Praying Against the Butterfly Effect

“It’s not enough to pray only for the concerns of the moment; we need to pray for the future, and we need to pray against the effects of past events.” –Stormie Omartian

It’s easy to pray for current concerns. Those are usually front and center in our minds, and, if we’ve allowed God to train us well, as they come to mind, we turn them over to God in prayer.

Praying for the future comes pretty naturally to most of us, too. We learn from an early age to hope and dream and plan, and, again, if we’ve allowed God to train us well, we quickly convert our hopes, dreams, and plans into prayers for these.

It’s the third part of Stormie Omartian’s quote that has captured my imagination today. We know that actions have consequences. Sometimes they are far-reaching; they extend themselves like ripples in a pond after a stone is dropped. Rarely can we see their ultimate outcomes. They’re like the Butterfly Effect: if a butterfly flaps its wings just so in a certain time and place, the theory goes, a hurricane may result a few weeks later halfway around the globe!

We people do much more each day than gently flap a few lightweight wings!

This is why we need to pray against the effects of past events—especially if we know these have the potential to result in harm.

Thinking about theories like the Butterfly Effect could make a person overly cautious, even paranoid. We worry that saying or doing the wrong thing, even unintentionally, may result in irreparable damage, utter destruction.

Jesus doesn’t want us to live this way.

He does want us to weigh our words and live carefully, loving and encouraging others as He did. But we can’t let fear paralyze us so much that we don’t do anything at all!

This is why we pray.

We live our lives according to God’s Will to the best of our ability, then we pray against the effects of anything we fear may have been a mistake. If God leads us to apologize to someone, to set things right, we do that, too.

On a larger scale, though, sometimes Satan, the Accuser, will bring memories to mind of sins from our past. When we remember these things, we don’t stand accused. Remember this! If we’ve confessed the sin and asked God for forgiveness, He’s already forgiven and forgotten it. So we thank Him for this, then we take the opportunity to pray against any resulting effects of that sin.

Yes. Actions have consequences. Not all consequences can be foreseen. Sometimes we have to live with the consequences of our actions. Sometimes, even more sadly, others have to live with the consequences of our actions. But . . .

God is more powerful than the Butterfly Effect. When we’re concerned about outcomes, God is calling us to pray.

Redefining the Race to Win

“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” –Philippians 3:14

Some people are born to run marathons. Others are created to sprint. And, whether I like it or not, I sprint. When I set out to reach my daily running goal of 3 to 5 miles, I don’t run for 3 to 5 miles. I run for a little while, then I walk a bit, then I take off running again, and then I walk some more. When we run together, I confuse my patient husband, but we reach our goals. They’d probably laugh me right out of a marathon.

When sprinters race, they focus on their goal before they even start to run. They set their eyes on it and never let them waver ‘til their feet cross the finish line. It’s intense! It’s exhilarating! (And actually winning is a blast!)

From one perspective, it’s good to approach life like a sprint. We should keep our eye on the finish line and never waver from it. Eternity with Jesus is our goal, and nothing shall distract us from it. Our focus must be intense!

Beyond that, however, life has a way of messing with the sprint analogy. I set my eyes on the finish line and take off running. Wham! Someone sets a hurdle in my path. “Really?!” I think. “How am I to win the race with this hurdle in my lane?”

Rather than being annoyed by the hurdle, I’m better off to accept the fact that life is not a sprint. It’s more of a cross-country marathon with many obstacles. Once in a while, I may come across a smooth stretch of road that will allow an energetic sprint, but I need to accept the fact that these may be few and far between.

The point is, if I’m going to run to win a race, I need to know what kind of race I’m running. Then I need to train to win that kind of race. And then I can’t complain when that race isn’t another kind of race.

What’s more, I’ll be less likely to complain if I understand the race. If I think I’m doing the 100-yard-dash and someone puts a hurdle in my path, I’ll have reason to be upset. But, if I know I’m running a cross-country marathon full of obstacles, I’ll see each one as a challenge to overcome—and doing so successfully (with the Spirit's help, of course) will always be as exhilarating as winning that quick dash.

Father, help us to see life’s obstacles as challenges to overcome. Give us strength to press on when the race moves uphill or when we can’t see around the next bend. When the goal is blocked from view, help us to remember it, so we’ll continue on. Call us continually to fight the good fight and finish the race to receive the heavenly prize Christ is preparing for us. For Your glory and the honor of Your name, we’ll keep running! Amen.

• What running style do you most enjoy?
• What kind of race describes your life right now?

