For His Name's Sake

“You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.” –Ezekiel 20:44

Wet concrete is not pretty. Neither is a construction site. If an architect draws up plans that construction workers follow, though, the result may be a beautiful building. And those who see it will praise the architect.

Mud isn’t pretty either. But if a gardener plants seeds in it and carefully tends the little sprouts, fruit, vegetables, grains, herbs, and flowers may grow. And those who enjoy them will praise the gardener.

Set a toddler at a piano, and the noise that comes out of it won’t be pretty! (Unless he’s Mozart, of course.) Set a virtuoso pianist at that same piano, though, and beautiful music will fill the room. Those who hear it will praise the musician.

Coffee grounds become coffee in a good coffee maker. (Yes—a good cup of coffee is truly a work of art!) Squishy clay becomes a cute coffee mug in the hands of someone with skill. The analogies go on and on, making the point of today’s verse.

You see, some people think they can’t become Christians because they aren’t good enough to go to God. They see the sin in their lives and think of themselves as wet concrete, sticky mud, raucous noise, dirty coffee grounds, or squishy clay.

Sadly, that perspective is off. God isn’t blind. He sees the ugliness of sin in our lives. He knows the mistakes and wrong choices we’ve made. But He also sees our potential! He created us after all. We’re paint on a palette, words in a dictionary, random musical notes looking for the order of a song. We’re a mess! Surrendered to God’s masterful hands, though, we become something beautiful—for the sake of His Name! He’s the architect, gardener, musician, better-than-Starbucks coffee maker, potter—Master Creator of All That Exists.

Back to our verse: If I step in the mud, I will wash it off my feet. God could do that with us. That would be treating us according to our evil ways and corrupt practices. Instead, He plants seeds in our lives and produces fruit for others—and His name is praised.

So if you’re feeling unworthy, accept that you are! There’s nothing you can do about that—except to turn to the Lord. But that’s the best thing you can do, for that action will bring honor to His name as He skillfully takes your life as it is and transforms you into something great!

Thank You, Jesus, for offering such grace! May our lives honor Your Name. Amen.



For more on what He does for His Name's Sake: Psalm 23:3, Romans 1:5, and Psalm 106:8. Consider also: Romans 5:6-8 and Philippians 1:6.

Parachute Prayer #32

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” –Colossians 4:2

A persistent worry can be as annoying as the song that gets stuck in my mind. No matter how badly I want to quit listening, it just keeps playing, ever more loudly as it circles inside my head. I know that worry is wrong; it shows a lack of trust in God's ability to handle the troubles of my life. I want to trust God. I want to turn all my worries over to him. Yet some worries seem to have a life of their own, a will to come back whether I want them or not. What's girl to do but cover her ears and shout,

"Lord, make it stop!"?

That's exactly what a girl's to do. Colossians 4:2 tells us to devote ourselves to prayer. When worry won't be silent, rewrite it as a prayer:

"Father, this problem is persistent. I can't get it out of my mind, so I'll use it as a cue to pray, again and again, as long as it takes. You are more powerful than this worry. Please work out all the details according to Your perfect will."

As I rewrite the worry, I become thankful for its cue. The worry becomes a reminder to pray, an affirmation of God's sovereignty, and an opportunity to develop trust in the One who loves me like no one else can. And so I pray with gratitude, and then I watch. God's gonna work, and His solution is gonna be great!

Father, I'm watching. Take my worry and turn it into something that honors You! Amen.

Book Review: What's He Really Thinking?

By listening to men talk about their lives, wives, families, issues, and concerns through her many years as a therapist, Paula Rinehart has come to understand men. Better than that, she’s figured out how to explain them to the rest of us! (She even knows why boys stick things up their noses. I’d always wondered about that!)

I found this book to be respectful, entertaining, and insightful. I appreciated Rinehart’s easy-to-understand explanations and relevant illustrations. She explains how men and women think and act differently and how a greater understanding of this leads to a greater understanding of each other. (She even slips in a few clues to help women understand themselves!)

