Have you settled for less?

The leaves are gently falling to the ground and softly settling under our trees and it is beautiful. This weekend I learned a lesson about settling and it was ugly.

My second born has always been handy, she’s a fixer, a peacemaker and problem solver. Maybe that’s why the colleges and the Armed Forces keep calling nonstop. When my scissors, glue, foil or anything else is missing, I usually find it in her room. She fashioned a way to turn off her light with string and a pulley so she wouldn’t have to get out of a nice warm bed to do it. Who needs a Clapper? She was 9.

This weekend we hung out on Saturday evening. The lights in my room had been less than stellar for months, and I got used to the substandard. I mentioned it to Hannah and within moments, it was fixed. This is how she rolls.

We found a beloved necklace I hadn’t worn in years because the chain got horribly knotted. She asked about it, and 15 minutes later placed it on my neck. I settled for not wearing it again after futile attempts at the chain. I did not ask the fixer. We came across a lovely silver bracelet I stopped wearing because it tarnished badly. I tried jewelry cleaner but it didn’t help so I settled into the habit of not wearing it.

Hannah grabbed her silver saddle polish and shined it to the glimmer it had when I bought it in Mexico 10 years ago. My jewelry was in disarray. I needed a way to hang some bracelets, “Leave it to me mom, I got this.” In moments, I had a super solution. The fixer was at it again.

I went to bed thinking of the things, I had settled for that were substandard and easily fixed by the right person with the proper tools. They were fixed quickly and efficiently. I pondered the time I spent bemoaning their lack in my life or my frustration over them. How quickly I settled for less than perfect.

Was settling a result of Apathy? Fear? Fatigue?

Had my tendency to settle on small things carried over into more significant areas? I thought of my spiritual life and my ministry and a variety of other ways I settled instead of taking this issue to the true FIXER- God! How many opportunities did I miss? How does settling hinder me?

Our pastor today ironically (or not) talked about Satan telling us lies and how when we believe them, we change. When we lose sight of the truth and how God defines us, we allow ourselves to be falsely defined by others and ourselves.

Does settling mean we are not worth more or that we have enough? We are worth dying for. Can we ever have enough Jesus? Can we ever have enough Grace or Mercy?

My prayer today is that none of us would “settle” especially in our spiritual life. If you are struggling, take it to the fixer…he’s the Creator after all and has the blueprints for…well….everything.

POINT TO PONDER: Have you settled? Have you been hindered? Is there something in your life that needs fixed – something material or spiritual? Can you find the right person to help it get fixed? Is there something heart related you can turn over to the Lord in prayer?

What I Learned at Camp w/Ladies of Mt. Carmel

Greetings!

Well its been a week and I am detoxing from the sugar shock brought on by the Sweet Ladies of Mount Carmel (CARAMEL) Presbyterian Church in Aliquippa.

What a blessed time with my new sweet sisters. Such a loving eclectic group of ladies. I am now taking bookings for the Mt. Okra or Mt. Broccoli Church. It was subliminal CARAMEL cravings all weekend! Sweet describes the weekend in every sense of the word. I learned a lot at camp. Several blogs to follow were born during my time with them and with Thee ~ the Anchor of my soul. But here is just a glimpse of what I learned this time:

1.Fog can make some things clearer.

2.Scrabble champs are not humble just ask June!

3.Some gals aren’t afraid of snakes and even great grandmas can zip-line.

4.God can bring an eclectic group of gals and make them sisters in 48 hours.

5.Do not book groups with Carmel in the name…its bad for your waistline.

6.They are from Mt. Carmel for a reason: Caramel Dip, Caramel Bark, Caramel Chocolates…..

7.You can never have enough Kayaks or Judi’s salted caramel Bark.

8.Good things come in 3’s especially Connie’s and Amy’s.

9.Gnats are not good in a cheering section but I hear they are low Calorie- good thing.

10.Chippies love church too!

But the Anchoring truth remains the same ~ that Jesus is the Anchor of our souls. He loves us more than words can express. He grows us through our hurts. He heals our Hardened Hearts and if our HOPE is in Him, we will not be tossed in the stormy seas of this life. Drop Anchor with the one who can steady your Soul.

