I realize that I have gotten behind in my original 24 day plan.  So, I thought we’d play “catch-up” today with some scripture passages from Isaiah to ponder.  God promised to rescue His people, even in the midst of His anger at their rebellion.  Time and time again we see that God cannot abandon His people.  God will not abandon us, no matter how dark the road we walk may seem.  God is there in the midst of the darkness.  But sometimes, like the ancient Israelites, we are blind and deaf to Him.

Today, read through these verses proclaiming God’s rescue and salvation.  Pray that you will see the Light of God today.  Pray that you can BE the Light of God for someone today.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

There is good news
    for the city of Zion.
Shout it as loud as you can
    from the highest mountain.
Don’t be afraid to shout
to the towns of Judah,
    “Your God is here!”

 Look! The powerful Lord God
is coming
to rule
    with his mighty arm.
He brings with him
what he has taken in war,
    and he rewards his people.
 The Lord cares for his nation,
just as shepherds care
    for their flocks.
He carries the lambs
    in his arms,
while gently leading
    the mother sheep.  Isaiah 40: 9-11

When the poor and needy
are dying of thirst
    and cannot find water,
I, the Lord God of Israel,
will come to their rescue.
    I won’t forget them.

 I will make rivers flow
    on mountain peaks.
I will send streams
    to fill the valleys.
Dry and barren land
will flow with springs
    and become a lake.
 I will fill the desert
    with all kinds of trees—
cedars, acacias, and myrtles;
olive and cypress trees;
    fir trees and pines.

 Everyone will see this
    and know that I,
the holy Lord God of Israel,
    created it all.  Isaiah 41: 17-20

Before we go forward, I feel the need to go back a bit and establish a little of the historical context of the fall into exile for the people of Israel and Judah. The nation of Israel had been divided into two kingdoms; the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  The holy city of Jerusalem was part of the Southern Kingdom, and the Southern Kingdom proved to be more militarily powerful than their neighbors to the north.

Isaiah began his ministry around the year 740 B.C.  His prophecies encompassed both those living in the Northern and Southern kingdoms, as well as the neighboring/invading nations.  Isaiah lived through the fall of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria around the year 722 B.C.  By the time Israel fell, the people had undergone over 10 years of horrifically brutal physical and psychological warfare.  Those who survived the final Assyrian onslaught were exiled to places far away, and Samaria was resettled by the Assyrians.

Witnessing the destruction of the Northern Kingdom, Isaiah turned his prophecies to the south, warning Judah of the same fate which awaited them if they did not change their ways.  Although Isaiah wouldn’t live to see it, the Southern Kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonian Empire around 586 B.C.–almost 200 years after Isaiah’s prophecies!  The people of Judah lived in exile for about 50 years, until the fall of Babylon to Persia.  At this time, the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland.  However, they were still occupied by a foreign power and would remain an occupied nation for another thousand plus years.

I find it remarkable to read the ancient prophecies of Isaiah with the knowledge that the people and events Isaiah foretold did not come about for another 200 years.  And yet, God had those plans set into place.  He called king Cyrus by name, proclaiming him to be His “servant” long before there ever was a king Cyrus in the first place!  (Biblical and historical scholars might disagree with me.  I suppose this is the time when you read the fine print telling you that I have a MA in Christian Education, not Ancient Biblical History!)

Here’s the theological message I take from all of this.  1) God has a plan.  2) God has a very specific, detailed and organized plan.  3) God will follow through with His plan.  4) God will follow through with His plan in His time–not mine.  5) God will keep His promises.

Even though God’s anger burned against His people, His heart never truly left them.  The book of Isaiah is filled with God’s promises of salvation and restoration.  God knew His people would be sent away.  But He also knew that He would bring them home once more.  And if God had such a far-sighted and far-reaching plan of salvation so long ago, how can we not believe that He still has far-sighted and far-reaching plans of salvation today?

Surely, the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear… “This is my covenant,” says the LORD.  “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever.  Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”  Isaiah 59:1, 21; 60:1

Take some time in the next few days to think about where you are in your life.  What are your hopes?  Your dreams?  Where are you waiting/wanting to see the saving hand of the Lord?

