiah the Prophet about sensory deprivation. “Watch for hearing without understanding; seeing but never perceiving; all resulting in a calloused heart that will pervert the remaining senses. Calling evil good and good evil; calling darkness light and light darkness; and putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

The Apostle Paul also had a warning for us against quenching the Holy Spirit, who is our most crucial sensory receptor, and critical to discern all things.

At some level, it appears our invisible enemy has been successful in a round of sensory deprivation, complete with perceptual delusions.

Will we heed the two warnings?

O God create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us!

Inspired by 1 Peter 5:8; Psalm 27:13, 34:8, 51:10, 119:103; James 3:14; Philippians 4:18; Matthew 14:36; Job 6:30, 33:8; 2 Timothy 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Acts 28:25-27; Isaiah 5:20.

Sitting here sipping my tea, I watched a storm move in from the northwest. I could see the dark clouds coming over the treetops, their sparse dead leaves beginning to shutter with the advancing winds. The storm was bringing a cold front with it, rushing over the landscape, overtaking everything with its invisible force. Snowflakes began to fall, swiftly changing the environment, inducing a shift in my attitude, emotions, and behavior – and not necessarily for the better.

I smiled at the irony. My bible open to the Book of James, the author discussing how people get “tossed and blown about by the wind” when they doubt God’s goodness. When the storms of life rush in to challenge your faith, be mindful how quickly an invisible force can drive God’s love and generosity from your heart, filling it instead with icy doubt.

What will the state of your heart reveal when the cold front moves through your life?

Challenged by James 1:1-8

Listening to a worship song, my spirit was struck by the lyric “the Lord redeems the broken.” That word redeem is an old word, not something you hear much in conversations today. If you want to redeem a coupon, you must present the ticket to the entity that holds the power or gift, at which time they release that power or gift to you. Redemption packs a powerful punch in its expansive meaning and intent, but nothing happens without the exchange.

Merriam-Webster defines redeem as buying something back; freeing a captive by paying the ransom; overcoming something detrimental; release from blame or debt; freed from the consequences of sin; to reform, repair, or restore; freed from a lien by payment; removal of an obligation; to make good or exchange for something of value; to make right an error; and to make worthwhile. Redemption by its very definition demands a two-way transaction.

Amazingly, the Lord Jesus Christ offers all those benefits to people who confess Him as the Son of God and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead. Jesus made Himself the ransom, reuniting individuals to God. Jesus’ gift redeems us from death and the power of the grave; from the hand of the enemy; and from all iniquity, allowing us to receive adoption as sons and daughters into the family of the Most-High God.

Our position in heaven is sure through our belief in Jesus Christ, but it matters how we run this race called life. We are expected to be committed to growing in Divine Grace, a continual process of sanctification which comes by our belief in the Word of God, our obedience to it, and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

God does not want us to lag behind in any gift and it is His will for us to learn how to conduct ourselves in a pure and honorable way. Those who claim the name of Christ are told to depart from sin and even though we have the right to do anything, not everything is beneficial. We are warned to seriously fight for the faith because there are ungodly people who will creep into our lives and turn the grace of God into lustful behavior, leading us to deny the Savior.

What if there were unredeemed spiritual coupons of sorts? Tokens labeled with titles like unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, pride, lust, lying, covetousness, or a desire to cause injury to another. How willing would we be to take our pride coupon to the Redeemer God in exchange for something good, worthwhile, and valuable?

One’s standing in Christ is secure, but a complete redemption does not take place without a full exchange.

What unredeemed coupon might you be holding in your hand?

Challenged by Jude 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:19-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2;  John 17:17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 6:12; Galatians 4:5; Psalm 49:15; Titus 2:14; Psalm 78:35; Job 6:23; Colossians 3:5-9

“Always pray and do not faint.” That was the Word from Jesus as He and the disciples went about their business. And like most days, this one was filled with miracles, healings, and teaching opportunities – which at times were lost in translation. The disciples had learned that Jesus’ Words are Spirit-filled and infused with a deeper meaning from what lies on the surface.