Point to Ponder: What is something you learned at camp or a retreat? A nugget that you squirreled down deep in your heart? Share it with us!

Ode to Mother’s Day….

Surprise 75th Bday Party. No one messes with her hair!

While going through several decades of mementos this weekend (centuries? Found stuff dating back to the 1830’s) I found this Mother’s Day poem that Ann Lee Schlegel wrote for her mom. As I sat on the back porch reading it, I thought how perfect it was for a mother’s day post…so let me share it with you.

To My Mother

I’m writing this in school and though you are not near;

Your face is still before me always Mother Dear;

I love you very much all though you may not know;

For there are many , many things that one just cannot show.

I’ve hurt you many time, I’ve seen it in your eyes;

And yet I’ve found a mother’s love never dies.

You have always taught me to do right, though often I have strayed;

And when I’ve really done a wrong, in your heart you’ve paid,

It’s church on Sunday morning, League on Sunday night;

And with the passing of the years, you’ve made me see the light.

The light that quenches all our fears and turns our doubts to love.

The light that God shed on our way from heaven up above.

So he put them here on earth we just call ours “mum”.

When I’ve laughed you’ve laughed and when I’ve cried you’ve cried.

And when I’ve told you all my hopes your pride you’ve tried to hide.

I’m just an average girl, no better than the others,

Yet one thing I know, I’ve got the best of mothers.

In closing I would like to say what’s often said before;

That as the days and years go by, I love you more and more.

Your loving daughter,

AnnLee Snowden (Now AnnLee Schlegel – My mum)

So on this mother’s day – decades later…I say “Back at ya Mum” I love you more and more!

POINT TO PONDER: What is your favorite Memory of your MOM:

BLESS A BUDDY! – Retreat Scholarship Give-a-way!

Bless a Buddy Contest!

FREE Registration GIVE-a-WAY for the Anchoring our Souls Retreat at Seneca Hills!

April 19 – 21, 2013
Friday 5:00 PM – Sunday 1:00 PM

Kissed by the Creator is offering a scholarship to the Anchoring our Souls Retreat! Do you have a buddy you would like to bring but finances are an issue? Well nominate your buddy to win the “Bless a Buddy” scholarship. All you have to do is write a comment below about why your buddy is special and why you want them to come to the retreat!

Here is an opportunity to Be a Blessing w/o it costing you a thing but a little time! (Prize is transferable for one registration for the Women’s Spring 2013 Retreat! – $90 Cash Value)

This weekend will encourage and equip women to ANCHOR their Soul in Christ. It’s a weekend to focus on the true value and worth of a woman. How we are a treasure to God and how to remember and live this truth out even when those around us don’t see us that way. We will discuss Hope, Healing our hearts and a variety of other truth tools that will enable us become tethered more tightly to our Savior.

For more information or to register: http://www.senecahills.com/#/conferences/womens-spring-retreat

Under conference tab: Select the Womens Spring Retreat!

Registration is limited! Call today! 814-432-3026

ENTER The “BLESS A BUDDY” contest below by commenting on why your Buddy is a blessing and /or why you want to bless them with a girls weekend @ Anchoring our Souls! Winner will be drawn April 8^th!

Wonderful Winter and Fancy Frost

My nose hairs froze the other day. Yes, I kid you not. It is possible. I had to rub my nose to get it unstuck. My swimmer girls also have dealt with Crunchy frozen hair coming out of practice. I wondered if it would break off if it got cold enough but they wouldn’t let me try it when I reached for the pony tail.

But the really cool (no pun intended) thing I saw was this fleecy feathery pattern of ice on the window. It reminded me of something from chemistry class. There were these intricate crystals that were all linked together and my first thought was a rhyme about Jack Frost. I marveled and took in the delicate beauty and gave the credit to the creator of the cold and the frost. I wondered what caused those patterns on every window block to be different, because basically it was the same window surface.

