 My toddler boys love it when they get to sit up on the kitchen counter. They get busy right away taking all of the spices off of the spice rack and cheerfully testing the durability of nearly every cooking utensil that they can get their hands on. As the boys sit there playing, they look carefree, happily mixing up imaginary cookies and periodically pretending that the large spoons are swords. Meanwhile, I am perched behind them, ready to pounce at whatever fall, mess or fight that may occur. My mom-brain is busy calculating a response to every possible scenario that could lead to the need for an ice pack, a vacuum or an emergency room visit. In the middle of their fun, I am exhausting myself with “what if’s”, anxiously waiting for trouble to ensue. I don’t typically hover over my children awaiting disaster, but there is just something about my boys being up so high and being too young to recognize the possible dangers, that sends me into a frenzy of over-analyzation, and, alright, I’ll say it, worry. What is worry? Worry is the lack of faith in God’s perfect provision. It causes us to make bad choices or paralyzes us from being able to make choices at all. It brings God's sovereignty into question and leaves no room for faith. Ultimately, worry is the foolish thing that we do when we are afraid that life won’t go our way. Are there times when it is wise to worry? No. But, sometimes worry can disguise itself as wisdom. A good example of this is my reaction to the boys sitting up on the counter. Since the boys are so young, it is wise for me to be cautious, to stand close by and to supervise, but it is unwise for me to let that caution turn into a spirit of fear; which 2 Timothy 1:7 says, is not from God. In this scenario, I was wearing a mask that looked an awful lot like a concerned mom, but in reality, it was just my fear playing dress-up. Not only was I exhausting myself with all of the “what if’s”, but I was also missing out on the sweetness of the moment with my children. Worry deceived me; it caused me to react foolishly and prevented me from enjoying the happiness that was right in front of my face. Worry will steal our joy if we let it, so we must choose to trust in the Lord at all times. The wisdom that He provides us will never lead us into fear. Instead, as we read in Psalm 94:19, when we are anxious, the Lord will comfort us and restore our joy. Today, there are many things that have the power to cause us to worry, but we must never allow ourselves to be fooled by this counterfeit wisdom. Instead, we must cling to Godly wisdom; relying on His sovereignty and the truth of His word, which beckons us to not be afraid! AuthorMarsha Sommer
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 In my box of written treasures, I still have a paper from my son’s kindergarten year that makes me smile every time I see it. The teacher asked, “How does your mom show that she loves you?” My son replied, “She makes me tacos.” Be honest, you thought it was going to be a sweet, touching answer?! His answer revealed not only that he loved tacos, but also that he felt loved by my actions. One morning, while reading my Bible on the lanai, a surprising summer breeze made its way to my chair and I felt truly loved by God. His action was very personal and loving to me. There was a time I wouldn't have been as aware of His actions or presence, and truthfully, I still miss so much. However, I am very grateful for a book study entitled, A Thankful Heart, by Carole Lewis. During that study we each had a notebook to write down the things we were thankful for each day. The goal was to be more aware and thankful to God for His many gifts and acts bestowed on us all day long. I remember the day I watched a leaf fall to the ground with such grace, as if showing off in a freestyle dance. I stood there amazed at our God! This was not my normal practice, but, oh, how I realized that I desired and needed to slow down to see God at work and to give thanks to Him. This small snapshot in time doesn't do justice to what Scripture has to say about being thankful. This small snapshot in time doesn't do justice to what Scripture has to say about being thankful. 1 Chronicles 16:34 tells us “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever.” Why do we give thanks? Because we serve an incredible God who is worthy of all our thanks and praise! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to “give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus". It is the Lord living in us that enables us to see that which is praiseworthy. For in every moment of life there is reason to give thanks! Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” The thanksgiving of our heart is received by our Lord as we live out our love for Him through our words and actions of obedience. Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” At the most fundamental level, prayer is communication between us and God. Thanksgiving is letting Him know how much we enjoyed and felt loved by His works. In all circumstances, whatever we do, let our heart of thanksgiving overflow in prayer and life! The beautiful thing about expressing thanksgiving is that the more we practice being thankful, the more we see His activity, the more we draw near and trust Him. In His perfect love, even the act and command of being thankful unto our Lord is also for the good of His children. I remember when our children were quite young, we would begin our prayer time with them by asking, “What did you do today?” Often we would guide them in their recall, and remind them that every good thing is from God (James 1:17) and we want to thank Him for it. Our two-, four- and five-year old daughters began thanking God for everything from the park and their friends to their toys and ice cream. Today, I challenge you to look beyond what’s next on your to-do list and open your eyes