On this particular day, Jesus and His entourage came across blind Bartimaeus begging by the roadside. Jesus’ reputation was well known throughout the region, so when he heard the commotion of the crowd, Bartimaeus was told it was Jesus approaching. Determined not to let this opportunity pass him by, he started yelling for the Savior to have mercy, believing that Jesus could heal him. However, those leading the group told the blind man to be quiet, which only fueled Bartimaeus to shout louder, fully intending to be heard. And he was.

Jesus stopped and stood silent: a hush fell over the crowd. It was a deafening silence to the blind man as he held both fear and joy in his heart. Jesus’ voice penetrated the air as He ordered His men to bring Bartimaeus to Him.

Sightless and confused, his heart pounding, Bartimaeus was brought to a different spot and sensed the presence of God when Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see.” said the blind man.

Jesus responded, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”

Everyone who witnessed the miracle praised God. And who wouldn’t? But the disciples were still pondering something the Lord said to them right before encountering Bartimaeus. Jesus told them He would soon be crucified, resurrecting on the 3^rd day. This was one of those times when the significance of the upcoming event was lost in translation. They did not understand.

Those words became their nightmares when the appointed time arrived for Jesus to be taken and crucified. In preparation for the task set before Him, Jesus asked 3 of His closest disciples to sit with Him in prayer; to watch and pray while He stepped aside to convene privately with God. But Jesus’ request was also laced with a warning, “Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation; because your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak.”

In the moment when Jesus needed His disciples the most, when they should have been watching and praying, they fell asleep. Is that possibly the temptation to which Jesus was referring? Unknowingly being lulled to sleep, making it impossible to keep watch and pray? When the stakes are at their highest, eyes became heavy with sleep rendering the guards useless.

The request to “watch and pray” still applies to us today, for we know Jesus is returning a second time. Have we lost in translation the times and the seasons of His return? Have we fallen asleep on our watch?

Or will we be like Bartimaeus, crying out to our Savior to receive our Spiritual sight enabling us to rightly discern the commotion as Jesus approaches. Something glorious is about to happen. How do we watch if we cannot see?

When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?

Challenged by Luke 18:35-42; Mark 10:46-52; Matthew 26:38-41; Mark 14:34-38; Luke 18:8

Remember when phones were actually used as a phone? Communicating is essential for mankind and before telecommunications, we relied upon primitive ways to keep in touch, some of which were cave paintings, smoke signals, drums, and homing pigeons.

Today we have mobile devices that allow us to be…well…mobile. Crucial to our lifestyle, one might even say life dependent. Even though the original intent of these gadgets was to be a phone, they are used more like computers today. Smartphones we call them, used to manage our lives, conduct business, entertain us, and screen our calls so we can send them to voicemail until later.

Our lives have become so busy, we do not have time for an actual conversation, so we revert to texting; posting a comment; tweeting; sending a video clip; and the list goes on. We often ignore a phone call; or we strangely presume something is wrong because the person is calling us on the phone. Give it time and our culture might slowly revert to digital cave paintings. Are we losing our desire to hold a personal conversation that bonds a relationship?

The bible tells us we have a calling on our lives, an invitation to meet with our Creator to fulfill a unique purpose. A call to rouse us from sleep, bringing us to action, challenging us to be habitually active in establishing that vocation.

The Lord has been calling the generations from the beginning. The phone is ringing.

Will you answer the call?

 Refer to Romans 8:28; 2 Peter 1:10; 1 Peter 5:10; Isaiah 41:4

With the death of my husband and the hope of a miracle throughout his illness, there is an account in the bible to which I can relate – raising Lazarus from the dead. There are many spiritual Truths and teachings in this narrative, but I want to focus on Martha and the traumatic experience she encountered through the situation.

Martha and her siblings, Mary and Lazarus, were part of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples. He chose that family to share in powerful experiences with Him. Jesus loved and cherished them. He mentions all three by name – they were His friends.

