For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Like me, you probably have more than one copy of the Bible. Perhaps you have some handed down through your family, some that are extra thin for portability, Study Bibles with commentary, or some with extra-large print for easy reading. But do you really appreciate how precious it is?

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, given by God to Moses and other prophets. It was written on scrolls which rolled up from either side, made of lamb skin, papyrus and other durable materials. Each one was meticulously copied, letter by letter in paragraph blocks, so as to be completely identical. This method allowed the Torah of Jesus’ time to be nearly exactly the Torah or Moses’ time. And it has allowed the Old Testament of our time to be nearly exactly the Torah of Jesus’ time. This was proven after the amazing discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls by a shepherd boy in Qumran in 1946. Miraculously, the scrolls, kept hidden in jars of clay, date back to the 1^st Century, the time of Jesus!

The New Testament was written by many authors after the death of Jesus. It was written in Aramaic, the language of Jesus, and Greek, the scholarly language of the day. Considering the massive persecution of Christians by Rome, we can only imagine the lengths faithful believers went to to protect these precious books and letters. It is truly a miracle that they survived. It was eventually translated into several ancient languages, but the most widely used in Europe was the Latin version. Again, scribes dedicated their lives to copying the Bible word for word into expensive Bibles with illustrations hand painted in real gold.

Because of their expense and the low literacy rate, most people had no access to the Bible, and even the priests read their sermons from other manuals and prayer books. But this also put a monopoly of knowledge into the hands of Church leaders. Over time, corruptions and heresies like purgatory, indulgences and antisemitism crept in unchallenged.

Then, with the invention of the printing press, Bibles were printed in the spoken languages of the day. People could read God’s Word for themselves and read it to others to hear and understand for the first time. Because this exposed many of the ways the Church had been exploiting religion for money and power, the publishers of these Bibles were labelled heretics and were executed or exiled – Wycliffe and Tyndale to name a few.

As Protestantism took hold and literacy increased, the Bible was used as a primer. Almost immediately after arriving in America in 1630, The Puritans set up schools so that children would be able to read and interpret the Bible for themselves without the need for interpretation from clergy. As a result, Americans were the most literate people in the world. Later, secretly learning to read the Bible helped to fuel the freedom movement among slaves.

As of November 2024, the Bible has been translated into 756 languages, according to Wycliffe Global Alliance. The New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,726 languages, and parts of the Bible have been translated into 1,274 other languages. It has been carried into every nation on earth, often with great difficulty and dedication.

“In North Korea, the distribution or possession of a Bible can result in imprisonment or worse. Similarly, in Saudi Arabia, the importation and distribution of non-Islamic religious material, including Bibles, are strictly prohibited.” (https://globalchristianrelief.org/christian-persecution/stories/countries-where-christianity-is-illegal/)

So there, on your shelf is a Book so powerful that multiple nations around the world and throughout time have burned, banned and controlled it to keep it’s revolutionary teachings from the masses. And it has caused revolutions. God’s Kingdom is an upside-down world where we pray for enemies, forgive sinners, provide for the most vulnerable in society, do not return evil for evil and swear unwavering allegiance to the King of Kings before any earthly king or ruler. Armed with the Word of God, revolutionaries and rebels like King David, the Maccabees, Christians, Protestants, Puritans, Abolitionists and Civil Rights leaders fought the system and won.

That Bible is worth more than silver or gold because it contains the secret to eternal life! It tells us how to communicate with the most powerful Intelligence in the universe! It explains how to achieve ultimate personal transformation. “…It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Millions have longed for the opportunity to just pick it up and read it, and we lucky few actually can. So do!

In the Word with you,

Jen

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4:1-2)

Welcome to your Lenten journey! Today, Ash Wednesday, is the official beginning of Lent, a 40 Day period of preparation for Easter featuring Fasting, Prayer and Charity. It is a reminder of the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness being tempted by Satan before He began His ministry and path to the cross.

Our path to the cross begins just like His, with humility and dying to self. In Baptism, Jesus committed His full self – mind, body and spirit – to Lord God, Almighty, just as we have. And this commitment is an on-going process of sanctification (being made Christ-like) by daily dying to ourselves, and in humility, putting our needs, desires and dreams aside to serve God and minister to others. Lent is a mini crash-course in The Christian Walk, meant to pull us out of the mundane, day-to-day cares of life and refocus us on our relationship with God.

