I Need To Be Rescued!

Recently my daughter and I went to return two articles of clothing we had purchased at a department store that did not fit. I happen to notice a table near the checkout stand covered with jeans on sale. I quickly picked out a pair that I hoped would fit and proceeded to the counter. I provided a receipt for my return and waited for the clerk to complete my purchase.



She scanned the receipt and price tags quickly, stapled my old receipt with the new and blurted out the amount of my credit. As she handed me a bag with the jeans in it, I thought to myself, “The amount of the credit she just blurted out was the amount of my return and should have been reduced by my purchase?”

My daughter and I turned and began to walk out the store and through the mall to pick up another item. Once out of the store, I pulled out my wallet and looked at the receipt. The clerk had indeed given me credit for my return but had not charged me for the jeans. I mumbled something to my daughter as we entered the next store. We knew exactly what we needed, made our purchase and headed back through the mall.

I realized that at this moment I had a choice. I was tempted to just continue on, out the doors, to our car, and head home. I had just received a free pair of jeans because of someone’s mistake. As we headed to the escalator I knew what I was supposed to do, but again I also knew what I was tempted to do. I was not proud of myself at all. I was ashamed. All of these thoughts had swirled through my mind in a matter of seconds. I told my daughter that the clerk had not charged me for the jeans and that we were heading back into the store to pay for them.



I went to the counter where I had made my purchase hoping that the clerk was still there. She was and I quietly whispered to her that she had not charged me for the jeans. She abruptly said, “Yes I did” and proceeded to grab the receipts from my hand. Her face appeared startled. I am sure in her teenage mind she was thinking, “Lady, what are you doing coming back? You could have left with a free pair of jeans.”

Somehow I knew in those seconds while riding down the escalator I was being confronted with a test. No one knew but me of this mistake. My young daughter had not been really paying attention before I said something. Who would be harmed by me walking right through the store and going home with a twenty-five dollar pair of jeans? The large department store would never feel this loss. But in a matter of seconds I knew in my heart I wanted to pass this test.

She scanned the jeans, I paid for them, and we left the store. Although I knew I had been a person of integrity in that moment, I also knew how deeply I needed to be rescued. If I had been left on my own, I would have sunk quickly. I would have walked out of the store with a pair of jeans I had not paid for.

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.
The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

Psalm 25:8-21



In Him...Chris



Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the table

Be still and know that He is God

Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10


This verse always makes me stop. It speaks to my soul. The Lord knows how hectic life can be and exactly what I need, to be still and realize that He is God.

As I meditate on this verse I ask the question, "What does being still look like? And just what does God want me to know about him?"

Here are some thoughts:

Quiet your mind, calm your heart, and realize that He is in ultimate control of what touches your life.

Listen to what He has to say. Really listen! Allow Him to speak to your heart.

Delight in Him. Be content and know that He is aware of all your needs even before you ask.

Wait patiently. He is working in you and through you. It may take weeks, months, and even years to complete. Don't worry! What may seem like unanswered prayers is actually His perfect timing for you and those in your life.

In everything be thankful! He is all-powerful, all- wise, loving, just, patient, and so much more. You can trust Him with your life.

"Be still, and know that I am God."

In Him...Chris

You are always welcome to join me at my personal blog Come to the Table

Praying for our Husbands

It is so easy to be blinded to the blessing we have in our husbands. I am easily bogged down at times with the little things, even when it comes to praying for him. I am tempted to look at only those areas which "I" want changed.

Many years ago I was confronted head on with this issue. One afternoon I was minding my own business sitting quietly at my dining room table preparing for a bible study I was teaching when God revealed a deep issue in my own life. There were several things in my heart concerning my husband and as I sat there distracted by my thoughts, I asked the Lord to reveal to me how I should pray for him.

And this is the question (verse) God asked me that day.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Luke 6:41

Even as I write that verse out, the memory and the reality of that moment is still very fresh in my mind. I knew that I had spent too much time being irritated by the little specks in my husband's life, while I sat there with this HUGE log in my own eye.

It was a defining moment for me. A deep revelation of the condition of my own heart and life. God began to reveal to me all the things that I had held onto and all the places I had not allowed him to work through because I was too busy noticing all the little things in my husband's life.

Gary Thomas in his book, Sacred Influence shares a story that is a very visual reminder to us all that we should not let the little things that can irritate weigh us down, but instead be thankful for the husband God has blessed us with.

On the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Lisa and I watched several interviews with women widowed as a result of those attacks. "What has changed most about your perspective in the past year?" one interviewer asked. The first widow to respond said, "The thing I can't stand is when I hear wives complain about their husbands." Every woman nodded her head,and then another widow added, "It would make my day if I walked into the master bathroom and saw the toilet seat left up."Their words have a profound ring. The little things we allow to annoy us seem trivial compared to the loss of blessings once taken for granted. In the face of their enormous loss, these women no longer cared about the little irritations; instead, they had to face the big, black hole of all that their husbands had done for them, suddenly sucked out of their lives forever. (pg. 49 Sacred Influence)

This morning as I prayed for my husband, I listed all those things that I am so thankful for. I want to focus my heart on these things. I made a list to remind myself. It is amazing how many good things there are if we only would choose to focus our thoughts there.


