#stillsmallvoice #waterwalkinggirls

If you have been a reader of our blogs for a while you may already know that I have a favorite character in the Old Testament. For various reasons I feel drawn to Elijah. Let me set the stage for today’s scripture. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah basically sets up a show down between God and the prophets of Baal. Guess who came out on top? Afterwards, Elijah predicts that there will be a heavy rain, which was a blessing on the land since there had been a 3 year drought. Then in Chapter 19 a turn of events causes Elijah to fear for his life and run.

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, it is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 1 Kings 19:4 KJV

I encourage you to read all of Chapter 19 for the full story, but as Elijah felt distraught and then slept under the tree he was then awakened twice by an angel of the Lord who encouraged him to eat and drink. After eating he traveled forty days and nights to a cave on Mount Horeb. There, God asked Elijah why he had gotten to this place upon which Elijah basically tells God how distraught he is feeling. God directs Elijah to go stand out on the mountain and wait for the Lord to come by.  

Ok, let’s pause here a moment.  If God told you to go outside and wait for Him to pass by, what would you be expecting? For what would you be looking or listening? I imagine I would be looking for big, powerful and loud.  After all, God had previously spoken through a burning bush and through thunder. Now back to the story.

As Elijah waited for the Lord to pass by, there was a strong wind and an earthquake God was not in either of those. “And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:12 KJV

Wow!  God spoke to Elijah in “a still small voice.”  Sometimes God does speak to us in a loud and profound way. However, often He speaks in a small voice and in order for us to hear His whisper, we must be still.  The definition of still when used as an adjective is not moving or making sound. When used as a noun, still means deep silence and calm.  

Yesterday I encouraged you to be still and make a list of blessings or good things that have come from bad. I specifically encouraged you to look for the good that has happened as a result of the pandemic. I listed in the comments that one positive for me has been that I have been forced to slow down. I must admit that early on I spent much time whining and complaining about having to be still. However, over this time I am learning to embrace the stillness even though I don’t always do it well. It is December and the year 2020 is drawing to an end. If you have read our blog for a while then you also know that over the last few years at the end of a year, Julie and I choose a “word of the year” that we want to shape and guide our steps in the New Year. So in the next few weeks I will be spending time being still and prayerfully considering the word God will place on my heart for 2021. While you may be cheering for 2020 to end, I encourage you to also embrace the stillness and listen for God to whisper to you. God will speak. Step away from the busy day to day hustle and bustle, be still, and listen. Julie and I will share more about our words for 2021 and look forward to hearing what word God lays upon your heart.

#scars #redeemed #waterwalkinggirls

This week I have shared with you pictures of ornaments on my Christmas tree.  My tree is in front of me each morning as I write, so I wanted to share with you a little bit of my view. Today’s ornament is one from Walt Disney World.  If you know me personally you probably know how much I enjoy anything to do with Disney World.  When I look at this particular ornament it conjures up such emotion.  I received this ornament from Clark, Preston, and Briley one year when just the 4 of us were at Disney World and my birthday happened to fall on the days we were there.  On my birthday, Clark and the children found an excuse to walk over to the main building of the hotel while I was busy getting ready. They went to the gift shop and picked out this ornament and surprised me with it when they returned to the room. I was totally surprised and thrilled at this ornament, as it represents all four parks. That was years ago, yet just the sight of the ornament causes me to travel back in time to that special moment.

Likewise, I have a chicken pox scar on my leg that carries me through time to the when I received it.  Most of the time the scar goes unnoticed, but occasionally it will catch my eye and I am transported to laying at home on the couch feeling miserable but also the special love, care and attention I was given by my Mama.  I imagine you also have a scar or two that reminds you of something.

I love the Christian song, “Scars” by I Am They.  Below are some of the words of the song.

“So I’m thankful for the scars

‘Cause without them I wouldn’t know Your heart

And I know they’ll always tell of who You are

So forever I am thankful for the scars.

I can see, I can see

How you delivered me

In Your hands, In your feet

I found my victory.”

Ephesians 1:7 tells us, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.  With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment-to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. “

The death of Jesus Christ redeeming you and I is not new news to us.  However, I want you and I to not lose the connection of His nail scarred hands and our everyday lives.  A couple weeks ago Julie wrote about guilt. On her live that week she shared with us a message from Rick Warren’s devotional email. “How long should a follower of Jesus feel guilty? About one second.  That’s how long it takes to confess a sin. If you’re carrying around guilt, it means you can’t forgive yourself because you don’t believe God has forgiven you.” Today I want you to be reminded of the scars on the hands and feet of Jesus. Visualize them. Feel them. Imagine the pain and suffering that caused those scars. Allow the sight of the scars to transport you in time. Sit with those scars a few minutes. Then think of the connection of those scars to you today. How do the scars on Jesus affect you? Do you see those scars and remember what Jesus did for you? As a result, do you live your life telling others about Jesus or showing others about Jesus? Do you allow others to see your scars and how Jesus has redeemed you through those scars? Do you let go of guilt, forgiving yourself and others?  The definition of a scar is “a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed completely and fibrous connective tissue has developed.”