Fast

The 40-day fasts of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus signified a period of testing, trial, and transformation. For Moses, it was a time of receiving divine revelation and interceding for his people. For Elijah, it was a journey of renewal and recommissioning. For Jesus, it was a period of preparation and affirmation of His mission. In each of these biblical examples, the 40-day fast led to significant spiritual breakthroughs and encounters with God.

For us, it isn’t safe to truly fast for 40 days. However, we can fast for one meal a day, or from certain foods, or remove or institute new habits in our lives. It is not merely an act of physical deprivation but a profound spiritual exercise that aligns us with God's purposes. Many people approach Lent like they approach New Year’s resolutions and give them up just as quickly. However, taking an intentional approach, telling people and holding yourself accountable by journaling or in a group could lead to a real spiritual awakening. Give it a try!

Pray

Most of us could use a lot of improvement in this area of our spiritual life. Do we even come close to praying as much as Jesus did, getting away for quiet time with God? But prayer channels God’s power into our world, like a hose channels water. Do we see people who need God’s power? Shower them with prayer! Do we see situations in our world that need Gods power? Shower them with prayer! Do we, ourselves (yes, pray for yourself), have needs that can only be addressed with God’s power? Shower yourself with prayer. Your family, your church, your job, your schools – who doesn’t need prayer? Make a time, make a space, make a list, keep a journal, set a timer on your phone, pen it on your calendar, whatever you need to do to keep this vital appointment with God. We can shower God’s power to every corner of the globe, into every conflict and every heart, right from the comfort of our favorite armchair. Really put your heart into it – let’s do it!

Give

In humility and self-denial we gave up food or an activity. We gave up our time to prayer. Now we must give a little more to others. Bless your church or charity with an extra donation. Collect food for the Food Bank (perhaps that stuff you’re giving up?). Do some Spring cleaning and donate what you don’t need (the Spring Yard Sale is coming up). Donate some time to serve your community (the Mission Fair is coming up). Make some visits to bless others: read to preschoolers, visit the homebound, take some prayer shawls to a nursing home, serve food at a soup kitchen, spend intentional time with loved ones, volunteer to drive people to the airport, doctor or mall. Do you have a talent or skill? Think of a way to bless someone with that – fixing things, setting up a computer, refinishing furniture, singing together, cleaning, babysitting, etc. Kindness is contagious!

So pack your intentions, lay down your burdens, and join me on a Lenten journey up the Narrow Path, beside the still waters heading towards the cross. No matter what we give up, it will be so worth it to have a spiritual transformation or even an encounter with the Living God this year!

With you on the Way,

Jen 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)

If you’ve ever looked at the list of the 7 Deadly Sins that the Christian tradition came up with – envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, sloth, and wrath – you might think they are character flaws, but certainly not unforgiveable sins. (These days, hopefully, Christians are aware that God will forgive all our sins if we repent and ask.) If we allow ourselves to be honest, we can see that they are all far from God’s picture of holiness. But I’ll admit, gluttony always had me stumped. Isn’t what and how much I eat just a life choice? Short answer: no.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

We are no longer our own. When we accepted Jesus as our Master and Savior, we committed our entire lives to Him, including our bodies, to be put to His service. So just like we’d take care of a car Jesus let us use, we need to take care of ourselves.

We all get just one body to take with us into our 80’s, 90’s and beyond. We don't get to trade it in like it's a Honda Accord. We are fearfully and wonderfully made! Our body is absolutely priceless and amazing, capable of accomplishing things that are nothing short of miraculous. It is the most sophisticated the complex machine on the planet. In car terms, you are a Ferrari my friend!

Of all of the things that may come and go in the course of our lives, our mysterious and wonderful bodies are one thing we'll never go anywhere or do anything without. Our bodies are with us from now until we finish our time here on earth. It is difficult to imagine another asset that is more important than our body. So if it is to serve us well, it needs to be maintained and nurtured.

Back to gluttony. Like obesity, it is a matter of excess. Call it a lack of moderation, a lack of self-control or a lack of self-discipline, however you frame it, it is more than we need. Why is that a problem? Because God is our provider. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, it is “Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11) Not our weekly, monthly or annual bread, not cake, muffins or brownies, but just what we need (not want) and just for the day. This harkens back to a helpful story from Scripture. The Israelites had been led out of slavery in Egypt and were trusting God to provide for them while they wandered in the wilderness. After they ran out of the food they brought with them, God provided ‘bread from heaven’ in the form of manna on the ground each morning. God instructed them to take just enough -- no leftovers. If they took more than enough (excess) the manna would rot and become maggot infested. God provided every day, always enough. And when they failed to trust that God would sufficiently provide, they would take too much, and the excess manna would rot. When we recognize that God is providing enough day after day, it is easier to learn not to stuff ourselves. When we eat more than we need it “rots.” Nothing good happens.

