"Stats" That Matter

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

As I post this, I am five days into my "fast" from Facebook.  I must admit, being absent from social media feels awkward at first, but I'm finding I haven't missed it in the ways I imagined I would.

But I'm missing it.  Greatly.  And for a very selfish reason.

This blog.

When I feel God urging me to renounce Facebook for Lent, it never occurs to me, in my hubristic state of mind, that traffic to Meditations of My Heart would be affected.  Mind you, I'm not one of those bloggers who constantly checks for "stats" on my most recent posts, but the difference between posts shared on Facebook and ones not shared is staggering.

Abysmally staggering.

This leaves me feeling depressed, discouraged, and not a little disgruntled and dismayed.  Lord, I heard You loud and clear.  You asked me to forego Facebook for Lent.  I have.  Now look what's happened!  I thought You wanted me to reach more people for You through my blog.  So what's this all about???  Lord, I'm angry, I'm disappointed, and I don't understand.

And suddenly, in the midst of my fuming, whining, unbecoming temper tantrum, I hear:  Martha, what is the blog really about?  Me?  Or you?

I'm floored.  In the very season where I vow to engage in a closer walk with my Father, I realize I'm off and racing down the crooked path of my own perception.  Instead of trusting in God's timing and understanding, I lean upon my own, choosing the reaction of people over His to my efforts.

It's time to regroup, to confess my sin to my loving God, and submit yet again to His mighty and perfect will for me.

Because the only stats that matter are the accolades and praises and thanksgiving I give to Him each day.

May the words of my mouth and the Meditations of My Heart ever be acceptable in the sight of my Father, who will keep my paths straight when I lean upon Him.

Amen!

Water, Water Everywhere . . .

John 4:10
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

Water.

It is an absolute essential for life on earth, and something that too many of us, who enjoy its clean refreshment at the touch of a tap, take for granted.

I am in the habit of consuming a generous amount of water daily, but never question the quality of its contents until my chiropractor brings it to my attention.  I will benefit, he assures me, if the water I'm drinking is alkaline, not acidic, and he highly doubts my tap water fits the bill.

When I relate the price of acquiring a system to turn water alkaline, my husband, Danny, decides to take matters into his own hands.  He orders a PH kit so we can test the water for ourselves.  And miracle of miracles, when we do, we discover our water is perfectly alkaline!  No need for expensive equipment at the Orlando Compound!

But our water testing doesn't end here.  A survey we take recently at our local big box store leads to a call from a water quality professional, who offers to meet with us and assess our water for free.  (Of course, they are hoping we'll buy what they're selling.  They haven't met Danny.)

While the expert corroborates that our tap water is indeed alkaline, her test reveals something that Danny and I find most disturbing.  Although, she assures us, the level is still withing EPA guidelines, our water contains an over-abundance of chlorine.  Not good!!!  Hey, if I want to drink chlorinated water, I'll sign up for the pool at the Y.

But a bit of internet research reveals a quick and easy way to remove chlorine from tap water.  You fill as many containers as possible with water, and allow them to "rest" for twenty-four hours.  The chlorine naturally evaporates.  And lo and behold, when we test the water after the recommended time period, it is as clean and fresh as promised.

Still, ridding ourselves of this impurity leaves us wondering what other nefarious substances might be lurking in our otherwise seemingly harmless tap water.  After careful research, Danny purchases the GoProPur, a gravity-powered water filtration system.  Compared to other devices, this one is reasonably affordable, doesn't require frequent filter changes, and rates an "Excellent" from an independent reviewer.  If you would like to see all the nasty elements this system eliminates from drinking water, check it out  here. 

Now we can rest assured that the water we drink and cook with is the purest, most pristine we could ever hope for.  And although it truly enhances the taste of our morning coffee, it's amazing how crisp and refreshing it is all on its own.

Sometimes, until you taste the best, you don't know what you've been missing.

~

While we had to jump through many hoops to cleanse our water supply, I am so grateful for the Living Water Jesus freely offers us each and every day.  It needs no fancy filters, no PH or chlorine tests.  This water is the purest of the pure, poured out in endless supply, guaranteed to quench every soul who thirsts after righteousness.

Have you partaken of the Living Water Jesus is offering today?

