It was during a recent road trip that I realized a valuable lesson. Just because the technology you’re relying on for directions says one thing..it’s not necessarily accurate. Therefore, by obeying what the application is telling you, there’s still room to trust your gut. In our case, the old reliable feeling of trusting the gut came too late.

Last week we drove to Indiana, departing from DeWitt about 8:00 pm after watching our granddaughter’s softball game. Our destination was Fremont Indiana where I had reserved a hotel room. Our plan was to open the hotel’s app on my IPhone once we crossed into Indiana and have GPS navigate us to our location which would have us arrive about 11 pm. Unfortunately, in hindsight, we probably should have opened the app sooner because the route that was given put us on a highway heading in the opposite direction for at least 15 miles before we could turn back in the correct direction. In full disclosure, late night driving, being tired, getting bad directions, and the inconvenience of added time and miles to an otherwise easy trip is a strain on nerves and emotions. Because we had no other alternative, we stayed the course that “Siri” was announcing and arrived at our hotel safely, very tired, upset with one another and with the information GPS fed us.

Our experience reminded me of the account in Genesis about the Israelites being set free from slavery in Egypt, getting across the Red Sea with miraculous results, entering the desert and being there for 40 years. Their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land was about 250 miles which meant they could have covered their route in a matter of months. Instead, according to scripture and scholars, finding themselves wandering in the Sinai Peninsula came from a disobedience against God, lack of faith in His guidance, too. Their 40 year delay in entering the Promised Land served as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience.  Yet, in those same years they did learn survival was impossible without God’s provision and guidance. Their journey through the desert is a powerful story of enduring lessons about faith, obedience, and God’s faithfulness in providing for His people. Today, thousands of years later, we can glean our own lessons from their experiences as we reflect on our journey through life.

What lessons can we learn? We need to depend on God. There are consequences to disobedience towards God. There is an importance of faith. God will meet needs even when we have strayed from His plan.

When we opened the application to get directions to our hotel, we were trusting in the information. We got on the highway heading west even though we knew we needed to be going east. We ignored Siri’s prompt to make a U-turn as those maneuvers on a toll road are illegal. We stayed the course even though we sputtered at one another or sat in silence waiting for each prompt telling us where to turn. Thankfully, although we had traveled 15 miles out of our way, we did arrive at our destination. All it cost us was some negative emotions and a $2 toll fee.

I’m chuckling now. It’s safe to do so now that our experience is behind us. A half hour delay really wasn’t worth the arguments we created from being weary and frustrated.

Now, we have a good story to tell even though the mystery remains as to why “Siri” launched us west instead of east. I imagine the Israelites had plenty more good stories to tell after 40 years of desert life. Like, have you heard the one about how God parted the Red Sea so we could escape Pharoah? Or, did you know there’s a lot of recipes for eating manna, this funny dew-like wafer that only lasts for 24 hours? Or, we never had to shop for clothes and our feet never swelled from all the walking and heat…somehow our wardrobe never wore out.

Moses had the original GPS applications of all mankind, God Himself. Today, we have Siri and other maps with voice activation to direct us. But, we still have God.  He is absolutely reliable. The others remain questionable at times. Both will get us to our destination. Both will reward us with stories to tell about our experiences along the way!

It’s been my practice of late that after morning dew has evaporated from our deck chairs, coffee in hand, I enjoy some of my first hour sitting in the quiet that a new day offers. With the exception of numerous birds flying back and forth from our trees to those of neighbors, our neighborhood is quiet. By the time I rise I think most of the folks in the homes near us have already left for work. Even though it’s summer vacation from school, there are no children playing outside. I think the kids who do live near us are older now, the ages where they maybe prefer the comfort of air conditioning versus riding bikes or playing outside in July’s heat. Which brings me to my next thoughts. July has been a bit brutal.

As I work in a few flower beds that I maintain, I am beginning to notice some of my flowers have succumbed to recent temperatures, regardless of consistent watering and care. Once vibrant blooms that flourished under June’s beautiful weather, now lay limp or dried out no matter the attention I’ve given them. July’s heat has also caused numerous unwanted grasses to grow and thrive around plants, thus creating more work to keep clear and clean, carefully planning what time of day to work without collapsing in a heap from the sun’s scorching rays.

On a positive note, the two tomato plants on our deck are doing great! Flower buds have made the turn to green fruit. Careful pruning along with watering and fertilizing are giving me hope we will have a nice harvest when the fruit turns juicy red. We are also keeping close watch for any of those nasty worms that can strip a tomato plant bare in the matter of 24 hours.

