I looked at my telephone as a knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. What are you waiting for? Pick. Up. The. Phone.

Ambivalence trapped me. On one hand, the longing to connect with a friend  pushed me forward. On the other, embarrassment about the long silence between us held me back.

Can you relate? You want to talk with that old friend, but it’s been SO LONG that it’s become awkward.

I feel a bit this way as I start to blog again. It’s been awhile since we’ve ‘talked,’ and there is much to catch up on. Still, all of my reasons to stay quiet are pretty silly. So …

HELLO! I’ve missed you. I’ve missed being in contact with you through this blog. Not to mention there really IS a lot to catch up.

Where to begin? Right here with “hello.” I will catch you up on my recent journeys through darkness, light, confusion and clarity, and I welcome hearing a hi back from you.

For today, blessings to you. It’s time to be Up to Know Good again together. Let’s start by greeting each other kindly. Blessings to you today, Dear One!

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  –1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

When I think of the word peace I imagine something like this:

or this:

I rarely imagine this:

But the Bible tells us again and again that we must pursue peace.

We don’t have to look far to understand this truth. We eat and create dirty dishes daily. What if we didn’t wash dishes? Ever. Actually, I don’t need to imagine. I can just think back to my first apartment the summer after my sophomore year of college.

Three boys had lived there during the school year. One had never done dishes. Or thrown away opened cans of food. Apparently the landlord was too scared to clean for us, too. (Ew!)

Cleanliness requires effort. Peace does too.

“Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it,” (Psalm 34:14).

To have spotless dishes, we wash them with soapy water. To have peaceful minds, we bathe them in the truth of the Word.

–> Are you pursuing peace or hoping it will just happen to you?

When I am anxious, I need to make an effort to open my Bible, find time alone, and pray. It may not change my circumstances, but time with God definitely changes me.

Lord, give us energy to pursue Your peace and the discipline to immerse ourselves in Your Words everyday. Amen.

Remember my beautiful plants from a few weeks ago?

Here they are today:

After only a day or two away and without watering, they’ve wilted.

Some travel and circumstances have left me feeling the same. I’m tired. Tiny challenges discourage. Insignificant decisions overwhelm. Small stuff makes me sweat.

My plants and I need some Water.

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters…” (Isaiah 55:1).

I’m pretty sure the petunias will perk up after I give them a drink. I need some rest, but I also need the spiritual refreshment of God’s Word.

How often do you read your Bible? How often do I?

Click the link above to read all of Isaiah 55 and ask questions. Who is speaking? Who is the audience? What do these words say to you personally? What else comes to mind as you meditate on this passage? Don’t simply read it. Drink it and let fill you.

Time to water my plants. And yes, they’ll probably need more water tomorrow. That’s okay–so will I.

Lord, refresh and nourish our wilted spirits with Your Word. Amen.

Sitting out on the curb on mom’s green and white striped tri-fold plastic lawn chair, I yelled at each passing neighbor, “Lemonade! Lemonade for sale!”

Photo Credit: Free Digital Photos.net

An upside-down laundry basket held the pitcher and cups. My best friend sat beside me. I was in business.

In some ways, I’ve never shut down that sticky, sloppy stand. Being an entrepreneur is fun, exciting, and hopeful. But in all my ventures so far, I’ve found one pursuit that is thrilling.

“Preach the word of God…encourage your people with good teaching,” (2 Timothy 4:2 NLT).

No, I’m not a pastor or even technically a preacher. But nothing makes my heart race more than discussing, sharing, and teaching the Word of God.

It’s why I blog. It’s why I am part of Bible Study Fellowship. It’s why I wake up early and study and listen as much as I can throughout my day. God is Life and His Word is life to me.

But now I’ve gone from blogging to gushing (I told you this was still sloppy, sticky work.) Whether you understand the joy I’m describing or are simply curious if you can find it yourself, I invite you to enjoy a free ebook Thursday, July 26th.

Simply go to Amazon or click here for a free copy of Up To Know Good Daily Inspirations. In it, you’ll find over 150 refreshing encounters with our relevant God.

It will be more thirst-quenching than the neighbor kid’s lemonade. I promise, or your “money” back! And if you like it, please share some refreshment with a friend!

Q4U: How do you give refreshment to others?

BEFORE:

Fourteen bushes once lined our home. Three remain.

Most were tall and leafless. A couple of others were partially alive, but bare wooden tentacles interlaced with the leafy branches. Not pretty.

AFTER:

Now there is bare space. It needs cleaning and renewal, but at least the obstacles to replanting are gone.

I even took the leap and bought myself a few pretty plants for the rest of this season.

While I still have a very low interest overall in landscaping, I’m desperate for beauty around me and life within me.

What are you uprooting? How are you bringing beauty into your life?

At the start of the summer I felt the Lord saying one word repeatedly to my soul: rest. As I take time to be still, I do not always see beauty. I’ve noticed unproductive thought patterns, unhealthy words, and ugly feelings. My first step: uproot them!