In Him...Chris
This was originally posted at my personal blog Come to the Table

Do you have a quiet place?

How did your day start today?

My day started with a to-do list that was as tall as my laundry pile?

My plan to rise early was missed when my son came into the room and said, “Mom is there school today?” I ran out the door to take my kids to school with a three year old tucked under my arm screaming something about a certain dinosaur as I almost tripped over our black lab who thinks he needs to go with me everywhere.

My irritation only grew as my morning continued with the feeling that somehow I was ten steps behind.

I managed to put a few thoughts into a bible study. I did get to pray with a lady in our church. I even managed to write a note of encouragement. And even though I was able to check off several things on my huge list, I still felt irritated.

I knew I needed an attitude check. What is wrong with me? I knew the answer. I had missed my morning quiet time. I was quickly reminded of these two verses….

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 15:15-16


“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35

Thousands of people longed for the touch of Jesus. Yet did he spend all day and night healing and serving the people? No, he certainly did not. Scripture reveals that Jesus often withdrew for time alone with the Father even when there was a huge crowd waiting for him. Notice the word often.


Teaching and preparing for bible study is commendable, but it is not time alone with God. Praying with a friend is a privilege, but it is not time alone with God. Encouraging others is certainly biblical, but again it is not time alone with God.


It is easy to justify all of my serving and sacrificial giving to others as time spent with the Lord. But these acts or anything else on my to-do list cannot serve as a substitute for time spent daily seeking God’s face through prayer, and quietly listening for that still, small voice.


The crowds didn't go away from Jesus, yet he found a quiet, solitary place to pray. My to-do list may not go away either, but I too need to find a quiet, solitary place.


Do you have a quiet place?

Jesus led by example.


Follow Him!

In Him...Chris
Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table

For You - Not Me

For five years my husband served as Pastor for a small church along Highway 49 in the foothills of the Sierras. It was a beautiful place to live! The view from our home was breathtaking. We lived on nearly two acres of hillside surrounded by towering pine and oak trees. Most days we were guaranteed the most beautiful blue skies. And for a girl who had spent every day before this with both the gray overcast mornings of the Southern California basin and the smog that would sit just above us except when the winds would blow through, the pure blue sky was a gift to be enjoyed.

Although our surroundings were beautiful, these were five of the most difficult, grueling, life transforming, growing, heart-wrenching, painful, very difficult (I can’t think of anymore adjectives to use to describe what I am trying to convey) years we have yet to experience both in life and ministry.

I remember one day in particular. I was complaining to God about all the chairs and tables my husband and I had to set up, the coffeepots we had to clean, the vacuuming, the errands, the toilets we scrubbed and the floors we mopped – the servant’s work. I was trying to explain to God that he was wasting all our experience and education by having us do so much menial work. It seemed every other day we received a phone call or email from someone traveling somewhere exciting to speak at a conference, taking on or starting a new ministry, or doing anything better than what we were doing or so we thought.

That afternoon my husband was to perform a small wedding for a couple in our church who had recently given their hearts to Christ. My husband had been counseling with this couple who were in their late forties and living together. They had decided together that they would make things right before the Lord by getting married and wanted to do so in front of their families in our little church sanctuary.

I remember double checking that everything was ready for this small gathering of about twenty before heading home to quickly shower and change and heading back to the church. I found my seat in the second row with a few minutes to spare before the service was to begin. I thought of my four children at home and the amount of money I was paying someone to watch them all day so that I could be here. I thought of the many things that I would rather be doing on this beautiful fall Saturday afternoon and how my home stood in shambles with dishes and laundry because I had been down at the church or running an errand for my husband as we prepared for this small wedding.

The ceremony started and the couple nervously took their places. The bride came out wearing a beautiful cream colored dress with a tint of pink. Her face was beaming and she proudly walked the small aisle with her sister by her side. There wasn't a dry eye in the room.

During the ceremony, the bride was struggling and needed some tissue. My husband graciously stepped aside and reached for some Kleenex. He took the time to help her find her place and gently reached for her bouquet so that she could wipe her tears and hold the hands of her groom.

Tears began to stream down my face as I watched my husband serve the bride with such tenderness and care. He is a beautiful model of servanthood for me and rarely tires of meeting the lowest needs. I was beginning to feel like such a worm and rightfully so.

As we gathered at the tables set up afterwards and enjoyed a simple lunch and wedding cake together, I was introduced to the bride’s only sister. It was an encounter that I will never forget. She had traveled several hundred miles to be there that day. Their father had passed away years before and she wanted to walk side by side with her sister as she was presented to her groom. I was soon to understand why.

She thanked me profusely for everything we had done. Feeling like a complete hypocrite, I brushed it off and told her (knowing full well what my thoughts had been just moments earlier) that it was our pleasure to be here with them and sharing in this beautiful event.

With tears in her eyes and a joy in her face she said, “you don’t understand, I feel like I already know you, you see I have been praying for you and your husband.”

Praying for me and my husband?

WHAT?

She went on to explain that she had prayed for her sister’s salvation for fifteen years and for the past eight years she had committed herself to setting the alarm clock everyday for 5:30 am to pray specifically for her sister’s salvation. Every. Single. Day.

