Listen Up!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

I was taken by surprise when I exited the Denver airport this past weekend. Out of the corner of my mind's eye, I saw a little girl running on chubby legs, arms up, yelling, "Nana, Nana, Nana," and throwing herself into my outstretched arms. Kate was fifteen months old at the time. Tomorrow, we pick her up at the Phoenix airport, a grown-up young lady of ten, who will travel alone for the second time. She is headed here for the weekend to attend the Tucson Rodeo, a gift for her birthday. How time flies! There is no pretense in Kate – what you see is what you get. She goes all out for whatever strikes her fancy whether it is horses, or books, of cooking, or music, or swimming, or even shopping. Kate believes she can do just about anything, even if she has never tried it before. I remember watching her pitch at her softball game last summer, never having even thrown the ball in practice. She was sure she could do it…until the coach put her in the game. Cold, hard reality hit and I read the consternation on her face. All of a sudden, the old adage, practice, practice, practice, took on new meaning. How many times do we head off over the cliff without checking our egos at the door, assuming success? In need of some time alone, Jesus took three disciples with him up on a mountain to pray. The three fell asleep and when they awoke, they observed Moses, Elijah, and a transformed Jesus talking. Always impetuous and in awe of the men before him, Peter lobbied to build shelters as memorials for the three and wouldn't stop talking about it. Finally, God, Almighty, appeared in a cloud and spoke, " This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." (Luke 9:35) Imagine Peter's reaction. I wonder if he felt foolish? Rather than telling the others, we know from scripture that they kept it all to themselves, probably a good idea. Parents love seeing enthusiasm in their children. I'm sure God shook his head at Peter and chuckled. He would be that kind of kid who threw himself wholeheartedly into any fray. However, God knew that time, circumstances, and training would temper that reckless abandon in Peter and smooth out the rough edges. He had a plan for Peter and his role as leader and spokesman for the Gospel emerged as he learned to listen to the One who had the answers for eternal life. The moral of the story...listen up!

Snow Fun

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrew 12:1-2 (NLT)

Snow in 50 states? Although a dusting of snow covers the Catalina Mountains that surround our home, I'm glad I live in Arizona. Being a California girl, snow was a choice and shoveling, chaining, heavy clothes, and COLD are good for about three days and then I'm done. The weatherman has predicted temperatures in the 70's for the rest of the week. My grandgirlies and family spent a weekend in Lake Tahoe a couple of weeks ago. They emailed pictures and videos and I loved all the smiles and whoops of laughter. Tori, my middle granddaughter, later enthusiastically shared how much fun it had been. She spent the day sliding down the hill in a big purple saucer but added, "It was a lot of work to go back up the hill." I asked her whether the heavy clothes and boots she had to wear might have made the trip harder. She readily agreed that they were a pain but reiterated all the extra effort was worth it. Life often mimics a roller coaster with the ups and downs coming faster than we can handle. Just when we seem to have things under control, the phone rings, the mail arrives, or the doorbell chimes and our world is turned upside down. Paul reminds us that we are not in this rat race alone. However, if we don't let go of those things that bog us down – our failures, worries, and fears – they're going to trip us up. Drop that weight at the foot of the cross and focus on the One who loves you and is your biggest cheerleader. Run!

Bo

God gives, God takes. God's name be ever blessed. Job 1:21 (The Message)

There are times when I want to ask God, "When is enough, enough?" I received an email from my daughter that a very good friend, the principal of my grandgirlies school, suffered a tragic loss today. Her sweet dog, Bo, was killed in a car accident. As devastating as that is all by itself, this dog was the darling of the school. He was only a couple of years old and began "attending" school as a puppy; sitting quietly in his carrier until the bell rang for "recess". All the kids loved him and my grandgirlies even enjoyed play dates at the park with Bo. We're not really a "dog" family but he was given a special dispensation and had the run of the house whenever he stopped by for a visit. So how does a child express sorrow? Because most have little experience with this kind of emotion, it was suggested that they draw a picture or write a note to give to my friend. That's probably a good idea for all of us rather than stuffing emotions that are hard to handle. My prayer is that although tomorrow will be a day of sadness, tears, stories, and hugs, it will also be the beginning of the healing process and a lessening of the pain. One of the lessons I taught my kids is that life is not fair. This latest tragedy seems like the last straw after a very tough week for all of them. There is no explanation, no reasoning. Just the simple fact that God does what He sees as best and we are to bless His name…no matter what. Enjoy doggy heaven, Bo.