It’s not just about husbands and wives either. It’s about mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, brothers and sisters, and even in-laws. If there’s a man in your life, this book will be helpful to you.

Following the text, Rinehart provides suggested Scripture to pray, an in-depth study guide, and a list of questions whose answers will give you a better understanding of your particular man.

And be sure to read the footnotes—They don’t just quote sources. Rinehart writes personal and relevant notes of interest in them that relate to the text, though they aren’t really part of it.

I enjoyed this book, a quick and interesting read—I scribbled notes all over it, so I’m sure it’s one I will look back over again. I’m happy to recommend it to all Christian women who love and care about their men.

Mission Merge

Just a Note:

Sometime in the next few days, I’m planning to merge my book review blog, Of Books and Memes, into Wildflower Thinking. If I do this correctly, you, my dear readers, shouldn’t even notice that anything has changed—unless you look at my blog archive which will suddenly contain several extra posts.

I’m giving advanced notice, though, just in case something goes wrong and my subscribers suddenly receive all the merged posts as new posts all at once. This should not happen! In case it does, however, please know I’m sorry. Rest assured it’s a one time thing. One merge, one time, all done! Ta-da!

If you’ve never visited my book review blog, feel free to browse through my archive sometime in the next few days to see what’s new to you! And from here on out, I hope you’ll look forward to reading the occasional book review. After all, my favorite books are full of wildflower thoughts of their own, too!

In case you are wondering, Home Is Where God Sends You will stay right where it is. If you aren’t familiar with this blog, it’s a collection of devotionals exploring the concept of learning to be content in all circumstances. I originally wrote these devotionals with my ever-moving military friends in mind. In recent years, however, I’ve learned that the circumstances of a person’s life can change dramatically even without a physical move. When this happens, we must allow God to bring us back to a place of peace, contentment, and acceptance—much like He does when He leads us to move! If you are struggling to accept change in your life, that blog is my gift of encouragement to you. Feel free to drop on by!

In the meantime, thank you for your patience and for enduring Mission Merge.

Music by the Decades

The other day one of my sons told me how his friends sometimes tease him when one of the Michael W. Smith songs on his playlist comes up. They say it’s just so 90’s.

“Nineties!” I thought. “Wasn’t that just yesterday? Music hasn’t changed that much!”

Then my mp3 played Switchfoot, Plus One, and Sanctus Real—in that order.

Oh.

Yes, music has changed. But don’t y’all miss the crooning and harmonizing of those sweet boy bands?* (Cough, snicker, giggle, LOL!)

Then I popped Debbie Boone’s Choose Life CD into the player in my truck. Another son raised an eyebrow at me. “So we’re listening to the 80’s today?”

How’d he know?!

Never mind.

But before you knock the 80’s, remember that’s when contemporary Christian music was born. We have those great pioneers to thank for the God-honoring lyrics our kids can choose to listen to today. (Or that we parents can offer as their only choice!)

By the way, have you compared Michael W. Smith’s Project to Healing Rain or A New Hallelujah lately? That boy’s done grown up! (This explains why his music is still around. Eighties, nineties, zeros. That’s one wise grandfather, musical genius.)

Here’s a thought: If 80’s music was so awful, why are so many millions rushing to purchase Michael Jackson CD’s—as if his recordings were going to be buried with him? If they didn’t want those songs before he died, why do they want them now? (Perhaps they’re concerned that his children won’t get enough of an inheritance. That’s nice of them.) I know his music’s not Christian, but the 80’s beat is pretty much the same.

And if you drive to it, you may get a speeding ticket. (No—I haven’t. That’s just a warning.)

Have you noticed, though, that the songs from that decade never seem to end! They go on and on and on and on . . . now that drives even me crazy—thank goodness for the seek button that moves them right along—back into the 90’s or 00’s or whichever the shuffle player on my mp3 chooses to play. (Today it had a taste for the most contemporary, except for that one Plus One song.)

