A Baby Changes Everything...

In this year's drama, I wrote for one character to say that he didn't believe that this season was about family or even a Baby. Sounds sacrilegious, doesn't it? It did to me as I wrote it then, and it does today. You see, Christmas has always been an amazing and magical time for my family. It means time together, eating and laughing and loving on each other. It is a time of music, lights and great movies.

But take all that away and what do you have? Remove your loved ones from your picture. Take away the lights and music. Take away all the yummy foods and snacks. It's just a day on the calendar. It's a day that a Baby was born. None of those events are very special are they? They happen all the time.

No, it is what that Baby grew to be. It is about who He became. And what He did for all of mankind. Every breath, every step He made was just to bring Him closer to death. It was ALL about that Cross. Just like Ricky Bobby, that Baby is easy for us to celebrate. What's threatening about a Baby? Not much. But make that Baby a Man. Make Him the Son of God. That's very threatening. To do that we have to accept that there is even a God. And that He cares for us. And that He wants to change our lives. And change is VERY threatening! Even good change.

So, if you're happy or sad; surrounded by loved ones or lonely; full or hungry, celebrate. You have a reason to celebrate. And that reason is that God came to earth. He came for you. He came to change your life. He came to live. To die. To rise again. Just for you.

Merry Christmas!

A New Kind of Normal

As I connect with friends and family, all talk turns to the same subject: Christmas. The lights are up and on. The trees are decorated. Every church has its program scheduled and advertised. Shops are crowded and parking lots are filled. It's the same old same old, isn't it? But what if you're facing a different kind of Christmas this year? What if you're wondering what to do about that empty seat at the dining table? Are you asking who's going to make that special recipe? Is there someone so sick that they can't fill their normal obligations? Because of a medical diagnosis, are you having to completely revise your menu? What if your world was turned upside down this year and you're having to find a 'new kind of normal'? And that includes Christmas?

Don't you wonder how in the world you're supposed to celebrate when you see absolutely no reason to? Growing up I had amazing parents who made Christmas one of the most magical times of the year. Well that changed as I became an adult. Those changes didn't mean anything negative. They were just a new kind of normal. The magic returned when my niece and nephews were born. It may have been different, but it was just as beautiful to be a part of making that magic instead of receiving it.

But I know there are some of you reading this who are wondering. How do I celebrate this year? How can there be any magic when he/she is gone? What's the reason for the decorations if that little one won't be there to enjoy them? Aren't those romantic movies and commercials murder when the romance has disappeared? Who has time for a holiday when life can be counted by the minutes? Do you just pretend? Do we put on that mask and give everyone else the impression that we are alright?

Sometimes what was before will never be that way again. Maybe life is forever changed. We can be living in 'a new kind of normal'. How do we navigate that through a holiday like Christmas? There can be no other answer than carefully. Allow your hand to rest in His. While we try to celebrate His coming in our new way, know that He doesn't expect the old way. He just wants you to acknowledge Him. He just wants your heart this and every other day of the year. Maybe He's carrying you this Christmas, just as Mary carried Him. Let Him. Cry out to Him. And remember that when there are no other answers, when those verses feel empty... There is Jesus. And He's holding you.

Nails

For several years I worked in Christian retail. I realized it was time to leave when I began to dread Christmas. A couple of years before I found other means, a new product came out. It was the beginning of the Christmas season and a new batch of ornaments had just arrived. This new product was like nothing I had ever seen before. It was an ornament. And it was a nail. A huge nail. It was heavy and truth be told, nothing like the beautiful and quirky ornaments around it. Now, I don't know what kind of nails held our Savior on that Cross, but the point is that this new ornament is a moden representation of those nails. The instructions that with it stated that it is too heavy to hang on the outer branches of the Christmas tree. It isn't meant to be decorative. It is meant to be hung before anything else, even the lights. It is the foundation of the decorating of the tree.

Isn't that true of our walk with Christ? Aren't those nails and Cross the foundation of our lives? They are not meant to decorate our lives or make us look good. They are there to remind us that without those nails, our lives would be usless. Without those nails, there would be no reason to celebrate this month. If not for that Cross, we would live without hope.

I just hung that nail on my Christmas tree. Every year I hang it in the same area. And I stop and think every year. And I remember. I remember that without that Baby. Without the miracle of His birth, I would not know Him. But if He had never shed His blood. If He had decided that the Cross would be too hard to endure. If He had just gone fishing with the disciples instead, then all this would be in vain. But He didn't. He died. He rose back to life. Just for me. Just for you.

Remember that as you decorate your own tree. As you put up the lights. As you listen to the Christmas music radio station. All of these things point to the Cross. And those nails.

Merry Christmas!

When You Are Low on Hope

This was waiting in my e-mail box last night. As it has been a particularly trying week, I know that the timing is not a coincedence. Now I'm sure that I'm not the only person who's struggling, so I decided to pass these words of wisdom on to you.

When You Are Low on Hope
by Max Lucado

Water. All Noah can see is water. The evening sun sinks into it. The clouds are reflected in it. His boat is surrounded by it. Water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the west. Water.
He sent a raven on a scouting mission; it never returned. He sent a dove. It came back shivering and spent, having found no place to roost. Then, just this morning, he tried again. With a prayer he let it go and watched until the bird was no bigger than a speck on a window.
All day he looked for the dove’s return.
Now the sun is setting, and the sky is darkening, and he has come to look one final time, but all he sees is water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the …
You know the feeling. You have stood where Noah stood. You’ve known your share of floods. Flooded by sorrow at the cemetery, stress at the office, anger at the disability in your body or the inability of your spouse. You’ve seen the floodwater rise, and you’ve likely seen the sun set on your hopes as well. You’ve been on Noah’s boat.
And you’ve needed what Noah needed; you’ve needed some hope. You’re not asking for a helicopter rescue, but the sound of one would be nice. Hope doesn’t promise an instant solution but rather the possibility of an eventual one. Sometimes all we need is a little hope.
That’s all Noah needed. And that’s all Noah received.
Here is how the Bible describes the moment: “When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!” (Gen. 8:11 NIV).
An olive leaf. Noah would have been happy to have the bird but to have the leaf! This leaf was more than foliage; this was promise. The bird brought more than a piece of a tree; it brought hope. For isn’t that what hope is? Hope is an olive leaf—evidence of dry land after a flood. Proof to the dreamer that dreaming is worth the risk.
Don’t we love the olive leaves of life? “It appears the cancer may be in remission.” “I can help you with those finances.” “We’ll get through this together.” What’s more, don’t we love the doves that bring them? Perhaps that’s the reason so many loved Jesus.
To all the Noahs of the world, to all who search the horizon for a fleck of hope, he proclaims, “Yes!” And he comes. He comes as a dove. He comes bearing fruit from a distant land, from our future home. He comes with a leaf of hope.
Have you received yours? Don’t think your ark is too isolated. Don’t think your flood is too wide. Receive his hope, won’t you? Receive it because you need it. Receive it so you can share it.
Love always hopes. “Love … bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:4–7 NKJV, emphasis mine).

