Chasing Silhouettes

You will also find me here today. My precious friend Emily has honored me by using some of my words on her blog Chasing Silhouettes. It is a "place of hope and healing for families and caregivers on the eating disorder journey."

If you have never met her, please take a moment to visit her there and at her other blog imperfect prose. You will be blessed. I promise.

Thank you so much Em.

Blessings,
Linda

Sunday: New Life

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
II Cor. 5:17

Joining Deidra's Sunday gathering today:



Blessings,
Linda

Choices

Choices

He made the choice,
confronted by the former prince
standing humble with tightly held staff,
with hardened heart and stubborn pride
to let the plagues begin.

His choice
bringing disaster upon disaster
not to him alone
but to everyone
in his care.

My choices do not stop
at the borders of my heart.
They reach out
to touch everyone around me.
Guard my heart, O Lord,
and give me wisdom and grace
to choose less of self
and more of You.

Blessings,
Linda

Increase/Decrease

Increase/Decrease

When I seek You,
Draw close to You,
I find myself turned upside-down.
Your ways are not mine;
Your thoughts beyond my reach,
And I struggle to understand
just the way it is.

The me I am dreams dreams,
ones that bring You honor
but also make me grow bigger
in the eyes of others,
this me who is forever
longing for acceptance,
secretly seeking praise.

You must increase,
and I must decrease;
that is the way of Your kingdom.
But will I become so small
I simply disappear,
left lonely and forgotten?

A tiny sliver opens in the heavens
I catch a glimpse of
decrease in You.
Peace, joy, hope, grace, mercy, life -
It doesn't look like diminishing.
Your increase brings me riches
no account on earth can tally.

Blessings,
Linda

Sunday

"Ah Lord God! Behold, Thou has made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee."
Jeremiah 32:17

Joining Deidra and friends for Sunday



Blessings,
Linda

Vivid Memories

The days seem to be slipping through my fingers like running water. My mind can't seem to catch up to the numbers on the calendar. It is Friday already and time for another writing prompt from Lisa-Jo - just five minutes to write about

Vivid

start:

Often it is the memories that are most hurtful or filled with regret that are the most vivid. But if I allow myself a moment to look back past all the painful moments I find the ones that are filled with joy - the ones I want to hold close.

I remember a little boy who rode his first little tyke bike at lightning speed and the way he loved to march around the house making a circle from the kitchen through the living room on to the dining room and high stepping back into the kitchen.

I remember the blond curls of the second one and the way he followed big brother wherever he led. And the day he lost his footing on a slippery little hill and turned to us and said, "My shoes have no gription!"

My mind is filled with the image of a little girl dressed in her pink ruffly nightgown and matching robe walking around on tip-toe. I used to wonder how her poor little toes could stand it.

I have a vivid picture of myself riding in the backseat behind my Daddy belting out hymns in a wonderful duet.

stop

Please join us in this Five-Minute Friday get-together. It's such a delight.

Blessings,
Linda

One of a Kind

I felt a curious mix of emotions the first time I saw her. Taken with her beauty and elegance - the way she gracefully tip-toed her way around the water's edge - there was a sense of sadness for her solitary state. She was the only one. Surrounded by ducks and birds of various "feathers," she stood alone on impossibly long, thin legs - clothed in white.

For many days she remained aloof from the others, but life can get very lonely when you choose that path. Gradually, with dainty, timid steps, she began to approach some of the others. The ducks seemed to want to keep themselves to themselves - not willing to make room for the awkward looking stranger. The grackles were another story. They were happy to admit this beautiful dancer into their little circle.

She seemed to enjoy their company. Certainly she was in no hurry to leave. I wondered, as I watched them interact, if she thought she was one of them. Did she see herself with short legs, black feathers, and stubby neck?  She went to great lengths to be accepted, walking where they walked and perching where she had seen them perch - never knowing, perhaps, how beautiful she is. Could she have had just one glimpse of her own reflection, she would have known.