Music that points our thoughts to God is all good, no matter what decade it comes from. Mix it up from time to time and worship God to different beats. Someday you may not even realize they’ve changed! You’ll just enjoy the music, singing along to our awesome God.



*If you're unfamiliar with this music, Plus One is the 90's boy band. Sanctus Real and Switchfoot have a very different sound.

Ruined Ruts

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” –Romans 8:28

Our home in the Netherlands formed a practically perfect triangle with the two military posts our family used the most while living there.. It took us about 20 minutes to get from any one point of the three to any other—most of the time. I was comfortable with that.

Six months after we moved there, though, the city closed the main road that led from one post to the other for an indefinite amount of time. Everyone who traveled from post to post had to find a detour.

(That’s right—in the Netherlands, and much of Europe, when they want to work on a road, or even a freeway, they close it down—not just a lane or two, but the whole road—and sometimes without warning! Once I went out shopping and came home to find my own street closed! Americans living in Europe must get used to this.)

A few months after that first road closure, while the road was still closed, the city also closed one of the main roads that led from our home to the first post. We had to learn another route to that destination, too.

And a week after that, my frustration boiled over when I started home from the second post. Getting there had been no problem, but the freeway on-ramp to return was gone! Missing! Bulldozed secretly in the night for total reconstruction and resident exasperation! And the detour to the next on-ramp turned out to be extensive. From that day on, for a time, it took about 30 minutes to get from any one point on our familiar, and now not-so-perfect, triangle to any other. What seemed worse though, was having to learn our way around all over again, just as if we’d just moved to town.

Was it worse, though? Eventually I decided to try different routes home from the two military posts. In doing so, I discovered a new shopping center, a beautiful tree-lined drive, and a few roads to go back to and explore on other days. The paths around my ruined ruts led to some happy surprises. City road reconstruction, in a way, was a good thing.

Father, please open my mind to alternatives. When it’s time to move, change, or rearrange, remind me that You’ve hidden treats for me to discover around every new curve. When I’m settled and content, remind me to venture into new territory once in a while. Adventure doesn’t have to hurt—especially when You’re the tour guide. Thank You for life’s shake-ups, Lord of Surprises. Amen.

Habakkuk's Honesty

I read the book of Habakkuk this morning. It’s only three chapters long. You should read it, too! In a sense, it’s the journal of a man frustrated with God. It includes God’s response to him, and his response, in turn, to God. As this man wrestles his way through his issues, the journal shows him choosing to trust and to submit. It shows him finding peace in the midst of turmoil. It shows him claiming God’s strength for his role in it.

Don’t we all wrestle with God this way sometimes?

Let me highlight a few verses that especially spoke to me today:

“How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save?” –Habakkuk 1:2

Wow! David’s psalms are often used to show us how honest we can be with God. But listen to Habakkuk! He’s throwing a temper tantrum! “Lord, I’ve waited long enough! It’s time for you to act! I demand justice now! Where are you and why haven’t you done something about this intolerable situation?” While we do need to fear God, we don’t have to fear turning our honest emotions and questions over to Him. As we initiate the conversation, God can help us see Truth and trust in Him.

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” –Habakkuk 2:14

This is a promise! Someday, the whole earth will know God and His glory. He will saturate our world completely, covering it as water covers the sea. For this reason, we must pray now that unbelievers will allow God to open their eyes to His Presence before this awesome day. Once God reveals Himself to the world, it will be too late for those who refused to see Him before He came.

“But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” –Habakkuk 2:20

This verse takes my very breath away—every time I read it. Can’t you just picture that glorious, holy Temple with the whole world around it, frozen, waiting, knowing that God is preparing to act, anticipating His appearance and the sudden transformation that will come with it? Pause for a moment. Reflect on that.

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” –Habakkuk 3:2

Two chapters ago, Habakkuk was demanding action and justice, but here he recognizes God’s wrath and asks for mercy. We must do the same. Though we’re anxious for God to return and set everything right that’s gone wrong with this world, once He does, there’s no mercy for those who don’t believe. God’s patience equals salvation for some. Though He hates sin and longs to pour His wrath out on it, His waiting is an act of mercy.

