Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. – Proverbs 27:1
When I was growing up we had a houseboat on Barkley Lake. That is where we spent hours running trot lines, learning how to water ski, and spending time with other families up and down the slip. It was adventure and rest; discovery and learning. This all began with our parents and another couple renting a houseboat for their vacation each summer. Those experiences led to the purchases; our boats were docked right across from one another. We were neighbors on land and water. When we were at the lake, it was all just about that moment.
The name of our houseboat was, TODAY. It often inspired conversation and intrigue. My mom was the one who suggested it and we all agreed, not fully understanding what that name might hold for us and our family. I still remember the peacefulness of watching the moon on the lake at night, early morning fishing, and the fun of learning to ski. Each day its own blessing, each day its own challenge. All a gift.
Today is our blessing. May the Lord walk with you; with us.
Lord, thank you for this day and all you offer with it. Help us to appreciate the gift of this moment that was newly created by your hand, and will never be again. Please allow us the joy of your presence; it is the greatest gift. May our steps today be directed by you in every way. Amen.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. – James 1:4
Facing the wind, 2021
I encountered this bird on Amelia Island last year. I have never forgotten the moment. He stood there for the longest time. The wind blowing in his face. His feathers all ruffled and worn. He was shaking. Every few seconds I thought he would blow over or give up and fly away. To my untrained eye he seemed determined to stand in the wind and gather up courage and focus for the day. I wondered if this was his morning prayer.
When I think of what it takes to stay the course when we are tired or frustrated or feeling like what we’re doing is not making a difference, I think of the way James teaches about challenges and trials. It frames my attitude and thought process. If there is something waiting for us after a season of perseverance, James reminds us that it is worth the waiting. It is worth the patience, diligence and whatever else you are mustering up to walk through each day. Something more than eye can see is happening. Perseverance comes with a blessing. It is something we trust and hold on to when the days are hard. Hold on today; prayers are all around you.
Lord, thank you for being with us when we are living through seasons of challenge. Please bring patience enough for today, and hope that fills the spirit and offers peace. Protect and guide, as you have promised to do; your wisdom is our greatest source of help. We trust you completely, Father, and we love you. Thank you for your faithfulness! Amen.
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. – Jesus in the Gospel of John 15:4-5.
Jesus gives some last instructions and words of wisdom to his disciples before he is arrested. He reminds them that the time they have shared together and all that he has been teaching them has prepared them for all that is to come. There is a caveat to the work ahead. If the disciples want to be involved in what God is doing on earth, they must abide in Christ. They must stay as close to Christ as a branch is with a vine. That’s pretty close.
Abiding doesn’t mean performing for approval. A branch does not perform and then look back to see if the vine approves or not. Nor does a branch disconnect from the vine and do anything that replaces the nutrients, power, and life that the vine gives. When a branch disconnects from its vine, it eventually dies. Abiding in Christ means living in and with that connection. It is life itself, breathing in and breathing out moment by moment. It is not a program or mandate; it is a way of being alive.
There is freedom abiding in Christ. We are not alone. We do not have the world resting on our shoulders. We are in this life with Christ. We are drawing from the strength and love of the one who came to earth for us! Not to harm us, but to show us what it looks like when the love of God is fully in human form.
Jesus, our trusted teacher, came to help us experience a different way. Our trusted teacher came to save us from distorted truths and a hijacked religious hierarchy that had lost connection with God’s loving intention for our lives on earth. Jesus came to redeem all these things and to fulfill the kingdom of God on earth. What a gift our Creator gave the world – and continues to give us every day.
The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. – Jesus in the Gospel of John 10:10
We seem be in a constant stream of focusing on a group of people and literally tearing them apart with our opinions, judgements, and disappointments. We’ve seen it happen with law enforcement, teachers, doctors, nurses, and numerous other groups. A mistake by one person becomes a condemnation of everyone. An error that needs forgiveness and justice becomes a pass to never trust anyone again.
It may be that the noise of it all begins to make us think there are no trusted sources in a world that really needs wisdom to navigate through the circumstances of daily life. Hear the good news: Jesus is a trusted teacher. Jesus is the son of God; the Messiah the prophets said would come; the resurrected Christ that is with us even now. The teaching he shared while he was on earth is trustworthy. It is a teaching that sets us free. The way God continues to teach and guide us through the Holy Spirit is trustworthy. Abiding in Christ helps us remain tethered to that stream of wisdom.