From A Love Worth GivingCopyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado

Last night, my sister and I saw a preview for the movie 2012. All I understood was that in December 2012, life as we know it is supposed to be over. New concept, I know. But the special effects of this preview were amazing as the foundation of Los Angeles (and I suppose the rest of the world) begins to buckle. Houses, buildings and bridges were folding over on themselves. Needless to say, it was a very intense preview. And quite fun to watch from the comfort of my recliner in my safe den. Isn't that why we enjoy scary and thrilling entertainment? While we sit comfortable and safe?

But what about when those devastating things happen to us? Much easier when it's fiction isn't it? Jesus' disciples lived through one of those events. Oh, it's easy, when we are sitting in our chairs to criticize them for not waiting three days. For believing that He was actually dead and that all their dreams and hopes were in the tomb with Him. See, we know the rest of the story, but they didn't. It hadn't happened yet and their world had been turned upside down. If you haven't lived through one or more of those moments, you are either very young or you aren't being completely truthful.

I call those moments, Bizarro World moments. When everything you believe and stand upon is suddenly the opposite. When red means go and green means stop. When he walks in and tells you that he doesn't love you. When you are no longer a valued employee and it's time for you to go. When your accountant informs you that you no longer have any money in the bank. When an obedient child has bad news for you. When your pastor decides to begin a new life with the organist. The equator is now the coldest place on earth and gravity no longer applies. And death would seem easier than living in the aftermath.

Did death on a Roman cross change the fact that Jesus was/is the Messiah? No, but it sure seemed that way for His followers. When we stand in the middle of rubble and death, is He still God? Does that verse in Jeremiah still apply? Can this be His plan? Who is He now? He is still God. He still loves us. He still has a plan. I know this because He has stayed by my side through destruction. He has stayed by my side when I have turned away from Him. He has stayed by my side when I shook my fists at Him. Stop looking at the destruction and death. Begin to look for Him. I promise you, He's by your side, too. Just waiting for you to turn to Him. And cry on His shoulder.

The World

"But to me, Baby, you are the world."

Sixteen years ago, tomorrow was a very special day. I was still in my 20's. I had been back in the US from Japan less than six months. For the first time, I was living in the same town as my brother and his wife. And just a few minutes after 12 noon, I met the most amazing girl. She was only minutes old and she was my brother's daughter. His first born. His princess. And, it turns out, his only daughter. He (along with Janet) have given me two fun, delightful and brilliant nephews since then but this one's about her. The beautiful girl in this picture.

You see, she may just look like any other girl to you, but she is a vibrant part of my world. I was in Japan when Richard and Janet called me from Birmingham and asked how 'Aunt Lara' would be said in Japanese. From that moment, the foundation of my world changed. I watched my brother sing to her before she was born, pressing his chin to Janet's belly. We all fell in love with her before she even breathed her first breath. Then there she was, two weeks later than she was supposed to be here, being carried down that hallway by my brother. She was red and screaming. Dark brown curls all over her head. A few days later, I was holding her and singing to her. I still do that, by the way. And for the first time in my life, I understood unconditional love. I realized that there was nothing this girl could do that would change my love for her. No matter what she became. No matter what choices she made in her life. My love could do nothing but grow for her. I have had those moments with each of her brothers, too.

Now, here we are. Tomorrow she turns 16. She has done nothing but grow more amazing and more beautiful. She has such talent and heart. While she and her brothers do not and can not mean more to me than my Lord, they are a huge part of my world. You might even say vital. You might never have a chance to meet her, so I thought I'd do the honors.

There she is, the most beautiful of nieces! My Carlie! Sweet sixteen. I love you, my dear girl!

Failure

A few days ago, I was in the middle of heavy traffic on one of Alabama's busiest highways, Hwy 280. All I wanted was a pedicure and there I was, stuck in non-moving traffic. Everyone in Birmingham knows about 280, and we all HATE it!!! Sitting there I looked at all the stopped cars and buildings in front of me. There on the right, just after the I459 overpass, it was. A towering symbol of one man's failure. Several years ago, Richard Scrushy came under indicted for money laundering, extortion, obstruction of justice, racketeering and bribery. He pleaded not guilty, but was convicted in 2006. Sometime before all this mess, he received the ok to build this beautiful, yet useless, building. It's purpose was to become the latest in cutting edge of health care. The world's top digital hospital.

Everyone in Birmingham is familiar with this building that towers over 280. This empty building. It has become a constant reminder of all the things that Scrushy did wrong. And that made me wonder. What if our failures were placed in blinding notice of the world on the busiest highway in town? What if they were so tall that they were visible from far away. What if they had outer walls of glass and mirror so that they reflected every time the sun rises and sets? And what if you had to drive past them at least twice a day for you and everyone else on the road to see? Pretty humiliating thought, isn't it? Our failures can feel that big and obvious, but most of the time they are not. Thankfully! While they may feel that way, at least our failures are not broadcast on the national news.