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” –Habakkuk 3:17-18

What a perfect statement of trust! Habakkuk has come back to a place of patience, trusting in God though times are hard. We see a similar statement in Job 13:15: “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” When we become impatient for God to act on our behalf, praying these verses helps us stand in confidence.

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” –Habakkuk 3:19

Habakkuk not only learns to wait patiently, trusting in God’s timing, that God is doing what’s best for all, but Habakkuk also learns to claim God’s strength to help him endure and to help him accomplish whatever God has for him to do, to go on the heights, enjoying fellowship with God and doing great things for Him.

To summarize, Habakkuk communicates honestly, sees purpose in God’s patience, prays that that purpose will be accomplished, submits to God’s timing (even if it means Habakkuk’s suffering), and claims strength to endure to eventually enjoy the ultimate victory—to go on the heights with God.

Lord, please help us to do the same—to endure while we wait that you can show mercy to others. Give us Your strength that we can serve You faithfully through all the trials that come our way. You are in Your holy Temple—the whole world waits. We long to join You there on the heights some glorious day—when You say it’s time. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Book Review: Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl

I did not enjoy reading Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl—at all. I usually try to find something nice to say when I review a book, even if I haven’t particularly cared for it, but this book was offensive to me.

N.D. Wilson is obviously highly intelligent and well-educated. He’s a deep thinker with a gift for word-crafting. (There, I said something nice.) Unfortunately, he seems obsessed with what’s morbid, distasteful, nasty, and gross. (And I was absolutely shocked to be assaulted by his use of the s-word in a Thomas Nelson book—with no good or even potentially justifiable reason. He just felt like writing it and did, and Thomas Nelson let him get away with it.)

Wilson uses illustrations from science and nature to prove God’s existence, explain the existence of evil, and explore other religious/philosophical ideas. His arguments are on-target, well-written, and intriguing, but are lost in the shock of the disgusting examples he chooses. Instead of walking away from the book thinking, “Our God is so awesome!”—which I think Wilson had hoped his readers would, I left it thinking, “That was just so gross!”

I’d like to see Wilson write more. If he cleans up his act, he has a lot of potential. But I think I’ll be afraid to trust another book by him. It’ll have to get a raving review from another bold soul before I do.

Never Bitter

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” –Genesis 50:20

The story of Joseph, found in Genesis 37-50, always amazes me. Such unjust trials this man faced; from bad to worse to worse again! His brothers threatened to kill him and sold him into slavery. His master’s wife tried to seduce him--then told her husband it was the other way around. That man believed his wife and threw Joseph in jail. The chief cupbearer who promised to help Joseph out of his plight forgot all about the poor guy. From the standpoint of the world, Joseph had good reason to be bitter.

But Joseph wasn’t. When the opportunity for revenge presented itself in the form of his brothers begging him for food during famine, Joseph forgave. In fact, he invited his whole family (66 people, not counting wives--see Genesis 46:26) to live in Egypt where they could be near him and make a living as shepherds. When his father died and his brothers feared he’d retaliate after all, Joseph told them that God had used a conceivably bad situation to bring about great good. God used Joseph’s distress to save the family’s lives and the lives of people living in and around Egypt. Joseph wasn’t bitter. He trusted God. I imagine he also considered it an honor to be used in such a way.

When life doesn’t go the way we plan, we can choose to blame anyone and everyone--even ourselves, even our God. Or we can choose to trust God’s perfect plan. By the time Joseph met his brothers in Egypt, he’d seen that plan in action and he understood. We may not have that luxury, but we can still believe that God has the best interests of His kingdom at heart. Knowing this helps us patiently surrender to His will.

Father, when life’s events feel harmful, help me to trust Your plan. Use me as You will and where You will. Thankfully and patiently, I’m Yours. Amen.

To Follow . . . or Not?