She had all but given up when her sister telephoned and shared that she and her boyfriend had started attending a small church near their home. She could not believe what she was hearing. She told me that her prayers changed at that moment and she began directing them towards us.

She prayed that the Pastor of this church and his wife would be mighty servants of the Lord. She prayed that they would be willing to look beyond the outward appearance of her sister and all the baggage and circumstances of her life and see her heart. She prayed we would be the ones that God would use to bring in the harvest of souls in the life of her sister and boyfriend.

At that moment I knew I was standing on Holy ground.

These words moved from my mind, to my lips and landed in my heart,

“for you, Lord, I want to do it for you, for others – not for me!"

Lord, Please forgive me.

I never looked at cleaning the church bathrooms, setting up chairs on Wednesday nights or making coffee for our ladies bible studies the same.
Today, I no longer have to clean the toilets or mop the floor in our church. There are others now who get to set up the tables and chairs. We are blessed with additional servants (staff) to oversee the children’s ministry, nursery, record keeping, and the multiple other places I served during those days.

I am rarely involved in the details of an event or have to run an errand for something like coffee cups or paper towels. But I will never forget those long five often lonely years of serving and doing at times what felt like meaningless work. God used us in a mighty way!

Are you questioning the circumstances of your life and the place the Lord has placed you and seeing it as menial in comparison to others? Like me, are you tempted to think that there must be something better God could be using you for? Have you asked the Lord to use your life, your experiences, and your gifts to minister to others? Be careful, He may hand you a vacuum, or a baby to hold while a young mom attends a meeting, or gasp be the official coffee maker.

I have a precious woman who is in her second year of making coffee every Tuesday morning for our ladies bible study. She is growing in the Lord with such beauty!

I would venture to say that God is at work at the back of the line in ways you cannot fathom. I certainly couldn’t.

Listen to the words of Jesus my dear sisters and hear the heart of our Savior, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:35

Lord, help me to understand what it means to be a servant of all. Teach me how to lead, through serving.



In Him...Chris

Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table

I am "somebody" to Him

I have this quote by Carol Kent neatly tucked away along with scriptures that speak to me about my significance in Christ and His unconditional love for me.

Our deepest passion for significance is finally satisfied when we realize He is all we need and we are "somebody" to Him.

I have struggled with feeling significant most of my life. I know that in part it stems from growing up in a home that unknowingly teased me as the only girl and sent me a subtle message that boys had more value. I was the oldest and not the biological daughter of my father, which only solidified my thoughts even more. It took many years as a Christian to know beyond any doubt that I was personally important to God, and that He loved me unconditionally, and that my life could bring glory to Him.

Psalm 139 tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are reminded that God created our inmost being and knit us together in our mother’s womb. We’re told that our frame was not hidden from God when we were formed in the secret place and that His eyes saw our unformed body. The psalmist also states that all of the days that God ordained for us were written in His book before we were even born. I don’t know how one could say “SIGNIFICANT!” any better than this?


So why do I question my worth? Why do feelings of insignificance sometime cloud everything the Bible says about me? Why do I sometimes let one person destroy my sense of belonging? Why do I struggle with what other people think of me? Why is all this so important? Because what we believe about ourselves often determines how we will live. (And also can completely distort our view of God, but that is a post for another day)

If we believe and live out lies, we will end up in bondage. It doesn't matter how much affirmation we receive from others, one negative criticism or just a little dose of rejection and we are devastated because we have let others determine our worth.


The need to feel accepted began in the Garden. God created man to have fellowship with Himself. From the beginning relationships were to bring us joy, completeness, acceptance, and significance. But Satan is a great liar! Not only was Adam and Eve’s relationship with God ruined by his lies, every one of us face the same doubts as a result of sin.


The list of those who doubted their own significance in scripture would include names like Moses, Joshua (Joshua 1:9), and David (2 Samuel 7:18-19). Moses responded to the Lord in Exodus 3:11 with the words, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

The enemy is still a liar today. And if I believe those lies and allow the disappointment from others, failures, unfulfilled expectations, thoughts of worthlessness and inadequacy determine my significance, than I become incapable of seeing who God is and how valuable I am to Him. The TRUTH is I am valuable to God. (I suggest reading through and meditating on Psalms 139:1-18) No bells and whistles, No need to try and impress Him, No need to show Him my list of accomplishments, No need to try and look good. God Himself finds me significant and has demonstrated His love through the cross. It is God who loved me first. When God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross for your sins and mine, our worth was determined once and for all.



“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10

Father, Thank you for loving me with an unconditional love that is not based on anything that I could do or who I am, but solely on who you are. Thank you for giving Your Son to be the propitiation for my sins.
Help me to renew my mind with the Word of God and replace the lies with the truth, God loves me and I have significance in Him. Amen.

In Him...Chris



Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table

Joy to the World

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. Luke 2:10

Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Whether you are completely alone today, missing a loved one, far away from your family and friends or just simply waiting for tomorrow to be over with, there is reason to shout, "JOY TO THE WORLD!" If Jesus is your Savior, than you have a reason to shout! Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth. It is that simple! Therefore, a "Merry Christmas" is a joyous festivity with great pleasure and delight at the birth of our King, our Savior, the One and Only! I have learned through the years with five children that we don't have to spend a lot of money or go to great lengths to have a joyous festivity or experience great pleasure or delight in our celebrations.