“By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.” ~ Job 37:10

Window frost, is also called fern frost or ice flowers ~ how cool! It happens when a glass pane is exposed to frigid air on the outside while moderately moist air is on the inside. The temperature of the airborne water molecules can fall below 32°F without them actually freezing. But as soon as the quick cooled water vapor touches the cold glass, it turns directly into ice without becoming water first. Tiny scratches on the surface of the glass can collect enough molecules to form a crystal from which intricate patterns then grow. The surface of the glass influences the shape of crystals, any imperfections, scratches or dust can modify the way ice forms. If the indoor air is very humid, rather than moderately so, water will first condense in small droplets and then freeze into clear ice.

It is the imperfections in the glass that dictate the pattern of frost. Let that sink in a bit. The beauty of the pattern we see is a result of an imperfection. How many of our imperfections could be shaped into beauty if we’d let the Creator take hold of it?

“He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.” ~ Psalm 147:16-18

He who causes the waters to flow, the frost to scatter, and the snow to fall can make beauty from our imperfections.

POINT TO PONDER: Are there patterns in your life beautiful like that frost? Are they something people marvel at and think God inspired and created? What pattern would you like to change? God can take all things and make them beautiful ~ even our junk.

What in the world IS Wonder?

Aside from being my word for the year, Wonder can be a noun or a verb. I love words like that!

Wonder as a Verb: Desire or be curious to know something.

Daily I am in awe of all aspects of nature and God’s creation. I marvel at his works. “How do the geese know when to fly away?” “Why is a frog born in water and why does it loose its tail?” “Why were ticks created and what was God thinking when he designed the Penguin?”

The fact I survived my parents, my teachers and countless Sunday School teachers is truly a miracle, because Yes, I was that kind of child.

Wonder as a Noun: A feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.

I think of those times in life when words simply fail. (it happens occasionally that I am quiet and just take it all in) When I gazed in awe of my newborn child ~ no words. At the top of a peak, after a brutal climb looking down not only at the distance gained but the creations in miniature ~ no words. Seeing a foal stand for the first time mere moments after its birth – how do you sum that up into language?

Awe, wonder, marveling – these are words that God wants us to use when we think of Him. So many worship songs talk of this awe and wonder. The Bible speaks of it also:

“Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” ~ Psalm 40:5

“Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?” ~ Job 37:14-16

Take time this week to slow down. Look at an intricate pattern of frost or the bud of a tree or a fresh cut vegetable. Take time to be in AWE of our Creator through marveling at something wonderful He created.

Point to Ponder: When you think of GOD, which of His many attributes causes you the most awe or wonder?

Word of 2013 – WONDER !

Did you ever wonder about God’s paintbrush? His color choice is amazing and the dawn and sunsets are just like postcards from heaven to us. But what really creates the color that we see? Do we leave it up to mystery or are we curious about the science behind the hues of cyan, magenta, maize, and plum?

Well on my drive into the city today this was my thought. Had I a smart phone I would have looked it up during the stillness of traffic…yet another reason for me NOT to have one. Instead I marveled and wondered at the beauty and watched harried drivers texting and talking and missing this beautiful display.

It is this sense of Wonder that God birthed in me from the time that I was a small child that drives my daily quests to find out the whys and hows of everything. It drives those around me nuts I am sure. I was often told as I child, “It just grows that way” or “Because God made it that way”.

After one of my speaking engagements where I discussed some of the unique and awesome aspects of creation, a lady came up to me and said, “Well I know I will never look at dirt the same way again.”

It is no wonder that my word for the year is WONDER! I kept coming across this scripture:

“Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” ~ Luke 5:26

I wanted to literally shake the drivers this morning and show them what they were missing ~ Look at those amazing colors! We are seeing amazing things!

Now while I was hoping my word for the year would be something really noble or smart sounding, something that perhaps a well known woman of God would choose like Gratitude or Sacrifice or Humility. I prayed but I got … WONDER.

And as I started to write this blog I wondered why it was so hard. As I was calling it quits the other night, my sister sent me a quote from the sermon that day.

“Wisdom begins in WONDER – in letting God be God, in accepting some mystery where God is concerned,

in not reducing Him to our standards.”

As I speak to women this year, it is my heart’s desire to equip them with wisdom and knowledge about God and the power he can have in our lives. I hope to do that through awakening their wonder!