This post is linked to SomeGirl's Website where you can read a whole collection of thought-provoking blog posts!

Book Review: Hope for Parents of Troubled Teens

Hope for Parents of Troubled Teens provides a wealth of information for parents of pre-teens and young teenagers who want to know what they can do to lessen the chance that their teenagers will become troubled. Author Connie Rae, a licensed counselor who has worked with families and youth at risk for more than 25 years, shares valuable information gained from both study and personal experience in textbook-like form to help parents who fear their teens are headed for trouble to do all they can to head them off at the pass.

That said, except for parts of Chapter 11 and all of Chapter 12, I think the book is misnamed. As the book is mostly about preventative measures, parents of an already troubled teen may find it disturbing. These parents will be drawn to reflect on the past, asking, as they already are, what could I or should I have done differently? What did I miss? Am I entirely to blame? This kind of thinking often leads to feelings of guilt—real or false—and then into despair. It’s an exercise in unreality for parents of already troubled teens—futile thinking, rather than movement toward hope.

Parents of troubled teens don’t need to hear what they could have/should have done differently. They need help accepting where they are and knowing where to go from there—and how. They need to know that God still loves them and their child and that He often works miracles in response to fervent prayer. They need to hear the stories of parents who have successfully travelled beside their own children through the worst of the worst—and of those who have learned that when children choose to rebel, sometimes you just have to let go and know that God loves nothing more than leading prodigal children home! Rae’s son’s message in Chapter 11 and Rae’s own thoughts in Chapter 12 do offer these things. Parents of troubled teens will find some hope in these chapters.

Except for Chapter 12, the book says very little about entrusting our children to God. Instead, it puts a heavy burden on parents to do everything they ought to, should and must. But parents need to understand there is no formula for raising an untroubled child. There are ways to lessen the chances that a child will engage in rebellious behavior—which this book offers in abundance, but parents can’t do anything to guarantee that their children won’t choose to rebel. God gave all people free will—and some teenagers are especially good at using it rebelliously, insisting on learning life’s lessons the hard way. Parents seeking hope especially need to hear this. The hope they seek comes from the God Who created their child and Who loves him or her most of all.

Bethany House Publishers sent me a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review. I recommend it to parents whose children are entering their teenage years or to those who suspect their teens may be experimenting with dangerous things.

Book Review: The Wedding Dress

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck is a little bit of every kind of book I love! It’s a contemporary novel. It’s a historical novel. It’s a fairytale with a mystical wedding dress and, perhaps, a fairy godfather. It’s an allegory. It’s full of romance and mystery and heartache and joy. I’m pretty sure it’s the very best book I’ve had the privilege to read yet this year!

When Charlotte and her ex-fiancé find a wedding dress in a trunk that she purchased at an auction kinda-sorta reluctantly, they wonder what it means. The dress was supposedly made in 1912, but looks brand new and never worn. Charlotte sets out to solve the mystery, following the clues found on a pair of dog tags and a pie shop business card. As she works her way back in time, author Rachel Hauck takes readers straight to the beginning . . .

In 1912, Emily Canton is engaged to Phillip Saltonstall. But Daniel Ludlow longs to win her hand. As far as Emily is concerned, she’s given her word to Phillip. It’s too late for changes to be made. But is Phillip as honorable to his word as Emily is to hers?

Between these stories, there are two more—of Hillary and MaryGrace. All are connected beautifully into one amazing story—about a wedding dress and the brides it seems to choose.

I thank Thomas Nelson Publishers for sending a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I truly enjoyed the story and am sure others will, too.

Discovering What's Inside

Today I have a new recipe for you! Perhaps I should have chosen something Irish—but I didn’t consult my calendar when I picked this recipe. Just pretend St. Patrick was Italian—or color the potatoes with green food coloring.

One-Pan Chicken and Potato Bake 

4 pieces of chicken
3 baking potatoes, cut into thin wedges
¼ cup robusto Italian dressing
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken and potatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Pour dressing over the top. Springkle with cheese and seasoning. Cover. (I forgot to cover mine, and it turned out just fine. I don’t know why, but I was thankful.) Bake half an hour. Uncover. Bake another half hour.

I was pretty excited that this particular recipe called for one of my “new spices.” But as I pulled the Italian seasoning out of the rack, I noticed something that perplexed me a tad. Rosemary grows. Basil grows. Parsley grows. Even Oregano grows. But I was pretty sure there’s no Italian seasoning plant.

Time for Googling!

