Writing Off Sunsets

The last few weeks I have become enamored with taking pictures especially of the sunsets.  In the moments I am driving around taking pictures of God's glory, I understand what David meant in Psalm 23 when he says, "He restores my soul." Surrounded by His beauty I find peace and joy, and a thankful spirit, something that I sometimes lose in the midst of the busyness that I call my life.

The last several nights I have lost the sunsets to the clouds. The evenings are still beautiful, but that big ball of fire has been hidden by the clouds some time before it drops below the horizon. I thought tonight was no different. I saw the sun sinking behind the clouds, so I wrote off the sunset and went inside. I was sitting at my computer when I looked up and saw a pink and orange glow out of the corner of my window. I grabbed my camera and ran out the door.

The pictures really do not do it justice. I have yet to be able to capture the true color of the sun in those moments on my camera. I may not have been able to capture it, but I got to experience it. I drove down a dirt road trying to get the remaining bits of the sun before it disappeared.

And then I watched some birds playing over the water, thinking if I had brought a different lens, I could zoom in on them.

When I went home and was looking back through the pictures, I realized that I often "write off the sunsets" so to speak. Sometimes I look at a situation and think that the best has come. I forget that though I am limited by what I know, God does not have those same limitations. When I see something and think, "This is as good as it is going to get", God has the ability to make the next moments even more beautiful. He also has the ability to help us see them, even when we think we have seen it all.

These are the learning moments. The faith building moments. The moments where we can sit and feel guilty because we almost missed it. Or the moments we can praise God because we didn't. They can be simple and sometimes even profound. If we let them, they will give us strength for the next moment that comes along when we are tempted to write off what we can not see and remind us of the One who sees all.

"He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul;"
Psalm 23:2b-3a (NASB)

Focus Shift

I keep thinking that one day I will figure it out. I will wake up and my life's purpose will be clear, not only in the big picture of going to heaven and helping others along the way, but in the details, the job I will have, where I should live, which hobbies to stick with and which to give up. I keep thinking that one day all my random interests will just fall into place, and I will have this really sweet job that I love all the time, my relationships will all be perfect, and everyone I talk to will instantly know that the Bible will change their life if they just take the time to read it and apply it.

I think in some way I keep expecting heaven on earth. I forget that Jesus said, "In this life you will have trouble..." This was a guarantee. But not one without hope, He goes on to say,  "Take heart I have overcome the world."

So maybe I don't wake up one day with it all figured out. Maybe that is part of the test of faith.  Maybe it consists of taking it one day at a time and praying for my daily bread, instead of looking so far up the road that I allow the fear of the unknown to immobilize me. Maybe it consists of putting the right priorities in their proper place, of trusting in His love, and using that to keep me going. Maybe it is not so much that I know the big picture, but that my faith is in the One who does.

I love the stars, the magnitude, the way they make me feel so small, and help me understand the control of the Lord. I love that I can sit and marvel at their beauty and never have to worry about them careening into Earth to destroy it. I love how they move in perfect harmony, and that God has authority over each one.

I love to study the cells of the human body, the intricacy. There is so much detail in one tiny cell, an entire blueprint of the body. Not only does it contain the blueprint, but also the equipment to make the blueprint a reality.

These remind me that my God knows the big picture, and still cares about the tiny details. He is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us. Eph 3:20 So maybe my focus needs to shift, from "figuring it out" to accessing the power, and striving to love as Christ loved.

What if?

What if we knew in advance we wouldn't succeed the first time, but we tried anyway? Because we know that some of the greatest successes came out of the greatest failures?

What if we believed that success was something worth working toward? That it was a series of experiments.

What if we took those experiments and used them to discover what worked and why? And we put our minds to discover how to overcome or adjust the things that did not work.

What if we learned to apply these experiments to our goals? And instead of trying once and giving up because we "failed", we tried again applying the knowledge we had gained from the first time.

What if we learned to seize the moment with wisdom, not with reckless abandon? Understanding that some things once broken can not be made new, but also realizing that great things often come from what has not been tried before.

What if we applied these things to our faith? Knowing that we are not infallible, but trusting that if we will seek the truth we will find it. Believing that if we draw near to the Lord, He will draw near to us, and that He works all things for the good of those who love Him. Realizing that what we can see is what is in front of us, but He understands the big picture.

What if we expected of ourselves what we expect of beginning athletes? That to excel they must practice. That they will miss more than they make in the beginning, but that the time is well spent.

What if we looked at a quality finished product and realize that it did not just materialize out of thin air? It was thought up, designed, adjusted, and tested. Even after it is made available for use, someone is still imagining and inventing ways to make it better for future production.

What if when we faced struggles, we used them to make us better? We didn't see it as some thing that would break us. We used the knowledge from our past that would help us, overcame the thoughts that would immobilize us and had the faith to move mountains.

What if we knew in advance we wouldn't succeed the first time, so we tried anyway?