There have been times when I've longed to fit in, to be just like everyone else- forgetting that I am unique. The Father has made each of us according to His design, and if we could just catch a reflection of who we are in His eyes we would know how very beautiful we are.

"I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;"
Psalm 139: 14a

linking to Emily:




and Jennifer:



Blessings,
Linda

Nothing Too Small

The sun bounced off the surface of the water, leaving diamonds in its wake. A crisp, cool breeze ruffled the leaves in the small trees planted along the edge of the sidewalk. It was a perfect day for a walk, one of those days that somehow draws us a little closer to heaven.

I walked breathing in the cool, fresh air and, as often happens when I walk alone, I began to pray. There have been so many desperate needs in recent months – needs that are beyond the ability of mere humans to meet. Apart from the Lord’s intervention, there would be no hope. It is a comfort to place the burden into His capable, gracious hands and know that He hears and answers prayer.

The rest of my devotional is at Laced With Grace today. Care to meet me there?

Blessings,
Linda

Prone to Wander

I stand with them as their great warrior leader bids farewell. He is 110 years old and still his words and spirit inspire those who have just come through years of fighting. He knows them well, their strengths and weaknesses, and is encouraging this prone-to-sinning people to remain faithful.

Joshua has been their leader from the time of the crossing of the Jordan River to this day. It is time for him to leave them. They will have to finish the work he began. The past seven years have brought great victory to this chosen group of people. They have seen God work miracle after miracle on their behalf. There is, however, still work to be done - more enemies to conquer - and Joshua will not be there to lead them.

He reminds them that it is the Lord who has done these great things and urges them to renew their commitment to worship the one true God and obey all that He has told them. Reminding them of God's faithfulness and the certain fate that will be theirs if they abandon Him, He calls them to choose whom they will serve.

With one voice the people declare, "We will serve the Lord!"

In an unbelievably short time their resolve fails, and we find this wayward group
falling away from all they pledged to do. They failed to completely destroy the surrounding inhabitants, settling instead for half-measures. Before long they were drawn in, intermarrying and worshiping foreign gods. Promises were forgotten; the Lord was forsaken; the results were all too predictable.

It is, perhaps, easy to understand how it all happened. They had lost their great leader. Weariness from years of fighting had worn them down. Little by little they compromised not realizing where it would lead them. It must have seemed easier, noble even, to tolerate the beliefs of their enemies than to have to fight and utterly destroy them.

I stand with them and hear Joshua speak the words the Lord had given him, and my heart is touched with their relevance. How often have I begun the journey strong only to find I have, almost without realizing it, wandered from the path He has set before me. One day of being "too tired" or "too busy" multiplies into weeks and months. Compromising just a "little" and tolerating sin in the name of "getting along" begins to carve a deep chasm between the Lord and I.

Woven in and through the history of the Children of Israel is the shining thread of grace. Over and over they sinned; over and over God rescued and forgave them. They were monumentally slow learners, but we can find ourselves in them and learn from their failings.

We have a God who has said He will fight our battles for us. He has given us everything we need in Jesus. There will be times of great victory and times of equally great failure. There is grace for those times. Grace to grow in wisdom and understanding; grace to break the cycle; grace to get back on the path and finish well.

"I have discovered this principle of life - that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord..."
Romans 7:21-25a

Linking to Michelle's blog today:



and Laura's blog




Blessings,
Linda

Quiet

Finding contentment in the quiet just now:

- reading good books
- knitting a blanket for a little one we haven't yet met
- playing piano
- walking in the clear, fresh air

and pondering what to do with this blog.

Blessings,
Linda

My Word (for now)

If someone were to say of me I don't have a good "follow through," they would be telling the truth. I look back and see a trail strewn with great beginnings that somehow never made it to the end.

I am eager, and among the first to sign on, to the newest and greatest thing - especially if it is something I believe will help me to grow spiritually. I begin with great energy and determination. But with the passage of time I begin to slack off a bit until eventually I am at a complete stand-still.