Like my bare flowerbeds, areas in my thoughts need cleaning, planning, and replanting, but even in the process I see splashes of color through a verse, a conversation, a song.

May God speak renewal to you through His lovely words. Blessings and beauty to you, dear one.
Song of Songs 2:10-14

Get up, my dear friend,
fair and beautiful lover—come to me!
Look around you: Winter is over;
the winter rains are over, gone!
Spring flowers are in blossom all over.
The whole world’s a choir—and singing!
Spring warblers are filling the forest
with sweet arpeggios.
Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed,
and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms.
Oh, get up, dear friend,
my fair and beautiful lover—come to me!
Come, my shy and modest dove—
leave your seclusion, come out in the open.
Let me see your face,
let me hear your voice.
For your voice is soothing
and your face is ravishing.

September through May time has schedule and organization. The rhythm and routine are reliable, though also restraining.

As June began, the blank space on the calendar gave an illusion of more time. We took family trips. I joined two Bible studies because I wasn’t leading one. I justified late nights (the sun’s up, why not me?).

I have overspent my time budget. The reality is there are still only 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, and at best 31 days in a month.

A dear friend pointed out to me last week the tendency we can have to overspend our time because it appears we now have so much more of it. However, since God made time it has been the same:

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’…God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning–the first day,” (Genesis 1:3-5).

No wonder I’m feeling a little worn-out as July begins.

Have you been overspending your time this summer? How do you manage free-time?

I like the flexibility of summer, but I now intend to let the rest of this season be one of simplicity. I want rest and true rejuvination for my family and myself.

Whether its time or money, overspending is fun momentarily but challenging to pay for later. I have an evening, a morning. A day. May I live not foolishly, but fully.

God, be glorified in every minute. Thank You for rest, for fun, and for summer.

Dear friends,

I’ve been away for a few weeks, so instead of the usual story and application blog entry, here are a few quotes from my notebook. Take a peek at what God’s teaching me–mainly through the book of Habakkuk. These are not proverbs! They’re just simple thoughts. I’m glad to be home again. Blessings to you!

“Satisfaction in simplicity

     comes from the extravagant luxury

           of knowing God intimately.”

“Nothing created ever truly supersedes the Creator.”

                                    “Lifeless objects cannot give life.”

“The Lord answers in love, even when we ask, ‘Lord, don’t you care?‘”

“Doing evil–even in the sense of being self-serving–appears very profitable in the short-term.”

“God’s ways are unpredictable.”

"God is the safest place to express confusion if we trust Him to bring clarity."

“Ministry for Jesus won’t last; relationship with Jesus is forever.”

“Those who resolve to rejoice in God will find strength.”

                   “God goes to extremes to rescue His own.”

                        “God cares more about my character than my comfort.”

“God has a very big yet very specific plan in motion.”

    “Lord, You love me. I love You. Let’s do this day together.”

Photo Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

God, You see this small girl’s heart

blackened by neglect

             hardened by insults

                 broken by unmet hopes.

God, You have the remedy for this small girl’s heart–

a steady flow of compassion

soft Words of grace

healing hope of life together.

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you,” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT.)

God, I give you this small girl’s heart

knowing Your Justice

trusting Your Goodness

believing Your Kindness. Amen.

A friend told me a funny story after Christmas.

Her husband, son and daughter-in-law all worked together to awkwardly wrap and present her with a body pillow. My friend was surprised at the large, unexpected gift and asked her husband why he bought it.

Photo Credit: Phiseksit

“You mentioned after our trip this fall that you would like a body pillow,” he reminded her.

“No,” she clarified. “I said I had a good night’s sleep because the hotel pillow was like a body pillow. I didn’t say I’d like a body pillow.”

After a few laughs (and no pillow fight), the gift was set aside and later returned.

Recently President Obama made some remarks that people have cited as historical and evolutionary. He expressed his support for same-sex marriage and reasoned, in part, that it’s because he believes in The Golden Rule:

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets,” (Matthew 7:12).

Before this statement, Jesus told everyone that if they ask God for what they need, God will answer them like a loving parent. Then, they are free to go and do good for others.

The Golden Rule isn’t about mutual respect or civil rights. Jesus explained that because God takes care of us, we can care for others. When we turn our selfish wants into outward expressions of love, we are living according to God’s economy of societal justice described in the Old Testament.

 Q4U: What were your thoughts about President Obama’s statements on marriage?

I don’t doubt that the President’s remarks are historical, but I fear that more than a pillow fight might erupt if we continue to give God what we think He wants rather than listening to Him with sincerity.

In the context of Jesus’ words, He tells us think about our wishes only so we have a clue how to act for others in light of His Word–the Law and the Prophets.

Will we take the time to know His Word fully so we can give good gifts to one another?

God, please give us a hunger for Your Word and Your ways that we could live truly selfless, loving lives toward one another. Amen.