wide, with childlike wonder and excitement for life and really see God, His works and gifts, and give thanks... AuthorKim White  Recently, my husband and I rented a motorcycle to tour the beautiful and mountainous area surrounding Seattle, Washington. As we rode on the Chinook Pass and travelled the steep road to Mt. Ranier, I noticed road signs that I had never seen while living in the warm and flat lands of Florida. The signs read Chain-Up Area Ahead Warnings signs were posted for travelers to pull off the road and put chains on their tires in order to safely travel during the severe snow and ice seasons. As I contemplated those signs, the Lord reminded me that before I am about to do something that would put unhealthy chains on myself He warns me. His word says “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle, but with the temptation will provide a way of escape so that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 My own fleshly nature and/or the enemy will tempt me in my thoughts. Ultimately, I am the one who chooses my actions. In the midst of being tempted, there is always a way of escape. The actions that I choose will either lead me to bondage in the Chain-Up Area or away from bondage and into freedom! When I have gluttonous tendencies, buying a half gallon of my favorite ice cream “just to have on hand for company” when I really know I will eat it all myself- leads me to a Chain-Up Area. If I am not being disciplined in my spending, going shopping and spending frivolously leads me to a Chain-Up Area. If I am not being a good steward with my time, turning on the tv or getting on social media leads me to a Chain-Up Area. If I am struggling with insecurity, comparing myself to everyone around me leads me to a Chain-Up Area! And less obviously, if I am staying busy doing good things and do not have time to do the things that God has called me to do then this definitely leads me to a Chain-Up Area. My list and maybe yours is endless. Thankfully, according to God’s word, whenever I am faced with temptation, there is going to be a way of escape. I can choose to buy a banana rather than ice cream; I can choose to ask a friend to go for a walk rather than shopping; I can choose to read a book, clean or cook rather than watch tv or get on social media. I can choose to remember that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) rather than compare myself to everyone around me. I can choose for Him direct my steps (119:133) rather than tell Him what I will do. If I do not choose to take the way of escape then I am choosing to pull into the Chain-Up Area and figuratively put chains on myself. Jesus Christ died for me and for you so that we may live a full and abundant life (John 10:10) and a life of freedom in Him (Galatians 5:1). What ways of escape can you choose to take? Oh, LORD, the next time I am faced with temptation, help me take the way of escape and totally avoid the “Chain-up Area”. AuthorBeth Calhoun  I’m pretty skeptical about infomercials, especially of the ones that are showcasing a new All-Purpose cleaner. They always show a ‘before’ image of a white t-shirt with a red wine stain on it and then the ‘after’ image of a now spotless t-shirt. I always think to myself, “there’s just no way that it works that good.” When I think of stains, I’m reminded of a time when I was a teenager; my cousin Mandi was over and we were sitting at the table painting our nails. My parents had just recently re-carpeted the first floor of our home, which included the dining room where we were sitting. I’m not sure how it happened, but we managed to spill a drop of blue nail polish right onto the brand new mauve carpeting. Oh boy, were we going to be in trouble! We panicked and all that we could think about was how we could get rid of that stain before my mom saw what we had done. In all of our youthful ignorance, we decided “duh, nail polish remover.” (I’m sure that you can guess how that turned out.) By the time that my mom got home, all that Mandi and I could do was beg for mercy, because what had started as just a small spot of polish, had grown into a colossal patch of discolored carpet. The more that we tried to scrub it out, the bigger the stain became. We do foolish things out of fear! Perhaps that’s why God reminds us repeatedly in His word to not be afraid. As teenage girls, Mandi and I were scared of being punished and as a result, we worked really hard to avoid it. In the end, much like our attempted righteous works before God, our efforts were not enough to clean up the mess that we had made. Eventually my mom came home and in her best efforts, she tried to repair what we had done, but after a while, she conceded to the irreversibility of the stain and just put a rug over it. The stain was covered up, but it wasn’t gone. If that rug ever gets moved, the stain will still be there, clear as day, on that mauve carpet. For some of us, this is how we can feel about the sins and regrets of our past; like we have a permanent blemish that cannot be removed, only concealed. Even after finding salvation through Jesus Christ, we can still feel as though we are hopelessly and irreversibly stained from the guilt of our choices. This is not what God wants for us. He didn't send Jesus to the cross for us to only experience partial salvation and restoration; He wants us to be made entirely new through His sacrifice. (see 2 Cor. 5:17). The Bible says in Psalm 103:12 that, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” You see, the Lord doesn’t just conceal our mistakes, leaving us with stains that are simply hidden from plain view, He removes them from us completely. He washes away our crimson stains and offers us a new life in Him. Jesus Christ alone, is the All-Purpose Cleaner that we need to become truly spotless. AuthorMarsha Sommer |
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