But even if they are that big and that well known, there is one thing that is bigger than that glass and steel building on Hwy 280. Can you guess? It's the Cross of Jesus Christ. There is nothing we can do that His Blood does not cover. There is no failure so large and well known that His Cross cannot shadow. While we are never free from the consequences of our sins and failures, we can ALWAYS be forgiven. Richard Scrushy is in prison right now, that cannot change. The empty, beautiful building still towers uselessly over 280 and that has not changed. A lot of people lost their jobs and savings through his actions. That will not change. But our God, Who is in the business of forgiving, has made Himself available to forgive Richard Scrushy. He has also made Himself available to forgive you. No matter what you've done. No matter how visible your failure is or isn't. Pretty cool, huh?

Seventy-one years ago, tomorrow, my father was born. In the Mississippi delta, September of 1938, there was no hospital for a delivering mother to find. I don't know what, if any prenatal care my grandmother had. We have no way of knowing my Mamaw's actual due date for Papa. I still wonder just how far along she was in her pregnancy. The only information I have is that, after eight healthy deliveries, my grandmother gave birth to the man you see in this picture. Thankfully a doctor was there to help my Mamaw. When the doctor held my father in his hands, there looked to be no hope for Papa's survival. Papa was tiny. Too small to survive. Too early for his lungs to have developed. Papa's body fit into one of the doctor's hands, while his head fit into the other. Premature births can be a devastating experience and the parents are not promised tomorrow. Papa weighed in at about 2.5 pounds. The doctor believed that this baby was dead. Until... Don't you LOVE that word? Until my father let out a bellow. The doctors response? Nothing wrong with those lungs! Don't you love it?

This wonderful man who raised me truly does have a set of lungs. Ones that should not have been fully formed when he was born. At first he slept in his older sister's baby doll bed. When winter came, he slept in an open dresser drawer. I hope that you someday get an opportunity to hear my father sing. He followed the Lord's call into music ministry. He's seen countless changes in music. He even recorded a record when I was a little girl. No one sings How Great Thou Art like my Papa. Lisa & I believe that they honestly don't make them like our Papa! When he calls my office to talk to me, he announces himself as Papa. So you can call him that too. So, I welcome you to celebrate Papa's (Donald Moore) birthday tomorrow. That's what we will be doing.

Just a few short years ago, we humans believed that the solar system revolved around our own ‘blue marble’. Imagine our humbling surprise that not only was the earth not the center of the Milky Way, but our planet makes it’s orbit around the sun. Isn’t that just like us? We become so self-absorbed that we erroneously decide that everything revolves around us. But that’s not really the purpose of this post.

Last night my sister, Lisa & I went to a concert/worship event at a church here in Birmingham. If you have never heard of Glory Revealed, you can check it out here http://www.gloryrevealed.com/ Two years ago, David Nasser (evangelist) and Mac Powell (lead singer of Third Day) felt the Lord leading them to write songs that were pure Scripture. David’s vision was that people would learn the Word of God by singing those songs. Fast forward 2+ years and Shades Mtn Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL is hosting the final stop of the Glory Revealed II tour. David Nasser, Mac Powell, Laura Story, Aaron Shust… The list goes on and on. It was AMAZING!!

Just a few songs in and my arms were raised in worship. I felt the Presence of our Almighty God. If you’ve never experienced that, don’t wait! Beg, steal, borrow whatever it takes to find yourself a Bible based, God filled, worshipful church. Give your heart to Christ. Take what He did on the cross just for yourself and make Him Lord of your life. Make Him the center of your own solar system.

Even those of us who’ve followed Him for years find ourselves orbiting things other than the ‘Son’. What do you find yourselves focusing on? Am I the only one who focuses on something so much that I loose my Center? What distracts you? Family issues? Workplace stress? The everyday business of life? Things you ought to do but don’t? Things you shouldn’t be doing? It’s an endless list, isn’t it? But there is nothing as freeing as releasing those ‘orbits’ and getting back on the track that we were made for. A continuous orbit around the Son. The problems and stresses didn’t go anywhere. They aren’t any smaller than they were yesterday. They have just taken their proper place and are so much smaller than the Center of my universe.

Shut Down

When I get overwhelmed, when I get hurt, when I get stressed, when my heart is broken, the same thing always happens. I take a step back, breathe deep... And shut down. Real mature and healthy, I know. That is the true reason behind the lapses in posting any original pieces. Yep, that's me, mature and healthy! So what changed? Definitely not my circumstances. No, last night I went to the movies. I can hear those of you who know me laughing right now. Where else would Lara go to have a WAKE UP moment than to the movies?

Well, it wasn't just the movie, which I'm sure you are just now figuring out was Julie & Julia. It was the combination of the story with Panera's amazing strawberry/poppy seed salad w/chicken along with Godly fellowship with good & wise friends (who give great counsel, btw!).

So, what has changed? I watched the story of a New York woman who followed a path that shouldn't have worked. And it changed her life. What was it? A blog. Do I think this blog will change my life? I don't know. Do I think it can change your life? Again, I don't know. But I do know this... Shutting down changes nothing and no one. Unless the change we're discussing is rust and decay. So, again, what did I learn from Julie Powell & Julia Child? These two women didn't shut down. They didn't settle for rust or decay. And neither am I.

No, even though I adore cooking, I will not be cooking my way through Julia Child's book for the next 365 days. What I will be doing, however, is staying open. Writing through the stresses of life instead of surfing the web to avoid doing what He has called me to do. Write. I'll be posting soon.

My South

I'm sorry. I know I haven't been keeping up with posting to this blog. When we have alot on our plates & our hearts are tender, this is when we need to touch those tender places and bring them to light, so that we can heal. Evidently, I haven't been doing this, but a friend e-mailed this to me & I wanted to share that with you.

This was written by Robert St. John, executive chef and owner of the Purple Parrot Cafe, Crescent City Grill and Mahogany Bar of Hattiesburg , MS.