Bible Study

I keep thinking that the thing that will turn America around is if we return to our foundation. It is interesting to me how well studied our Founding Fathers were in many different subjects. The most interesting to me is that, to my understanding, you would be hard pressed to find one of those men who hadn't at the very least read through the Bible, and that a great many were devoted to the Word of God.

It's hard to turn on the news without cringing about something, but I keep thinking that things could turn around if we as individuals would take the time to get into the Word and learn to live it out. I keep trying to figure out how to get people interested in the Scripture, but I am realizing that so often all I do is think and I forget to do. So this is my simple attempt at that idea.

My goal is to get people interested in reading/studying the Bible and even to encourage those who already are to find ways to help get others interested as well.

The thoughts above are mostly from the book of Ephesians: God's eternal purpose, the blessings and promises in Christ and a verse about how to get into Christ. I believe it is worth the study. My hope is that this will spur you onto read more and study more and not simply to take my word on it.

(If you click on the pictures it will enlarge them.)

Cowgirl Pride

I went up to the gym today to watch my basketball girls practice. I wasn't exactly sure what I would find. When I was in high school playing basketball one of the worst things was for the coach to walk out of the gym, because that is when the arguing and drama began. I guess you could say we did not always play nice with the other kids. So when the girls asked if they could practice after school, this was my first thought.

We talked a little about these pitfalls, and said they could. I walked into the gym after they had been practicing for a while, and heard things like, "Great job!" "You're doing better." "That looks good." Then I watched the younger girls with less experience as they gained confidence and performed even better. They were encouraging each other, but may have encouraged me even more.

I love these girls. You can tell them something once and they are going to do their best to get it done.  They show initiative at just about every turn. They are a blessing to me in so many ways.

I was telling Dad about them today, and his response was, "It kind of gives you hope for America doesn't it?" The truth is that it actually does. I think these girls have within them the God-given ability to do something extraordinary in their lives, to become women of integrity and make the world they live in a better place. That may seem like a lot to say for coming in and watching the last ten minutes of a practice, but as I watched them pray, and then break out with "Cowgirl Pride!", I do see hope for our country.

There are young people out there willing to work hard on the court, in the classroom, and on their character. I see it daily with this group of girls, and I saw it with last year's group of girls. It excites me to see what they will be able to accomplish in their lives.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans."
Proverbs 16:3 [NIV]

One Thing

I think if you could only ask God for one thing in your prayers the one that would be most effective would be that you and others would fall in love with Him and His Word. I believe that is one of the most life-changing prayers, both for you and for others.

I've always been drawn to the idea of changing the world. Not so much because I believe that I can, but I love the idea of doing something bigger with my life than just the everyday routine. The incredible part of prayer is that it allows us the opportunity to approach the Creator, the One Who is able to affect change. What a great gift!

I have often thought how hard it would be to have the ear of a high official. To not only have them listen to your requests and ideas, but also to be willing and able to act upon them. We have something much greater than a high official's ear. We are able to go to the One who created us, Who calls the stars by name, and Who notices when even a sparrow falls. He is in the big picture, and at the same time in all of the details, and He allows us to come to Him in prayer, seek His wisdom, and give Him glory.

The thing about praying that we and others will fall in love with Him is that it encompasses so much. It is the first and greatest command, and if we learn to live it out the others will surely follow. Love is a multitude of things. It is obedience. (John 14:15) It is patient, and kind, It doesn't envy, or boast. It is not proud or self-seeking. It does not take offense. It is not easily angered. It doesn't delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Love never fails. (See 1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

It is easy to look around and see all the evil in this world and get discouraged, but I believe if we would make this a daily prayer we could see that the world at least to an extent can be changed, because we serve a mighty God who is able to do great works. Often He is simply waiting for us to ask.

people of impact

"Are you a daily Bible reader? It will change your life." ~Jack Carter.

People of impact. I believe we all have them in our lives. They come in all forms. Even books and characters in movies have the ability to be these people of impact. The impact can be on different levels some for a moment, others for a lifetime, and still others for an eternity. Parents I believe have the opportunity for the greatest level of impact on their children on each of those levels, either by their presence or their absence, so those who impact the parents are of vital importance.

I guess it stands to reason using that logic that my grandparents had a major effect on my parents, but if I could pick a person after them that made the greatest impact on their spiritual lives, and in turn mine also, it would be Jack Carter. The reasons are simple, but go so deep. Jack had a love for God, for His Word and for people. In his time with my parents, and with many others, he encouraged them to become daily Bible readers.

I think it was my dad who picked up on this first, and really made an effort to become a daily Bible reader. In turn my mom did also and they encouraged my brother and sister and me to do the same. And just as Jack said, it changed our lives. I'm sure he wasn't the first to say it, and know he won't be the last, but his encouragement as well as his example in that area and in so many others has helped to change our lives.

It's the simple things done over and over that accumulate and make a life and in Jack's case a life lived well that helped countless people. So don't give up on the seemingly little things that don't always seem to make a difference. So often people of impact are made in those little moments and we don't always know ahead of time which moments those will be, but they are sure to come if we will strive in the little moments and the big to be the servant for God, He put us here to be.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." ~Galatians 6:9