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

And it will be said:

   So justice is far from us,
    and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;
    for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
 Like the blind we grope along the wall,
    feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble as if it were twilight;
    among the strong, we are like the dead.
 We all growl like bears;
    we moan mournfully like doves.
We look for justice, but find none;
    for deliverance, but it is far away.  Isaiah 59:9-11

One of my favorite Advent hymns is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.  It captures so much of the darkness and despair of a people living in exile.  But it also captures the hope-the faith-of a people who refuse to let go of their belief.  In spite of everything–the loss of their homeland, the destruction of the Temple, the enslavement of their children, the total loss of a generation–the people of Israel set their hope for a future on their Deliverer.  Isaiah spoke words of comfort to his people, words which came directly from the mouth of God:

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

Before I begin this post, let me just say that I LOVE Christmas!!  I love the joy and the hope and the promise and the peace.  I love that we celebrate salvation.  But I don’t love the commercial nature of Christmas–the shop til you drop don’t worry about the cost you’ve got all year to pay it off race to the finish with the biggest and best gift ever culture we’ve created.  So, before we rush from the dinner table to the department store this Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to stop and reflect on the true purpose of gifting during this Christmas season.  This is a post from a year ago, but, I still believe in it.

The past month and a half, my 4th grade enrichment group has been working on creating a digital narrative.  Students used an online tool to construct a multi-media slideshow presentation which featured a significant/memorable event in their lives.  Today, we had our big premiere, attended by parents, grandparents, teachers and classmates.  It was a lot of fun.  And honestly, I learned a lot.  So, here are the top ten life lessons from my 4th grade project…..

1. Creation requires chaos.  In working through the chaos, we establish order and are able to bring forth a completed work of art.  It’s kind of like dumping all of the pieces of a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle out on the table.  It takes a while to organize, but we eventually get a system worked out and are able to complete the task.

2. Not having all the answers is okay.  I’m a natural know-it-all.  I like having answers.  The problem is that when you have all the answers, you don’t engage in problem-solving.  And if you don’t engage in problem-solving, then you’re not allowing yourself to learn.  When we allow ourselves to say, “I don’t know the answer”, then we’re opening ourselves to collaboration which leads to entirely new ways of thinking and problem-solving.

3. Perfection is overrated.  Or, as fitness trainer Jillian Michaels says, “Perfection sucks!”  The reality is, no one is perfect.  Therefore, nothing we create will be perfect either, be it a project, work of art, relationship, etc….  And that’s okay, because when we allow ourselves to be rid of perfection then we are truly free to create and explore.  And on that note….

4. Seek to make mistakes.  It’s in our mistakes that we actually learn.  Making mistakes allows us to expand our thinking.  Making mistakes forces us to do some problem-solving.  Making mistakes leads us to learn.  When we make mistakes, we gain understanding, and that understanding allows us to help others who might be struggling with the same situation.

5. Ask for help.  Sometimes I think that asking for help is a sign of failure.  I have a neon bright independent streak that runs through my veins.  I say things like, “That’s okay.  I’ll figure it out.”  But really, I won’t.  I need help.  You need help.  We are created to need help.  Why do you think Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs?  Why did Paul have so many companions on his mission trips?  Because we need other people.  We need help–both to give and to receive it.  And when we ask for help, new solutions arise.  We are able to go farther and be stronger when we share the burden with someone else.  Two minds truly are better than one.  That said….

6. Don’t rush in to “fix it”.  Problem-solving is about learning and growing.  So, if we rush in and try to “fix” someone else’s problem, we’re taking away from them an opportunity for growth.  We’re robbing them of part of their journey.  So, the next time your child is struggling with that homework assignment/project, let them be for awhile.  Encourage them, support them, make them some hot chocolate and popcorn.  But let them struggle.  Let them think.  Let them problem-solve.  Let them do the work.  Let them grow.

7. Keep focused.  My oldest son is very easily distracted.  I have to confess, he gets it from his mother.  We see bright, shiny objects and are just gone.  It drives my husband and my youngest crazy.  And while I don’t think we need to have every endeavor completely planned out to the end, there needs to be something tangible we are striving towards.  Research shows that students are more successful in school when they are keeping track of their progress.  Likewise, we are more successful in our endeavors when we have something we are working toward.  And, we need to keep focused on that.  As the apostle Paul wrote, “We press on toward the goal to win the prize….”

