i just don’t think we could have created more chaotic circumstances- don’t you think we lack the imagination? There was nothing sweet about the announcement of Mary’s pregnancy, or the beginning of her marriage to Joseph.  She didn’t have a mom or aunt to help her deliver her first child in a well prepared room surrounded by excited relatives. It was just Mary, Joseph, a feeding trough and the home of the animals no one would ever allow into the house.  No, not a peaceful beginning at all.

Let’s go back to Mary and Joseph.  They were asked to do a hard thing. Sure, the news was delivered by angels and that’s exciting, but then they had to live out their obedience in the days and weeks of daily life. I really doubt that the people of Nazareth bought their story. Individually, they had decided to trust God. Together, as they began life together in obedience, it can’t have been easy. Or peaceful.

Then the trip to Bethlehem. Panic, because there is nowhere to stay. Pain and fear because this baby is coming, ready or not. Confusion- where did these shepherds come from? And the guys from the East? Fear and doubt again- have to go to Egypt to keep the child safe.

Still, not a peaceful life. Those beautiful words, “Let it be to me according to your will” sure didn’t seem to bring anything good to Mary’s life.

Sometimes, kids, your life will seem that way too.  You will think you were trusting and obeying, but nothing is going right for you. You will be tempted to doubt your decision, or maybe to doubt God and his love for you.

My prayer is that during those times, you will seek after God even more determinedly.  Ask the hard questions, tell him about the doubts and fears, but keep “reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (Phil 3:13, 4:6-7)

Father, I pray that my kids would know the peace that comes from seeking you in every part of their lives.  I pray they will bring all their worries and fears to you, that every decision will be made through the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. I pray that your peace, within and without, will guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Thank you, Father, for this priceless gift.  #prayersformychildren #advent 2017

There’s only one “if” in love.  We live our lives as if there were lots of ifs…

if I’m nice. Or beautiful. Or smart.

if I’m worthy

if I behave right

if love even exists

But you know, God is love so that means he gets to define it.  And it turns out, there it is right there in the story he gave us through his Word.  It exists, and it is ours just because we exist, says our Father and creator.

“Like a shepherd he will tend his flock, in his arm he will gather the lambs, hugging them as they go.” (Isaiah 40:11)

And then came the day that the story got really crazy, and God was born in squalor so we could see what love truly looks like. But that was just the beginning, and we still have trouble making sense of the love God shows through his earthly life, death, resurrection and ascension.

But there is an if. It’s just not the if we expect, and it’s not the if that our cheap imitation love asks.

If we say yes. And if we do, we will never be the same.

I just wish we all could answer the if the way the first human ever asked in the name of our Messiah did, when the angel came to Mary with the news she would carry the child named Jesus.

I will never not be amazed at Mary’s response.

“Let it be with me just as you say.”

When presented with God’s love, her answer was yes.

Here it is. God loves. His love is present, unconditional, unwavering, and complete. We just have to decide if we will accept it. If we will say yes. If we will invite its power to enter into who we are, powering us to become what we were created to be, as Mary did.

Father, your love is so big, so powerful and beautiful that we have trouble understanding. I pray that my kids- and all those I love- would wrestle with your word, pay attention to your story so that we can understand that there is only one if in love.  If we say yes. I pray we would put aside our attempts to earn, deserve, bargain or pay for this gift you offer. I pray we would also put aside our attempts to control so that we become fully surrendered to the power of your love in us just as Mary did. Father, may we all say, wholeheartedly for all our days, “let it be with me just as you say.” #prayersformychildren #advent2017

 

Kids, have you figured this out yet? We are so messed up.  Humans, that is.  We always figure out a way to misunderstand, to cause injury, to just somehow get it wrong.  Sometimes it’s because we are clueless, but a lot of times our pride, arrogance, selfishness get in the way.  The only way to really live blameless lives is to learn how to apologize. A lot.

So we open Christmas season with a wonderful word- hope.  “Confident expectation,” as all my bible teachers like to say.  It’s going to happen.  It has started happening, but it’s not complete yet. I know this because…see opening paragraph.  I keep messing things up.

What is this hope? What does it have to do with the Christmas season and a baby born is such odd-  even messed up-  circumstances? I love the way it is characterized in the Message version of 1 Peter 1.

“So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”” ‭‭(1 Peter‬ ‭1:13-16‬ ‭MSG‬‬). That is so, so worth  hoping in.