My South
Thirty years ago I visited my first cousin in Virginia. While hanging out with his friend, the discussion turned to popular movies of the day. When I offered my two-cents on the authenticity and social relevance of the movie Billy Jack, one of the boys asked, in all seriousness; “Do you guys have movie theaters down there?” To which I replied, “Yep. We wear shoes too.”

Just three years ago, my wife and I were attending a food and wine seminar in Aspen, Colo. We were seated with two couples from Las Vegas. One of the Glitter Gulch gals was amused and downright rude when I described our restaurant as a fine-dining restaurant... “Mississippi doesn't have fine-dining restaurants!” she insisted and nudged her companion. I fought back the strong desire to mention that she lived in the land that invented the 99-cent breakfast buffet. I wanted badly to defend my state, my region, and my restaurant with a 15-minute soliloquy and public relations rant that would surely change her mind. It was at that precise moment that I was hit with a blinding jolt of enlightenment, and in a moment of complete and absolute clarity it dawned on me -- my South is the best-kept secret in the country. Why would I try to win this woman over? She might move down here.

I am always amused by Hollywood 's interpretation of the South. We are still, on occasion, depicted as a collective group of sweaty, stupid, backwards-minded, racist rednecks. The South of movies and TV, the Hollywood South, is not my South.

This is my South: My South is full of honest, hardworking people.

My South is the birthplace of blues and jazz, and rock n' roll. It has banjo pickers and fiddle players, but it also has BB King, Muddy Waters, the Allman Brothers, Emmylou Harris and Elvis.

My South is hot. My South smells of newly mowed grass. My South was kick the can, creek swimming, cane-pole fishing and bird hunting.

In my South, football is king, and the Southeastern Conference is the kingdom.

My South is home to the most beautiful women on the planet.

In my South, soul food and country cooking are the same thing.

My South is full of fig preserves, cornbread, butter beans, fried chicken, grits and catfish.

In my South, our transistor radios introduced us to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones at the same time they were introduced to the rest of the country.

In my South, grandmothers cook a big lunch every Sunday, so big that we call it dinner (supper comes later).

In my South, family matters, deeply. My South is boiled shrimp, blackberry cobbler, peach ice cream, banana pudding and cream pies.

In my South people put peanuts in bottles of Coca-Cola and hot sauce on almost everything.

In my South the tea is iced and almost as sweet as the women.
My South has air-conditioning.

My South is camellias, azaleas, wisteria and hydrangeas.

In my South, the only person that has to sit on the back of the bus is the last person that got on the bus.

In my South, people still say 'Yes, ma'am,' 'No ma'am,' 'Please' and 'Thank you.'

In my South, we all wear shoes....most of the time..

My South is the best-kept secret in the country. Please continue to keep the secret....it keeps the idiots away.

Not doing a great job at keeping it secret. Oh, well...

The Climb

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the Climb

Recorded by Miley Cyrus

Written by J. Alexander, J. Mabe

Memorial Day 2009

I never thought that this is where I'd settle down,

I thought I'd die an old man back in my hometown,

They gave me this plot of land,

me and some other men,for a job well done.

There's a big white house sits on a hill just up the road,

The man inside he cried the day they brought me home,

They folded up a flag, and told my mom and dad,

'We're proud of your son'.

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,

I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company,

I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done,

I can rest in peace,

I'm one of the chosen ones,

I made it to Arlington.

I remember daddy brought me here when I was eight,

We searched all day to find out where my granddad lay,

And when we finally found that cross,

He said, 'Son this is what it cost, to keep us free'.

Now here I am a thousand stones away from him,

He recognized me on the first day I came in,

And it gave me a chill, when he clicked his heels, and saluted me.

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,

I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company,

And I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done,

I can rest in peace,

I'm one of the chosen ones,

I made it to Arlington.

And every time I hear, twenty-one guns,

I know they brought another hero home, to us.

We're thankful for those thankful for the things we've done,

We can rest in peace, 'cause we were the chosen ones,

We made it to Arlington, yea, dust to dust

Don't cry for us, we made it to Arlington.

Sung by Trace Adkins

Written by:

Dave Turnbull & Jeremy N. Spillman

Several years ago, I decided something that I thought was completely original. I decided that our souls need feeding. We feed the physical body (some of us more than others) and we feed the spiritual body (some of us not as much as we should). But what about the soul? How do we feed the soul? My brilliant deduction was through fueling our passions and taking time out for ourselves.

A little while later, my pastor preached a sermon on the different types of gas tanks that we have. Of course, he used my own analogy, but I don't think he plagiarized it from me. No, I think I wasn't the original one. He basically said that we spend so much time filling one or two tanks and ignore the other(s). And that puts us out of balance. While spending all our time with Christian tasks, we may feel fulfilled spiritually but we are missing something. If we (as I tend to do) run to the pantry or refrigerator for every emotion, we loose our physical health. In the past, I thought those were the only things that I had to fill.

I was in the North Carolina mountains with friends when I realized that I was filling up something that was neither of the two tanks. I could almost feel my soul taking deep breaths of the mountain air. I feel it every time I escape from the monotony of life. I feel it now that I am on vacation in Orange Beach, AL with very special friends. It's here that I tend to fill all three tanks. We do eat well, possibly too well. I feel His presence so clearly watching the beauty of His creation. It's easier to speak with Him here. And, like I wrote before, I feel my soul take deep breaths.

Life has not changed. Work is still waiting. Bills are still coming in the mail. But I'm on a retreat and feeling Him close to me. You don't have to drive to a beach or the mountains to feed your soul. Sometimes it's as easy as sitting with a good book. Or walking through a garden. Or a drive down a road you've never been just to see where it goes. Take a moment. Breathe deeply. Close your eyes and think about Him. Think about Him in a place you love. He's there waiting to just be with you. To just help you feed your soul.

With love, from the Gulf Coast.

Once Upon A Time...