8. Allow for flexibility.  While focus is a key component of any endeavor, I am a big believer in the fluidity of life.  Computers crash, people get sick, you have kids, the weather changes….life happens.  And so, we need to be flexible enough to change with it.  When change happens, which it will, we need to embrace it for the opportunity it is.  Not to sound like a broken record, but when we allow ourselves to be flexible then we are much better able to problem-solve which (again) leads to growth and innovation.

9. Celebrate along the journey.  While not every endeavor may end in success, it’s important to stop and celebrate along the way.  Take some time to give thanks for the work that has already been done.  Give God praise for the work He will yet do.  Give yourself a pat on the back for meeting a goal.  We always celebrate progress reports, even if they’re not “perfect”.  Those progress reports represent hard work.  And while the journey of learning is not over, it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate what has already taken place.

10.  Pray without ceasing.  Cover everything in prayer.  Prayer is a beautiful gift from God, full of promises and hope.  The day before our big project, the district’s internet connection was disrupted.  One of my students asked me what we would do if that happened during our slideshow premier.  “It won’t,” I responded.  “I’m going to pray that all runs smoothly.”  He asked me how I knew it would be okay.  “Because,” I replied.  “I believe.”

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

P.S. I was trying to think of a song that would be appropriate for this post.  I thought of Alanis Morissette’s “You Learn”.  I know, it’s not a Christian song, but God can speak through anyone, right?  Happy Friday!

Lately, I have been in the midst of a semi-midlife crisis.  I turned 37 in September and for some reason, the knowledge that I am about halfway (the Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise) through my time on this earth has really pushed me into a mental and emotional tailspin.  I find myself asking questions like:

What am I doing with my life?

Why am I not farther along a career path?

How did I go from being the head of a department to a teacher’s associate?

What happened to my potential?

Should I just give up on my dreams?

Am I a failure?  This, actually, becomes more of a statement in my mind rather than a question.

Professionally, I feel like a failure.  And the subsequent feelings of frustration and disappointment and anxiety that come with that often leave me wanting to do nothing more than curl up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and watch cheesy Hallmark Channel holiday movies all day.  I want to go into a cocoon and sleep through this phase of my life, emerging some Spring day beautifully successful and at peace doing exactly what I love and actually making a living with it without all of the frustration and angst and uncertainty of getting there.

Feelings of failure, of disappointment, of unworthiness often lead us into emotional paralysis.  We get stuck.  The Enemy worms his way into our heads and pretty soon, the voice of discouragement is all we hear.  But there’s a greater voice calling out to us.  And if we (if I) can push through all the muck in my head that keeps me feeling depressed and anxious then I can hear it.  And God my Creator– the one who said I am wonderfully made–who tells me He has counted each hair on my head–who has called me His  own while still in my mother’s womb–who will walk with me into the darkest places this life can hold–who loves me enough to give a part of Himself to me–He pulls me close and whispers to my soul,…

“You are my dearly loved child.  Listen to MY voice.  I created you with a purpose, and no purpose of MINE is a failure.  The only job you have is to be the person I created you to be–to follow ME wherever the MY path may lead.”

This song, from singer/songwriter Laura Story, speaks to the heart of what I believe.  When I get out of my own head, when I push away those voices which proclaim failure, unworthiness, not enough and focus instead on the voice of the One who has lavished His great love on me, then I am able to “Be Me”.  When I look at myself through the One who created me, I am better able to move past my feelings of disappointment and to pour myself into those tasks God has given me to do.  I find new purpose, new meaning, new hope and new thanksgiving.  In those moments when I allow God to be at the center of my being, I am able to say: “Surely, I DO SEE the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.  Jeremiah 31:2

Praying that you will see the God’s love and goodness in your life today.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

Lately, my two boys have been talking a lot about their great-grandpa C.  He’s become a mythic figure to them–someone awe inspiring and legendary.  They love sharing stories about him, especially the ones that involve great-grandpa C. doing ornery things like throwing firecrackers under a bed on which his brother-in-law was napping.

The interesting part of this is that they have never met their great-grandpa C.  He passed away well before they were born. But in our family of story-tellers, Great-Grandpa C. is as real to them as you or I would be.  He was the nucleus which held our small family together.  And although he is gone, his legacy lives on into a new generation, teaching them as he taught us about the importance of love, faith, generosity and courage.

I read a recent article in Good Housekeeping magazine which talked about the importance of sharing stories with our children. New research shows us that family stories passed down through the generations do more than entertain.  Our shared stories, both good and bad, have the power to connect, unite, shape and mold us.  Our family stories instruct us and ground us and remind us of who we are.  We have the ability to learn and grow through the lives of others who may have passed on long before our time.