Father, thank you for the joy and hope of this season.  Thank you for the astoundingly beautiful story of your Son’s sacrificial birth; I pray our hearts never harden to its wonder. But Father, this week- this week we thank you for the hope that you will pull our lives into the shape of you, that you will make something beautiful and holy out of the dust and clay that we are. Thank you for touching our weak and flawed offerings and turning them into masterpieces worth sharing. And thank you for our future in your presence for eternity. May each of these children whom we love so much know this hope deep in their souls.  #prayersformychildren #advent2017

 

Earlier in my life I thought of becoming a Christian as a little like casting a spell. If I still struggle with anger and impatience I didn’t do it right- let’s try again.  I’ll do another book study or say a different prayer.

I’ve learned the hard way that’s just not true.  There’s no magic here.

Does that sound depressing? Were you hoping for a Disney or Avengers kind of transformation like I always did (and ok, maybe I still do)? But you know- they always have a limit, or a flaw, or a weakness the bad guy can exploit so, that magic isn’t so great, either.

Becoming the image of Christ, my friends- that takes work.  It takes intention and effort and discipline.  Then comes the magic; and I have to say that in my life there have been times that the power of God working in me feels profoundly magical. When my patience lasts or the words come out right or I don’t give in to the temptation.

God’s power is far beyond magic, but he chooses to work in us as we obey him.  Mysterious, powerful, incomprehensible is our God, but I have found him also to be loving, faithful, and present. (Colossians 3)

Father, we want the magic wand when you want our hearts. Today my prayer for these kids whom I love is that they would pursue the things that are above, that they would actively kill off everything connected to the way of death. I pray they would choose compassion and kindness, humility, quiet strength and discipline.  That they’d be even tempered. Content. Forgiving. And above all else, I pray they would practice love every day. #prayersformychildren #friendshipprayersfromcolossians

 

Some things, my friends, are just hard.  This is not one of those things.

I bet each one of us could, quite literally, make a list of 50 things we are thankful for within 5 minutes.  In fact, let’s play that game today.  Set a timer, sit around a table and let’s see if we each can do it.  The trick is- think about anything you have or experience today that you would miss if it were gone tomorrow. And categories- think of people, physical abilities, groups to which you belong, resources we need, food, hobbies and leisure activities. Don’t limit yourself- I put interstates and public restrooms on my list because they make it so much easier to visit family 🙂

I love Thanksgiving, and I love that I have a name for the one to whom I am thankful.  Our Father is so good, so generous, and the story he has written for us absolutely defies our imagination.

So today, I am thankful. And I pray that along with my children and all those whom I love, I will “let my living spill over into thanksgiving.” (Col 2:9)

 

Father, today our hearts are joined in thankfulness to you. Your gifts are innumerable, unbounded in beauty and love.  You are kind and good, strong and just, generous and wise.  You are present, you are faithful, you are personal in your attention to us, your children.  You right our wrongs, you have defeated our enemies, you rescue and redeeem. Thank you. #prayersformychildren #Thanksgiving2017 #friendshipprayersfromcolossians

How do you spot the fake? You spend a lot of time looking at the real.  If we, as God’s people are “woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God,” it’s harder to fool us with the fake, the foolish, “empty deceit according to human tradition.”

So kids, friends, mamas and daddys- let’s all spend lots of time looking at Jesus, looking at God.  Let’s “walk in him, rooted, built up in him and established in the faith;” or in other words, “go ahead with what you’ve been given. You’ve received Christ Jesus the Master; now live in him.”

This is my prayer, my friends.  That we know Jesus, that we know his love and his character so well that we look like him and think like him. Then, when hard times and misleading thoughts come along we recognize the lies and recognize the presence of our Friend and Savior.

“You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.” (Colossians‬ ‭2:6-7‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Father in heaven, I pray that we will know Jesus, that we will know you so well that we are truly rooted in you. I pray that, having received Jesus we will walk in him, rooted and built up and established in the faith so that we are not fooled by human wisdom. I pray we will do what we know, living our faith in a way that spills over into thanksgiving. #prayersformychildren

Ok kids- imagine this. You’re about four years old, and you are sitting in the middle of a huge playroom with all the best toys.  Only, nothing is where it’s supposed to be. The kitchen is dumped on its side, the food is in the toolbox which is way over on the other side, the race cars are hiding all over the place.  You see a bright red Mega block so you think you’ll build a tower, but no, there are no more blocks- wait- there’s one over there but still. It’s a really lame tower.  Mom comes in and looks around, and five minutes later you have a bucket of Mega blocks, or a well stocked kitchen, or a great racetrack with 5 cars to choose from- one faster than the other.  Everything has been put right and is working the way it should.