We have a duty to take care of our fearful and wonderful Ferrari bodies. Although we use food to serve many purposes in our lives (socializing, emotional support, etc.), its one, actual purpose is to fuel us for optimum health. With optimum health, relying on God for our daily bread, we can more fully engage in His Kingdom work for His glory, doing our utmost for His Highest.

Happy moderation,

Jen

… And let his banner over me be love. (Song of Songs 2:4)

I recently suggested therapy to someone to help them through a difficult time. They replied, “I don’t need therapy. When things are good, I feel fine and can handle life. I just need things to be good.” Well, isn’t that what we ALL think? But life isn’t good all the time, and the tough times shine a spotlight on our poor coping mechanisms. Do we turn to God, to the Bible, to friends, to food, to booze, or worse?

In church, we’ve been looking at the letters to the seven churches in Revelations. These letters both praise and condemn certain behaviors exhibited by the congregations in the face of serious persecution. The rest of the book goes on to describe the End Times in some cryptic and vivid details. But the overarching theme is that things are going to get much worse before they get better when Jesus comes once again.

Already in our country, in the last several decades, we’ve seen a pull away from Biblical morality, Biblical truth, the Church and religion in general. I can imagine some people wondering, “If it’s going to keep getting worse and worse, why even try? If it’s all going to end in a big apocalyptic mess anyway, what does it really matter?” The struggle is real. It will get more difficult, and persecution will increase. And rest assured, no matter what, God will win in the end. However, the reason we fight, struggle and endure is quite simple: Love.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:36-40 that all of Christianity and the Bible (the Law and the Prophets) are at their essence two commands: Love God and Love people. And both are mandatory. So we better understand what Love really is. Luckily, the Apostle Paul has given us a wonderfully counter-intuitive list of what love is and isn’t in 1 Corinthians 13. Because God is love, and we are to love, think of this list not as a suggestion, but as our ‘marching orders.’ THESE are the standard, the banner, under which we march as soldiers of Christ. When we ask, “What would Jesus do?” we need only consult this list for the answer. It is like ‘The 4-Way Test’ that our kids learn in school. And in fact, schools would be a much better place if they replaced that test with Paul’s list.

More than that, our nation and our world would be a much better place if we learned how to live out this list. And that is why it matters. The battle against Goodness and Righteousness will continue. We should expect to see the majority of our culture losing that battle. As times get tougher, the coping mechanisms will break down leaving an ‘every man for himself’ ‘dog eat dog’ attitude. But not for us. We march under a different banner. We have a Great High King whose banner is Love.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love. Love is all you need. But not love as our culture defines it; love as the Lord God Almighty defines it: Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever! (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NLT)

Love WILL last forever, because God is Love and He is eternal. And Jesus’ love for every man and woman ever born will last forever, because His sacrifice has given us Eternal life. The culture war is not about rainbow flags or what is taught in school, nor greedy misers or dishonest politicians, nor hate speech and immigration laws. No! The battle is for Life Everlasting! Where will our friends and loved ones and enemies and strangers spend their eternity?

Ever notice how many fairytales end with an act of love turning back the evil curse? Let me assure you, our personal tale ends the same way. Jesus’ act of love has ended sin’s curse for all of mankind. And our loving acts, big and small, towards all mankind will lead some to acknowledge Him as their Lord and Savior, ending sin’s grip on their lives, granting them eternal life in Heaven. That’s why it matters – there are souls to be saved. Even in these difficult times – there are souls to be won. We can love them into Heaven.

Lovingly yours,

Jen

Perfume and incense bring joy to your heart. And the sweetness of a friend comes from their honest advice. (Proverbs 27:9, NIRV)

My hubby has had some very blunt friends over the years. My friends are sweet and sometimes sassy, but my hubby’s friends are what you might call ‘straight shooters.’