After reading my last post, someone sent me an e-mail asking why we have to follow anyone at all. It’s an interesting question. Here are my thoughts:

If we live in the United States (or any other country), whether we originally chose to live there or not, we have to follow that country’s laws—or pay fines or go to jail or move somewhere else. We are free to choose whether or not to obey the laws of our country, but then we have to accept the consequences of our choices whether we agree with them or not.

Henry David Thoreau challenged this in his time. He decided he didn’t like the laws of the state of Massachusetts, and so he declared himself not a citizen. When he refused to pay taxes to the state he lived in but didn’t consider himself to be a part of, he still found himself in jail. And he’d probably still be there today if someone hadn’t taken pity on him and paid his taxes for him—an action he didn’t appreciate. He had a point to make. He wasn’t a citizen of the state of Massachusetts—and yet he was in jail.

(At this point, I could go off on a tangent about the ethics and options of civil disobedience, but that’s not the point of this post, so let’s not go there today. Let’s stick to whether or not we have to follow anyone.)

If someone like Thoreau doesn’t want to follow the laws of the state or country he lives in, along with choosing whether or not to obey (and accepting the consequences of that choice), that person is also free to move somewhere else. But finding somewhere else to live where there is no government and are no laws to follow would be quite a challenge today.

In the spiritual realm, it is impossible.

Here’s the deal:

Satan’s goal is to keep as many people out of God’s Kingdom as possible. A body (or soul) count is all he wants.

God wants to let everyone into His Kingdom—everyone! But the only way in is through Christ, by accepting His gift of salvation and choosing to follow Him. Some people think this is unfair, but God is God. It’s His Kingdom. He created it. He’s in charge. He has the right to make the rules. He has the right to say that everyone is welcome, but all must come through Christ and choose to obey.

Therefore, if someone says, “I don’t want to be a part of either kingdom. I just want to do my own thing,” that person, by choice, cannot enter God’s Kingdom, and therefore, by default, is part of Satan’s. There is no other option. There’s no where else to go.

Yes, we have to follow someone. We have no choice but to choose.

But here’s what I don’t get:

God offers love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He offers mercy, grace, and forgiveness. He offers cleansing and perfection. He offers wisdom and truth. He offers hope. He offers eternal and abundant life. He offers Himself! –as a Savior, as a loving Father, as a gentle Shepherd, as a Friend, as a Teacher, as a Comforter, as a Guide. And so much more! (What's not to love in all that?!)

Satan offers unspeakable horror and never-ending hopelessness. (And this is appealing, why?)

Why is this such a difficult and dreaded choice for some? And, even if there were a third choice, to just do your own thing, wouldn’t life with God beat that option hands down? It surely would for me.

I’ll close with the verse I quoted in my last post:

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." –Joshua 24:15

If you haven't already, I hope you'll join me. God loves you. He's waiting--with open arms--today!


If you don't know how to receive Christ as your Savior to enter God's Kingdom, please click on the ready button in my sidebar to the right. God has made it so simple! I hope you'll pray today.

Truly Free

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” --Galatians 5:13

"Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God." --1 Peter 2:16

When America’s founding fathers declared independence from Great Britain, the colonists immediately began to set up a government of their own. They knew that their freedom would be in jeopardy if the people of America could not agree on the way the new country would function. Ongoing independence required a united government. Anarchy would leave the people vulnerable to unwanted control from any other nation with organized leadership and proven strength.

Likewise, if we want to be free from sin, we must submit to God’s authority. If we refuse to learn His truths and follow His rules, we’ll be vulnerable to every temptation Satan chooses to throw our way. This means we must love God first (Matthew 22:37-38) and our neighbors as ourselves (Galatians 5:14). It means we must learn the secret of being content in any and every circumstance--just as Paul did (Philippians 4:12), and probably with as many opportunities! It means we must allow God’s Spirit to develop His fruit in our lives--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)--through the circumstances of our lives, whatever they may be (Romans 8:28).

In the words of Joshua (chapter 24, verse 15),

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Serving God brings true freedom in Christ. Serving anything else means eternal bondage to sin.