In previous years I have embraced the notion of having a word for the year. The first couple of years I faithfully and prayerfully worked at incorporating that word into my life - well, fairly faithfully. Last year I felt the Lord impressing the word "quiet" on my heart. I dutifully recorded it on my blog and set about trying to live it out.

Several weeks ago, when someone mentioned considering what her word would be for this coming year I realized that I couldn't even remember what my word was. I had to dig back into my archives to unearth it.

One would think that after such a dismal failure I would give up the notion altogether, but I can't seem to ignore that still small voice. This time, however, it is whispering something new. The suggestion of more than one word - perhaps different words for different seasons throughout the coming year - would be better suited to this rather lazy girl.

We are in the midst of building a new house. With all of the difficulties and headaches that brings, comes the fun of planning what will go into it when it is completed. I look at decorating websites and dream dreams of the beautiful rooms I want to create. I have visions of beautiful flower gardens, front porches and backyard patios.

Then comes a gentle whisper: "Content."

It has become a rather steady drumbeat in time to the thumping of my heart. I look around at all that I have - so much I am not at all sure it will all fit into this new little home - and I know that this is the word He is calling me to live right now.

I have been blogging for over five years now. It began innocently enough, but although I have found so many blessings within this community I dearly love, it quickly became a constant struggle to find a balance. The need for approval that simmers just below the surface of my heart began a slow boil. That longing for acceptance can cause the purest of motives to change into something unrecognizable.

Then comes a gentle whisper, "Content."


I looked up all the verses I could find on contentment. One of the footnotes in my Bible says contentment "results from an inner satisfaction with the situation that God has ordained for me. It is a relying on Him to meet my needs according to what is best for me."

Another author put it this way: "When I become materialistic (or dissatisfied) I am saying God can't take care of me - or not in the way I want."

I can become dissatisfied in so many areas of my life, particularly when I feel my most important needs are not being met in the way I think best. To understand what that attitude says to the heart of the Father makes me want to weep.

One more footnote: "How can you find true contentment? The answer lies in your perspective, your priorities, and your source of power."

It is knowing the Source that makes all the difference. This year will be like any other if I depend on my own resources. I am easily drawn into wanting more. It isn't the wanting more that is so bad, it's the more that I want. This year, this moment, I want to be content with what He has given me. I only ask for more of Him.

Blessings,
Linda

Sunday: Thirsty

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;"

Psalm 42: 1,2a  NASB

Joining the Sunday group at Deidra's



Blessings,
Linda

Don't Be Afraid or Discouraged

After forty years of wandering through the wilderness the Children of Israel stood on the brink of promise. A whole generation had died during the wandering and a new generation stood poised to enter the land flowing with milk and honey.

" The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant."
Deuteronomy 6:10,11

It was a promise from the Lord - the One whose word never fails.

However there was the matter of a river overflowing its banks and great armies populated by men who looked like giants that stood between them and the fulfillment of that promise. It would require something of them if they were to finally enter that land of promise.

Knowing their frailty the Father spoke another promise into their hearts:

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you."
Deuteronomy 31:8

They would not be going alone. He would be with them every difficult step of the way.

We too stand on the brink of promise - a new year filled with possibility and hope. Its minutes, hours and days carry with them the gift of new beginnings, and we long to embrace it. But, in our frailty, we stand still knowing we cannot see beyond that bend in the road. There are places we know we must travel that cause us to be fearful and discouraged.

Has there has been a diagnosis that brings you to your knees in fear; or a family member whose chosen path is leading them to certain grief; the uncertainty of employment or financial problems; aging family members whose health is failing - just a few of the "giants" in the land.

He sees and knows and gives us the same promise He gave to His children thousands of years ago. He will PERSONALLY go ahead of each of us; He already knows the way. But He won't get out of sight, He has promised to be WITH us. He is in the process of bringing us to a land flowing with milk and honey.

Whatever this year holds, whether great sorrow or great joy, whether riches or poverty, whether sickness or health - He has promised that He will never fail us or abandon us. We can walk into this new year with great hope and courage.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

Blessings,
Linda