A scar is a connection.  Today, connect with the scars on Jesus’ hands and feet. Let those scars be a reminder of your connection to God and remind you of the sacrifices made for you to live a life of freedom. Jesus is the fibrous connective tissue between us and God.  Let’s live our lives in a way that reflects our redemption. Let’s tell others in words and actions. Let’s forgive ourselves and others. Let’s allow the scars of Jesus to connect us with God.

Listen to the song “Scars” by I Am They and allow the words to shape and change your perspective of scars.

Look in the comments below for a picture of the ornament in the above story.

#privilegeofpraying #waterwalkinggirls

My phone made a noise alerting me of a text.  I opened the text and read; “I have an appointment with my doctor at 2:00 to get my test results.  Please pray!”  I quickly typed out my response of “I will be praying.”  Then I immediately lifted my friend’s name in prayer as I set the alarm on my phone for 2:00 so I could specifically pray for my friend during her appointment.

I must admit, I have not always been so intentional with praying for others.  In fact sadly in the past I often forgot to pray for others when they asked.  Sure I would tell by friends that I would pray for them, but often I would fail to actually lift their names and intercede on their behalf. In fact, I was burdened with the many requests to pray. How could I possibly remember to pray for all my friends who requested I pray for them or their situations? Our lives are so busy and full of activities and we are often bombarded with prayer requests.  Just saying we will pray for others has no value if it isn’t backed up by actual prayer.  

Through much prayer for clarity and Godly guidance I have since become more intentional.  Now I immediately lift a “breath prayer” in relation to the requests and then set an alarm to pray at specific times if applicable.  Other times I write the names in my journal and lift the requests each morning. My prayers are not lengthy or elaborate, but specific to the request. Through this process I have discovered what a privilege it is to be asked to pray for others.  God places others in our path so that we can be His representative of love.  The Old Testament explains how Job was blessed through praying for his friends.  “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10

Praying for others is a privilege.  I am so honored when others trust me to prayer for them and share their journey with me.  Who has God placed in your path to lift in prayer? What can you do to be intentional about praying for others? How can you represent Christ to others through prayer?

#chosen #waterwalkinggirls

Chosen: having been selected as the best or most appropriate.  There are many places in our lives that we may be chosen and our view of what it means to be chosen may change depending on our age and the situation.  Sometimes being chosen is positive and sometimes it is negative. Whatever the situation, you and I must learn to respond to being chosen in a Christ-like manner.

When I was a child and playing with my peers I wanted to be chosen.  Being chosen signified acceptance.  Sometimes I desired to be chosen to be on a certain person’s kick ball team. Other times the goal was to be chosen to attend a birthday party for someone that was a part of the “in” crowd. However as I have grown older God has taught me that my worth does not come from earthly opinions but from the opinion of the One True King.

As an adult I find that sometimes being chosen can lead me in a negative direction.  I may be chosen to do a difficult or uncomfortable task.  Being chosen to complete something hard may cause me to want to hide or revert to my childhood practice of not making eye contact with the teacher to avoid being called on to answer a question.  Do you have a difficult task lurching in the dark corners of your life? Is there a task that you know needs to be done but you are avoiding making eye contact with the Master because you don’t want to be the one chosen?

I am sure you are familiar with Esther in the Bible.  However if you are not, I encourage you to read the book of Esther to learn about the events that led her to became Queen.  Some may call her circumstances coincidental but as a Christian I believe differently and her Uncle Mordecai did too. Esther found herself in the position to make a difference but she had to choose whether she should speak up or remain quiet. Mordecai sent word to her, “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jew will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.  Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

So now I ask again, is there a task that you know you have been called to but you are avoiding making eye contact with the Master because you don’t want to be the one chosen?  Is there something you have been chosen to speak up and say? Has God laid on your heart a difficult path that you are needed to walk through?  Has God chosen you to tackle a problem “for such a time as this?” I encourage you to listen to the words of the song below.  My prayer is that we listen to our individual call from above and that we say yes! The chorus of the song says:

Just a moment for a lifetime. For such a time as this, I say yes! I’ve been chosen to arise. For such a time as this, I say yes!

Take some time to sit still and listen.  Examine the current climate around you.  Is God calling you to speak up and act? Have you been chosen to make a difference in your home, your workplace, your church, your community? How will you respond? Will you avert your eyes in hopes that you don’t make eye contact with God? Will you remain still and silent? Or will you respond as Christ would? Let’s say yes! Let’s arise! For such a time of this, let’s say yes!