I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. – Jesus in the Gospel of John 15:11
Check out more of what Jesus said by reading the 15th chapter of John: https://bit.ly/3wT9pkf
Three simple ways to practice “abiding” in Christ right now:
Read from the Gospels several times a week or even daily. Start small. Ready for five minutes. Read a chapter. When you finish all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), start back and begin again. We need to be reminded daily of these teachings. It provides focus and food for our spirit.
Ask God to hold you close to the vine of Christ. Simple & powerful prayers: “God, please keep me close to Christ today”. “Lord, help me to walk faithfully through this day.” “Jesus, come right away; I need help!” “Christ, you are my vine; I am your branch; let it be.”
Do one small act of kindness for someone. It can be as simple as saying, “I love you” to people in your household; taking a bouquet of spring flowers to a friend or stranger; thanking someone for their service (waiter; store attendant; co-worker; teacher; etc.); listen to the one who needs to simply say their things. Anonymous kindness strengthens the spirit. Known kindness strengthens relationships. It’s always good to intentionally be kind to others. How can you be kind to someone today?
Lord, when your ways are so different from ours, it is probably going to be hard for us to see. Please draw each of us and all of us near to you so when you teach us, we are able to comprehend. We want to abide in you, and we need you. We love you, Lord, and we trust you completely. You are our trusted teacher; our Savior; our friend. Amen.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:34-38
Jesus says these words right after he and Peter have a very tense moment. They exchange some heated words. Jesus is giving his disciples a heads up about what he is soon to face: arrest and crucifixion. It sounds like pure evil and failure to Peter; he disagrees with the approach Jesus is taking. After an immediate response that rebukes Peter, Jesus pauses to offer this word…this teaching. Just so we know – the way we enter the abundant life involves surrender.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
God works in our lives and in the world differently than we often expect. Part of following Christ is humbling ourselves enough to listen, to watch, and to discern how God is guiding us. It often means receiving teaching or instruction that is beyond our understanding – but that we choose to accept and trust God with it. In truth, the teaching of Jesus is often over our heads! It rubs up against what we want to hold onto, or even what makes sense in the world. It causes us to squirm a bit and hope no one notices how much he shows us that we simply ignore.
Denying ourselves can be giant steps of bold surrender. It can also be tiny steps of faithfulness for today. It can be a step. Today. We all have different things in our lives that could use some surrendering. For Peter (see Mark 8:31-33), it is surrendering his attitude and confidence that he can adequately judge what Jesus needs to do. Peter is basically telling Jesus, “You have this wrong…let me tell you how we’re going to handle this situation.”
We do kind of have a problem with thinking we know what God needs to do and how it needs to be done. Surrendering is not placing our brains on pause or acting recklessly with our resources. It is, however, being fully aware that we need to listen for God’s guidance and to follow it with humbleness and trust. Surrendering – or yielding – means we make space in our lives for God to speak.
What does that look like? What it looks like for you is probably different than it looks like for someone else. How are you providing space for God to speak into your daily life? What wisdom are you reaching for to give you guidance? Is it the wisdom of God or the loudest voices that are pushing their way into your vulnerable moments?
Denying ourselves during the season of Lent is intended to develop spiritual muscle for the journey of faith. That muscle serves us in times of vulnerability. It helps us realign our minds and spirits; it sets our feet on solid ground. Whether the practice of surrender comes in denying ourselves a food we crave or spending 15 minutes a day being quiet and unplugged from technology, every step we take toward God is a way of saying, “I yield my way to your way, Jesus.”
God, we are all in different situations, but we share a deep need for you. We get caught up in our ways of handling life’s challenges and we often miss how you are moving among us. When we seek you today, please reveal yourself in whatever way each person needs to experience you to know that you are right here, walking with us. Strengthen us for the journey. We yield our lives to you. We love you, Lord, and we trust you completely.
My grandfather always said to wait until after Easter before counting on winter weather to be finished. Like any good farmer, he held even that with open hands, often reminding us that God is the one who created the world, and we don’t control the sun and the rain. A farmer works on faith and prayer in all efforts. A good approach for a Monday morning!
Was this winter’s last dance? I don’t know, but it was beautiful.
Winter’s last dance? Morning LightBreakfast on the roadLayers of graceSpring insists on coming; leaves shout the birth
I am always fascinated by how quickly nature adapts to changing conditions. I don’t see resistance or hear complaint. Life persists fully and confidently forward.
Monday Prayer Lord, you are our dwelling place. Wherever we are and whatever the conditions of the day, we need you to order our steps. Give us courage to walk into the week with confidence of your presence, and trusting that in your presence there is fullness of joy and life everlasting. We believe in YOU. Where life is overwhelming, please come quickly Lord to assist. Thank you for your faithfulness in all seasons. We pray in the name of the resurrected Christ, Amen.