My devotion reading this morning (Wednesday) was from Jeremiah 18: 1-6. In these verses, God is giving Jeremiah–a prophet–a visual description of His relationship with Israel, describing His sovereignty over them and His ability to remake or reshape them as He sees fit. These few sentences offer a beautiful image of a potter carefully shaping a lump of clay into a vessel that is pleasing to him, and useful. When properly applied to our own life, we can imagine ourselves as a lump of clay being molded and shaped into a beautiful vessel for God’s purposes. As easy as it may sound, therein lies the rub, transformation can be slow and difficult, especially when a prideful or rebellious heart is in opposition to the work of God’s hands trying to mold and reshape our sinful nature.  This is why I love the words from 1 Corinthians 13: 7 “It (love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres”. This promise from proper love offers encouragement for every person seeking to find comfort in our world and above all, a relationship with the living God.

Birds singing. A gentle breeze ushering in the coming heat of another July day. Clouds enshrining the morning sun in the east. These and more of God’s creation fill my morning. Along with those things, I smiled in amusement as I opened the door to sit on our deck with a cup of coffee. Perched on the deck railing was a young robin. He or she was still sporting baby feathers on top of its head. Startled by my presence as it flew away I could tell it was still learning the mechanics of flight. Mom was waiting for her youngster on the edge of a flower bed and for a few moments, baby and mom “chatted”. Maybe mom was saying “good job flying!” or “see, I told you there’s other creatures around our yard and sometimes they appear without notice”. Hopefully, mom and baby will come to know I am not a threat to them. On the contrary, I like to imagine that our lil family of robins is aware that they matter to God and they, like me, like you, have purpose. As proclaimed in Psalm 19: 1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”

Lumps of clay. Skies that are a canvas for God’s handiwork. Heat from July’s sunny hot days. All have a purpose. Each point us heavenward to proclaim God’s glory.  Be safe during these hot summer days. May you grasp that you have a heavenly Father waiting to cheer you on–”good job!” and that He will love, guide, and instruct you in preparation for every day under the sun.

“From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine. (Genesis 27: 28 New Living Translation)

Much to my delight, one morning  last week offered me perfect conditions to enjoy sitting on our deck in the early hours of my day. With my second mug of coffee, my Bible and journal in hand, I made my way to a comfortable deck chair to sit in the sunshine and also enjoy a gentle breeze on my body. But, before I could begin my little “retreat”, I needed to wipe my chair dry from  morning’s dew. Funny how a mere amount of water on a chair can create an uncomfortable feeling or harm the pages of my journal if I should choose to set it down momentarily.

I’ve always enjoyed a slow quiet start to my day. Even in the years I had to be awake and up for school, I preferred to wake on my own, never to an alarm or my mother’s urgent voice coaxing me from the comfort of warm blankets. Now, I still find great inner peace inside the confines of quiet that our yard offers as I greet a new day with happy anticipation for what it will offer, the tasks I want to accomplish, books to read, music to fill the house–all part of who I am and what brings me joy.

So, as I sat drinking my coffee, journal in my lap, I slowly became engaged with my surroundings, observing with my eyes and ears all the activity of the morning. Soon I realized I was a disturbance to several birds and one chipmunk who wanted to feed at the seed we provide every day. They came close but quickly exited when seeing me. A blue jay landed on the clothes line pole to check out the situation. A sparrow flew in like a bomber plane and with great skill made a hasty escape when spying me. Off in the distance I could hear birds of several kinds singing as well as crickets or other insects joining in the chorus. I felt the irony of my inner peace being invaded by nature’s choir and thought to myself “who’s invading who’s world? Am I inserting myself into nature’s habitat or are these little creatures interrupting my space?”

As I enjoyed all the songs, my mind returned to dealing with morning dew on my chair. A couple questions formed from my curiosity and I found myself writing them in my journal. “What is the source of dew?” “What purpose does dew serve?” I vowed I would look for answers to both questions. A quick search online provided me fast simple answers. Dew is formed when water in the air condenses on plant leaves during cool nights. Why? It helps plants accelerate their metabolism, improves soil moisture conditions, and helps plants survive in drought conditions. (source Shuncy.com)

Dew’s temporary blanket of moisture on every surface–living or inanimate–serves as beneficial or a slight nuisance. As quickly as it may form, several hours under the heat of the day causes it to dry up, disappear, forgotten about until the next morning when the cycle will repeat. Its repetition reminds me of a favorite portion of scripture from the Bible: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3: 22-24)

Morning dew has the capacity to quench an arid plant and nourish the very soil around it. So it is with God’s great love for you and me. From the beginning of time itself, our sun has risen every day. Birds and other creatures have announced the arrival of a new day with their heavenly chorus and whether they have inserted themselves into our habitat or the other way around, it does not matter. What is important is remembering and embracing that the Lord is “our portion”…..no matter our current circumstances we “can wait for Him”….and simply find rest, inner peace, and above all, incredible benefits of daily provision from our heavenly Father.