Come!  Taste the best!

And know that the Lord is good!

Amen!

On the "Fast" Track

Matthew 6:16-18
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

The Lenten season is upon us!  Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, heralds the inception of forty days during which many Christians choose to fast from some habit or activity that they feel draws them away from developing a closer connection with God.  Their goal is to create a deeper relationship with God, the Father, Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, as hearts and minds prepare for the glorious coming of Easter.

Before I plunge into what I'm fasting from this Lent, let me share with you what devotionals I've added to enhance my Lenten journey, which I know will enrich my faith and yours, too, if you so choose.  These books are 40 Voices - A Lenten Devotional, by Jean Wise, and Faith in God's Promises, by Michelle DeRusha, both authors/bloggers whom I've followed for years.  The prospect of reading and reflecting upon their daily devotions has me wanting to leap into Lent feet first!

So that being said, what is it I'm fasting from for the next forty days?  It is something that in Lenten seasons past, I could never dream of doing, let alone surviving the dry spell in the wilderness.  Yet the moment the thought hit me this year, it was as if a huge (there's my word for the year again), radiant light beamed down from the heavens.  I'm convicted!

God wants me to give up Facebook.

Yes, you heard me right, friends.

Give.  Up.  Facebook.

As much as I love staying in touch with family and friends, posting my blog and reading the blogs of others, and promoting my novels, Facebook has become a pitfall for me. There is so much negativity out there, which definitely tempts me to entertain uncharitable thoughts about others.  Not to mention the bout of hacking from which I just emerged.  These unhealthy distractions are not helping me to keep my focus where it should be.

On God.

Now some of you may be wondering:  Martha, how will we stay in touch?  How am I supposed to read Meditations of My Heart if not on Facebook?  What if I really need to send you a private message?

No worries!

Do you see the prompt "Follow by Email" in the right hand column of this post?  Simply enter your email address, and my blogs will be delivered directly to you whenever one is posted.  And leaving comments on the blog is a great way to stay in touch.

With regards to sending private messages?  If you go to my my website, there is a tab labeled "Contact."  Click on it, and you can send a direct message to my personal email.  Know I will be sure to respond!

And one more thing I must add here.  Since tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, falls on my birthday this year, I won't actually be signing off from Facebook until Friday or Saturday.  I want to be able to honor and thank all of you who will take the time to send Happy Birthday wishes.  They are near and dear to my heart, especially because they hail from such amazing friends like you!

So as you journey through this season of Lent, I wish you God's mercy, grace, joy, and love, that you may enter into a deeper relationship with Him.

Amen!

~

Are you planning to fast from any activity this Lent?  Please share in the comments!

Have-To or Get-To?

Mark 6:31
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

Ah!  At long last, the weekend is here!  For many of us who work long hours outside the home during the week, or who juggle kids and schedules, cleaning and cooking, while the spouse brings home the bacon, the weekend looms like an oasis of rest in a desert of busyness.

Even though I'm no longer a nine-to-five breadwinner, I tend to be much more occupied by all the "have-tos" during the week than I am on the weekend.  There are trips to the grocery store and various appointments, the gym and endless errands, writing up blogs and reading so many lovely ones delivered to my email each day, and often times, babysitting my granddaughters.

Oh, and then there are those pesky, revolving-door house chores; the ones I make myself do because as much as I detest cleaning, I love a clean house.

Whew!  There are simply too many days when the "have-tos" win, and the "get-tos" lose.

So for me, it is crucial to carve out space on Saturday and Sunday to simply chill.

To slow down.

To rest.

Whether it be curling up with a good book, spending more time in prayer and Bible study, or just relaxing with my husband, Danny, these respites are a balm for my soul.

Even my emails seem to understand my need for a break, as they are few and far between on the weekends; and most of my blogging buddies never, ever post on Saturday or Sunday!

And as I reread Mark 6:31, I am struck by that life-strangling, chaotic stream of hectic demands, which preclude Jesus' disciples from even partaking in a meal.  How many of us are guilty of grabbing something "to-go," and stuffing it in our mouths in haste as we run from one meeting or appointment to another?  Or, how many times do we skip that necessary nourishment because our crammed schedule leaves no space to accommodate something as basic as eating?