“Wisdom begins in Wonder” I love that! I am journaling about it this week. Perhaps it will appear here next week. Oh incase you were wondering…..The colors in the sky during the sunrise and sunset are caused by the scattering of small particles or molecules in the atmosphere. As they move they change the directions of the light rays. The wavelength of the light and the size of the particles determine the color. Pretty cool huh? Regardless we need to be mindful of the inventor or creator of color. While science can explain it, God created within us the wisdom to see it as beautiful.

Point to Ponder: As you think about God and his mighty creations…do you wonder? Can you even fathom the greatness of all that his hands have wrought? What do you wonder most about?

The Pressing

The sun was barely up and a hint of Fall was in the air. Geese passed overhead in shifting patterns. The crickets continued chirping their good night song, the air was still and the mist hung. And I began that last walk of vacation. It had been a week of food, fun, friends, laughter, waves and just God showing up big in Michigan. This was the final day of our last adventure before number one son headed some 12 hours away to a Military school in Vermont. My heart was heavy with that “after the holidays” feeling ~ when all your anticipation is spent and the trimmings lie in tatters.

Part way around the misty lake I found the perfect spot to begin my quiet time. A wonderful warm rock invited me to sit and watch the business of the lake and the awesomeness of my Creator in action. As lovely as it all was, I couldn’t shake the heaviness, the looming sadness of the last day of vacation and the future that was poised before me. In the next week my oldest would be a college freshman and my youngest would begin Middle School and one of my dearest friends would embark upon the toughest chapter of her life. Change was anything but sweet for me.

My mind had already begun to transition from the tranquil lake setting to my “to do” list which made entering into worship a challenge. To my left was a pretty purple bush, I bent to sniff it. Nothing. The feathery branches were soft and lush and inviting to the touch, so I ran my fingers through them gently and sniffed. Nothing. I looked again because it looked like lavender. I thought it should smell. I pinched off a finger-sized stalk and I rolled it in my hands. Instantly the aroma of lavender burst forth and immersed me in a cloud of delightful fragrance. Of course, I thanked my Creator and with the lavender in my hand I continued around the lake.

The more I pressed the purple flowers, the stronger the smell became. I walked and prayed as the lavender wafted and when it waned, I pressed harder. As I prayed I felt God showing me that many of his beautiful creations only become beautiful or useful in the pressing. Olives, Grapes and even apples become even more of blessing when pressed.

Recently I was reading about flax seeds and while they are healthy to digest and act as fiber, it is only when they are crushed or pressed that the hard hulls release their powerful Omega – 3 ‘s.

My sweet son is going to be pressed as he faces the rigorous challenges of military life. My (sometimes) sweet redhead is going to be pressed into her public school experience with new friends, new teachings and ideas that are in opposition to what she’s known. And I will be pressed in dealing with a dear friend who is being wrung out by the choices of her mate.

My prayer is that in the pressing, may the true beauty and purpose of the Lord be revealed in our lives. That enduring the pressing can bring a sweet aroma to those around and they will see Jesus in us.

Point to Ponder: Are you being pressed, does it feel like you are bearing more than you can stand? My prayer is that the aroma, the fruit of that pressing, though you can’t see it now, will be a sweet aroma to someone who desperately needs immersed in HIS delightful fragrance.

Under Fire…

Unfathomable.

Photos and descriptions of the fires devouring the Colorado landscape are incredibly overwhelming. Watching the force of the fire knocking things over before it reaches its hot fingers out to engulf all that is in its path. Witnessing the devastation in the wake of the walls of fire and watching the depth of despair in all those who have lost due to the devouring wave of flames is heartbreaking.

It’s with incomprehensible sadness we observe the gripping saga of our friends in the west.

As I prayed for the firefighters, the people in the towns awaiting orders to evacuate, I felt the word Hell seared upon my soul. The scene and those who have experienced the wildfire’s wrath have described it as “hell on earth.” It prompted me to ponder Hell.

I wait anxiously to learn if my friends in Colorado Springs have anything left to return to at all or if their home and possessions fell victim to the indiscriminate path of the destructive fire.

