HOLD ON!

Scripture:  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  Hebrews 10:23

Anytime I find myself faced with difficulty people have assured me to "hold on."  Hold on to what exactly I began to query myself?  To faith?  To love?  To hope? Hold onto loved ones?  Hold on...  Sounds easy enough.  I know you likely know the song "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand."  That is one of my favorites!

Today I realized that in order to be successful at anything you need realistic expectations.  You need goals and a plan.  Then as I was listening to music the vision in the picture  came from the words of Andy Grammer, 

"And I will hold

I'll hold onto you

No matter what this world'll throw

It won't shake me lose."

We are not holding out hope for a better day, a good diagnosis, more money, a better job, or you just fill in your blank.  No we are holding onto God, like a bronc rider.  God is fierce and wild and not easily tamed!  It is God to which we cling despite how crazy the ride gets.  Nothing else is as thrilling or endearing as the one who created us and built the arena in which we ride!

So today as you read this, picture yourself in the chute.  God is prancing and snorting.  You are aware of the danger.  You can sense the need for a helmet.  You are very cognizant of the gloves, the vest, the adrenaline.  You tighten your grip.  You breathe in deep and calm your nerve.  You nod your head and the gate comes flying open!  Yeehaw!

Hold on tight to God!

Leslie Stephens

Winchester, TN

Prayer:  Amazing God, we embrace your fierce and wild nature.  We confess we try to control our crazy lives and that when we do, we aren't trusting you.  Forgive us and help us to overcome our unbelief.  Amen.

Prayer Tip:  Seek to find the thrilling side of God.  

 A Timeless Response

https://andersongardens.org/

Scripture:  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.  Ecclesiastes 3:1

One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to visit gardens.  I am forever enthralled with the  beauty of a well manicured garden.  It doesn't really matter what time of year you visit either, there is always something unique and lovely to see.  I am never disappointed.

Japanese gardens have a special nature about them.  The designs are layered and hold rich symbolism.  Today I visited Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, IL.  The advertisement claimed it was one of  North  America's highest quality Japanese gardens. It was the dream of John Anderson who first began birthing this garden in 1978 along a swampy section of Spring Creek in his backyard.  

After over 40 years and countless hours of design, building and manicuring this exquisite garden held for me some personal beauty and reflection.  I visited in peak fall color, but imagined that even the budding of spring after a cold Illinois winter would be lovely.  There is a water basin within the garden that has some Japanese  characters which when translated read, "I seek only to be content."

Contentment is what I have been asking God to give me for some time.  I don't want to be content only for a season, but instead I want it to be a theme throughout my entire life.  Yes, seasons change and the scripture assures us that there is a time for everything.  However, as I strolled through the garden I felt a deep contentment as was intended by the designers.  Contentment is a product of gratitude no doubt.  

It is easy to feel sorrow when change comes, but like the garden needs changes in season to bring about beauty and dimension, so does life.  Without different seasons and change, life would be without depth and perspective.

Anderson Gardens are open every day.  I hope to return there both in the dead of winter when the pond is frozen over and in the spring as the foliage breaks forth.  Much like the seasons of our lives change, there is always beauty to be seen and appreciated.  If you are in a season of life in which are not content, look for ways in  which to experience contentment.  Revisit a place or memory where you were content and allow God to remind you of His faithfulness.  Contentment is a choice.  It is a way of life.

Leslie Stephens

Winchester, TN by way of Rockford, IL

Prayer:  Designer of the Universe, You have given us seasons.  Show us the beauty in each season of our lives and bring us to a place of deep contentment.  Amen.

Prayer Tip:  Sit in a beautiful spot and use all your senses to absorb the experience.  Feel the rhythm of your breath.  Breathe in contentment and joy.  Exhale anxiety and stress.  Visualize God filling you with contentment.

Bouncing Ideas

Scripture:  Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.  Psalm 119: 105

 

I am not sure if you have ever tried to memorize something or not.  Perhaps it was lines to a play or scripture or maybe a poem or speech.  I am sure you discovered that as it became more familiar to you, you no longer needed to say it in order, you had triggers that helped you pick up right in the middle and just spew forth the next part.  However, at first you had to spoon feed each part and take extra care to start at the beginning and speak slowly and methodically.

I have had to memorize lines for various things and I had a teacher once show me that bouncing a tennis ball helped to keep a good cadence and also distracted you just enough to help remove the pauses and help to really nail down the words in sequence.  With tons of practice, I found the lines come flying out at just the right time.

This morning as I filed through my memory lines bouncing a ball with my friends, it helped ease the pain of the memorizing process.  I later found myself on my personal blog page reading previous posts as part of my Good Friday devotion time.  I read a blog from ten years ago that I didn’t even remember writing and my very own words pierced my heart!  It was like God Himself was speaking to me reminding me of His faithfulness over the last ten years of my life and beyond.

Why do we study scripture, journal and pray?  It isn’t for God’s benefit.  It is for our own.  It is like memorizing lines and knowing them by heart.  In desperate times those familiar stories and lines bounce back!!!  They spring into action in moments of both joy and sorrow, hopping up to remind us of God’s faithfulness and character. 

If you want to know God and His character you simply must practice!  Memorize things.  Write them down.  So that they are burned into your brain and branded on your heart.  When you need them most, they will spring up to support your faith and reinforce your hope in God’s great mercy and grace.

Leslie Stephens

Winchester, TN (by way of Wilmington, OH)

Prayer:  Almighty God, motivate me to study you more than anything else, so that I am familiar with all your ways and recognize the paths you would lead me down.  Amen.

Prayer Tip:  Walk and talk with God audibly.  Read scripture out loud as though it is a conversation with God.  Pause and see if the scripture you read is a response to your prayers.  God will remind you of His character and ways if you focus.