Dare the Roller Coaster!

When my son was small, he was not adventurous in any way. Instead, he liked what was safe and known, avoiding anything new or risky. Although we enjoyed an annual excursion to Six Flags when my sister’s family came to visit, my son stubbornly refused to join us on the roller coaster, not even setting foot in the tunnel to the ride. It just looked too scary!

As we enter a new year, we may be too afraid to risk the downs ahead to even aim to go up. Thus, we don’t attempt anything new or different, settling for what is safe rather than following God into the unknown.

I think of Abraham, whose courageous faith following God to a foreign land resulted in a nation and a descendant to bring love and redemption to all mankind. It all happened because he took the risk of faith. If we want to impact our world for God’s kingdom, we must overcome our fears. What a ride we will enjoy if we dare to obey God and risk the ups and downs that are ahead!

This last year was scary as I left a known ministry position and set out for opportunities that only God can see. Although I am still in limbo in many ways,

Rocks of Remembrance for 2010

Often I forget what God has done for me. When things don’t seem to be turning out as I request in prayer, I wonder if God is listening, overlooking the many times he has intervened with his faithful answers to prayer (frequently solutions that differ from mine). When facing a trial I lose hope and begin to worry, failing to focus on the grace and mercy that God has poured out in my life during previous tough times. God suggests a memory aid--rocks! 

Brown Paper Gifts

I appreciate having beautifully decorated Christmas presents. However, I remember a year when my son wrapped his gifts to us in brown package paper, sealed them with duct tape, and wrote our names in marker on the outside. What was inside was great, but I didn’t want him to put the wrapped presents under the tree. (He so enjoyed upsetting traditions and his mom!)

Two thousand years ago God gave the gift of Jesus, but he too came wrapped in brown paper. The Jews expected him to come as their King dressed in royal robes, restoring the Jewish kingdom. Instead, they received a baby born in a shelter for animals, a poor itinerant preacher who died at the hands of the Roman oppressors. They missed the gift, not looking beyond its plain packaging.

 

Sometimes God’s best presents come wrapped in brown paper, but we often prefer those that look good—

The Waiting Room

We have all experienced waiting rooms—in offices, emergency rooms, or airports. Often our stay is extended well beyond our expectations, and we become angry, impatient, and sometimes fearful in the face of uncertainty and delay.

Similarly, answered prayers do not always come as quickly as we hope, and we wonder if God has forgotten us or is simply too busy with others to note our needs. We may struggle to believe that God is listening, loving us and bringing an answer at the ideal time. Surely, now is the perfect time!

This week as I thought about my unanswered prayers, I realized that God himself waits.

Lessons from the Manger

We all know the story in Luke 2. Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem for Caesar’s census and found the inn full. However, someone mercifully allowed them to stay in a stable. Jesus was born there with only an unsanitary feeding trough available as his bed.

Because this story is so familiar, I easily overlook its significance. Instead of consuming and digesting God’s word so that it becomes real and personal, my tendency is to do just what James warns about—look in God’s mirror and turn away without change (Jam. 1:23-25).

So what is God showing me from the story of the manger today?

Confessions of a Christmas Perfectionist

Even as a little girl I obsessed over our Christmas decorations. I clearly remember my annual annoyance at my sister’s work on the tree. I wanted the silver icicles perfectly hung, but she basically threw them on the branches.  Because my efforts to force her to do it my way failed, I resorted to rehanging them myself when everyone was out of the room.

That began years of desiring everything perfect during the holidays—decorations, food, gifts, house, and family. Although I wanted to have guests over, I refused to do so unless all was exactly as it should be. And who determined what that was? What I saw at the stores gave me a false perception of what “everyone else” had. Then, there were the Christmas parties we attended (usually church-related), which were held in the largest homes so there would be room for all. Although I knew such showplaces weren’t really representative, they were the standard I experienced. The comparison made me reluctant to invite anyone over at all.

This presents a problem since God calls His children to be hospitable (1 Pet. 4:9; Heb. 13:2).

Surprised by God & Eggnog Latte

I look forward to the season all year long—the time of the eggnog latte! I don’t particularly like eggnog alone but paired with coffee it makes a delicious combination. This morning I woke up and found one left by my husband for me to enjoy. A great surprise treat!