#broken #waterwalkinggirls

Monday morning I rushed into my office to grab something and planned to run right back out. As the door slammed behind me I heard the sound of something hitting the floor and the glass breaking.  As I looked back I saw on the floor a broken picture frame.  Many people may have been upset to have broken something like this but for me it was a God wink as just hours before I had written and posted about the Water Walkers word of the week “broken.” God had provided a tangible example for me.  In fact it triggered a memory of when my son Preston was 4 years old.  He had come to school to be screened for preschool.  After the assessment the teacher told me one of the items he had lost points on was on his response to the question, “What should you do if you break something?” The expected answer was, “I get help from an adult or I take it to a grown-up.”  However Preston’s response was, “I fix it.” Being the independent 4 year old that he was, his plan if he broke something was to try to fix it himself.

Aren’t we the very same?  When we are broken or if we are experiencing brokenness often our first response is to try to fix it ourselves.  This week I have been reminded of a poem I read years ago.

Let Go and Let God

As children bring their broken toys with tears for us to mend,

I brought my broken dream to God because he was my Friend.

But then, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help

With ways that were my own.

At last, I snatched them back and cried,

“How could You be so slow?”

“My child,” He said,

“What could I do? You never did let go?”

(Author: Loretta P. Burns)

Last week my life was touched so closely by tragedy.  As a mother I wanted to help and I wanted to fix the brokenness.  However I was at a loss.  I had no words to help.  I felt helpless.  God has reminded me that I am not the one to fix the break.  Only God can mend the broken hearts.  The Bible tells us over and over that God heals, God mends, God fixes.   I encourage you to take some time today to read the entire chapter of Psalm 31.  The chapter closes with, “Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24 NIV  Now read the Message version of Psalm 31:23-24, “Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone.  Be brave.  Be strong.  Don’t give up.  Expect God to get here soon.”

So my prayer for you and I is that we give God whatever it is that is breaking our hearts today.  Let’s let go of it and allow God to work in and through it.  Let’s stay close to God and not “go it alone.” Let’s be brave, strong and not give up.  Most of all let’s “expect God to get here soon.”

#finish #waterwalkinggirls

I have to admit that when we began this week together talking about the word finish I had no idea how God would lead me to finish this week.  On Monday, the beginning of my work week, I shared with you a picture of our new porch furniture still in boxes.  Today’s picture is the finished product of our back porch with all the furniture put together and in place.  If you have been reading Water Walkers for a while then you know the process of selling and buying our house was a yearlong process.  However, it was actually much longer.

Recently, as I was unpacking boxes, I found a paper that was dated August 21, 2010.   On the paper was a list of goals that Clark and I had each written.  One of the goals that I had written was, “Buy or build a bigger house.”  The furniture on the back porch represents an over 10 year goal that now has been accomplished. Go God!

If you have been following our posts then you also know that the day after we bought our house I also began a new job.  Another of my 2010 goals stated, “Research/investigate career choices/options.” Wow! God had planted the seed in me of changing jobs over 10 years ago! Now let me explain that after writing those goals or big dreams down, I was not so focused on them that I was pining away or wringing my hands wondering what direction I should go.  However I think it was always in the back of my mind and I had my eyes and ears open.  I would have never guessed that the job I have now was the job God was preparing for me. But isn’t that just like God? The “finish” our Maker has created for us is more than we imagine and better than we hope. 

How about you? Do you have a long time dream or goal that is not finished? Have you been working on or waiting on the next step? Or is God now planting a seed that will not grow into fruition until a later time? Philippians 1:6 tells us, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” If God has given you a dream or goal it will happen. However you and I may not see the finish line yet. Sometimes the finish line moves but it always comes in God’s perfect timing. Along the race God will help you grow and prepare you for what is being prepared for you. Keep dreaming. Keep believing. Keep trusting. Finish with grace and humility. Finish strong my friend! Finish strong!

#impact #waterwalkinggirls

Impact: (verb) 1. come into forcible contact with another object  2. have a strong effect on someone or something

This week we have explored how we are able to impact others through our five senses; sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.  Impact is the word I chose to be my “word of the year” for 2020.  So today I would like for you to examine your impact.  Who or what are you impacting and what is your impact? Is your impact positive or negative?

The cover picture today is of a special group that makes a huge impact whether they realize it or not.  Each Thursday our Run for God group gathers.  Julie leads us in a time of devotion, discussion and prayer.  Then we set out to walk or run.  We have built up to the distance of a 5k (3.1 miles).  There is so much I could write about this process and program but for today I want to ponder the impact of this group.  I wonder what others in the surrounding community see as we cover the 3.1 miles?  What do others think when they see a group of 14 people, various ages, some walking, some running, coming down the street every Thursday?  What do they hear from our conversations when we trickle by their house or pass them on the street? How do they feel when they read our shirts that have “Run For God” on the front and “Who do you say I am?” on the back?  What impact are we making as a collective group?

Now what about you? All week we have pondered your individual impact.  Today think about your collective impact.  What groups are you a part of that make an impact on others? Are you part of a church group, coworkers, friends, that make an impact together?  I encourage you to read the book The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews.  The premise of the book is that everything you say or do matters and has an effect on others.  So today spend some time examining your impact.  Whether you realize it or not you are having a strong effect on someone or something.  Is your impact positive or negative? Are you answering the question “Who do you say I am?” through your impact?