To be honest, I did not at all appreciate their unsolicited opinions of my husband, myself, our lifestyle, our kids, or most of the other subject matter they discussed. It was unvarnished, unfiltered and sharp. And it stung that way. However, over time, I came to realize that although you might not like what they answered, they WOULD always give you the truth. My sweet, sassy friends would not want to hurt my feelings, so they would water it down, soften the edges or avoid it altogether.

The problem there is that, mixed with a dose of self-deception that most of us carry with us, we won’t actually hear the truth. We’ll hear something that validates our self-limiting beliefs about ourselves and our behavior. What we really need is plain truth – a mirror held up to ourselves.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

Wounds from a friend can be trusted. But an enemy kisses you many times. (Proverbs 27:6)

My son, do not hate the Lord’s training. Do not object when he corrects you. The Lord trains those he loves. He is like a father who trains the son he is pleased with. (Proverbs 3:11-13)

They say to have a friend you must be a friend. Are we ‘straight shooters’ with our friends, or do we try to shield them from painful truths? Do want them to shield us? Growth is painful, but ‘the truth will set you free.’ Jesus did not hold back from addressing peoples’ sin issues – not to shame them, but to heal them. We won’t fix a problem we don’t know we have. There’s no better friend we have than Jesus, but Jesus loves us too much to allow us to remain the same. He and the Holy Spirit within us are all about transformation. Loving our friends should be the same way, but always with a heaping helping of love.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love. So we will grow up in every way to become the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the body. (Ephesians 4:15)

Can we be radically honest with ourselves and others and abundantly compassionate in the way we share those truths? I don’t know, it’s risky. But I do know there’s no other way to real transformation and growth. So maybe try to have that hard conversation this week. Coming from a place of love and concern, it could make that friendship sweeter than you could ever have imagined.

May your soul be refreshed,

Jen

“If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins,

If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,

Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.

I will always show you where to go.

I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places — firm muscles, strong bones.

You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.

You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past.

You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.

(Isaiah 58:9-12, The Message)

Renewal. Isn’t that what we all want? Make it great again! That’s a message that resonated in this past election. And it’s the same message that resonates in every diet ad, beauty product, and health supplement. Deep down we all desire a ‘mulligan’ – a do-over of our past mistakes, neglects and willful indiscretions. We woulda, shoulda, coulda ourselves into despair because we know that life is not full of second chances.

Certainly, that’s what the Israelites were thinking, sitting by the Euphrates River in Babylon after being taken captive. If only they’d listened to the prophets of doom: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, etc., etc. who warned them of God’s wrath and the punishment to come! Then they wouldn’t be foreigners in a strange land with other foreigners living in their houses in their city. But they didn’t. They did what they did, and they got what God promised.

However, although God promised destruction and exile, He also promised renewal. After a period of time, the captor nations would be punished, the exiles would return home, and the relationship between God and His people would be renovated along with Jerusalem and the Temple. And it happened just that way. And furthermore, God hinted at a time when His law would be planted in our hearts, and we would never be separated again (the Holy Spirit IN us).

I think of the devastation in Los Angeles, the wreckage in the Carolinas, the wastelands in Ukraine and Gaza. What must it be like to stand in a once thriving area that is now a disaster zone? But on a deeper level, consider the devastation of bad choices: addiction, prison, abortion, serious health conditions, depression, anger and more. The despair is palpable and obvious. I’m sure those ancient Israelis were feeling it. I’m sure people we know and love are feeling it today.

But don’t forget that OUR God is the God of second chances. OUR God makes a way when there seems to be no way. OUR God brought Joseph out of prison to be second in command of all of Egypt. OUR God closed the mouths of lions so that Daniel could become the king’s chief counsel. OUR God arranged for the gallows built to destroy the Jews to hang the man who plotted their destruction. OUR God used cheaters, liars, prostitutes, and adulterers to advance His kingdom – they’re in Jesus’ family tree!

Surely there is reason for hope! No one is so broken that God can’t redeem them. There is no relationship, dream, vision or goal that God can’t resurrect. What may seem like a period to us, is only a comma to God.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” (Zechariah 4:10)

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Let God guide you. He is longing to satisfy you with good things and to reconcile, redeem and renew all the brokenness of your past.

Happy renovations!

Jen

As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors. Job 38:14 NLT

God colors our world with beauty. At this time of year it’s a little harder to see it, but from a brilliant blue sky to stormy green oceans, the rainbow of animals and birds, to the floral varieties and layers of earth, to the skin tones of its inhabitants, our planet is a crazy quilt of color and pattern.