There are days when God brings great surprises into my life as well, things never requested or anticipated. When such blessings come out of the blue, I am overcome by His goodness and delighted by His overwhelming love. However, there are times when the positives come through trials as God combines them to achieve His purposes and His best for me. In those cases, I don’t always identify the good immediately; that often takes the perspective of time. However, sometimes I can sense the direction of God’s sovereign redeeming hand when the hardship first breaks into my life.

Recently, I have faced some difficult circumstances, as we all do.

Stormy Days

Yesterday storms raced across the skies of North Texas, bringing damage to buildings in various places. Often I soak in such days, sensing the nearness of God in the power and majesty of the tempest. However, day after day of clouds makes me long for the warmth and peace that comes from the sun.

What are we to do when we encounter the storms of life?

Christian Interrupted

Yesterday didn’t go as planned.

When the mowers entered the back yard, my dog Maggie ran into the bedroom and bounded onto my chair to get a better view, knocking my coffee onto my laptop. No immediate problem, but in time there were certain letters that refused to work, and others ejected me from the document entirely. My work on my book was quite interrupted and basically, gone. Thankfully, the book is fine; I just can’t edit it.

I usually accept the big interruptions of life better than the small ones. However, aren’t they the same in reality?

Learning from “Little Ron”

Last night at the World Series the Rangers had a special guest, Liam Roybal, the seven-year-old kid who impersonated Ron Washington for Halloween. He mirrored the appearance of the Texas Rangers’ skipper, even shaving the top of his head! He looked like a Mini Me Wash. The team invited him to be their special guest at the game and to take the microphone for the ceremonial “play ball” call.

So what do I learn from him? 

Little Ron’s great likeness to Big Ron was deliberate. It reminded me of Acts 11:26: “It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.” Apparently, the city recognized this group as followers Jesus. In contrast, today’s Christians are often known as unloving church-goers rather than Jesus look-alikes. How do we become intentional about looking like Jesus?

The Simple Life

Our American culture makes it quite difficult to live a simple life. (And I don’t mean the simple life of the reality show with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richey!) Simplifying our lives doesn’t automatically come from living without money. It’s more about living with focus and without so much busyness; we can live on a farm or in poverty and have cluttered lives.

What is at the heart of a simple life? Why are we so busy and exhausted?

The Hamilton Perspective

What absolute bedlam and joy were shown last night at the Texas Rangers’ game when they beat the hated Yankees in the 6^th game of the ACLS! Fans, players, and Ranger announcers were visibly overwhelmed by the 6-1 win, which sends them to their first World Series. I had great fun even though I was sitting at home alone with my two dogs watching the game. It helped to share the joy of other fans by text, tweets, and Facebook. It was simply an amazing evening, one I never thought would happen.

So what is the Hamilton perspective?

Quest for God's Map

My family will tell you that I love to have a map when I travel so that I can know exactly where I am, where I am going, and how to get there.

The other day I googled an address in Oklahoma. After I left and began to look at my printout, I realized that there was no map, only directions for where and when to turn. I had a fuzzy idea of where I was headed (Oklahoma is north) but I lacked the big picture about my journey. As I perused the directions, I noticed that a turn simply said 1^st Street. There could be lots of 1^st Streets in Oklahoma! I wanted a map.

Our lives are lived without maps although most of us yearn for one. Do you want God to give you precise directions to a named destination?

Risky Love

When we give our hearts away to someone else, we lose control over what happens. We risk hurt and loss because we never know how it will turn out. I’m sure all of us have loved and lost at some point; dumped by a guy, turned on by a friend, or left behind through death.  The pain of loss can be great at times, and the more we love the deeper the grief. To protect ourselves from situations that may lead to hurt, we may isolate our hearts, not allowing ourselves to connect on a deep level unless we feel safe and certain. But what do we miss by allowing our fears to drive us?

My friend Jenn is losing her struggle with breast cancer. For the past year she has done all humanly possible to fight the disease and has asked God to do a miracle. For reasons that only God knows, He hasn’t given a miracle and her battle is almost over. Although she will experience the complete healing for which we prayed, it will be as she enters the presence of Jesus and not here.

In the midst of her valiant fight, God sent John.