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting  shadow.”(James 1: 17)

Never underestimate the limitless power of God. This concept was born early in my relationship with Him over 40 years ago. Time and time again, His promises and work in my life have shown up in big and small ways, confirming the truth of who He is for me and for countless times in circumstances surrounding family and friends. Often, as a believer, I almost expect my timing to be honored by God, but on the contrary, it’s always in His schedule that “things” happen or manifest. When they do, I stand amazed.

I have a very dear cousin, Judy, who is a few years older than me. She graduated college as an educator and spent her teaching career in a very small community in northern Michigan. Before retiring, she served as a building principal. Young children and teens have always been part of her life; she has a deep abiding love and passion to see that the kids in her life know about the love of Christ. Therefore, in addition to teaching and living her Christian faith by example, she has served on staff for a teen center which is located in Kalkaska. While on sabbatical, I had the privilege of attending the dedication for the center’s renovated building which is beautiful now, but wasn’t always so. Here’s the backstory.

Over 20 years ago one woman in Kalkaska had a burden for the teens in her small city and surrounding rural townships. She began praying that “someone” or “somehow” a place for teens to come hear the gospel, have fun doing so, would be established. Her answer to prayer came about 10 years ago when a ministry took hold of that vision. Created under the auspices of Crossroads Farm is “The Lanes”, located in Kalkaska. An empty run down bowling alley was up for auction. The ministry team which had been serving teens during these 10 years didn’t have funds to place an auction bid to secure the building’s purchase, but God used a local businessman to step up and buy the facility. In turn, he put the bowling alley in the hands of the ministry. Over many months, volunteers in the community gutted the building, rebuilt and painted walls for offices and meeting rooms, and a group of men refurbished the bowling equipment and resurfaced the lanes. Several pool tables occupy space outside the large meeting room along with a concession counter for snacks and beverages. 

“The Lanes” is currently seeing about 80 teens come on Sunday nights for a safe place to hang out with friends and adult volunteers. There’s a bus driver who begins a 4 pm route in the afternoon, traveling to five townships to pick up kids who want to attend “The Lanes”. These are kids who live in some very extreme circumstances. Unfortunately, rural communities are under threats from drugs, homelessness, lack of hope, etc. 

As I sat in the large meeting room with other guests who came to dedicate the facility, it struck me that most of the men and women in the room were gray haired. Very few “younger” adults filled the chairs. Lingering in my thoughts, my “aha” moment was this–it’s we who are now older, retired, still with many years ahead of us–who have the time–and money–to invest in the needs of today’s youth.

I met people who had gutted rooms, the guys who repaired bowling pin racks, men who come to play popular Christian songs using musical talents on guitars and drums. As I smiled, sitting in reverent awe, I heard a voice in my  head that a family friend shared with me years ago….”nowhere in the Bible does it way we get to retire from doing God’s work”.

Moses was 80 when God sent him to Egypt to get His people from slavery under the pharaoh. It took Noah over 100 years to build an ark. Paul was well into adulthood when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus to confront his zealous ways towards Christ followers and convert him into one of the greatest messengers for the gospel! 

That Saturday evening in April will remain a special memory for me. I witnessed one woman’s lone prayer from years ago become a living and vital reality for many teens within range of “The Lanes” influence. Hearing how successful business people from all Christian denominations come together to create a space for teens humbled my troubled thoughts that sometimes I fear that our communities don’t care enough about others to deliver answers for difficult problems that come along in life, especially for our youth.

If having “The Lanes” isn’t wonderful already, Crossroad Farm has plans to establish similar meeting places around our nation, all in rural settings because that’s where their vision lies–to cast hope into the lives of young people who may otherwise slip under the radar of being ignored, not having someone mentor them, and above all, missing the opportunity to hear that Jesus loves them, that each life has a plan and purpose, and people–gray haired and all–are here to help, teach, and love.

Now, when I see empty buildings, vacant storefronts, I say “hmmmmm….” “What if?”

Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries I ponder about God is the words of His prophets, those ancient men we read about in the books of the Old Testament, who often gave the Jewish nation a foreshadowing of what was to come. Of particular importance, were the numerous messages–foretellings–of the promised Messiah, the One who would come to save God’s people. Since we are in the season of Lent with Easter Sunday soon approaching, I’m turning to one of my favorite prophets, Isaiah, who ministered to the people of Judah from 740 to 680 BC. 

In Chapter 53 of Isaiah’s book we get a very good description of God’s Son and what He would endure at the end of His earthly life in ministry. Verse 3 says “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him now.” If we compare the written gospel account of Jesus’ last days before being nailed to a cross, this is a good description assuring us that indeed He suffered a lot, therefore, we can rest as our own assurance that He understands our own sorrows and hardships.

Further along in verse 5 we read: But he was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” In the course of Jesus’ arrest and unlawful trial, He was brutally tortured. Stripped naked He was flogged with a whip that literally tore the flesh from His back with every strike. A crown of thorns was placed on His head, the sharp edges breaking open the skin on his scalp, blood dripping down His face. With that level of punishment we are told it brings us peace? How is that possible? Only because HE took the punishment you and I deserve as a penalty for sin.

Under the open gaping wounds of 39 lashes to His back, Jesus’ “stripes” are credited to give us healing. With His body now beaten, torn, dripping with blood, experiencing pain and exhaustion beyond human comprehension, He is facing the final moments of humiliation, pain, and suffering. He will be forced to carry His own cross, parading through public roads, mockers standing along the way, a mob reveling in His death sentence. How dare this “man” claim to be the Son of God and proclaim that He could forgive sins….that man could put Him to death…and declare He’d rise again.

Another prophetic glimpse we get about Jesus’s crucifixion is a very short sentence in Psalm 34: 19-20 “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken”.

It was standard practice by the Romans to break the legs of their victim in order to hasten death. In the case of Jesus, when the soldiers approached Him to do so, He was already deceased, thus fulfilling the prophecy that this common practice would not be necessary. (John 19:33)

The matters of God–especially the lessons we study in the season of Lent leading us to Palm Sunday and Easter–need not be intimidating. Answers to our questions can be found in the entirety of the Bible, all 66 books. 2 Timothy 3: 16 is a clear directive that “all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Let us be thankful that God saw it quite fitting to give us numerous Old Testament writings describing His ultimate plan of salvation for all of mankind, the death and resurrection of His one and only son. Yet, as you read, don’t miss those passages that warn about rejecting Christ and the gift of pardon from all sins. Not all who “see and hear” the gospel message will be saved. Salvation requires believing in the One who came to save. 

* * *

A note to my readers: This week’s article will be my last for a while. On April 1 until mid-May I will be enjoying a sabbatical where I am pulling away from all ministry duties. I’ve had some busy months which have caused me to realize I need to retreat, unplug, so that I may rest, find renewal along with what I lovingly call a “fresh fire and a fresh wind”. I look forward to time alone and with loved ones. Hopefully, with God’s inspiration, I’ll have a lot to write about when I return. May you all enjoy the power and beauty that the resurrected Christ gives us as children of God!

Here we are, in the first days of January, when many of us choose to make a concerted effort establishing resolutions for the new year. If you’re like me, doing that–writing down a list of goals–is refreshing and exciting. Furthermore, like me, I’m willing to guess many of you start off strong and as each new day dawns, resolve and dedication to the items on the list have begun to fade into hours filled with nothingness which may welcome back old habits. When this happens my mood shifts from elation to disappointment. Frustration with myself begins to build and influence my emotions. Yet, I know that success is possible if I keep “showing up” with my goals in hand. Even in the midst of feeling defeated,  I know God will help me.

To prepare for this week’s article I simply typed in my search engine: what does the Bible say about getting back on track? Without fail, numerous sites with appropriate verses appeared on my screen. With many to choose from I selected Lamentations 3:40 “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord”.

Fortunately for me, there was only one lengthy stretch of time where I was not walking with God. That was over 40 years ago and is another topic for another time. Instead of returning to that time, I’m focusing on an ability to get back on track with God or our personal goals. Using scripture again, I found Psalm 32: 8 which says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you”. How wonderful to read that God is a teacher, a counselor and a loving watchful eye over us!

