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Every once in a while, when I am doing my devotions, God places a verse on my heart that not only speaks to me, but lingers on in my mind for days.  Saturday was one of those times.  I was reading in Luke chapter 1 and when I came to the second part  of verse 17, my heart leaped inside me.

Luke 1:17 in The New Living Translation reads:

“He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

In this verse, Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, is telling Zechariah about the son he and his his wife Elizabeth would be blessed with.  A son that they had spent many years praying for. He is speaking of John The Baptist. But what really stuck out to me in this verse was the part “…He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children.”  We live in a day in age where approx 1/3 of children living in the United States are being raised without their father in the home.  How sad is that!  And how sad is my heart that my three children are among that statistic.  Now please understand, I am not here to pass judgement on fathers who do not live in the same house as their children, because honestly there could be many reason for this and I am sure it was not a choice for every father in this position.  However, as I can testify in my own life and in the lives of many women I know who are now raising their children as single-mom’s, many times, it seems as if the hearts of fathers have  turned away from their children.  One of the tactics the enemy loves to use is to get us to focus on our happiness more than our holiness. To think more about how we want our lives to be, rather than to think about how our choices might affect others.  The more we focus on ourselves, the more our heart grows cold to others, because we can’t see past our own desires and wants.

Recently, my children had a rather rough visit with their dad.  One that left them hurt and wondering why they seemed so unimportant to their dad.  The more he pushed his own agenda, the less loved they felt.  As a mom, having to pick up the pieces of something like that is hard.  What is harder is trying to explain it to your children in a way that doesn’t crush them or create more anger towards their father than they already have.  Honestly, I spent a week feeling crushed by what happened  I was so angry.  How could anyone treat their own children this way?! How can anyone be this selfish?! I don’t like to feel that way, I don’t like feeling angry, but I felt so helpless. How do you make a father care about their children more than they care about themselves?  How do you show them the hurt they are causing?  Truth: You can’t, but The Holy Spirit can.  That is exactly what God reminded me of as I read that verse.

John The Baptist, was filled with the Holy Spirit from before he was even born (Luke 1:15). In that power, he walked and prepared the way for Jesus. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that changes the hearts of men.

I was challenged after I read this passage.  Challenged to not only pray for the heart of my children’s dad, but for all those fathers that have allowed their hearts to grow cold toward their children. To pray that The Holy Spirit would bring conviction, would reveal the truth of the condition of their hearts, that He would show these father’s clearly the hurt that they are causing their children and that He would do what only He can do and  ..turn the hearts of fathers back to their children.

PS If you have someone in your life that needs prayer for a changed heart towards their children, I would love to pray for them.  You can contact me here or on facebook

A few weeks ago as I was going through some things in my room I came across an old journal.  As I flipped through it I found something I had written about looking at things through the eyes of a child.  I had written about a comment my daughter, around 2 or 3 at the time, had made when she woke up and looked out side one morning.  It was one of those gloomy days where clouds covered the sky and it looked as if it was going to rain.  I was tired, and looked outside feeling rather depressed. I went into my daughter’s room as she was waking up and when she looked outside, she saw something completely different.  She said to me,

“What a beautiful day mommy, look at all the clouds, now we can jump from cloud to cloud today.”

How could you not smile at that?  Kids often have a way of helping us to change our perspective.

Reading through that got me thinking about how important our perspective is.  We always have a choice in our life as to how we choose to look at things.  This is especially important when it comes to trouble and problems.

In her devotional Jesus Calling, author Sarah Young puts it like this:

“If you encounter a problem with no immediate solution, your response to that situation will take you either up or down. You can lash out at the difficulty, resenting it and feeling sorry for yourself. This will take you down into a pit of self-pity. Alternatively, the problem can be a ladder, enabling you to climb up and see your life from My perspective. Viewed from above, the obstacle that frustrated you, was only a light and momentary trouble. Once your perspective has been heightened, you can look away from the problem all together. Turn toward Me and see the light of My presence shining upon you”

I don’t about you, but I like the idea of climbing the ladder rather than ending up in a pit of self-pity! As we go through trials and circumstances in our life, the way we look at them can bring life or death, joy or despair.  So why not choose to look at things from God’s perspective by turning your face toward Him and allowing His Presence to be the perspective changer!

Overwhelmed!  We have all been there.  When there is too much month left and not enough money, or there is too much stuff left to be done and not enough hours to do it in, or there are just too many kids to just one you, ok that last one is a bit of a joke, but there is an element of truth as well.