At SouthernFood.About.com I learned there is a recipe for this seasoning blend:

2 tsp dried Basil
2 tsp dried Marjoram
2 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp dried Sage

Hmm. As all four of these spices already exist in my “new spice rack,” I’m thinking the Italian seasoning is a bit redundant. I’m also wondering if Marjoram grows—or is that another “blend.” I’m guessing it must grow or SouthernFood.About.com would have given me a recipe for it.

And why is the recipe for Italian seasoning on a website devoted to Southern food? Is it food from Southern Italy? Enquiring minds want to know.

Okay. I’m done with the random silly speculations. Here’s the point of my ramblings:

I grew up attending a church from one particular denomination. Because I grew up attending that church, I learned its denominational distinctives from a very early age. In other words, I was clearly taught not only the Truths that all Christians believe, but also those interpretations unique or mostly unique to my denomination.

Just as, if I’d grown up in Italy—or perhaps even in the Deep South, I’d have had a clue what Italian seasoning is.

But I didn’t grow up in Italy or the Deep South, so I had the choice to just use that spice labeled Italian seasoning and hope for the best or to look up the recipe and learn what exactly I was putting in my food.

Now, this wasn’t significant for the Italian seasoning, but there’s another blend in my spice rack called Herbs de Provence. It contains something I’m allergic to. I need to know that.

Just as people need to know the specific beliefs of the church they choose to attend.

In recent weeks, I’ve been surprised to encounter several people who really don’t know and don’t even know why they need to know. Many don’t even know the difference between a religion and a denomination.  (Hint: you can't use these two words interchangeably.) If you are among these, I encourage you to do some serious Googling.

The most important thing you need to know, though, is whether or not the church you attend sees the Bible as its primary authority and believes that salvation is available through Jesus Christ alone. Most denominations have a written statement of belief, complete with Scripture references to help you out. If you don’t know what your church believes, I encourage you to find this, study it, and learn what it means. Every word in it should line up with what the Bible says.

Minds set on Christ need to know.

Father, thank You for Your Word, the ultimate Truth on which we base our lives. Thank You also for Bible-believing and teaching churches that encourage us in our faith. Create in each of us a desire to seek and know what’s true that we can live faithfully for You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.


If you're curious, you can read my denomination's statement of belief, called Articles of Faith, by clicking here.

Secrets and Revelations

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” –Deuteronomy 29:29NKJV

Secret Things:

• The future
• Why God chose Jacob over Esau
• Paul’s thorn
• How Sarah felt about Abraham and Isaac’s trip up the mountain to make a sacrifice
• When and how my prayers will be answered
• What God’s Spirit is doing behind the scenes in loved one's lives right now
• The exact date and time of Jesus’ return

I’m curious—sometimes desperately curious. But these are among the things God's decided I don’t need to know. God has chosen to keep this information from me. That’s His sovereign right and my call to trust.

But I also trust that He has given me and will continue to give me all the information I really do need in order to live according to His plan. Deuteronomy 29:29 tells me that I own what God has revealed to me. He expects me to use it to obey Him.

Father, we trust that the secrets You keep are for our good. You know what’s best. You also know what we need. We trust You to provide, and when You do, we’ll choose to use that knowledge to faithfully serve You. You are God and there is no other. Help us to live Your way. Thank You, Lord! Amen.

Balancing the Bucket List

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” –Ecclesiastes 9:9-11

I did it! Hooray! I crossed a top priority off my current bucket list. The pictures in this post—and probably in several future posts—are the result. This particular bucket list item was complicated by a secondary time crunch. There is a park just far enough away to be inconvenient that blooms spectacularly every Spring, but only for a week or two. And, until this year, there always seemed to be something else going on that particular week or two. But I made the park my priority this year. It was a case of “Visit now or forever wonder what you missed.”

I know that a bucket list is usually defined as a list of things to do before you die. I tend to think of them as things to do before I move to another place. Hmm. Now that I think about it, the two events have a lot in common. Dying is, after all, the ultimate and final move to an eternal place. But when I move to another place on earth, it’s much easier to perpetually haunt those I leave behind.

I’m only kidding.

After a move, we often remember things we’d intended to do, but hadn’t had time to do. If we focus on those, we feel a little sad—like we missed out on something! That’s when we change our focus and remember all the things we got to enjoy while we were there. For example, when we lived in Texas, we never made it to the Alamo (How am I supposed to remember the Alamo if I’ve never seen it?!), but we did spend a day at the Texas History Museum, and that was lots of fun!