You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. – Psalm 16:11
The morning peace arrives differently for all of us. But it still arrives. God is faithful. I pray God shows up for you in exactly the way you need today.
God bring peace to bedsides where people are making transition. Let the presence of the resurrected Christ standing guard with them be very clear today. Bring peace to the people we love who are healing. Let their cells receive nutrients and care; let their blood flow richly through their bodies; fill their lungs with your breath of life and sooth the rhythm of every heartbeat. Free their minds from anxiety and fear. Thank you for equipping the medical teams with your healing grace. May their compassion and skill be guided by you.
Give strength to the ones who are weary but still face the day of long hours. Equip every person for each call and task. Cover them with safety and give wisdom in decisions. Please grant rest to those who have a holiday and slower pace. Give them joy and restoration however they need it.
Where hope is needed, merciful God, please provide the flame that causes us to catch our breath and say, “it must be the presence of Lord with us!” Thank you for the creative ways you respond when we ask for help. Open our spirits to see you and receive. We trust you, Lord, and we love you. Thank you for being right here!
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2
A late-night fatality revealed to me the burden I was choosing to help carry. My Paramedic partner set up with me all night as sleep couldn’t come while I was processing the trauma and death of an accident scene. It was more than just this call; it was also the reality that we would respond to many of these 911 calls. We would help many, save some lives… and many would also not survive.
My partner couldn’t take that burden away from me, nor fix it so I would not have anything to carry. What my fellow Paramedic did that night was bear the burden with me.
Listening and being with one another when we are carrying heavy loads allows us to experience grace. We are given the space to speak the jumbled and jagged feelings that come with being human. We are heard.
In those moments of sharing, we are freed from the oppressive weight, and it gives us strength to continue the journey. It is not magic; it often does not remove the burden, but it is lighter, and we are no longer alone.
What my EMS partner did for me in that very early season of my Paramedic days, helped me understand that unless I processed this along with the way, I wouldn’t be able to make the 1000’s of more calls that were waiting ahead in my career. I had my own pain being in the middle of others’ trauma and death. I would have to heal as I went along.
When I reported for my next 24 hour shift and opened my locker, I discovered a large paper rolled up and placed inside.
1982
That was 1982 and the poster still hangs where I can see it often enough to not forget this way Christ calls us to be in the world. We need each other, and sometimes that is just listening to the deep of another’s heart. Vulnerability is hard. And it is healing. Listening takes time and it is a form of serving. Healing happens when both are present.
Jesus is the one who removes burdens. We are the ones who carry our loads and are blessed if someone else is there to help us bear the weight. Who is there for you? Don’t hesitate to let them near enough to assist. Jesus promises to help us, and sometimes that promise is fulfilled by the person God places in our path.
Recently a friend created a piece of art for me; it sits on my desk, always in sight. She didn’t know of the gift I’d been given so many years ago. But God knew…and perhaps never wants me to forget.
Galatians 6:2 is written on the bottom of this stone art. Dec 2021.
Lord, thank you for making sure I never forget who I’m called to be on earth. Thank you for the friends who help me bear the heavy loads in my life, and the special ways they are present. Whenever life is hard, please equip us to step into those moments and love as deeply as you love us. You call us to do it more and more. Perhaps it heals us all. Amen.
The first time I traveled to Central America I was studying: “Spirituality in Third World Countries”. It was 2004. Nicaragua. I stood in streets filled with waste, spend the night on coffee farms to learn their practice and got my taste of making tortillas over a wood stove. I also rested in beautiful places and watched the sunset in Leon.
I learned about the fireworks and made peace with the rooster’s adamant heralding of the morning. I shared conversations with strangers and made new friends. We met with religious and political leaders and witnessed firsthand the realities of another culture and people. Something broke open in me during that experience and it’s been breaking open ever since.
My heart has grown. My mind has been sharpened. I have learned hard things and have watched beautiful cultures turn into dark spaces of suffering, while others emerged with hope, strength, and humility. My spirit has been pruned and shaped for something much bigger than me. I hope, on most days, it is shaped and breathing in a way that honors my Creator.
A lot of things break us open. Experiences leave us wide eyed and surprised. Grief and sorrow take our breath away and make it hard to live through the next hour. Beauty breaks us open. Love breaks us open. God breaks us open. Marriage, divorce, death, birth, illness, strength…all so incredibly intimate; breaking us wide open while also making us whole.
If you are breaking open today – may God give you peace to know that you are not alone. Help is on the way. Ask! If you are celebrating a joy you can’t contain – I hope you see Jesus’ hand reaching out and inviting you to dance. Do it! If you are surviving one day at a time – know that the plans God has for you are for good and not for harm .Trust this!
We are given life to live. Live fully. When beauty is present, make time to appreciate it. When you or someone you love is hurting – sit in the valley with them; your presence is enough. We are doing this life together – the sorrow and the joy; it is a gift. Above all, remember that you are loved.
A few photos this morning as a prayer offering.
We have this treasure in clay jars..Be still and know…
Public schools in Guatemala have been closed for two years. Two years. Some online learning was offered, but many students do not have access to technology at the level needed for learning. Schools were scheduled to reopen on Monday, January 31st, but many did not. COVID continues to move through families and communities. A mask mandate is in place. The current vaccination rate for Guatemala is 31.2%. For perspective, the current USA vaccination rate is 64%. All over the world, we are living through a new experience. Everything has changed.
And still, children have dreams! Their minds need exercise and challenge. They look to adults to help them discover how learning and education opens our lives. The spirit and mind of a child is so deeply shaped by the encouragement, mentoring and love they experience in these early years.
There are 23 children sponsored through ACD Guatemala and 19 of those sponsors are through Franklin FUMC. These 23 children are attending a private school, Ad-Astra La Esperanza, so they can continue to learn and thrive. Each morning the children come to ACD and are given transportation to school. If they have need of supplies, they receive them. The children know someone is waiting for them each morning at ACD Guatemala and that someone believes in them. When they get on that bus and are on their way to school, they know an army of love is going in with them!
The presentation for our visit to the school began with the raising of the flags. The children gathered at the bottom of a steep garden area and their bright eyes watched with anticipation. The flags of Tennessee, USA and Franklin First UMC all raised as our national anthem played. ACD Guatemala, Ad-Astra La Esperanza and Guatemala flags all raised as the Guatemalan national anthem played and the children sang. We are here. Together. A big dream is unfolding.
Flag presentation at Ad-Astra La Esperanza
When the kingdom of God is fully present on earth it is hard to tell who is serving who, because we are all serving from a mutual place of sharing what we have: giving and receiving…together. The story of ACD Guatemala, Ad-Astra La Esperanza, and Franklin First UMC is one of those thin places that we cannot stop from flourishing. Geography and land are involved, but the friendships that connect here for a greater purpose are the real story.
If I begin to write the sequence of events that brought this moment into being the miracles are so intertwined the story overflows. I cannot find its beginning, there is no static moment, nor is there a natural end. It is a fountain overflowing. It is out of our hands, out of our control. We can only give witness to the fruitfulness and praise God for allowing us to be a part. I am so grateful to be a part of a community of faith that serves with others in whatever way brings hope where it is needed.
Beginning the school day with prayerTanner, Lucia, Vona, Eleazar, Jason
“Is it raining?” “No…the leaves are falling.” How beautiful is the sound of falling leaves and all that the woods speak as we walk along the path.
The prophet, Malachi, writes about God’s interactions with the people of Israel. The people have grown weary of dealing with evil and seeing wickedness prosper. They complain and God responds:
“You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”
Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. – Malachi 3:13-18
When we are surrounded by reports of awful acts in the world or standing face to face with insults and language that attempts to reduce us to dirt, it helps to simply stop and listen to the one who created us. What I love in this brief glimpse into Malachi’s story, is that there are some people among the Israelite crowd that choose to do something different than stay in their weariness and complaint. They talked to each other. They remembered God’s character and faithfulness. They chose to trust God and stay on the path of holiness. And God noticed.
We don’t always feel like God’s treasured possession, but that IS who we are called to be. As messy or weary as we may feel on any given day – what we ARE is God’s treasured possession. As strong and powerful as we may think we are on any given day – what we ARE is God’s treasured possession. These are truths we embrace, receive and acknowledge because they remind us of who God is and who God created us to be. We don’t have to manufacture this; it IS because of God’s presence in our lives.
As you start your Monday morning, may you know that the path of righteousness leads to fullness of life for you. Remember the One who created you and guides you in the way you are to walk through this day. You are God’s treasured possession and no circumstance or person, nor any power operating in this world can take that away. Be loved!
How has God reminded you that you are loved and treasured? Write it down. Remember it in times that weariness is present. God is with you.
Prayer: Lord, lead our paths in ways that honor you. We trust you and we love you. Amen.
Life in the Deep End 