Resting in God's Lap

In God’s providence, we have two Westies; we got Libby as a puppy, but Maggie was a rescue off the street. Although they generally get along great, Libby is definitely jealous of any attention given Maggie. After all, my lap was her sole territory for over three years! When she sees Maggie there or hears me talk to her, she wants the same. Of course, it’s available; all she has to do is jump in my lap!

Often as Christians, we observe the peace of believers who walk closely with God and desire the same. I have been there as I sensed a tranquil faith in others. Jealous of the contentment they enjoy, we often do nothing to achieve it for ourselves by moving toward God. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (Jam. 4:8). I know that I get too busy, too distracted, and too committed to the priorities of the culture to invest quality time with God, to get on His lap, so to speak.

How do we intentionally draw closer to God?

Cleaning out Cobwebs in the Heart

I spent some time cleaning under my patio furniture last Saturday. There was a lot of dirt and many leaves caught there by cobwebs. It was impossible to simply sweep it all away; I had to disentangle the webs first.

 

I considered how difficult it is it clean out my heart, and I wondered what holds those sins and weaknesses there like cobwebs. In my case, wrong thinking is major. Maybe you also find it easy to return to old patterns of thought, which lead to negative attitudes about others. Possibly you blame them for your own sins and mistakes because of past experience. Maybe you react to someone based on what you imagine she is thinking rather than her actual words.

I tend to be very impatient with a certain person. Why?

Discouragement--the Dream Killer

Sometimes it’s just one of those weeks. You know what I mean—the ones when everything goes wrong and we begin to wonder if we are even supposed to be where we are, doing what we are doing. Life doesn’t go as expected, and we aren’t the people we should be. Maybe it’s time to give up on ministry, to quit trying to love that difficult person, or to ________. (Fill in your situation.)

This week has left me discouraged. Do I give up on the dream to put my leadership material in book form?  I have experienced disappointment on two fronts: my failure to love someone as Christ would and my inability to see much fruit from my time and efforts. I feel like God could better use someone else—someone who doesn’t hurt others, someone with name recognition.

Buried Secrets

Recent reports of another spiritual leader’s failure are troubling; his attempts to bury his secrets only multiplied his sins with hypocrisy. I am concerned for his immature followers who may struggle to trust God when the man posing as His representative isn’t trustworthy. Integrity is essential for leaders of all kinds, but especially for us as Christians; we must be the same people both publicly and privately.

You may not call yourself a spiritual leader, but you move others closer to or further from God —your children, your co-workers, your neighbors, your friends, or an entire church. How you walk teaches them either that the church is full of hypocrites or that it includes real people with real struggles who honestly face their sins and shortcomings and choose to grow more like Jesus by God’s grace.

   

I am not so naïve to think that we live out Christ’s example perfectly. I certainly haven’t! Leaders aren’t faultless, but we should be transparent. Taking responsibility for who we really are allows God and our followers to give us the grace to change.

Savoring the Moment

What a wonderful trip our entire family took this month! Although we saw great sights and enjoyed good food, the highlight was being with those I love most. Perhaps revisiting some places I had seen previously made it easier to live in the moment, or maybe realizing that such opportunities are rare gave me a sense of the present. Whatever it was, time seemed to stand still as we sat outside at Parisian cafes, walked on the beaches of Normandy, or enjoyed Belgium waffles together.

Why is it so hard to savor the moment? Why do I fail to drink in time with people and with God? In my busyness I’ve been guilty of seeing people as an intrusion rather than God’s appointment. At my worst, I have rushed time with God to get on with the real work of the day. Who am I kidding? How can I lead others to God’s still waters when my waters are churned up by busyness and worry?

So why was this experience different?

Beyond Blogs and Websites

Why is the “different” and the “new” so uncomfortable? I have been reluctant to embrace blogs and websites for myself; after all, that would entail a big learning curve! My primary ministry has always been in person—teaching, training, and leading. Why push myself to a level of discomfort?

Because God wants me to transform and grow! Recently, he has led me from a church staff into the unknown. I keep picturing myself walking into a strange land following God step-by-step, much as Abraham did. This is quite a stretch for me; my family accuses me of being a map addict because I prefer knowing not only my destination but also exactly how to get there in advance. This journey to somewhere unnamed and unknown without a plan is disconcerting and scary!

Initially, I simply felt that God wanted me to provide my leadership material for the benefit of a larger group.