We are first introduced to Martha when she invites Jesus and His disciples into her home. Martha was a strong, outspoken woman; a hard-working servant who supported the cause of Christ. Often, she found herself carrying the burden within her acts of service, full of worry, and troubled about many things. Still, she loved Jesus and had faith in His abilities. After all, she had witnessed Him perform many miracles and believed that God would give Jesus whatever He would ask.

While Jesus and His disciples were out in the mission field, Lazarus fell sick. I am not surprised that it was this take-charge woman who sent messengers to inform Jesus, asking Him to come quickly for the sake of Lazarus. But to Martha’s disappointment, time ran out and Lazarus died while she was waiting for Jesus to arrive.

Martha and her sister buried their brother. The pain was almost too much: it did not seem fair. But even in her overwhelming grief, she kept watching for Jesus. In the waiting, her spirit became conflicted between hope and doubt. Why did her Savior ignore her petition for help? Where was He? The rejection and uncertainty that must have gripped her heart.

Lazarus lay in the tomb for 4 days and I can imagine with every passing moment bitterness started to creep into Martha’s heart. Questions were still growing and mounting when she finally heard Jesus approaching from afar. She wasted no time, running to meet Him, voicing her sorrowful complaint, fueled with anger. She fully expected Jesus to show up and heal her brother and she made that known to Him.

Understanding the fragile human heart, Jesus immediately began to interact with Martha, making one promise, a few statements, and presenting one question. The promise was that Lazarus would rise again, which she misunderstood. Jesus redirected Martha’s thinking to the point at hand: I am the resurrection; I am the source of life; and believing is the key to everything. The paramount question was simple in theory, but difficult to digest. Jesus asked her, “Do you believe this?”

In the midst of their intense interaction, a large crowd was gathering around them. Jesus asked where they had laid Lazarus, so the crowd systematically started moving to the tomb where he was buried. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone.” Jesus said.

This is where the miracle happens – where Lazarus is raised from the dead and comes out of the tomb when Jesus calls him by name. This miracle was for the glory of God so that the Son of God might be glorified through it. But what about Martha? Did the experience leave a piece of her heart dead even though her body was fully alive?

Jesus is deeply moved and grieved by our pain and suffering. He is drawn to our broken heart and concerned about our doubts when hopes are dashed. He knows the dangers that result from unresolved pain that can permanently stain and harden our heart. If we are listening, He will bring us to a place of redemption and resurrection as He calls out our name.

The Martha in this story is me. I was worried and troubled about many things while waiting for Jesus to show up and heal my husband, fully aware of His Power to do so, but grieved when I buried him in the ground instead. I had to lay down my expectations; redirect my misunderstandings to the Lord; and believe the promises of God. Like Martha, I stood with my Messiah, the Son of God, throughout my pain and suffering.

But I am not only Martha in this story, I am also Lazarus. I answered Jesus’ question – I do believe that He is the Resurrection and the Source of Life. I heard Him call my name, asking me to roll away the stone so the death entombed in my heart could be loosed and I could walk free. Like Lazarus, I am the miracle in my story. I am the one who walked out of the tomb.

The Source of Life is standing at the opening of your entombed heart.

Will you roll the stone away?

“Pass the salt” is a common phrase in America. Most of us recognize this compound as the seasoning to alter the taste of our food; preserve the shelf-life of our perishables; or de-ice our winter roads.

But salt is so much more than that. It is a mineral with a universal demand and pivotal to civilization. Wars have been fought over salt and used as currency for trading in ancient cultures.

The human body needs salt and is essential for life in general. But balance and moderation are crucial: too much or too little can cause human malfunction or even death.

Jesus said that Christians are “the salt of the earth” and that our speech should always be “seasoned with salt.” While processing through his unimaginable hardship, the bible records Job asking, “Can something unsavory be eaten without salt?” And let us not forget that King David said, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”

It would appear that Christians have the ability to utilize their words to make unsavory hardships more palatable for others by pointing them to the Goodness of the Lord. Remembering, however, that salt mandates a balance.

Are we missing opportunities to season someone’s life? Have we lost our saltiness?