It is our culture that has made it about the decorations, baking, shopping, buying, gifts, gifts, and more gifts. The celebration should be about Him! The One who came to save us from our sins! JOY TO THE WORLD! You are not alone today! God demonstrated His Great Love for you and me by sending His One and Only Son to be the sacrifice for our sins! JOY TO THE WORLD!

Let's sing together:

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!Let earth receive her King;Let every heart prepare Him room,And Heaven and nature sing,And Heaven and nature sing,And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!Let men their songs employ;While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy,Repeat the sounding joy,Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,Nor thorns infest the ground;He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found,Far as the curse is found,Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness,And wonders of His love,And wonders of His love,And wonders, wonders, of His love.


I pray you all have a very Merry Christmas! In other words, celebrate with great festivity and pleasure the birth of our Savior. JOY TO THE WORLD!

God loves YOU so very much!!!


In Him...Chris

You are always welcome to visit Chris at her personal blog CometotheTable

O Come, let us Adore Him

"I was not born to be free.
I was born to adore and to obey"
C.S. Lewis

This morning as I sat quietly in my favorite chair with only the light from a lamp on the table and a little bit of sunrise peering in through the window, I read Luke Chapter One from beginning to end and as usual I always have to stop at verse 38 and think about Mary's amazing response to the angel of the Lord, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." The angel of the Lord had just told Mary that even though she had never known a man, she was going to have a baby and His name shall be called Jesus. Mary's response was one of faithful obedience and pure adoration.

John Macarthur in his book Twelve Extraordinary Women writes:

"There's no evidence that Mary ever brooded over the effect her pregnancy would have on her reputation. She instantly, humbly, and joyfully submitted to God's will without further doubt or question. She could hardly have had a more godly response to the announcement of Jesus' birth. It demonstrated that she was a young woman of mature faith and one who was a worshiper of the true God. Her great joy over the Lord's plan for her would soon be very evident."

It shouldn't surprise us that Mary would sing her praise to God at such a time. The Book of Job says that God created the whole world while the angels sang praises. The Psalms tell us over and over to sing praises to the Lord. It also tells us that praise makes us beautiful! Nehemiah says that praise makes us strong! And Isaiah says to sing to the Lord when He has done excellent things.

46 And Mary said: “ My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

As I sit here in the early morning hour, my own heart is full and I am ready to sing forth his praises, but as I get up from my chair to warm my cup of coffee, I think about my own responses to the Lord at different times and seasons of my life. As I carefully sit back down placing my coffee cup next to me and picking up my journal, I can't help but think that I all too often have been more concerned about my reputation and what others would think, than obeying God's word, His voice, or His message to me. I sit back and with a deep sigh, I think on those things that God has allowed in my own life that others might be tempted to whisper or wonder what I have done or haven't done in order for this to be happening. And yet the desire to be obedient and trust God, just as Mary had seems to give me new strength. I begin jotting my thoughts down about this verse. I no longer want to ask questions like, "why" and "what if", but rather, "Here is your maidservant Lord, let it be to me according to your word."

What is the "let it be" in your life? Have you put stipulations on what you are willing to do only accepting of those things that will make you look good or desiring only that which comes in a certain package? Do you worry more about what others think, than walking in obedience and adoration of our Savior?

Lord, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus! Lord, "let it be" in my life according to your word and plan. I put my faith and trust in you. I no longer want to be concerned about what others may think, but I want to walk in obedience and sing praises to God my Savior! O Come, let us Adore Him!

In Him,
Chris

You are always welcome to stop by my personal blog Come to the Table

He has not forgotten

Have you ever felt like you have been forgotten? It is that feeling (before cell phones) when someone was supposed to pick you up and slowly everyone leaves the building, lights grow dim, each car carefully pulls away and you are left sitting there all alone waiting. It is an awful feeling as you wait there wondering if anyone will remember to come or how much longer before they arrive. Did they grow tired? Did they just forget? Did something happen? We sit, we wait, we wonder.

And yet recently I found myself approaching the Lord in the same way. Does He hear my prayers? Does He know what is happening right now? Has He forgotten me?

Isaiah 40:27-31 speaks to my heart...

Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “ My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

Now let's read it in The Message...

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying,"God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"?Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall.But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.

Some days I need those words spoken firmly right in my face, "why would you ever complain?" "Haven't you been listening?" The Everlasting God does not get tired or grow weary...He has not forgotten YOU!

"Those who wait (expect, look for, hope in Him... from the Amplified version) on the Lord shall renew their strength."

We can hold on to the promise and the hope that God has not forgotten us, that He does not grow weary or tired, but rather we can choose to wait on Him in hopeful expectation and He will renew our strength to continue on, but not just any strength...He promises to renew our strength so that we will soar like an eagle, run, and walk never growing weary ourselves.

It is His strength that I need renewed everyday!

In Him...Chris

Join Chris at her personal blog Come to the Table

I want to be like those trees!