And the visible spectrum is only part of it, there’s infra-red and ultra-violet too. And I just learned that although tigers look orange and stand out to humans, to deer and other animals they look green and well-camouflaged.

Color has long been associated with mood and emotion: the happiness of “rose colored glasses,” the jealousy of “the green-eyed monster” or just “feeling blue” or “seeing red.” Seeing the world through these filters changes our perception of reality.

Just like those “rose-colored glasses,” when we become Christians, we put on “Son glasses.” Jesus, the Son of God, colors our world in every possible way. I love the way meeting Jesus is compared to sight in the Bible. We were stumbling around in the darkness like we were wearing sunglasses at night, and then ‘we saw the light, and scales fell from our eyes.’

“For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

“So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.” (Acts 9:17-18)

This was very much my experience as a brand-new adult Christian. Suddenly, sins that had never much bothered me before seemed horrible. Philosophical ideas in the culture that had made sense before suddenly seemed very wrong and opposed to God. I felt like the world stayed the same, but I had somehow shifted into a different perception of reality. And truly, I had. I began to see through Christ’s eyes, with the light of the glory of God illuminating everything and showing it for what it truly was – refined gold or dross.

As Christians, we know that there is an ultimate Truth, and that Truth is also Beauty and Love and Wisdom. When we look at the world through those lenses, we can see beyond what is, to what should be, and what can be. Our gray world of sin and darkness becomes illuminated with the brilliant rainbow of God’s power and glory and goodness.

“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”" (John 8:12)

“Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.” Psalm 96:6-7

Colorful blessings,

Jen

Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
    and enjoy peace and prosperity. (Psalm 37:7-11)

So, January 20^th came, and we got a new administration. However you might feel about the president, or politics, or the economy, or the national debt or the wealth gap, or any of the current events and headlines, just remember that God is in control of it all.

This is not to say that He is at fault for any of it (perish the thought!) but He holds the world and all of us in His hands and He sees the end as clearly as the beginning. If we trust that He is a Good, Loving God who keeps His promises, then there is really no need to work ourselves up in frustration until it overflows into sinful thoughts, speech or actions.

Quarreling and bitterness will only hurt our witness. Christians are supposed to be known for their love. Jesus called us to love everyone, including liars, cheaters, thieves, abusers, fraudsters, the greedy, the uncaring, the cruel and the negligent. Just typing that list has my pulse elevated. I love justice. I married a cop; I went to law school. Justice figures big in our household – and not merely the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. We believe doing good is a moral obligation for everyone. It’s hard to watch the news and realize that this concept is somehow going out of fashion. It’s hard not to feel angry or mutter some unkind words.

Instead we need to pray – a lot. God makes a way where there seems to be no way. God can re-arrange the world in a blink of an eye. God raises up leaders and brings them down. He can accomplish with our prayers what we never could with our rage and slander. Remember that Romans 12:19 says, “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.”

God’s knowledge of a situation is perfect, His motives are perfect, and His vengeance is perfect. God is perfect Justice. And isn’t that what we want – for everyone to get exactly what they deserve?

Well, probably not. I don’t really want what I deserve from God, because I am NOT perfect. I don’t even want His rebukes and punishments even though in my heart I know they will be for my benefit. What we want for ourselves is mercy – unmerited release from punishment we deserve. Our human vengeance leaves little room for mercy and a lot of skepticism about repentance. Justice is hard for humanity. But not for the God who sees what’s in our hearts and minds and whose focus is on saving our souls and molding us into the image of Christ.

Vengeance feels good for a moment. But imagine the feeling of seeing those liars, cheaters, thieves, abusers, fraudsters, the greedy, the uncaring, the cruel and the negligent in Heaven because, thanks to our constant prayers and the mysterious workings of an all-powerful God, they truly repented and were saved. Imagine the feeling of knowing that their victims were vindicated and helped or restored thanks to our constant prayers and God’s intervention.

We can’t know how it will all be resolved – what God has in store. That’s exactly why we need to ‘let go and let God.’ Unburden yourself of the need to get angry, get even, or get your own justice. God’s justice is better. Let it go.