My thoughts for this post come from Ephesians 5:15-17:

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” –Ephesians 5:15-17

When I think of this verse, I usually focus on the first part. Because our family moves often, we live with the constant reminder that time is short. I’m motivated to make the most of every opportunity—whether it’s something fun like seeing a site or something more meaningful like becoming involved in a ministry or reaching out to a friend. I want to live wisely, and so I pressure myself to do all I can in each place. I tend to make lots of bucket lists to help me with this.

As I was pondering this thought, though, my mind wandered off and reminded me that Easter is coming. I wondered if Jesus made a bucket list. He knew His time as a physical Presence on earth was short, too. And He was constantly surrounded by people in desperate need of His touch—physically and spiritually.

But Jesus didn’t need a bucket list. Day by day, He talked with His Father and let the Spirit lead Him where He needed to be. He understood what the Lord’s will for Him was. He focused on the last part of the verse.

We can learn from this.

Whether we travel from home to home, making new bucket lists along the way, or stay in one place, faithfully doing all we can right there, we can find peace in following Jesus’ example. We make the most of every opportunity. We do whatever our hands find to do with all our might, serving our King. We can talk to our Father daily, letting His Spirit lead us where we need to be. We can seek to understand what the Lord’s will is for each day. And when we leave this place, we can trust that what’s undone by us was someone else’s ministry.

The bucket list is a helpful tool for making the most of every opportunity, but when it’s time to move on, if we’ve followed God obediently, uncrossed off items don't become regrets. They are okay.

Father, thank You for putting great ideas in our heads and desires on our hearts. We realize there’s more to do than we’ll ever be able to. Lead us daily. Show us what activities to throw ourselves into. Help us to make the most of every opportunity that You provide, understanding what Your will is and living without regret about things for which there is no time. Help us to focus on the work of our hands, leaving the rest to others as You lead them. Amen.


For more devotional thoughts born of moving from place to place, I invite you to visit my other blog: Home Is Where God Sends You.

I also invite you to visit the Spiritual Sunday meme to read what others are learning from God this week.

Book Review: Dawn Comes Early

Dime novelist Kate Tenney has just had her most recent book banned in Boston. Her publisher wants nothing more to do with her. With no family and no career, Kate is ready for a fresh start. An ad for an heiress seems like the perfect lead.

But Kate is barely off the train in Cactus Patch, Arizona when she’s taken hostage by an outlaw with a gun who shoots a hole in her trunk. Is she ready for this new life? Kate is determined to be.

Convinced that all men are unfaithful, but land lasts forever, Kate takes on ranch owner Eleanor Walker’s challenge to learn all she can about ranching in just four months. If she succeeds—and agrees to never, ever, ever, ever marry—the ranch, along with the security she craves, will be hers.

There’s just one little problem: a single blacksmith named Luke.

I really got a kick out of this book. It’s a fun story full of great characters (Ruckus, the banker, Aunts Bessie and Lulabelle)—and Margaret Brownley promises more! I’ll be watching for the sequel in January 2013. Read Dawn Comes Early, and you can watch for it with me.

I thank Thomas Nelson Publishers for sending a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this read!

Encouragement for Discouraged Resolutionists

I know that a lot of people resolve every New Year’s to read through the Bible in a year. If they read about four chapters a day, they will reach their goal. But, though four chapters a day of some books is easy, with the Bible, that’s not always so. The Bible must be processed, digested. Some days just one verse can take a while to absorb! When God has something to say, you have to stop and listen to Him.

Some use Bible reading plans that let them read a little from the Old Testament, the New, Psalms, and Proverbs every day. These are meant to help break up the monotony of some of the more challenging Old Testament books. (Raise your hand if you’re thinking Isaiah or Leviticus!)

I've used both of these methods, but I they discouraged me. I realized when I followed strict plans that reading the Bible became more of something to cross off my to-do list than the encounter with God that it is meant to be.

Thankfully, somewhere along the way, I heard a story about an elderly woman who had her grandchild read the Bible to her each day. When they reached the end of Revelation, the child asked, “Now what do we do?” The grandma told the child to flip back to the beginning and start right over again. About that same time, a chaplain I knew encouraged our congregation to just read something—anything—from the Bible every day.

I really like that reading plan. It still works for me.

If ever you’ve tried to read through the Bible beginning to end only to find yourself discouraged in Deuteronomy, give yourself permission to skip ahead a bit. Savor the Psalms or a Gospel or two. In time, you’ll find the motivation you need to continue on through the whole. Even as I’ve learned I prefer to read to the end and start again, there are times when I just need to bookmark the page and jump to another part of the Bible for a while. When I’m ready, I pick up where I left off and continue on.

Reading the Bible is kind of like putting an antibiotic ointment on a wound. You may or may not feel it, but your body still absorbs the medicine, and the medicine does its healing work. There will be days when you wonder, “What’s the point of this passage?” or can’t corral a thought to save your life. When these days come, just read—and trust. The Holy Spirit will do His work whether you sense Him at it or not.

And when you can’t appreciate Moses’ literary writing skills, remind yourself that with God’s help, he contributed significantly to the world’s #1 all time best selling book. There’s something worthwhile, much, in fact, in his words—in all of the God-inspired Bible authors’ words. Determine to find it all. Read!

Faith in Motion

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” –John 8:12

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” –Matthew 5:16

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” –James 2:17

The lights in the classrooms in our chapel on post are equipped with these nifty little energy-saving motion sensors. The idea is that if someone leaves the room and forgets to turn out the lights, the motion sensors will figure out that there is no one in the room and turn out the lights for that forgetful person. It’s a good thing. Most of the time.

Sometimes, though, we Wednesday morning Bible study ladies will get very intense about what we're learning. Our mouths will be moving 90 miles per hour, while the rest of ourselves remain still. Evidently, the motion sensor gadgets aren’t sensitive enough to read mouth movement because . . . the lights go out.

Silence.

Great united gasp.

The first lady or two or three to realize what’s happened will usually jump up and dance around the room in order to absolutely and indisputably prove to the motion sensor that someone is indeed there. We must convince it to turn the lights back on. And when those lights come on, we all get a good laugh out of it.

Once when this happened, I was leading the group and said, “Oh! We have to move!” A newcomer to class thought I was announcing that something in the classroom had malfunctioned, so that we’d need to move to another room. But as she started to gather her things, her classmates jumped up in the darkness and started frantically waving their arms around.

I was both thankful and surprised when she returned the next week.

I’ve often wondered if the dynamic is the same when the classroom is filled with men. Most likely not. I imagine the leader probably rolls his eyes and casually raises one hand, waving it distinctly once, twice at most, to signal the motion sensor. Class resumes calmly like nothing ever happened.

If this is the case, I’ll give them points for dignity—but they’ll have to admit we have more fun!


The Bible tells us that our faith is like being in those rooms with the motion sensor lights. If we don’t exercise it, it dies out.

Jesus, the Light of the World, dwells within us. We are to live in such a way that people will see this Light and honor our Father in Heaven by seeing His goodness and joining His Kingdom. We do this by loving God, by loving each other, and by reaching out relentlessly with love to the lost of this world.

If we have faith, but do nothing with it, all anyone sees is darkness. Eventually, that’s all we’ll see, too. Faith can’t sit still. It must move and grow—or go out.

Jesus, thank You for shining Your Light through us to this world. Remind us to exercise our faith often, so it will grow and show. May Your Spirit act as a motion sensor, alerting us when we’ve been still too long. Teach us how to love, so Your Kingdom will grow. Thank You always! We live for You! Amen.

Of Breath and Life

“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” –Job 33:4KJV

I think this must be one of the most comforting verses in the whole Bible! I mean, consider who said it! Job!

Of all the crazy things.

Here Job is. Everyone he loves has been taken from or has turned again him. He’s lost all his worldly belongings and his friends are, ahem, comforting him by telling him what a horrible sinner he is.

Yet Job knows what gives his life worth.

And this gives him the confidence to speak.

Wow!

I may have to hang out with Job more often.

The Spirit of God made Job . . . and you . . . and me.

The very breath of the Almighty has given us life!

When we read in Genesis of Adam’s creation, the Bible tells us, “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). I love that. God Himself breathed life—His very own breath—right into Adam. Such a tender, loving, intimate act—and Job helps us understand that God gave His own breath to each of us as well!

A friend of mine is getting ready to have a baby. We thought it was going to happen today, and it still might, but not quite yet. But it will happen soon. A whole brand new little person is going to enter the world . . . and God will be there! Just think of it!

God loves us that much—and that gives us great worth—even on days when it seems that every aspect of our life is all messed up and that, perhaps, everyone we know has turned against us in some way.

When we feel the deepest, darkest pain, the fact remains, the Spirit of God has created each of us. Almighty God’s own breath has given us life.


Thank You, Father God, Beloved Savior, Spirit of Life, Holy One! You created each of us, and You love us no matter what. When life is painful, we seek solace in You, our strength and our confidence through any storm. All glory to Your Name, forever! We love You! Amen.