Lord, I’ll never regret declaring my independence from sin by claiming freedom in You. I gladly submit. Amen.



For more thoughts on freedom serving Christ, visit:

Parachute Prayer #31

Oh! This one so surprised and tickled me the other day—it’s a little silly, but a lot of fun! I have to share the idea with you.

I was taking our dog to the groomer. When I walked into the office, I was startled to see a good friend of the family’s slightly-older-than-teenage daughter sitting at the receptionist’s desk. (I was startled because I haven’t seen this girl in a few years, and she lives on the other side of the United States!) But it wasn’t really her, after all. They say everyone has a look-alike somewhere in this world. That day I met our friends’ daughter’s.

And God seemed to say, “Pray for her!”

So I did. I prayed for our friends’ daughter, then I prayed for her look-alike (all while trying to hand off an extremely wiggly and overly excited, wild puppy dog!). I didn’t know anything about the look-alike, but I asked God to make her as much like the girl I did know on the inside as on the outside because the girl I know is loving Christ and serving Him with all her heart each day.

When we see someone who reminds us of someone else, that’s a cue for a Parachute Prayer.

And while we’re praying for look-alikes, just for fun, why not pray for our own?! After all, they do say we all have one. (I don’t know who they are, but if they say it’s true, it could be so, don’t you think?--Okay, normally I'd tell you to check it out when they say it's true, to make sure it really is, but this is just for fun—no harm, no foul.)

Lord, please bless our look-alikes today—wherever they happen to be! If they don’t know you, please draw them into Your kingdom. And if they do, please bless them with an extra-close sense of Your loving Presence today. Thank You, Lord! Amen.

The Door into God's Presence

Last week, I reminisced about the Sunday school teacher who introduced me to the concept of praying all the time about every little thing, practicing the Presence of God. That memory led to the one I’d like to share today.

Several years back, I was struggling to reinvigorate a waning Bible study routine. I had trained myself as a teenager to read four chapters a day because that’s how many you have to read to get through the Bible in a year. In college that changed; I studied what my professors told me to study for each class and usually tried to read a Psalm each day with that. Then I became a Sunday school curriculum editor and studied whatever I was working on. When I became a stay-at-home-mom, I tried to go back to the four-chapters-a-day plan.

But my heart and mind weren’t in this as they should have been. It was duty more than devotion. I longed to love God’s Word, but couldn’t quite figure out how. My Bible study time dropped off to what I heard or read in church and Sunday school or read in books about God’s Word. I prayed about this often because it truly troubled me.

Then one Sunday, the chaplain in charge of the service for the day spoke on just this thing. He told us that reading about God’s Word wasn’t sufficient and that hearing it read in church once a week wasn’t enough. He encouraged us to make daily appointments to read our Bibles with God, to set a time, any time, to read every day.

And then he let me off the hook!

He told us devotional time isn’t about reading through the Bible in a year or accomplishing a set amount of reading. Rather, devotional time is opening God’s Word in order to open the door into His Presence. Reading the Bible is listening to God. That chaplain challenged us, whether we read one chapter, one paragraph, or even one verse, to open our Bibles and read each day, same time every day—a sacred appointment to meet with God.

God convicted me through that message, yet He also invited me—to meet with Him each day. I set my alarm and started the very next morning.

Now I read my Bible with a post-it note, journal, and pen. I read until I sense I’m done. If one verse especially speaks to me, I write it down and reflect on it—sometimes, then, it says even more. Some days, this time an act of discipline: I’m chomping at the bit ready to get on with my day, but determined to stick around until I believe God is saying, “Class dismissed.” I run off with relief, yet equipped for the day.

Other days, God has to send me on my way though I long to linger. It's as if He says, "You have a household to run, child. I will go with you, though." I use the post-it to mark my place, and begin a new day with God.

Lord, thank You for Your Word, the door into Your Presence each day. A book, a chapter, a paragraph, a verse—quantity doesn’t matter. It’s all about precious time with You, amazing God! Amen.