One of them has been working with the fire fighters at the base camp where the toll on these brave warriors has been immense. From flora and fauna to wild life to townsfolk, nothing has been left unscathed.

But for most of these people, life will go on. It will be a long road of restoring what the fire destroyed…but for those who end up in Hell, there will be no second chances. Sadly what we are seeing in Colorado could be an eternal reality for those who don’t know about the message of salvation.

Just like the firefighters working tirelessly to save people, pets and property…we should have a compelling urgency to rob Hell of victims to engulf in despair. Each time I see the flicker of a flame on the news, I pray “God use me”.

Years ago, my best friend’s dad was severely burned and scarred. She said there wasn’t just a physical transformation as he adjusted to a life of scars, she said he was spiritually transformed as well. “Dad was never the same after experiencing the burning of his flesh. He said it gave him just a taste of what Hell might be like and inspired him to try to reach more people with the Life saving message of eternity with Jesus,” she explained. These recent fires are igniting a passion in my heart for the same.

I am sure this post will be challenged by people who wonder if there really is a hell. It’s not a gamble I am

Mirage 2 — www.lindajackmanphotography.com

willing to take. My prayer for Colorado is Rain and Restoration. My prayer for the unsaved is to Find Salvation. My prayer for myself is to be courageous to reach those whose future is destined to be charred by the choice of unbelief. Will you join me?

Point to Ponder: If you thought hell was even 1/10^th of the intensity of a forest fire, would you wish it on anyone? Is there someone in your life you’d like to share Jesus with? I pray you have wisdom, courage and the words that will change their heart.

(Photos on the page except the one at right were from a Colorado Friend’s Facebook Page)

Painting a picture of Transformation

I could only imagine what the cashier in the convenience store was thinking when I barged through the door covered with paint, dashed to the freezer section and returned breathlessly with mint chocolate chip ice cream. As I counted out my pennies with green and white splattered hands he (a former student) looked at me quirkily. We’d been transforming my basement with a coat of paint that resembled mint chocolate chip ice cream and the paint slaves had watering mouths. Under his gaze I was aware that in the process of my DIY drama I had transformed from the cleanly dressed meticulous teacher into a splattered, sputtering disheveled Bryers junkie in need of a sweet fix. Chuckling, I briefly updated him on my saga and dashed home to keep the minions running another hour with the sugar rush.

Not just my basement, but so far this year, I’ve confronted numerous transformations or at least the beginning of them. My college-bound child is transforming from a high school student to a man who will be launched into a Military academy. My mother in law was transformed into a widow by the sudden stopping of a heartbeat. Cancer has transformed people that I love. God has transformed unbelievers in my life into Warriors for Him.

Pondering transformation and nature, the butterfly comes to mind as one of the most amazing transformations in the insect world. The Greek word for transformation is metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo’-o)which is why we call what happens to the butterfly Metamorphosis. In all of its stages from egg, to caterpillar to chrysalis to beautiful winged masterpiece, it undergoes obvious transformation.

I came across the verse below and while I’d heard it and studied it before, the word TRANSFORMATION seemed to really jump out at me.

” And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Roman’s 12: 2

What does renewing of the mind mean?

Renewing the mind sounds like something we have to do daily. It has a lot to do about where we focus and what we focus on. The Bible says to set our minds on the things above:

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the ^cearth.” ~Col 3:2. How can we not focus on this Earth, we live here? Yes, we live here, but we need to remember it is NOT our home. Our true home is in heaven with the Father. So we need to keep focusing on our Heavenly Home.

We are called to focus on spiritual things. Romans 8:5 says: “For ^hthose who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, [focus on]ⁱthe things of the Spirit.”

When any species goes through metamorphosis it requires fuel for the process…as do we. We need to be mindful of what we are fueling our mind with. If we feed on the “bread of life” or nourish our spirits with the word of God daily, we’ll be fueled up for the transforming of our minds.

And while the transforming of my basement will add resale value, the Transforming of our minds has eternal value.

Point to Ponder: How have you experienced transformation in your life recently?

(Thanks www.lindajackmanphotography.com for these images)