As I pulled away from the school this morning I found myself a bit reflective. That is of the trees. Along 2nd Ave. there are these huge trees one right after the other.There they stood this morning in the brisk cold air towering high into the sky naked as ever. It was almost like they were a bit proud of their position, their season, this time that they were given. Normally I don't notice them much at this time of year but rather look forward to the new life they bring in spring or the dramatic performance they give in fall. Yet I know from my brief studies of the seasons while my oldest daughter was in kindergarten, that at this time or season all of their energy and efforts are put into their root system in order for survival during the harshness of winter.And then I saw it, not the naked limbs which seem so vulnerable to the elements but the huge trunk with what almost looked like legs going down deep into the ground.
Immediately I thought, " I want to be like those trees. No, not naked, but rather with deep roots and a strong foundation because life is often referred to as seasons." I know that during the difficult winter the tree is at risk of being hurt, losing a limb or two or three, and gasp even being forced to be pruned. But what if a tree refused to give up those leaves and stay green all year and put forth all of its energy towards staying in this one season, never changing? Like me at times, the tree would look pretty silly and eventually die of sickness and disease due to a poor root system. I could almost see it, the tree holding on to those dear leaves with everything it has as the cold air blew across the sky and than crying out for help, "Oh, dear God have mercy on me." Am I a tree refusing to go through the season that God is taking me? Do I resist the pruning? Am I more worried about what others see in me or am I concerned about only the roots, the foundation on which I am to stand even if it means I have to go through the barrenness of a winter season?
As I pulled into the garage and entered the warmth of my home, I prayed, "Lord, forgive me for holding onto so many leaves, for not shedding those things, those thoughts, and standing barren before You with my only desire to have a strong root system."

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3

In Him...Chris

This post was written earlier this year at my personal blog Come to the Table

Don't ignore the elephant

It's not something that is easy to admit. Some may have to face it each and every day. Often times it creeps in slowly and other times it is thrown right into our face. We think to ourselves, "I am not sure what is wrong, oh, but I know it is not that." It sits right in the middle of the room like an elephant and yet we choose to completely ignore it.

But one day we will be forced to acknowledge it's presence, otherwise it will continue to grow deeper and stronger and before we know it, our thoughts have been completely overtaken. What in the world am I talking about it? The spirit of envy! We don't wake up one day and choose to be envious. No, often times it shows up on our door step or has slowly leaked into our thoughts and has gone unnoticed for years. The sheer definition of the word makes me squirm a bit, " painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage." Oh, how painfully aware I am of those things that others seem to have an advantage in that I don't. Through the years my own insecurities and lack has caused me to literally sit on the elephants back and yet deny in my own heart that it was actually there.

But the one thing we can't ignore is the company it keeps in scripture. Just read through Galatians 5 and notice the other "works of the flesh" which are listed right along with envy.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

And does anyone besides me notice where it sits in the list? Between heresy (denial of truth) and murder. All I can say is that I better pay attention. King Saul ignored the warning signs and instead chose to allow the spirit of envy take root. Initially Saul was highly pleased with David and set him over his men of war. But one day Saul heard the women of Israel singing, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands" (1 Samuel 18:7). Scripture goes on to say, "Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on" (1 Samuel 18:9). God has placed each one of us in the body of Christ according to His purpose (1 Corinthians 12:18), and has assigned to each of us a place in life (1 Corinthians 7:17).

Proverbs 14:30 says, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."

The cure for the sin of envy is to find our contentment in God. Asaph in Psalm 73 was envious of the wicked as he saw their apparent prosperity (verse 3). He felt his pursuit of a holy life was in vain (verse 13). Only when he was enabled to say to God, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is none upon earth I desire besides you." (verse 25), was he delivered from the sin of envy.

Has envy taken up residence in your own heart? Meditate on His truths and His promises! God wants to deliver you.



In Him...Chris

Chris may also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table

I Am His!

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “ Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; Isaiah 43:1-3

This ancient promise from the book of Isaiah has carried me through some difficult seasons. I have literally hung on every word. Let's look at it together:

the Lord...who created you...who formed you...He knows you intricately. Every part of you!

Fear not... I do not need to fear! No matter what I am facing, no matter how difficult the trial or circumstance, no matter how painful, His word says, Fear not!

I have redeemed you...When I redeem a gift certificate it is with great joy! I have been given something that I do not deserve and have received something that I did not pay for.

I have called you by name; you are mine...At times of great loneliness and despair, I have held onto to the truth that He has called me by name and that I AM HIS!

I will be with you...they shall not overflow you...you shall not be burned...not even scorched... He never promised that his children would never suffer in this life. We will pass through difficult waters of broken relationships and betrayal. We will pass through the rivers of financial hardships and overwhelming circumstances that are beyond our control. We even will walk through the fire which is painful and refining but it will not leave any residue because...

I am the Lord your God...Think of it! The One who engineered this incredible universe - this God is my Lord. Can we imagine that God, who is concerned with so many stupendous things, can possibly be concerned about us? We do imagine it. That is why we turn to him in desperation and cry out, as I do, "O, Lord!" Where else can we possibly turn when we have come to the end of our resources?

He has created, formed, and called you by name. You are His! No matter what you are facing, He has promised to be with you. You will not be swept away or burned up. For He is the Lord your God! Karl Barth, a great theologian, was once asked if he could condense all the theology he had ever written into one simple sentence.