My dad is a natural born storyteller.  I remember, even as a little girl, being swept away by the tales of his childhood.  Family “characters” came to life in my imagination through his words.  Although I never actually met all of those mythic figures who helped shape my father into the man he is, I carry them each inside me in the form of the stories my father told.

Because of my father’s stories, I know of the strength and spirit of my great-grandmother who left an abusive marriage in a time when divorce was unheard of and remarried a man 10 years her junior who shared her same indomitable spirit.   And the knowledge that such spirit flows through my blood strengthens me in times of weakness.

Because of my father’s stories and my own experiences, I know of the unshakable faith and courage of my grandfather who always trusted in God’s provision, whose last words to me were, “I’ll see you when I wake up, or I’ll see you in heaven.”  I know that the faith he held from which his courage came is also a part of me.  And so, in my moments of fear, I think of my grandfather and he still gives me hope.

Because of my mother’s stories, I know of the extraordinary women I come from–women who cast off traditional roles and forged independent lives of their own.  I know of these women who looked at a world in which women had few choices and yet, who decided to blaze new paths for themselves and their daughters and granddaughters to follow.  And even though I didn’t know them, their independence inspires me to dream big dreams for my own life and the lives of my children.

When I think back to our family stories, I am filled with so many things.  There is joy, as well as sorrow.  There is love, as well as loss.  There is strength in the midst of fear and courage in the midst of great obstacles.  But above all, there is faith and hope and love.

And this, I think, is the true power of the stories we share as Christians.  Those timeless stories found in the pages of Scripture which have been passed down from generation to generation.  Those stories of God’s people, of our greater family, which remind us of where we come from–of WHO we come from–and all the promises that are ours to keep and hold and see made manifest in our lives.

They are stories to instruct, to enrich, to strengthen, to ground, to unite and to hold together.  And although our stories, both from our earthly families and our faith families, are a gift, some of them might not be good.  They might be ugly.  They might hurt.  They might make us uncomfortable.  But those stories of human failing and frailty are the stories that have the most power to redeem.  For in looking at our mistakes, at the mistakes of those who have gone before, we learn to forgive.  We learn redemption.

As we approach this holiday of Thanksgiving, I hope that you will spend some time sharing some of those family stories that have helped to shape you.  Pass them onto the next generation.  Let them know where they come from.  Show them all that they hold within them.

I love this song by Sara Groves.  It goes to the heart of the power of stories to strengthen and mold us.  It’s called, “When the Saints.”  We are part of a great legacy of hope.  May we seek to pass it on to the people who come after us.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

I’m ashamed to admit that gratitude is something I take for granted.  In the midst of the comings and goings and doings of life, there is much I forget and disregard and feel entitled to.  I don’t get up each morning and thank God for health.  I don’t drive to work each day thanking God for a job.  I don’t sit down with my plain Greek yogurt for lunch thanking God for having food to eat.  And, I’m not always grateful for my children.  It’s not that I am ungrateful, or that I don’t thank God for things–I just don’t make a lifestyle of it.  And that is something I need to do.

This song, from one of my favorite Christian groups, reminds me of the need and beauty of making gratitude a lifestyle choice.  It’s called “Sacred” by Caedmon’s Call.

I think living a lifestyle of gratitude involves more than just saying “I’m grateful for…” or even feeling the emotion of gratitude.  I think a lifestyle of gratitude involves an entire shift in perspective and focus.  I think it involves letting go of everything we think we need/desire/want/aspire to/dream of and simply embracing and living and reveling in the sacred moment that is the present.  It’s saying, “I’m here.  God’s here.  We’re okay.”

A lifestyle of gratitude is jumping into each day with both feet, following the current wherever God leads, being ready to serve and give and love with all that we are.

A lifestyle of gratitude involves accepting the fact that life is not always beautiful or clean or holy or praiseworthy, but still committing to hope.  It’s acknowledging the Light that is present even in the midst of our deepest darkness.  And sometimes, living a lifestyle of gratitude means walking into someone else’s darkness and bringing them that Light.

A lifestyle of gratitude is something I aspire to.  God and I have a lot of work to do in order to get there, but I am making progress each and every day.  And the fact that God would keep chiseling away is something I am truly grateful for.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara