Express Care

I sat and waited for my husband and daughter to return from the Express Care Clinic. Our daughter was injured in a sporting event. We have learned that athletic ability does not necessarily prevent injury. After a thorough examination and x-rays, our young athlete arrived home 3 hours later with her hand efficiently bandaged and a list of instructions. Apply ice three times a day. Medication for pain as needed. A brace was to be worn continuously. And limited physical activity for a week. Our daughter wasn't very happy. In fact she was past disappointed. She was angry. She doesn't like sitting on the sidelines.

I immediately thought of a recent conversation I had with a fellow believer. The acquaintance spoke of a personal hurt she had experienced. While I didn't ask for details, it was clear she had been offended by someone in ministry at her local church. Her emotions had moved past disappointment and on to something that looked more like anger. As I listened to her words, it became clear that she had been unable to move past the offense. Her hurt and anger had resulted in an intentional pulling away from her church, her Pastor, and even our God. She had chosen to place herself on the sidelines.

When was the last time you were hurt in this game of life? No matter how skilled you are at dealing with people, injuries and offenses are inevitable. When you find you've been offended, how do you react? Do you turn to the Great Physician for immediate care? Are you willing to follow the instuctions He provides to remedy your situation? Do you follow His advice until the pain is gone and complete healing has occured?

Here are a few scriptures to consider regarding offenses:

It is impossible that no offenses should come. -Luke 17:1

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. -Romans 12:17

Do not grumble against one another, brothern, lest you be condemned. -James 5:9

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. -Ephesians 4:31-32

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. -1 Peter 4:8

Forgive and you will be forgiven. -Luke 6:37


Despite the challenges that come from living beside carnal people, God is able to empower us to forgive. If we submit to his Spirit, we are able to love with His love. It is pride and self that remind our hearts of offenses. But God requires us to extend mercy. He desires us to remain in the game, working to our full potential as a team player. An inability to forgive and let go will undoubtedly leave us ineffective and on the bench.

Dear Lord,
When I am honest with myself I must admit that I struggle in this area. I can easily reflect and see times when I have withdrawn from your people and your purpose due to hurts I have encountered. Please help me to continually lean on You so I can extend mercy and Your love to those around me who disappoint me. Help me to love past my hurts and become the person you created me to be.

Something Pleasing

I found myself searching the aisles for that perfect gift. Valentine's Day was quickly approaching and I had several people I wanted to buy for. I have two beautiful nieces and I wanted to show them I was thinking of them. I also wanted to give something to both of my children; small gifts to honor the holiday and show my love in a tangible way.

Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the holiday offerings at my local store. I desired to give something more than a trite card and a few pieces of candy. I wanted my gift to please the recipient. I wanted to see joy on their face when they opened the package.

I took some time to think about what makes a gift really stand out. Most of the gifts which have touched me most through the years have fallen into one the following categories.

~The gift had sentimental value.
~The gift was chosen with thought and care.
~The gift required a sacrifice. In most cases, it was one of time, not money.
~The gift brought me pleasure.
~Often, the gift was for no other reason than to express love.

As I continued my search, God reminded me of this verse in James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

I finished the day feeling pleased with myself. I was able to find the right gifts for each person on my list. Oh, sweet success! (I was later rewarded with hugs and kisses.) I felt even more pleased because of the reminder God gave me of His gift of love. I felt loved in extravagant ways. Both by my Heavenly Father and by the family He has blessed me with.

Valentine's Day came and went. And then, this morning I opened my Bible to study. My study partner and I are working our way bit by bit through the book of Ephesians. This was our verse of interest today.

For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8


After all my effort to pick out Valentine gifts that were perfect for my family, my eyes and heart slowly settled in on the last part of this verse. Find out what pleases the Lord.

As Valentine's Day approached, I had searched and planned ways to show my love to my family. But had I done the same for God? I had thought of Him. I even cherished the gentle reminder of His love He provided for me. I had relaxed in the extravagant love I felt that day. But had I taken the time to return His love in a tangible way? I'm sure my heart whispered back to Him when He quickened my mind to the verse in James. But had I responded in more than a mere whisper, a thought that was fleeting?

He has given me the greatest gift of all. In both simple and extravagant ways, He continues to give to me every day. Even that day, He took time to remind me. He reached down into my world with the gentle reminder in James and wrapped me in His arms- even while I rushed through life looking for gifts for others.

Although God doesn't demand of me, He does desire something from me. In return for all He's done, He desires my love, my devotion, my commitment, and my faithfulness. All of these-gifts He desires. So I sat in my thoughts this morning and pondered my questions once again.


~When was the last time I gave God a gift that had real sentimental value?

~When was the last time I presented Him with something that took careful thought and planning?

~When did I last give a gift that was truly sacrifical? That which required time or energy-not merely my money?

~When was the last time I gave simply because I wanted to demonstrate my love, my thanks, my need for Him?

~How often do I take time to present meaningful gifts that please Him?

What about you? Have you searched to know what pleases the Lord? Have you listened as He spoke His desires to your heart? Have you been willing to give Him a gift that brings Him pleasure? Will you today? Will you tomorrow?

Re-thinking the Daily Post

I’m addicted to social media. Well, maybe not addicted, but I do engage in several. I love to encourage people and I have discovered social media to be one arena in which to work. I enjoy the discussions and uplifting blogs available on internet sites. I write almost weekly here at blogspot and I created a fan page for my ministry, Response to Grace, on facebook.

