Living an hour and twenty minutes from O’Hare Airport was equivalent to being within shouting distance of a front-row seat to the world. On the down side, it sometimes required setting the alarm for four a.m. When we would awake, after a night of sleep—or, more often, a three to four hour nap—it was time to begin our journey.
The Christmas following my sixteenth birthday, I bought the prettiest dress I have ever owned— off-the shoulder, silver lamé, tapered sleeves—it was the bomb. Thanks to my sister, Lois, here it is. She saved this photo of me coming down the stairs in our home in Ohio wearing my sparkling find.
“Ye shall have a song, as in the night … and gladness of heart…
and the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard…
Isaiah 30:29-30
How is it possible to encounter the will of God? We so often pray…”Thy will be done.” Yet, the words have little depth for us. We repeat them mechanically and thoughtlessly, without any real consideration for their meaning.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
Ephesians 1:11 NIV
There was a sudden sadness that I felt…as did so many others…when it was announced that Steve Jobs was leaving his post as Apple CEO. How would Apple…trend-setter of so much that we enjoy today…get along without him?
This is not like a lesson in physics or quantum theory. It is, however, a lesson designed to show that the catalyst for our joy is a fundamental constant. How much joy we have depends on how much joy we want!
Most people think in the context that joy is like the weather. Our joy is either hot or cold, present or absent, on or off. We incorrectly assume that fixed external factors determine the scale of joy we experience. We believe we have no personal, individual control over our joy.
You are powerful! You exist to make a difference. You are an integral part of God’s plan for His universe.
In his New York Times best seller, The Butterfly Effect, author Andy Andrews explains how everything that we do sets something else in motion somewhere on the planet. As Andy describes in his tiny, illustrative book, everything you do matters. And not just for you, but for everyone—both now and for all of eternity.
You know, there are days when you just want to send God an email. Or a text message. Or ask Him to send you one! God, could you please leave me a yellow sticky note…You can put it anywhere. In the middle of my forehead would probably work.
Today, we are facing so much. You’ve been knocked down; you can’t pray. We have those hand-wringing moments when we cry: “Lord, this is bad. What am I going to do?” I call them spiritual panic attacks. What’s the solution? Let me offer six assurances that you can claim from the King of Kings, and a repositioned, timeless message from an earthly king and our friends across the Atlantic.
Got your attention? Thought so. But, wait a minute; hold on. Don’t let go of your favorite gospel tune. David, sweet singer of Israel, concluded Psalm 150 (verse 6) with the words—Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord. I’m convinced that, in this case, a disco lyric is part of “everything.” Especially when we focus our attention on the heavens. It reigns supreme among a billion starry wonders in our solar system.
Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! Starting now, here come the blog posts about your Joy, your new-found Fearlessness and your Healing…my sharings, all designed to encourage you to get your glow on. I have declared myself the Lord’s Chief Evangelist of Joy…that’s what I’m all about. Spreading the Good News—to share the evangelion, inGreek, the announcement, the gospel.