Jesus tells His disciples, just as He is telling you and me, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."  I don't think this is a suggestion.  It's an order.  A loving, caring, restorative order that our Lord gives because He knows what's best for us.

If today you find yourself wrapped up in a whirlwind of activity, will you stop and listen to Jesus' voice?  Inviting you to come away with Him?  Promising to give you quiet and rest?

Because all our "have-tos" don't matter in the long run.

But that we "get-to" spend time with Jesus, does.

Amen!

How's Your Gratitude Attitude?

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Last November, my fellow Christian blogger, Deb Wolf, at Counting My Blessings, gives us this challenge:  To keep a gratitude journal, with seven entries per day, for the entire month.  I like the idea enormously, and readily take her up on it.

But as the month draws to a close, I realize this practice is one I do not wish to give up.  My decision?  To keep it going all the way into 2017 and beyond!

My gratitude journal is now an integral part of each and every day.  Customarily, I sit down with it around five o'clock each evening to recount my blessings for that day, and to, of course, give thanks.

Are some days harder than others when it comes to expressing a gratitude attitude?  You bet!  I think back in particular to the month of January, when I am either battling a constant cold or enduring the worst shoulder/neck pain one can imagine.  I recall writing this "thankful" phrase on several occasions:  I'm grateful the pain isn't worse than it is.

And sometimes, after a tough, hard, nasty, no-good day, that's the best we can come up with.

BUT . . .

It is still giving thanks.

When we visit my mother in Oxford last month, my granddaughter, Virginia Rose, is enamored with the idea of a gratitude journal.  "If I say what I'm thankful for, will you write it down, Gammie?"

"Of course," I say.  "You only have to come up with seven things."

"But I have more than that," Virginia insists.  "Can I say them all?"

"Go for it," I tell her, my pen hovering over the page.

And here's what Virginia comes up with:

• God
• Visiting Nana
• Princess (the neighborhood kitty)
• Food
• I'm growing
• Mom and Dad
• Sisters
• Henry (her cat)
• Friends
• Gammie and Papa (glad we made the list!)
• God creating us
• Gammie didn't stay lost in Lawrenceville (that is an entirely different story for another time)
• God making the whole world
• Jesus
• Me!

That's some list, wouldn't you say?  I'm confident that Virginia has a full grasp of the concept of having a gratitude attitude about life.

How about you?  Do you give thanks and praise daily to God?  Are you thanking Him in all circumstances?

If not, prayerfully consider starting a gratitude journal.  You can begin small, if you wish, listing only three things per day.  And if your day is such that being thankful is the last thing on your mind, be gentle on yourself and keep it simple; the hot cup of coffee you had that morning, birds singing, sun shining, a hot shower, just to name an ordinary few.

You can do this, my friend.  And I will guarantee you it will add blessing upon blessing to your life.

Try it and see!

Amen!

40 Voices

Matthew 4:1
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

In the liturgical church year, Lent is observed for the forty days preceding Easter.  It is a time of commemoration and remembrance of Jesus' forty days of fasting in the wilderness before He began His earthly ministry.

Lent, even today, is for many Christians a time of fasting and penitence in the desire to develop a deeper relationship with God.  But Lent can also be a time to adopt a new spiritual practice, one that will enrich and enliven our worship experience, and draw us closer to the Lord as a result.

Although I've been known to give up certain practices during Lent, ones which I feel distract me from my focus on God, I'm always on the lookout for a new devotional guide to use during this season of reflection and spiritual growth.  Imagine my surprise and delight when fellow Christian blogger, Jean Wise, at Healthy Spirituality, asked if I would read an advance copy of her latest book, 40 Voices - A Lenten Devotional, in exchange for an honest review.  I readily accepted, and have thanked myself ever since!

Jean's easy-going, down-to-earth writing style welcomes you like an old friend the moment you open her book.  Each of her devotional segments is consistently formatted, which lends an air of order and comfort as you explore the daily readings.  While Jean's words are deceptively accessible, the spiritual thoughts and challenges she offers readers are mature, seasoned, and invite an active engagement in the process.  What follows is one excerpt from 40 Voices, enough, I hope, to give you a taste of the inspiration awaiting you in this book.