Additionally, God doesn’t expect perfection from us. Therefore, don’t heap that expectation on yourself either when working through some goals. In fact, from a secular viewpoint I found numerous articles online that teach how to build healthy habits. In a list of 7 I found, I chose my favorite top 3: One thing at at time *know your why *start small (source: intentionalview.com)

Recently, I wrote about our own health journey for me and my husband. After his heart attack three years ago we made immediate changes to meal plans. Even though we hadn’t been consuming a lot of over processed foods, I concentrated more on “clean eating”. Last summer I found recipes to make my own dressings, condiments, breads…even desserts with less refined sugars. Red meats became less frequent, making room for venison generously supplied by a hunting friend. Eating out lessened. More physical movement was added.

I certainly “know my why” with changes in our diet. It’s for heart health. Doing one thing at a time became fun as I made weekly meal plans by pursuing several new recipe resources, creating a weekly shopping list. By “starting small” I was able to build on a good foundation which brought me satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment.

I think when January 1 rolls around, it gives us an ability to reflect on the previous year and examine the highs and lows of our lives, our choices, and the experiences that shape us. For any one of us who felt like life in 2024 went “off the rails” and left us under a pile of twisted and torn debris, there is hope! Did you know that the word “hope” appears in the Bible 129-182 times depending on the translation? That’s encouraging. A favorite I pulled from the list is Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.

There you have it. Surrounded in damages created by being derailed, God provides a way to fill you with joy, peace. Your only obligation is to “trust in Him”. And the result? You’ll overflow with hope!

Join me this year by coming back to doing “one small thing” every day to grow closer to God as you build healthy habits emotionally, physically and spiritually! There’s nothing better than a buddy system and I can’t think of a better life coach than our wonderful God!

In households around the world the remains of Christmas 2024 are stored away for another 11 months or if like me, will stay in place a few days past January 1 in order to continue enjoying the beauty and symbolism bright lights or warm glow from lit candles give, all reminding me of Christ’s love. In addition to the beauty of the Christmas season, another promise from ages past is the anticipation of a “new year”, the actuality of yet another 365 days deposited into young and old alike. Admittedly, as much as I love all that is Christmas, I also truly enjoy the beginning of a new year. As a Christ follower, I look forward to daily opportunities to tune into scripture, finding gems to meditate on to develop my personal growth as I seek to pursue a life that closely reflects the Light of Christ. So, January 1 I was pleased to turn to Isaiah 43: 18-19 which says “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”

I tend to be a creature of habit, especially in order to stay focused on responsibilities in our home, in my ministry assignments, and as I continually find ways to keep me and my husband healthy. We’ve had to forgo some “former” eating habits and embrace more physical activity which is a good example of “forgetting former things”.

I have a bad character flaw of rewinding past hurtful conversations or experiences in my head, playing them over and over to analyze the “should haves”, the “could haves” and the “what ifs”…this behavior doesn’t help me to “forget former things”…rather it keeps me trapped “dwelling on the past”.  Making this confession is humbling, yet allows me freedom, and honestly? I’m not alone in my confused thoughts. I think it’s pretty safe to say many in our community live under this similar cloud of stinkin’ thinkin’.

So, how do I? How do you break free from those things that keep you feeling weighed down, lacking hope, living in constant strife and conflict?

We can heed these words from the prophet Isaiah, turning our eyes to God’s own voice–”See, I am doing a new thing!”

So, this first week of a new year I pose this question–What is something “new” that you need to see Him do for you? In our churches, do we need a fresh wind and a fresh fire of God’s spirit to blow through our pulpits and chairs? What does our community need?

As individuals, we are afforded becoming “new” by placing trust in God and His plan of salvation. In our churches, ask God to pour out His spirit and accept the changes He ushers into our midst. In our community, look for people who need a word of encouragement, a helping hand up, resources to live and thrive when faced with unexpected difficulties. 

Looking for something “new” is not far from our sight or grasp. Actually implementing change does require time and effort, sacrifice on our part. Yet, when everything we freely receive from God is freely given, what a difference we can make in ourselves, our homes, our churches, and our communities.

Will you join me this year thanking God for all He has done for you in 2024 and walk into 2025 asking Him to bring “a new work” in your heart, soul and mind? When you begin to reap the benefits of harvest from His bountiful gifts, THEN take those fruit filled baskets into places where His Light needs to extinguish sin and darkness…where an empty heart is craving hope…where hunger nags an aching stomach….where thirsty souls may enjoy a drink of Living water. 

Community of friends. Community of believers. Let’s make 2025 special–12 months of “renewal and mercy”….as we leave 2024 behind and welcome new opportunities, faithful promises, enduring love from God!