"Yes, " he said, "I can. 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.' "

I am praying for you today!


In Him...Chris

Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table

At the time appointed...

"At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son" Genesis 18:14

That's another way of saying, "This is going to be a full-term baby." This means a little bit more waiting, doesn't it? And that's not the answer we're looking for! We don't want nine months of carrying a child...nine months of bearing a promise until it comes to the moment of delivery. We want to wake up in the tent one morning and have a crib in the corner with a baby crying in it. For that matter, we'd prefer that the baby be smiling and cooing. Or maybe standing up and walking and talking with a full vocabulary.

We don't want to wait! We want roses, but we don't want to weed or prune or water or wait until they bloom in all their fullness. Nor do we want to acknowledge that God might be maturing those roses and bringing fragrance into our lives through some dark, rainy, overcast days.

Can you remember the days when you actually had to dial a number with a rotary dial and stand within a few feet of the wall because you were attached to it? We need one-button, pre-programmed auto-dial. Speed! No Waiting! Immediate fulfillment! We are all schooled to instant gratification. We pray, "Lord, give me patience and I want it right now!"

Yet the Lord said to that dear elderly couple, "At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life." It was going to be a regular baby on a regular schedule born in the regular way. There is an "appointed time" for me as well. God has been faithful to His word, and He will respond to the heart's desire of His children. What He delivers may not be the very thing I ask for, but it will be the very thing I need. There is much about my life that I did not ask or that I did not plan. But I can see that He has brought fruitfulness to that place where emptiness has reigned, and He has caused my desert to blossom like a rose.

Are you waiting for your "appointed time". It may not take as long as it did for Sarah, but however long it takes, it will be worth the waiting. In fact, while you go through the test of waiting, you will learn more about the Lord's miracle-working grace in your life than you would have learned if you had received a next-day delivery.

The Lord said to Abraham and Sarah. "The miracle for which you have waited will come. But it will be something that grows in your life and

comes forth in the fullness of time."

(this post was taken from personal notes and quotes written from a study on The Life of Abraham by Jack Hayford)

In Him...Chris

Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table

This Is The Day

Have you forgotten how to greet the day? The knowledge is all but lost to many that a new day is sacred: a gift from God, a rare and precious gift. A new day brings with it a fresh start, to lift your head from the pillow with joy and to observe the clouds peeking through the dark sky and welcome a gift from the Lord.
As a mother of five children from toddler to teen, my days are very full. Often times I am overwhelmed with the list of things that need to be accomplished before the day even begins. If I am given the gift of awakening before one of my children, I quietly head to my place at the table with the glimmering light and my cup of warmth in great appreciation for the new day and an opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus. I open up my bible and begin reading, studying, and praying. I ask God to speak to me, to change me from within, to wash me in His word. I pray for my husband, my children, and for others who I have committed to pray for. My heart is overwhelmed with thankfulness for this time. Often times I don't want it to end.
But I am aware of something else. There have been many many seasons in which stopping and sitting at the feet of Jesus was NOT the first thing I did. I have had seasons in which it worked best for me to meet with my Savior later in the morning due to nursing a newborn or a baby who napped consistently at the same time. But I have also experienced seasons in which I allowed my busyness to prevent me from meeting with my Savior on a regular basis. I somehow had determined that it was "OK". I reasoned that my children were small and it would be easier when they were older. But my own experience has shown me that as my children have grown it does not become easier. Busyness doesn't go away, it just changes or looks different. So, no matter what season you are in, I encourage you to begin today sitting at the feet of Jesus and welcome each new day with great joy and anticipation. This is the Day!

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and
be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

In Him...Chris

Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table

We Take Nothing With Us

A friend’s daughter just had a life altering surgery with two more needed in the next year while other girls at the age of fourteen are going to school, visiting with friends, and enjoying their youth. A Pastor who we have recently been acquainted with collapsed and died suddenly not only leaving a church in shock but a wife and two young children. A blogging friend just received news of the tragic death of her twenty year old nephew who loved the Lord. A friend lost her husband of eighteen years suddenly and without warning leaving her to the care of two young children. My favorite aunt heard those terrifying words, “cancer” and left us to meet her Savior much earlier than we had ever hoped. A few nights ago, my husband and I sat and listened to a couple who were living in New York City on 9/11 /2001, and who were both employed as flight attendants on one of the airlines whose plane went into the World Trade Center. His wife was working on board a flight that morning heading to the West Coast and he carefully described the moment by moment agony he experienced as he watched and waited to discover his wife's fate. Joy does not describe his relief when he discovered that her flight was still taxiing at the time of the first impact, but was mixed with great grief. They shared that for weeks following the tragedy they were completely numb only able to do nothing but sit and watch the smoke rise from the tip of Manhattan. Since then, they have chosen to walk by faith and not fear, but the scars remain.

Tragedy, loss, suffering and death have impacted my life as I am sure it has yours as well. Often times it occurs suddenly and without warning or preparation. We all know we are not guaranteed tomorrow. The question then and still today often times is, “why?” Why such evil? Why such loss? Why such suffering? Why do so many innocent people have to die? I am not going to try and answer the “why?” question, but could certainly point you in the direction of scripture and others who have looked at the tragedies in our country in recent years and who offer some biblical answers as to “why?”

If you haven’t figured it out already I am just an ordinary woman, wife, and mother. I am a sinner who has been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on a cross. I live in a fallen world corrupted by sin since the garden. God’s plan of redemption was laid before the foundation of the earth. No where in scripture am I or anyone else promised a life without tragedy, loss, suffering and death. And when I wrap my arms around a sister in Christ who is in the midst of deep sorrow and grief, everything in me wants to provide answers and immediately address the question, “why?” But the only hope that I or anyone else can offer is in Christ. He came, lived among us, and suffered a horrific and tragic death, so that I whether given many years on this earth or not, could have life rather than the death that I most certainly deserve. Nothing in this life or on this earth compares to Christ. We take nothing with us and leave only the impact we have on the lives of others.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11

In Him...Chris

You may visit Chris at her personal blog Come to the Table

I can cause such a stink

Too often I find myself relating to the mother in this cute yet smelly story.

The mother of six children walked into her home one day to see all her children huddled together in a circle. She approached them to see what had evoked such intense interest, and she could hardly believe her eyes.

To her horror, in the middle of the circle of children were several baby skunks. She immediately screamed at the top of her voice, "Children! Run, run, run! Out, out, out!"At the sound of their mother's alarmed voice, each child quickly grabbed a baby skunk and headed for the door. The screaming and panic, of course, set off the instinctual danger alarm in the skunks, and each of them quickly dispelled its horrible scent. Each child and the house itself were doused with an aroma that lingered for weeks, regardless of intense scrubbing and use of disinfectants.

Oh, I have been the mother in this story more times than I would like to admit. I have reacted to a situation with a scream or harsh voice and caused such a stink that sometimes it takes days or weeks to rid itself. The smell of skunk is all too familiar after living in the foothills for five years.


Most often my children receive the worst of my reactions when I am tired, preoccupied, or in a hurry. Yesterday afternoon I had one of those moments. I was tired. My decision to rise early had caught up with me. I was preoccupied with all that needed to happen at the same time. Dinner prepared, two kids to sporting practice, another to a musical audition, my seven year old son's one missing cleat (which I knew had been played with and worn by a two year old) and to top things off the realization that the last time we saw his brand new soccer ball was on Saturday at his brother’s football game in another town. So, here I was like the mother in this story ranting and raving through the house when suddenly I got a whiff, it wasn’t pleasant but I could smell the stink.

I imagined each of my children running for cover and the stink of my words lingering with them not only for days, but weeks and even years. I stopped (this time), "Lord please help me," took a deep breath and said to myself, “what does it matter if we don’t eat dinner until later, or if someone is late, or if he wears tennis shoes to practice and honestly who cares about a silly ball which is so easily replaced. My kids are not. And would you believe that we found the lone ranger cleat, everyone made it to practice and auditions in one piece, my kids did not go hungry and Wal-mart sells soccer balls.


Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18


In Him...Chris

Please visit Chris at her personal blog Come to the table

Are you heading somewhere?

I love books! Recently I was straightening up and organizing my bookshelves so that I could find things a little more easily when I came across a little book I read about five years ago. It was Stormie Omartian's book, Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On - Trusting God in the Tough Times. Just as sights, sounds, and even smells can stimulate memories of days gone by, books I have read remind me of seasons and places I have walked with the Lord. This book was no different. I quickly thumbed through hi-lighted pages and markings I had made in the columns. I wrote verses to memorize inside the cover and stapled some notes to the back cover describing the place I had traveled while reading through this book. In Chapter ten, Stormie describes a wilderness experience she had in her own life which almost perfectly paralleled the place that I was currently walking in.

Below is what she had shared (in italics) and my own notes I had written about this season of my own life.

"When God is taking us to a place we've never been before, we envision that it's going to be better than where we are. And ultimately, that's true. But often we have to go through a wilderness to get there.
God has a purpose for the wilderness, but it's hard to see it when we're in it. It can be frightening if we don't know what to expect. The most frightening thing about it is the thought that this may be our final destination."


When God called my husband and I to leave Orange County and move to the foothills of Northern California, it was one of the most difficult things I had ever done in my life. I had to leave what I loved and what was familiar to me to go where everything seemed foreign. Not that one culture was better or worse than the other, but they were so extremely different from each other. I can distinctly remember the first time I drove down a dirt road. At the age of thirty seven I had never driven on dirt, blacktops yes, dirt no! There were so many new things to learn and even a vocabulary that was totally foreign. I had to become familiar with a wood burning stove and what it meant to have well water and a septic tank. There were lots of new discoveries like the sight of deer crossing through our front yard, squirrels everywhere and even the stars and darkness of the night was new. I was a city girl. I felt like I was in the middle of a foreign land. It was as though I had left Egypt and arrived in the wilderness.


Even though there was a lot I did not miss about Orange County, there were many things that I still held on to. And even though the foothills were probably one of the most beautiful places in the world, so much was missing for me. I felt like an alien. And, just like the Israelites did when God led them out of Egypt, I grumbled and complained.

"Oh, for some fish and a new pair of shoes like we had back home!" they complained.

"Oh, for the restaurants, amusement parks, and beaches I used to go to!" I moaned.