John the Beloved

"Woman, here is your son . . . Here is your mother."

From that time on, this disciple took her

into his home.

John 19:26b, 27b

Who do you entrust with your most valuable possession? 

When we began having children, we cringed at the

thought of what would happen if we died?  Who

would care for our kids?  Who would raise them the way we wanted?

Sometimes, a family member is the best choice.  We

had to consider the factors of where do they live and

were they close to other family members?  Would that

couple love our children and foster the values and experiences we wanted?

Sometimes, a close friend is another option.  Someone

you know, trust and would represent you in that relationship without hesitation.

Jesus was dying.  He looked down and saw his good

friend, John.  Jesus trusted and loved John and gave

him a huge responsibility to care for someone Jesus also loved.

Woman, here is your son.  Here is your mother.

That exchange must have given Jesus comfort and

peace.  He knew his mother would be cared for and placed into good hands.

In these last moments of his life on earth, Jesus cared

for someone else.  In the midst of suffering and dying,

the needs of those he loved mattered.  This truth reveals

the depth and width of how much God loves each of us,

and will care for us even more now in the power of the resurrection.

Jesus called John, his beloved friend.  God calls us, his beloved children.

He protects us and provides for our future care.  God holds our

lives and the Holy Spirit guards our paths.

We are God's valuable possessions.

Image:  A set of legal papers representing an adoption.

Question:  What is your most valuable possession and how do you plan to protect it?

Prayer:  Loving Father, we are amazed at the depth of your love and protection.  To be called beloved children of God brings life and hope to our days.

Thank you!

Friends, I hope your impression of Jean's writing is as favorable as mine, and that you will be quick to add 40 Voices to your Lenten discipline this year.

May this season guide us all into a closer relationship with our God, who loves us endlessly, extravagantly and for eternity.

Amen!

We Shall Know Fully

1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Since Valentine's Day falls on a Tuesday this year, my husband, Danny, makes reservations far in advance for a restaurant on the Saturday before the big day arrives.  He loves to surprise me, and I must admit, I do like surprises, so all he will tell me is that we will be dining at an establishment neither one of us has ever visited.

In the two weeks preceding our date, Danny sends me tantalizing photos, daring me to figure out where we are going for our celebration.

How could I possibly glean anything from these?  Still, I know that Danny's goal is to make our evening special and memorable.  I harbor no doubt that he intends this meal to be the perfect Valentine's treat for both of us, and I'm waiting with growing anticipation for the real thing, which now I can only glimpse as a mirrored reflection.

The grand evening finally arrives!  Danny drives toward our destination for what seems to me, as I'm all aflutter with expectancy, an eternity.  When we turn down a particular road at long last, I have my first clue.  We will be dining in downtown Roswell, a town chock full of quaint, one-of-a-kind restaurants.  But which one will it be?

I'm looking right and left, admiring all the old homes transformed into eateries and businesses.  Suddenly, Danny flips the left turn signal, and I finally see the sign for the restaurant, which tells me nothing other than it is Italian.

Isn't this a quaint and cozy place?

And the inside is just as inviting.  Although the tables are somewhat close together, we really cannot hear conversations of those on either side of us, which preserves a sense of intimacy; just perfect for a romantic Valentines Day dinner!

So many epicurean delights from which to choose!

Here are some photos of what we do finally order.  Believe me, every morsel is duly savored!

Exquisite Cabernet!

Veal meatball appetizer - the fluffiest we ever put in our mouths!

Danny enjoys a short-rib stuffed ravioli dish.

Mine is a shrimp/lobster/lump crab with fresh mushroom pasta noodles.  Yum!

And what Italian meal would be complete without gelato and biscotti?

Not to mention espresso!

Wow!  Are we full and happy diners!  We depart Osteria Mattone, but pause together just long enough to capture another memory.

And on the drive home, I can't help but note how much shorter the ride seems now that the secret destination has become fully known to me.

As we travel life's road, we can't grasp the entirety of the journey.  We can only know, as Paul says, a part of it.  But the promise is this:  When we pass from this world and enter God's presence, the veil will be lifted, and we shall see face to face.

And we will be known fully, even as God fully knows us.

Amen!