One of the hardest thing about being a single parent, is that everything usually falls to you.  When all 3 kids are screaming for help with their homework as you try to get dinner ready, there is no option to say..”go ask your father.”  When the car breaks down or the toilet is plugged, the lawn mower breaks, or you have 2 kids that have to go in different directions and there is only you, it can be really, really, overwhelming.

Honestly, this is just how I have felt lately.  There has been a lot going on in my life and to be honest, I have felt a bit overwhelmed.  Between,  physical problems one of my kids is going through that require x-rays and frequent chiropractor. appts, spring cleaning that needs to be done, yard work that is looming, working, car trouble and managing to pay bills, cook dinner, clean and buy groceries, some days, I just don’t know where to turn first.

When those days, come, at times, I start to get angry, I start to feel resentful. I yell at God, “this isn’t fair!  Why do I have all these responsibilities,  why is all of this on me.  This was supposed to be a job for 2 people and I am stuck trying to do it all on my own! Don’t you care God that I am tired, and frustrated?  Don’t you care that I am overwhelmed?”

I know, sounds like a whiny temper tantrum doesn’t it? and you’re right, it is. But sometimes, we just get to the end of our rope and  all that frustration comes out!  So what do we do at that point, what do we do when we are overwhelmed to the point of frustration?

Well I think that answer is different for everyone, and you need to find what works for you but there are some things that I think help all of us.

Spend time each morning with God. 

Ok, right now you are thinking…I already don’t have enough time in my day and you want me to take some of it to sit alone with God. YES! The truth is, taking even 10 minutes in the morning to come before the Lord, will actually help you to get more done in a day than if you didn’t. Choosing to set our focus on the One person who can actually help us through our day no matter what is the best way to help us when we feel overwhelmed.

Ask for Help

This one is particularly hard for me.  I am not a fan of having to ask anyone for help. If I want or need something done, I like to do it myself.  But the truth is that parenting and running a household was meant to be a 2 person job and at times, you are going to need help.  So don’t be afraid to ask for help from a friend, family member, or your church family.

Prioritize 

Sometimes when there is a lot of things going on in your life at, it causes you to feel like everything needs to be done at once.  Rarely is that actually the case.  So prioritize.  Honestly, if something has to get left undone, it is probably not the end of the world.  Find the thing you need to do next and do it. Then go onto the next thing.  Take one thing at a time.  Don’t beat yourself up about what you aren’t able to get done. If the sun is shining and your kids want you to be outside with them, let that laundry sit another day and take the time to spend with your kids.  There will always be laundry.

Cry Out To God

No matter what, there are always going to come those days when we are just overwhelmed.  When we just want to run away or go to bed and pull the covers over our head and hide.  In those moments, cry out to God!  He is your father, He loves you, and He understands.  Get it all out, tell him how you feel and then rest in Him.  Often I will go up to my room and put on some worship music and just sit for a minute listening, reminding myself of who God is and allowing myself to be encouraged by the words.  The most important thing when we are overwhelmed is not to let ourselves get into a pit of despair.  Prayer, praise, and meditating on God’s word are sure-fire ways to avoid that.

The most important thing to remember when those overwhelmed days come is: God does care, He does understand, He does see you, He knows that you are struggling and He is ready, willing, and able to help! He will not let you fall! You are never alone!

Isaiah 41:10  
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

1 Peter 5:7
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 

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Yesterday was a snow day for my kids.  And although I still had to work, once we got home, my boys and I went outside for some fun. Where we live, it is usually snowy all winter long, but this year, for some reason, the weather decided to throw us a curve ball and we had virtually no snow all winter long.  For a family of snowboarders(and 1 skier) this was not much fun.  But yesterday even though it has seemed that spring had sprung, winter decided to make a return and we took advantage of it.

As I was outside waiting for my boys to come out, I laid down in the snow and made a snow angel.  While I was laying there, I started to think about all the wonderful things that kids do that as an adult, I still love to do.

Making snow angels and sledding, picking dandelions and making wishes, playing hide-n-seek, jumping in leaves, skipping rocks across a still pond, laying back and watching the clouds.  I still love to do all these things.  And truth be told, I would have made that snow angel whether my boys were coming outside or not.  I just enjoy doing it.

As we get older, for some reason, something inside wants to tell us that we need to be more mature and should no longer play like a child.  But honestly, I don’t like that!  There is a happiness that comes from doing simple things like looking at the clouds.  There is a peace that comes from doing nothing more than enjoying God’s creation.

In the hustle and bustle of adult life, of responsibilities, and work, and bills, we allow ourselves to grow old and put aside the things that are considered childish. And while doing that is good in some aspects, when we do that in regards to play, we we miss out on so much.  Not only on a chance to connect with our kids, but on a chance to remember what it is like to be a kid.  To let go of all the things that we stress and worry about and for those few moments just enjoy the world that God created.  To me, this kind of play gives us a glimpse of heaven.

I vowed to myself long ago, that I would never allow myself to grow too old to play like a kid. So if life seems dull and you have lost that wonder that you see in the eyes of your children, take a few minutes and make a snow angel or lay back and watch the clouds.  Remember what it felt like to be a kid and just enjoy the moment.

Over the past few weeks, my life has seemed to be over run with a lot of craziness. Between sick kids, a son with a fractured foot, the muffler falling off my car and being sick myself, I really started to feel overwhelmed.  As a single-mom, being overwhelmed is nothing new, but there are times when you really start to question how you are going to get through.  When those times come, it is no surprise that you begin to ask why.  Why is this happening, why do I have to do all this by myself, why, why, why?  I was at that point, so when my kids finally got to school and I had a few minutes to myself, I sat down on the floor and cried.  I sat there and just poured my heart out to God telling him just how I felt. When my tirade had finished, as I sat there thinking about this, I felt like God was asking me why?…why was I worried about all of this, did I remember who He was?  He had everything under control, all I needed to do was trust him! The phrase came into my mind, don’t worry about the why, trust the Who.

The truth is we don’t need to worry about why things are happening when we remember Who is in control of everything that happens! We need to remember Who God is!

The Psalms are a great place to go and be reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of God and Who HE is..

Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths  for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.You anoint my head with oil;   my cup overflows.
 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. “

Psalm 46:1-2  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,”

Psalm 48:14 “For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”

Psalm 54:4  “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”

Psalm 62:7-8  “My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

 Psalm 68:19 “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens”

Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Psalms 84:11-12 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.”

Of Course the whole Bible is full of promises and reminders, it is there we should turn when we begin to feel overwhelmed and worrying causes us to temporarily forget Who God is.

So when you get to the point where you are worrying about why, remember the Who. The One who is in control, the One who is sovereign, the One who loves you with a never-ending love.  Remember the Who and trust Him.

Have you ever faced a time in your life where you felt like you just didn’t know how to move forward?  Maybe you just went through something traumatic and no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t seem to get past it and go on with your life.  Or, maybe you just felt stuck and did’t know how to proceed.  Perhaps that is the season you are in right now.  You try to find the way ahead and you just can’t seem to do it. You feel lost and alone.

I have been there.  I remember when my husband first left and I was faced with the sudden change of being alone, feeling like my life had just been ripped away from me and having to face raising 3 kids as a single-mom.  I had no idea how on earth to move forward.  Every time I thought about going on without the love of my life, the person I trusted with my heart,  I just broke down.  I felt lost and alone and thought I would never be able to get past this. It was then I cried out to God begging him to tell me how to move on, how to move forward in this pain. His response to my cry was that  I didn’t have to move forward, I just needed to move over.  Move over?  What on earth does that mean? Well it actually means just that.  MOVE OVER…then let God take the lead and show you where He wants you to go. He understands everything we are going through and He knows the path that He has planned for us.  Now that felt like something I could do.  With all the responsibilities I was facing, how refreshing it was to be able to say, ok God, you lead the way.  All I had to do was be willing to follow him.  I also realized that I wasn’t going alone, I was moving on with the true love of my life…Jesus..and it was in Him that I could truly place my trust without ever having to worry that he would leave.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 NLT

God already has a plan and a purpose for everything that happens in our life, and we know that his plans for us are good.

^“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

So if today, you feel like you can’t move forward, like you can’t possibly go on from where you are, just Move Over and let God take the lead.  All you need to do, is what you were created to do anyway follow Him!

Here we are, Valentine’s Day again.  And maybe this morning, all you wanted to do was hide under the covers and not even think about it.  Personally, I have never liked Valentine’s Day, whether I was single or not.  To me it just seemed such a sad thing to put one day aside to show people you love them…shouldn’t we do that every day???

But regardless, today I wanted to take a minute to let you know something that perhaps, in the craziness of the life of a single-mom, you have forgotten.  YOU ARE LOVED!

It’s true!  Did you know that you have the most amazing valentine that anyone could ever ask for?

Well let me tell you a bit about him,

He loved you from before you were born, even before the creation of the world.
He knows everything about you, the good, the bad, the ugly and He loves you anyway.
He loves you at your worst and at your best
He loves you in such a way that he even knows the number of hairs on your head
He gave up everything, including his own son, so He could be with you forever and
nothing, Nothing, NOTHING can separate you from His love.*

Wow, someone actually loves me like that?  YES! God does and He has shown us all this through Jesus.

Romans 5:8  ^“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

And all of these words aren’t something out of a card, they are truths, promises that God has given us in His Word.

Maybe today, you didn’t receive a Valentine’s Day card, or flowers, or candy but in truth you have something far better.  You have an entire book(The Bible) reminding you of how much you are loved.  You have greatest gift ever given to you, JESUS, and you will have the sweet hugs and kisses from those little miracles you were blessed with that made you the best thing you could be, a mom.

So get out from under those covers, and boldly declare today, YOU ARE LOVED! then show all those around you the same love!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

*Bible references: Ephesians 1:4, Psalm 139, Luke 12:7, John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39

Waiting.  If you are anything like me, waiting is not something you enjoy, especially when the waiting isn’t in a situation that you want to be in.  However, regardless of whether we enjoy where we are or not, God has a plan and a purpose in our waiting and often  that may involve him training us to step into the future he has for us.  God gives us a vision or a dream and while we want to run out and do it our way and in our strength,  God has a different idea.  He wants us to let him take the lead so that he can prepares us.  God-given dreams and/or visions are best handled God’s way and in His timing.

We see this often in The Bible. We read about God giving a dream, vision, or promise to someone and then the recipient needs to to go through a time of preparation before God makes it a reality.  Abraham and Sarah waiting to have a child is one of the first stories that comes to my mind.  Abraham was 100 years old when he finally held Isaac in his arms, the child God had promised him so many years before. But my  favorite “waiting” story has to be the story of Joseph.  It has always been one of my favorite Old Testament stories but I don’t think I ever appreciated the depth of the story until I found myself in one of the most difficult waiting periods of my life. There are so many things that we can learn about waiting on God from this story so let’s look at a few of them.

1. God is sovereign in the darkness

Joseph was 17 years old when he had dreams that showed him a hint of what God had in store for him.  I am sure Joseph was excited, we see a glimpse of his excitement, and perhaps even a bit of youthful arrogance, as he recounts his dreams to his brothers and father in Genesis 37.
So Joseph has a couple of dreams pointing to his future and it often makes me wonder what was going through his mind.  I mean he probably felt on top of the world.  After all, he was his father’s favorite son, walking around in a beautiful coat his father had made especially for him, he was strong and handsome, and now he was being shown dreams of his family bowing down to him.  Sounds like things are pretty good for Joseph.  I am sure he was not expecting his life to take the turn it then took.  Starting in vs 12 of Genesis 37, we see that the next thing that happens to Joseph is that he ends up in a pit and then, is sold into slavery, all at the hands of his jealous brothers.  Well, looks like God’s plan is on hold, or is it?  What we come to realize in the story of Joseph, as we often come to realize in our own lives as well, is that sometimes when God gives us a dream or a vision he then brings us into a dark time, a time of total dependence on Him, a time of training and preparation.  In Psalm 139:16 we read that God has planned every day of our life.  Nothing happens except through him and by his will. So wait, that means that God knew that Joseph was going to be sold into slavery and allowed it to happen? Yes! Joseph himself reveals this truth in Genesis 45.  We read in verse 5, and 7-8 that Joseph tells his brothers not to worry, it was not them that sent him to Egypt, it was God.  He even goes on in Genesis 50:20 to tell us why.

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 NLT 

We see in the story of Joseph a clear picture of the sovereignty of God.  Nothing is out of his control and he often brings about his purposes in ways that are beyond our understanding at the time.

Ok so we know that God is sovereign even in the darkness, nothing happens unless he allows it, but does he just send us there and leave us?  Absolutely not!  That brings us to our next point….

2. God is with us in the darkness

As we read on in the story of Joseph in Genesis 39, we see he is brought to Egypt and bought by Potiphar,  the captain of the guard.  The bible clearly tells us in vs 2  that the Lord was with Joseph. Not only was He with him, but Joseph prospered and so did the household of his master on account of Joseph.  This was noticed by Potiphar, he realized that God gave Joseph success in everything that he did so he then made him his attendant and put him in charge of his household and all that he owned.

At this point, things are looking up for Joseph.  He  runs Potiphar’s house with such precision that we are told in vs 6 his master didn’t have to worry about anything.

Then, a storm strikes Joseph again.  He is wrongfully accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown in prison.  Yet, the bible clearly tells us in vs 21 that the Lord was WITH Joseph.  Even in that dungeon, Joseph was being looked after by God and found favor in the eyes of the prison warden.  What a great reminder to us that regardless of where we are, God is with us!

Now I am sure that Joseph may have been content in Potiphar’s household, he was obviously very successful.   I am sure being sent to prison was not on his agenda, but God had bigger plans for Joseph.

Sometimes, we can’t understand why something tragic happens just when things seem to be going good in our life, we have a good marriage, a career, a nice house etc. then out of nowhere the rug is pulled out from under us and we begin to tumble down into darkness.  At those times we must remember God’s ways are not our ways, His plans are higher than ours(Isaiah 55:8-9). He loves us more than we can imagine and even if we don’t understand how or when, we know that He works everything that happens in our life for good(Romans 8:28).  God is with us each step of the way in darkness too, so all we need to do is focus our eyes on him, trust him and in faith, follow Him.

3. Keep hope alive

Now Joseph is in prison and those teenage dreams must have seemed light years away. However, God was at work.  Two servants from Pharoah’s household end up in prison with Joseph, the cupbearer and the baker.  Each has a dream and God gives Joseph the interpretations of those dreams.  Joseph tells the cupbearer that in 3 days Pharoah is going to restore him to his position, and he asks him to remember him.  I am sure at this point Joseph is excited, he is probably thinking, finally, I am going to get out of this prison. But, the cupbearer does not remember Joseph.

I can’t imagine how painful that must have been for Joseph. After it seemed like for sure the end was near, he has to wait even longer.  Maybe that has happened to you. You are in the middle of bad circumstances when in the darkness you think you see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Time goes on and what you thought was the end was just a bend in the tunnel and a new stretch of darkness looms ahead of you.  What do we do when that happens? How do we go on?  The same way Joseph did. We keep hope alive by remembering that God is in control no matter how dark things look.  We remember that not only is He sovereign in darkness, but He is with us no matter where we are and He has a plan and a purpose in everything.

Two years go by with Joseph still in prison.  Pharaoh, the ruler of all Egypt, has two consecutive dreams and he is very disturbed by them.  He sends for all the magicians in Egypt but none of them can interpret the dreams for him.  It is then that the cupbearer remembers Joseph and how he interpreted the dreams of himself and the baker.  He tells Pharaoh about Joseph and on Pharaoh’s orders Joseph is brought before him.    At this point, we see how much Joseph, now 30 years old, has grown, not only in age, but in wisdom.  When Pharaoh asks Joseph to tell him what his dreams mean Joseph replies,

” I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” Genesis 41:16

Here we see that Joseph is completely reliant on God, he recognizes that apart from God, he can do nothing! We see a young man who has been through success and trials yet never lost sight of the fact that God was ultimately in control of his life.  What a change from the 17 year old that was all to eager to announce his dreams to his brothers and father.

Pharaoh himself recognized that the spirit of God was in Joseph. He knew that it was God who had revealed the mystery of his dreams to Joseph and in seeing all of this, he knows of no one better to place in charge than Joseph.  In verse 40 of Genesis 41 we read this:

“You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Wow, that is a lot of responsibility and power.  Thankfully, Joseph has learned to rely on God in all things.

That brings us to our last point,

4. Waiting=training

God had big plans for Joseph.   He gave Joseph the vision, but God also knew that Joseph needed to get ready for the future He had planned for him.  In his devotion titled “Visions Becoming Reality” from His book: My Utmost For His Highest Oswald Chambers writes:

“God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience…. God has to take us into the valley and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the point where He can trust us with the reality of the vision.”

From the moment Joseph entered that pit, he was in training.  Training to one day lead all of Egypt.  By the time God places Joseph before Pharoah, Joseph is ready.  He has learned to completely rely on God, he has learned that he can do nothing apart from God and he has learned perseverance, trusting that even when dark times come, God is sovereign and never leaves him.

So today, if God has given you a dream or a vision and then has led you into a season of waiting, draw close to him, learn from him and remember, He loves you more than you can imagine, He is sovereign even in darkness, He will never leave you and He will bring about his purpose for your life through the waiting.

One of the things I most love about the story of Joseph is this: one day Joseph was in a prison and the next day he was in a palace, one day he was a slave and the next a ruler, one moment he was in rags and the next, dressed like a king. Wherever you may be right now, whatever season of waiting you may be in, remember the story of Joseph and let God have His way and lead you into the future He planned for you from before you were born.

Our vehicles-we depend on them every day to get us where we need to go and to get us there safely.  To keep them dependable and safe they require some upkeep(some more than others!) You have to get your oil changed so your engine will run properly, have your brakes checked, and so on.  Keeping up on these things can seem like a hassle  at times, but in the long run it will save you money and hopefully help to prevent bigger issues that can be disastrous.  One of these things is wheel alignment.  It isn’t somethng that we probably think about, but something that if left unattended can cause some pretty hefty problems.  Your vehicle is designed for its tires to be in alignment.   However, something as small as hitting a pothole can knock your car out of alignment.  When I googled the definition of car alignment, I found that it is defined as “.. .adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the car maker’s specifications.” Wikipedia

If the angles are not set properly, you vehicle can experience issues such as pulling to one side, poor gas mileage, and uneven tire wear.  When left unattended, this can be come a costly issue as it can ruin your tires long before their time.  So instead of spending maybe $10-$12 per tire to have your vehicle aligned, you could be look at hundreds of dollars in new tires.

The same thing holds true in our spiritual walk.  We need to keep our life aligned to our Maker’s specifications.  We travel down the road of life, hitting bumps and potholes and our alignment gets knocked off.  Before we know it we can be veering to the left or to the right and if left unchecked, we could end up with a problem far more costly than we ever imagined.  So the key is to check our alignment and correct it before the problem gets severe.

This weekend, I had a bad weekend.  I was angry and frustrated.  I started focusing on the circumstances in my life that I didn’t like and just felt more hurt and more angry.  Then as if to add insult to injury, I received confirmation of news that in my heart I had known for a while, but still didn’t want to think about.  I was questioning God and asking why?  To try and get my mind off things, I decided to watch a movie I had been wanting to watch but just hadn’t found the time.  The movie was  War Room.  (You can click on it to watch the trailer.)  During one scene, Elizabeth, the young wife in the story is listening to her husband question why she has been treating him with love when he had basically been a complete jerk,  why she hadn’t left when she knew that he had nearly cheated on her.  She says something to her husband that really hit home.  She said, “Because I love Jesus, I am staying right here”  In that moment, I started to realize, I am out of alignment.  I was focusing on what I didn’t like, rather than focusing where I should, on Jesus.  I was spending my time complaining about things rather than having a heart of gratitude for all He has done for me even though I didn’t deserve anything.  I was more concerned about what I wanted in my life than what I was created for-“to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him” (as answered by question 4 of The New City Catechism.)  Jesus lived for me, he died for me, and he rose for me, so that I could live a life aligned with my Maker. How can I do anything less than live my life for Him?  I spent this morning asking for forgiveness and asking God to preform the alignment I so desperately needed.

So maybe today, as the title suggests, ask yourself when your last alignment was, and then allow God to set you straight according to His specifications.

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” John 12:46 ESV

“Through the heartfelt mercies of our God,
    God’s Sunrise will break in upon us,
Shining on those in the darkness,
    those sitting in the shadow of death,
Then showing us the way, one foot at a time,
    down the path of peace.” Luke 1:79 MSG

Darkness, not the kind that we see at night, but the kind we see when our world comes crashing down and all of the sudden it is as if everything that shined into our life is covered with debris that blocks any light from coming in.  We feel like we have been thrown in a pit, sealed in and left for dead.  Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever thought that light would never return?   Maybe you are there now…sitting in darkness.

I think we have all been there at some point in our lives, or maybe it seems like a place we visit far more than we want.  The thing to remember when we get into those places, is that there is no pit too deep, no cavern too dark, no debris too thick that the light of Christ can’t shine through and reach us, lift us, and carry us.

Just over two yeas ago, my life was utterly shaken and I felt that I was thrown into the deepest pit imaginable and sealed with a cover nobody could lift. But, as I tumbled down into darkness, instead of finding a hard, cold, stone floor, I found safe, warm, secure, arms; the arms of Jesus.  Through all this time and each day, even though much in my circumstances has not changed, I can truly say, out of this darkness, I have seen the beauty and light of Jesus in a way like never before.

My hope is that through this blog, sharing some of my journey with you, I will help you to know that you are not alone, and encourage you that God can bring something beautiful out of darkness.