I love stories. It's the primary way in which I communicate. It's how I view the world. I like to use that as an excuse as to why I love movies & TV so much. Lisa & I have books hidden, tucked and on display all through our house. I carry a book with me just about everywhere I go. When there are free moments throughout my day, I reach for it. There's a joke in my family that Lara can never tell a short story. It's true. I just feel that you need to know the back story to understand the 'now' story. Hard to follow isn't it? You should try being the one saying it :D

A young man visited our home group tonight. A few years ago, we supported him as he followed the Call to an especially difficult mission field. I can't tell you his name or where he went, but I can tell you that the Lord sent him there. He and his team witnessed the Hand of the Lord over and over. The coolest way that they shared the Gospel was through story telling. Story telling is a universal language. Most of us respond to it. In various cultures, their heritage is passed down from generation to generation through story telling. In a world that normally takes three + years to see lives changed by the gospel, this team saw eighteen people choose to follow Christ. And all through story telling.

Once these people heard the story of Jesus, they became passionate about it. They did so because the story tellers were (and are) passionate about it. Here, in the States, we have an abundance of stories. And so many of them are captivating. Which ones are you passionate about? The 'boldly go where no one has gone before...'; the 'don't go near the basement...'; the 'boy meets girl'? How many of them captivate you? What about the one where God came to earth just to die for you? Does it captivate you? Are you passionate about it? Why aren't we? Why do those others push it (the most important of all stories) to the back of our minds? When will we realize that the stories written in between those pieces of leather are the only ones that can truly change us? That those are the only eternal stories and all the others will fade?

The 'Perfect' & the 'Dream'

Don't you HATE work? Or am I the only one? I really believe that I was made to be independently wealthy. There must have been some mistake along the way. Kindergarten teachers & music ministers don't make the kind of money that can make their kids wealthy. But it's a dream of mine, none the less. In earlier posts, I've mentioned that I struggle with finding the 'perfect'. You know, the perfect job. The perfect church. The perfect friends. Why is there a word like perfect when it's unattainable in this life? Oh, yeah. He's perfect. He even walked this same earth that you & I do. Maybe it's because we need Him in our lives so much, that we all search for this 'perfect'.

Today was one of those days. Sure it's Monday, which is bad enough on its own, but it went beyond that. The people I encountered were no more irritating than usual. The phone rang no more often than it does any other Monday. So what was different? Me & my attitude. They, to put it bluntly, sucked. I didn't want to be at work today. My doctor's inability to make a decision has not changed, but today it infuriated me. The talkativeness of co-workers made me want to scream. Patients and pharmaceutical reps asking the same question that I've heard & tried to answer for almost a year now were like fingernails on a chalkboard.

And I wanted my 'dream job'. Want to know what that job is? Well, so do I!!! Down deep, I realize that there is no 'dream job'. Every job has its irritants. Every job has its own politics. I hate politics! Sure I could find another job that might make me happy for a year or two. Ok, maybe not in this economy, but that's not the point. The point is my job made me unhappy today. But it's not my job's responsibility to make me happy in the first place. Lisa offered sound advise tonight. Pray. Not for a new job. But pray and give the day and this job to Him. Think it will work? Me, too.

And if you hear some screams from the North Birmingham area, just ignore them. I'll be ok :D

Encounters with the Lion

I have made no secret of my love for movies and stories. Nor of some of my favorites, The Chronicles of Narnia. Sunday night, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe was on. I laughed. I cried. I made a spectacle of myself. It was a good thing I was alone. Think the scene in the movie Elf when the announcement is made that Santa is coming. Remember Buddy’s reaction? Well, that’s what I looked & sounded like.

Anyway, the reason for this post is a particular scene. Peter, Susan & Lucy look up and see that their brother Edmund has been rescued from his disastrous collaboration with the White Witch. Edmund is standing on top of a hill having a serious conversation with Aslan (I know Him. I know Him.). As a writer & drama director it is a beautiful and emotional scene. C.S. Lewis never tells us what was said between Edmund & Aslan. Only that the past is in the past. When I watched that scene, one word came to me, “Encounters.” Encounters with the Lion.

No one who had an encounter with the Lion came away unchanged. The mere mention of His name was enough to evoke strong emotions. Coming face to face with Him changed each one who stood next to Him. Lucy found courage in Prince Caspian. DLF found truth. Eustace found character in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Jill found purpose in The Silver Chair. Digory, or the Professor, found healing in The Magician’s Nephew. Shasta found peace as well as his heritage in The Horse and his Boy. Puzzle found truth in The Last Battle. And Edmund? What did he find in his encounter with the Lion? Edmund found forgiveness and restoration. The Lion, Himself, was sacrificed just for Edmund. What greater gift could he have received? After Lucy, Edmund must be my next favorite character. He became a mighty and just King. He understood grace and mercy in a way that one who has not received them cannot understand. Edmund’s story tells us that there is no deception too great, no desertion too immoral that grace and mercy cannot cover.

Am I talking about a children’s storybook? No. Aslan is Narnia’s version of Jesus. Just as Aslan took Edmund’s death upon Himself, so did Jesus take our death upon Himself. There is nothing you have done that His death and resurrection cannot cover! His mercy and grace can cover you if you just allow them. Just as Edmund was changed by that encounter with the Lion, so you can be changed by an encounter with Jesus Christ.

Things you can do while drinking your orange juice...

In Sunday School this morning, Cindy Harless, brought up a valid question. Can you glorify God while drinking your orange juice? And if you can, how? So when we are running on auto-pilot and just following our routine, can we glorify God? 'Talk amongst yourselves' That only works if you imagine a strong Bronx accent when you read that quote :D In a related story, Lisa & I went to Stadium Fest yesterday & heard Chris Tomlin & Louie Giglio. Louie spoke about the one question we can ask God that He never (& can never) says no to.

In the course of my life, I've asked many things of God. I begged Him to heal me so that I wouldn't have to have a hysterectomy. I've begged Him to restore ones I've loved to health. I've asked Him to move my New York family back down South. His answer to these questions were all the same. No. That doesn't sound like a happy ending does it? And all He asks of me is that I continue to trust Him through His no's. Easier said than done, but where else would I turn? And like me, I'm sure you've tried to find other ways to turn. But a difficult life with Him is far better than an easy life without Him. I say this because I know it to be true. I've lived it.

Back to that question that He can't say no to. That question is this, "Will you be glorified in all that I do?" His answer is an unequivocal and resounding yes! Now how do we make this happen? What can drinking OJ do to glorify God? It may be just a simple as declaring Him Lord of our lives. If we aren't willing to make Him Lord while doing something as simple as drinking a glass of juice, are we really willing to have Him Lord over our relationships? Over our jobs? Over our major decisions? So that's how it happens. Give Him your orange juice, and He'll give you a future.

LOTR

It's Saturday night & the tv in my den has been on the same channel all day. TNT is running a marathon of The Lord of the Rings. Now, if you don't know, Lisa & I own the extended 2-disc collections. All three of them. So why are we watching the televised, cut up by commercials, and with parts deleted? Got me. Besides it'll be off in a few minutes & the ring is burning as I write! There's Frodo, hanging off the ledge & Sam begging him to take his hand. I LOVE these movies! There, the ring is destroyed and the tower is falling! Mordor falls! Mount Doom is overflowing with lava & Frodo's friends realize that he & Sam are right in the middle of its destruction.

There are so many beautiful lessons in these stories, so much to learn if we will only listen. My brother as preached a sermon on the conversation between the two Hobbits and the slopes of Mount Doom. Mother wants Gandalf's monologue to Pippen about death to be spoken at her funeral. The sacrifices and quests of the characters are so great. The evil so strong. Yet men, elves, dwarfs & Hobbits overcome and save the world that is Middle Earth. If I were a better person, I would prefer the books. I'm not. So, I take the easy way out & enjoy the 6 hours of the edited version as well as the 12 hours of the extended version.

Do I understand between fact & fiction? Maybe, maybe not. But I do know that there are so many ways to understand our Lord by watching these movies. He never promised us that we would have an easy road. He never promised that there would be no resistance or evil against us. He never promised that our 'fellowship' or dearly loved ones would not turn against us. He never said that we would not be tempted, at the end, to drop the quest and cling to the evil that we have fought so hard to overcome. No, He just promised that He would never leave us or forsake us. We don't walk this path or travel this quest alone! He stays closer than a brother to us. Or if you will, closer than Sam. If you don't believe me, watch the movies. Listen for those lines. Hear His promises in them. Or, better yet, read His Book. They are all there.

"I'm glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee,

here at the end of all things."

Frodo Baggins

Easter 2009

Crucified.

Laid behind a stone.

You lived to die,

rejected and alone.

You took the fall,

and thought of me

above all.

Taste & See...

Taste and see that the Lord is good. For 21 days in January, my church joined together in a Daniel's Fast. In the bulletin on the second week, they included a print out of Psalm 34. Verse 8 is especially on my heart tonight.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Oh the joys of those who take refuge in Him!

Ps 34:8 NLT

Those of you who know me are aware of the how much I've struggled with weight. I have a great love for food and believe me, it shows! I'm Southern and food is the answer to just about every situation. Births, deaths and sickness cause all your friends to bring hoards of food to your home. With every celebration comes a table full of food. It's a situation ripe for addiction. Smokers who beat their addiction can learn to live without cigarettes and the same goes for alcoholics. People who beat their food addiction still have to eat. It can be a vicious cycle.

What right do I have to worry about the shortcomings of others, when I keep running to the fridge or the pantry? I use whatever I can find to eat to provide comfort, companionship or even a salve to boredom. Is this any better or worse than other broken commandments? No, there is no commandment that states, "Thou shalt not over eat!" There is one, however, that tells me that I should not have any other gods above Him. If I run to the kitchen instead of God, am I not putting my appetites over Him?

I printed out the above Scripture and the first part of verse 8 seems to shout in my mind. How can I 'taste and see' when I'm too busy filling my mouth with chocolate, chips, any form of bread, sweet tea and/or Pibb Extra? That's just the short list. Have you understood the fact that I love food? What am I tasting? He told the woman at the well that He could give her water so that she would never thirst again. Do we think that this could be apply to food? I'm not tasting anything that is eternal. Darn, I'm hungry in just a few short hours, if not sooner. This realization can be pretty demeaning. I haven't had multiple husbands and am not living in sin. I don't recognize myself in that woman. Or, rather, I didn't. She was thirsty, if not dying of thirst. I'm hungry, and could be starving. The only thing is, we are craving the same thing. And, we are filling up with mere substitutions. She ran to men. I run to the kitchen. He encouraged her, and me, to taste. Taste Him. His love. His touch. His acceptance. There is no satisfaction without Him.

Is He about a certain weight? I don't think so. He is all about who or what we put in between Him and ourselves. When you're hurting, lonely, and in need, where do you run? If it's not to Him, maybe it's something you should study. I'm starting to. Will I loose weight? I don't know, I've been trying since puberty! Hopefully, I'll learn where to run. Join me?

I HATE Satan!!!!

I know that none of us like Satan, but I really HATE him tonight! On my FaceBook last night I wrote, "I HATE Ben Linus!" Sorry, but it takes a Lost fan to understand that declaration. Yep, you guessed it, I am a Lost fan. Just about everything out of the mouth of the character Ben Linus is a lie. We as the audience knows it as do the other characters on Lost. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the ratings), they all seem to forget it even though it is proved over and over. I even told my sister, Lisa, that I bet the serpent in the Garden of Eden looked like Ben Linus! This was funny at the time. It isn't to me now.

How many lies do we listen to and believe even after the liar has been exposed to us over and over? What about when we've been restored and our relationship with our Lord is back on track? Do we recognize the lies then? Sometimes we don't. Sometimes the ones we love don't. Sometimes those precious friends fall right back into the pit that they were raised out of. How can this happen when they are years away from that pit? What deafens our ears to the voice of the Shepherd? What opens them to the voice of the serpent. How can we believe what we know is a lie?

I have a friend that I believe is listening to those lies. I believe that he has friends who are fostering these lies. This frightens me more than I could say. This is not a television show. This friend is not just fighting for his life. He is fighting for eternity and I'm afraid. Afraid he's surrounded himself with people who are listening to lies, too. Afraid that maybe this time, he won't repent. Afraid that he can't be restored a second time. Afraid that the pit is even deeper this time.

I don't have any answers to any of these questions or concerns. I do know the cause of them. The enemy of our souls. Ok, so maybe I do have an answer. Jesus. When the answers aren't enough, there is Jesus. Maybe I have to get my eyes and fears off of the problem. It's still frightening and there's a long road ahead. Man, I HATE Satan!!!

The doctor's office in which I work is in a medical plaza next door to an out of business hospital. When we first moved to Birmingham, almost 16 years ago, this hospital was one of the top in town. Now Birmingham is not as big as Atlanta, but we do have several hospitals. Carraway Methodist Medical Center had the emergency department that you wanted when trauma was involved. Several years back some brilliant (that's sarcasm in case it doesn't translate) consulting firm informed the powers that be that they were spending too much money on keeping the Trauma Center open. Now I don't know if that was the first step of the folding of CMMC, but it was one of the biggest. Fast forward to October 2008 and a one hundred year old hospital closes its doors. Hundreds of people are unemployed in a falling economy. Many people would look at that and wonder where God is in these crises. What was He doing when these people lost their jobs?

We are so used to making sure that our lives are perfect. Where did we come up with the idea that when life throws us curve balls, that we must not be doing what God wants us to do or living where God wants us to live. I'm not throwing any stones at any of you, my readers. Oh no, on the contrary, I have been guilty of making these same decisions. He's been spending the last four decades trying to get these weird ideas out of my head. Back to the hospital, with its closing, the company that owns our building has beefed up security so that we who are still there can feel safe. The security guards walk us to our cars in the evening. Monday's guard is Brother Bill. He spent years on the police force for Birmingham. Bro Bill is a pastor whose church has had to decrease his full-time paycheck. All of these things can sound like disasters if you listen with your earthly ears. But if you listen with your spiritual ears, you might hear something entirely different.

He told me of the fact that he has met and prayed for and ministered to people who would never walk through the doors of his church. He and I discussed how God can use things that look like disasters and turn them to His good. Some of my co-workers who don't know the Lord have enjoyed getting to know Bro. Bill. Isn't this what Jesus meant when he told us to take the Good News to the four corners of the earth? The Psalmist tells us how the Shepherd searches high and low to find just one lost lamb. Wouldn't He place a retired policeman, who is now a pastor, in a practically empty medical building just to minister to the few people who are there.

I can't answer the question about why all those people are now out of work. I can't answer any questions about the people who now have to travel farther to reach medical aid. I do know that it can seem hopeless. I also know that each of those people are no stranger to our Lord. He knows them more intimately than they know themselves. And I also know that He has a plan for each and every one of them. And while their lives are not where they want them to be (and they may never be) but they are exactly where He wants them to be. Try not to wait for that perfect moment. Try not to despair because your aren't where you think you should be. Try not to worry that you are surrounded by the unsaved. Whether or not you know it, He is using you just where you are. No matter how you got there.

All Tangled Up

In our basement, Lisa & I have a gift wrapping table. It is so covered up with boxes, bows, bags and ribbons that we can't actually wrap anything on it. Some of the prettiest ribbons are the thin, shinny ones but they are also the biggest handle on the table. There is absolutely no way to keep them organized. The ends unravel and tangle up with each other. In picking up the entire bunch, there are colorful tendrils of ribbon hanging and tangled up everywhere. It's actually a pretty if frustrating sight.

In a seemingly unrelated note, I love being on Facebook. I don't always accept friend requests. I just want to make sure I actually have met and known the friend. Recently I received a friend request from someone I knew over 20 years ago. Once I realized who she was, all of these feelings came up. Disappointments, pain, insecurity and not just a little bitterness. Isn't it amazing how long these things can linger without our being aware? I stewed over them and, of course, remembered every way in which I believed she had wronged me. Suddenly I was 18 again. I tried to rationalize that she was just a kid herself when these things had happened and just as insecure as I had been. Rational doesn't work against old hurts, just in case you wondered. A few hours later (why do we wait so long?) I was laying in bed and remembered to take it all to the Altar of the Lord. I pictured myself pulling out all of those old emotions and laying them on the Altar. In pulling out, I imagined all those ribbons. He wasn't asking me to sort through them, just pull them out. Those tendrils were wrapped up all inside and connected to everything. Finally they were out, and laying on the Altar. Just a tangled heap of emotions and unforgiveness.

Now, when I think of her, I speak forgiveness to her and bless her. Do I feel waves of love and forgiveness toward her? Not yet. But I do feel lighter and less tangled inside. It's amazing to think that He's just been waiting for me to get rid of all that tangled mess for over 20 years. What a gentle and patient Lord we serve! He is ever the Gentleman. And there is no forgiveness without Him.

I am following another blog these days. The only problem is that I'm running out of time :D. But this one is very special to me. This couple are members of my church and have become dear friends of mine. I have bonded with Tina Marie over writing and she has been my roomie for the last couple of Southern Christian Writers Conferences. A few years ago, she and Guy told me that they had begun the process for adopting from China. There are two Christian adoption agencies that I know of here in Birmingham, and they chose LifeLine Adoption Agency http://www.lifelineadoption.org/. They have struggled with the years of waiting as China has changed its policies for international adoption. They are in China right now with their new little girl, Liana. It is a beautiful story and one they hope to repeat it, if the Lord allows. The Poseys have two grown sons and have decided to start over with young children. Adoption is an amazing picture of what God has done for us. Each one of us are that little lost sheep and He searches far and wide and at great expense to find us and bring us home. This is just what I've seen Guy & Tina Marie do over the last few years, just to find and bring home Liana. You can follow their journey at their blog, http://poseysposies.blogspot.com/ Please join me in praying for them and others who are taking this journey.

A few weeks ago, Lisa & I watched The Dark Knight for the first time. I know, we aren't usually running this late on movies. Don't know how it happened. It's a brilliant movie & yes, Heath Ledger DOES deserve a posthumous Oscar for his performance. As it's title says, it is a dark movie. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't seen it & want to, you don't want to read any further. But I have something to say about the message of this movie.

In my last post I mentioned that I like happy endings. They are required for any movies and books that I allow myself to enjoy. So those of you who have watched the movie now know that it was a bit of a disappointment to Lisa & me. It leaves the franchise wide open for another sequel as there are quite a bit of questions left. It doesn't take the easy way out, not for Batman at least. But what impacted me the most is the change of the character Harvey Dent. Here's a short bio on his character. At the beginning of the movie Harvey is Gotham City's DA. He's a tower of strength and character. He cannot be purchased by the evil of the city and is determined to make the city a safer and better place. And best of all, he's succeeding. Throughout the movie, Harvey's working in the light and Batman's working in the darkest corners of the city. So how does he become the evil 'Two-Face Dent'? Tommy Lee Jones played the Dent after he became Two Face in Batman Forever. In that movie, you never saw the before of Dent. The Dark Night spotlights the before.

Again, so how did he fall? Let me tell you. It's the same way we do. Through grief, pain and horror. Through lies and disillusionment. Through a devastating outright attack. Dent lived through something a person should NEVER live through. It opened up a dark place inside him that he never knew existed. And what happened then was more than any person should ever have to experience. The source of all the terrible things that had happened came to him. This one had caused the attack not just on Dent but also on Gotham. This liar whispered to Dent. He told the hurting man lying in a hospital bed in a burn ward the worst of lies. He told him all the ones who had really been behind the pain Dent was feeling. Then the worst thing happened. Dent believed the lies and the liar. Instead of recognizing the liar and stopping him, Dent began to believe that others who had trusted the liar were responsible for Dent's current position. Just as those others followed the liar's leading so Dent, unrecognizable his grief, blazed a trail of destruction of pain and suffering lead by the liar.

How often do we, in our grief and suffering, believe the liar? This enemy of our souls who whispers in our ear that the maker of our souls really is the reason we're in pain? This source of destruction and death leads us into a path of more lies and destruction. How many of us have lived through something no person should ever have to live through? It seems, when we are hurting so terribly our ears become open to the lies of a liar. How is that, when we so desperately need to hear the words of the Truth in those moments? There are some lessons to learn from the fictional tale of Harvey 'Two Face' Dent. When the liar comes to him, Dent is all alone. No one is watching over him, sitting with him. We must keep ourselves covered. Stick with the fellowship of believers. Have people praying and fighting the war for you through prayer. In grief, we are wounded. There is no war front for us. We are in the care of the medics. Keep your ears tuned. Ask for His words to drown out those of the liar. Make sure that when the lies are loud, that there are people in your life who can speak truth to you. Keep yourself accountable. Don't disappear as Dent did so that he could wreak destruction. And, lastly, remember that even if we follow Two Face's path, there is no point in your life that forgiveness and redemption are out of reach. Batman took responsibility for Dent's sins so that the good he had brought about would not be in vain. We have a Savior who took responsibility for our sins. Hope I haven't ruined the movie for those of you who haven't seen it, but I did warn you! We'll keep our eyes open for the next Batman movie.

Several posts back I wrote about diabetes and how it can mimic the Christian walk. The name was ‘Trust the Numbers’. Now, I’m no expert on diabetes or the Christian walk, but I do work for an endocrinologist and have walked the path of the Christian since I was 7. Than sounds like that commercial that states “… but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!” Anyhoo, I had a conversation with a patient of my doctor’s that follows along that line. She is a therapist who is diabetic and has been seeing my doctor for several years now. This last year has been a difficult one for her. Because of the deaths of family members, sickness and other things, she has not been taking care of herself the way that she should. I also have a friend who has not been following her diabetes the way she should either who has just begun to make the choices she needs to. Add to those two, a dear friend has fallen back into a sinful life that he walked away from years ago. These three stories got me to thinking…

I have always been a fan of happy endings. This is a shock to those of you who know me, I’m aware! I like things that can be fixed and don’t ever have to be dealt with ever again. Hard to believe that someone my age has that kind of mindset, huh? But I’ve always had my head in the clouds and like the ends of books, movies and shows to wrap up and resolve everything. So, here I am in my 40’s thinking that maybe I have it wrong. Just as diabetes is a condition that must be dealt with until the end of one’s life, so is sin. Just because you get your blood sugars under control this moment, doesn’t mean that they will STAY under control. Every hour, minute, and food or drink taken in (or not) effects the blood sugar of a diabetic. Every choice we make effects the moments of our lives. The person struggling with pornography has to guard every moment on the internet. The alcoholic has to guard against every temptation to drink. The compulsive shopper has to guard their money and budget.

When a diabetic begins to experience fluctuating sugars, they have many tools at their disposal. The meter can tell them exactly what their sugar is. There is insulin that can be taken to bring the sugar down. There are things to take orally to raise the sugar. If there are extremes, the patient has the option to contact a doctor or hospital. Each of these steps are the choice of the patient. When a diabetic ignores the signs, when they choose NOT to use any of these tools, there is only one result. Death. If there is not intervention by others, the diabetic dies. If we ignore the Holy Spirit’s voice, His ‘meter’ if you will, sin overtakes us. If we are still struggling after repentance, we have the Godly family to call upon. He even provides Godly therapists and counselors for those of us who need deeper intervention. Each of these steps are the choice of the sinner. They cannot be forced upon us. If we choose to ignore our sin and choose not to use the tools He has given to us, there can only be one result. Spiritual death.

The beautiful thing that can happen to the sinner is this… We have a LOT more time than a diabetic has. While a diabetic may only have hours, we have a longsuffering God. He can give us days, months, years to return to Him. Don’t loose hope if your loved one is in the middle of what would be called a diabetic crisis in medical terminology. They are on God’s timetable. Pray for them. Continue to lift their names up to Him. Do not loose hope. If they have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, they will begin to crave Him again. If they haven’t, they can begin to crave what they have never had.