Without fail, I get on facebook at the crack of dawn each morning to write a daily post meant to encourage those who follow. While posting my daily blurb, I cannot help but notice the posts by others usually written late the night before. Some are funny. Others are depressing. Some contain a little more information than I care to know. A few are downright inappropriate.

Sadly, some of the posts I read are full of negativity and discontent. People post complaints about their spouse, children, in-laws, coworkers, and anyone else that seems to upset them. They post what is wrong with their job, their relationships, and everything inbetween. They seem to share whatever is wrong in their lives, but fail to see the blessings that are present. Reading too many such posts can leave a person discouraged and downhearted.

A daily post can reveal a lot about the inner man. What a person writes is most likely what their heart and mind is dwelling on. Naturally, I don’t expect everyone to be posting daily Bible verses to encourage others. But in the same manner, I don’t expect to find self-professed Christians posting content which is depressing or combative. Isn’t the Christian life a journey to allow God to make us more like Him?

I couldn’t help but think on these instructions by the apostle Paul and wonder how it could apply to our internet usage and daily posts.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 [NIV]

In this verse, unwholesome is the Greek word ‘sapros’, which means bad, rotten, or decayed. Can I take the liberty to re-write this verse in accordance with today’s topic? What if it the verse read like the following-

Do not share posts that are rotten and decayed, but only write words that are helpful in encouraging others and supporting them according to their needs, in order that your posts will benefit those who read them.

The author of James reminds us that if we claim to be religious, but cannot keep a tight rein on our tongue, we deceive ourselves. Do you think God expects us to be watchful of our pen, or rather our keyboard, too?

As Christians, our every action should glorify God. What we say, what we do, and even what we post. People will notice if you practice what you preach; and your practice extends to what you share on the internet.

I want to be pleasing in His sight, don’t you? Where social media is concerned, let’s commit to purity. If needed, ask God to renew your mind and then take Paul's advice in Philippians 4.8 and think on things that are noble and good. Refrain from posts that could be considered unwholesome. Let’s be imitators of Christ in all things!

A Glimpse of Hope

The storm was all it was predicted to be. Layers of ice hit my small town followed by large amounts of snow. Schools were closed for days as people waited for roads to be cleared and electricity to be restored. All I could see outside my backdoor was a large drift of snow and the hint of our shrubs poking through the top. It seemed desolate; until a bright patch of red caught my eye.

A bright male Cardinal came and perched on top of the snow bank. What a beauty he was! His small body was crimson against a backdrop of colorless land. He spoke of life midst the frozen conditions. I was surprised I hadn’t noticed him before. I guess he had easily blended in before the landscape has become so stark.

It is during some of life’s bleakest times that we fully recognize the beauty God reveals. During our darkest trials, we are driven to God’s presence. There we find a sharp contrast between our broken world and His. In His presence we experience the deepest love, the purest peace, and rare beauty.

How would you describe your current surroundings? Are there areas that seem frozen and lifeless? Are you in the midst of adversity? Let the bleak conditions drive you into God’s presence. Let them stir a passion in your heart to know Him more deeply and to worship Him more authentically. Do not run from a season of storms. Let them linger long enough to feel His mercy fall from heaven in the end. It is truly a beautiful experience.

Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:12

The Right Choice

“I want everything shut down at 12 p.m. so you can get some sleep."

My daughter and her three friends heard the instructions and agreed. While allowing them to stay up much later than normal, we still wanted them to get to bed at a decent time. Too little sleep results in a cranky teenage daughter. This is an occurrence we often try to avoid.

Not being a night owl myself, I ventured toward bed and left my husband to enforce bedtime for the girls. Things proceeded as planned. Much later from my half-conscious state, I heard the troops shuffle down to the basement. My husband climbed in beside me and I drifted back toward sweet dreams.

Unfortunately, my dreams were interrupted at 2:30 a.m. when I awoke to whispers and giggling. Unfortunately for the girls, the noise awakened my husband too. One not-too-happy Papa Bear got out of his warm bed to go enforce the bedtime. After stern words, he returned to bed and we lay in silence to see if the girls would disobey again.

As my ears strained to hear, I silently urged my daughter to make the right choice. I knew a consequence was already forthcoming. The fact that the girls were still awake at 2:30 would result in some serious questioning. The hour set for bedtime had been clear. To their error, they had not obeyed fully. If our daughter failed to make the right choice again, I knew the punishments would begin to pile up.

Spiritually, I am faced with countless decisions. Each and every choice I make effects my surroundings on the road of life ahead. I know God has provided fool proof instructions in His Word. As I read these Truths, I must decide if I will fully obey. Many times, I have stood firm on the precepts in His Word. Other times, I have turned away and chosen a path that looked more inviting.

In times of disobedience, my choices lead to a place of pain and I find myself experiencing the consequences of sin. Even then, I am thankful I can turn to God for forgiveness and help. In His love and mercy, He will speak new direction into my life. He will point to the path that clearly leads home. And once again, I get to make a choice.

How many times has the great cloud of witnesses watched me from above and urged me to make the right choice. What I need to continually remind myself is this one truth:

God only gives solutions to be implemented, not suggestions to be considered.

The message found in His Word is the solution. The instruction He provides through my pastor and Godly counsel is part of the same solution. His way is the only path that leads to life. Any plan I devise on my own is faulty. Remembering His directions are always in my best interest makes the right choice much easier to make.