I didn't know then that although the wilderness may seem like nowhere at the time, it is somewhere if that's where God wants you. For it's there He will prepare you for the good thing He is about to do in your life. It's there you will be thoroughly convinced that you won't get anywhere or accomplish anything lasting without Him.

At the time I did not know how long I would live in this place. All I knew is that I was somewhere. I was to leave behind the familiar, the comfortable, the past successes and accomplishments. The foothills is where God took me to get Egypt out of my heart. He wanted to separate me from all that I craved, so that all I craved was Him. God aimed me in a new direction. I had to let go of what I had always known, be willing to embrace the unfamiliar and trust that He will sustain me on the journey.
God took the Israelites through the wilderness because taking them the direct route meant they would have to fight the Philistines. "Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, 'Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt'" (Exodus 13:17) God knew that the Israelites would have been too afraid at that point to trust Him to fight their battles for them, so He took them on a different route. He took them and me somewhere.

Is your nowhere leading you to God's somewhere?

It's not where we are in life that matters, but Who is with us. Stormie Omartian


In Him...Chris

visit Chris at her personal blog Come to the Table

Happy Camper

A few weeks ago my husband, myself, five very excited children and one happy dog headed out not too far from our home to go camping. We hadn’t “tent” camped since my oldest three were five, three and one. From that experience, I had told myself it would be a long time before we attempted to go camping without a roof over our head. We have been several places in which either a cabin or RV was our dwelling, but our kids wanted to camp with tents and sleeping bags.


So we traded our carpeting and wood floors for green grass and our Serta pillow top mattress for the comforts of a leaky air mattress and sleeping bags. I gave up stainless steel appliances for two ice chests, a lovely camp stove and several plastic tubs for washing dishes. The lighting was sunshine and stars amidst seven chairs arranged nicely around the campfire ring and well let’s just say it was a lovely stroll through the trees to the nearest bathrooms with running water. But I loved it! Yes, you read right “I loved it!” I chose to spend the four days HAPPILY camping. We have all heard the phrase, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31

Often times in my home or campsite, my attitude determines the atmosphere. As I sat quietly one afternoon with a slight breeze brushing across my face, I decided to be more intentional in doing "all to the glory of God" not only here camping but also in my home. If someone could see inside my home, like they could see inside our campsite, I would want them to see a mother who knows her limitations and the visual imprint left in the floor from all the time spent on her knees. I would hope they notice the chips in all the dishes because of the many uses day after day serving others. I would hope they notice the table with all its scratches and markings from the many hours spent there gathering together to eat, talk, laugh and pray. I would hope they see people saved by the grace of God living to bring Him glory.

My heart was convicted of some things in those few short days of camping. I recognized that I need to be more patient with my children. I have children in different stages and with different needs and I have overlooked some things in my busyness. I recognized I need to make some adjustments in my time and how I spend it.

Ephesians 5:15-16 tells us "Look carefully then how you walk,
not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."

This verse requires that we take an honest look at what we are doing and how we do it. I began to make a list of how I spend my days. There are only two ways to spend them, wise or unwise. There is no other choice. How will you choose to spend today!


In Him...Chris

Visit Chris at her personal blog Come to the Table

The Lord is my Light

We have just returned from an adventurous week of camping and fishing to the news that my grandmother has passed away. My brother is trying to get home from Iraq to attend services. We are trying to arrange flights today for my husband and I to be a part of the service. Life is full of unexpected twists and events. No matter what I am facing I seem to always find comfort in Psalm 27. I hope you do today as well.

1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh,my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

5For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

6And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me,and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!

8You have said, "Seek my face."My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek."

9 Hide not your face from me.Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help.Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

10For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.

13I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD

In Him...Chris

Chris can also be found at Come to the Table

Therefore encourage one another...

As she approached me from across the room, my heart was filled with expectation and excitement at the thought that she seemed genuinely interested for a moment in my seemingly small life. She warmly greeted me with a hug and a huge smile. She quickly asked me a few questions and before I could finish my answers the eyes which once seemed focused on mine, were now wondering about the room at who would be her next target. I quickly realized her greeting was part of what she did, rather than who she was. I was young, insecure, and in need of the genuine love and care of an older Christian woman. I just needed a little encouragement. A few words would have gone miles for me.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The body of Christ needs encouragers for today. Some face marital difficulties, have heartaches over rebellious or spiritually indifferent children. Some face financial hardships and their future seems uncertain. And others have such hurt and pain over relationships that life seems unbearable at times. Many are wondering if God truly cares for them, and they certainly don't believe that any other person cares.
We must not depend solely on our pastors and other spiritual leaders to do this. We must also do it ourselves. But we must remember that to encourage is to fortify one another with the strength to endure. It does not mean to commiserate with one another over our respective trials and difficulties. As Paul said, "we are to speak only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs." (Ephesians 4:29) So as we care for one another, we must demonstrate care and compassion, but not pity. The other person must know we care, but more importantly, he or she must know that God cares. That is the objective of encouragement.
The next time you are in a room filled with other women, look for the one you can encourage, keep your eyes focused on theirs and remind them of the uplifting truths of God's Word.


In Him....Chris

Chris can also be found at her personal blog Come to the Table