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:38-45)

Praying for your ‘release,’

Jen

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)

In the world of self-improvement, the big thing these days is “knowing your ‘why.’” Your ‘why’ is the reasons you want to make a change in your life. The idea is that if your ‘why’ is an extrinsic (outside) reason (criticism from family, boss, children, etc.) then when the going gets tough, you may just give up because it’s someone else’s goal for you. But if your ‘why’ is intrinsic (inside) from your own deep desire (to live longer, be stronger, achieve a personal goal), then when the going gets tough you reflect on your desire, envision it accomplished, feel inspired, and push yourself.

Living to please others is a thankless trap because contrary to what they’ll tell you, or even may believe, the world and even the people in our lives don’t always know what’s best for us. In fact, truth be told, WE often don’t really know what is best for us. And this is one of the best things about following Jesus – HE ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT’S BEST FOR US! And He is constantly arranging our lives, our opportunities, our ‘coincidences’ to push us in the direction needed for our growth and improvement.

As Christians, Jesus should always be our ‘why.’ Our ultimate goal should always be to conform more closely to the image of Jesus, to think like Jesus, to see others like Jesus, to always ask ‘what would Jesus do?’ in every situation.

Should we lose weight, eat well and strengthen our bodies? “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Should we take care of our mental health and be mindful of our tv, reading and listening habits? “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

Should we be focusing on gaining wealth and accumulating more? “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:31-34)

Should we work on our attitudes and get our tempers under control? “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:17-19)

Our lives are not our own. We have been bought at a very high price (Jesus’ life). We are now bondservants – voluntary slaves – in service of our good, Good Master, Jesus. Jesus is our ‘why’ for every change we want to make in our lives. Everything we are and hope to be is in service to our Lord and Master. This is not to say we give up our dreams. We just put our talents, abilities and desires in service of God’s Kingdom. And what we imagine when the going gets tough and we need inspiration to keep on striving, is the ultimate joy of spending eternity with Jesus and meeting all the folks who are in Heaven in some part because of us.

In all our work, in all our striving, in all our goals for this new year, remember that Jesus is our ‘why.’

Happy Improving,

Jen

He sends his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
He spreads the snow like wool
    and scatters the frost like ashes.
He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
He sends his word and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

Psalm 147:15-18

Are you grateful for the snow? I am. I really love it. Even the shoveling. I loved it a lot more when it meant building snowmen, sledding, making snow forts and having snowball fights. But my favorite is just walking in the snow with all sound absorbed except the gentle crunch underfoot.

All of Psalm 147 is a song of gratitude. It lists just some of the many ways that God had been good to Israel and is good to us still. And it occurs to me – He didn’t have to. God could have said “Let there be light, etc., etc. and then said, “Peace out, have fun with that.” But He didn’t. He looked at it all and pronounced it good. He loved His creation and desired to interact with it, and especially to have a relationship with the creatures He breathed His spirit into – humans.

He didn’t have to get so involved with us, blessing us, protecting us, disciplining us and then binding up our broken hearts. He didn’t have to make the rain fall, the winds blow, the stars twinkle or any of that.

“Have to” is an odd concept. We so often say that a person, organization or government ‘has to’ do something. But they don’t. Contracts, laws, covenants, treaties, promises, etc. are designed to obligate our behavior, but they can all be broken. Kids often believe their parents ‘have to’ take care of them. Sadly, it isn’t true. They SHOULD, but many don’t. People have a lot of free will, and they can and do wield it selfishly and irresponsibly quite often.

But God… Master of the Universe, ALL powerful, immortal God who could sneeze us out of existence on a whim, decided to restrict His own power by making covenants with unreliable, capricious, sinful humans. Unlike us, God cannot lie, nor break a promise. So once He made covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and the New Covenant in Jesus, He was and is absolutely obligated to fulfill them. It is mind boggling that He would voluntarily give up that power.

Nevertheless, many other things that we, like little children, believe God ‘has to’ do, He doesn’t. He does them out of an unimaginable, everlasting love for us, not out of any obligation. Good parents know this concept well: vacations, quality time, activities and hobbies, new stylish clothing, nutritious food, the mom/dad taxi, the latest toys…these are things we are happy and proud to give our children, but we don’t ‘have to.’ And just as our kids can become spoiled and ungrateful, we, too, can take the myriad blessings God bestows for granted.

As we begin this new year, I challenge you to focus on the smallest, most mundane blessings (ice, water, steam, e.g.). Take some time to think about the things you take for granted, and list some out daily. Psalm 147 is a good start. I’m confident you’ll come to the same conclusion as the psalmist:

“Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!” v. 1

Blessings of wintry wonder,

Jen