This is an overly simple analogy for our next verses in Colossians but stay with me just a minute. Mom and Dad bought you all those toys, set up your playroom, and made sure you had everything you need to learn and grow while having fun.  As a four year old, it would take you about 3.4 minutes to mess the whole thing up, right? But nothing makes sense, nothing fits right when you are done. You need Mom or Dad to come fix it.

That’s the way I see this passage.  We have this big, beautiful, amazing world God created in Christ.  We have taken the last several thousand years to mess it all up, but Jesus came back and showed us what it is supposed to look like.  And as long as we keep looking at him, he continues to make sense of it all, bringing joy and meaning and purpose to our lives and our world.  Some days, our lives not only feel like that chaotic playroom, they actually are filled with chaos and pain.  But if we stay true, stay focused, stay patient, stable, steadfast in our faith we know our Christ will bring healing.

Father, thank you for this beautiful world you have made, and the place you have given us within it.  Thank you for the way it all fits together in Christ, for how he is our beginning and end and everything in between. I pray these children whom I love with remain focused on you throughout their lives; that we all will.  I pray we will bring all our questions and doubts and fears and hopes to you so that our faith will grow daily along with our love for Jesus.  #prayersformychildren

“But already there is joy enough in the little finger of a great saint such as yonder lady to waken all the dead things of the universe into life.”

Like Sarah Smith in CS Lewis’s The Great Divorce, most have never heard of my friend Alita. But fame in heaven is different from fame on earth, so I love imagining her splendor as she approaches the throne of God.  Alita loved God so vey, very well; it leaked out in the beauty of her smile, the warmth of her presence, the love she showed all those around her.  Can you imagine this love perfected in heaven, stripped of illness and earthly limitations?

Many people inspire in many different ways, but Alita- here is a woman who inspires in the most holy way possible.  Looking at her life, we all know.

If you want to be like Alita, the only way get there is to love God and seek him with all your heart.

Alita’s life said, “don’t look at me, look at my Heavenly Father! There is laughter and joy, suffering and pain and he is here through it all.  He is the one who strengthens, sustains, fills our lives with beauty. Love him, and you will love like him.” And so like Lewis’s Sarah, we were all drawn to her as she pointed us to Christ.

Father, I pray we can love you so deeply, seek you so full-heartedly that your love leaks out of us to touch all those around us.  I pray that we point others to you as we are filled with your joy. #prayersformychildren

Today’s prayer is for the hard times all the kids I love will face.

No mom, including this one, wants to really talk about it, but history says our kids are likely to face great heartache and struggle.  Rejection, employment uncertainty, cancer, infertility, divorce, financial strain.  We don’t know what it is, but we do know our kids will need to be strong, and they will need each other. They’re going to have to endure- just like every generation before.

The only real question is, will they endure and prevail in the strength and joy of Christ, or will they be defeated as they try to live life on their own?

I’ve always prayed that my kids would have and be good friends- that they will love and point each other to Christ. I would have to say that God has answered this prayer in powerful ways with each of my own kids, and I will always be deeply grateful. My prayers are for these beautiful souls.

Father in heaven, fill my kids and their friends with knowledge of your will. I pray, Father, that they will be wise, understanding how you work so that they can walk with you in this life, knowing the joy of effectively using the amazing gifts you have given them. Strengthen them- and may they strengthen each other- so that they will have endurance and patience leading to joy in whatever circumstances their lives will bring. – Colossians 1:9-15 #prayersformychildren #friendshipprayersfromColossians

 

You have a beautiful faith in Jesus; the word of the truth is bearing fruit in you as you love others in the Spirit, and I am so deeply, deeply thankful for you, my children.

We have taught about the grace of God since you were born. We have prayed for you, for your friends, for your future spouses since you were conceived- that you would know and love our Father in heaven, and that his Spirit would grow in you. I am not confused; you are no more perfect in your faith than I am, but I do see each of you responding to the power of the gospel, the life of God’s Spirit in you, and I pray with thankfulness daily.

We are in a period of new relationships- new schools, new challenges and opportunities- and I am in equal parts terrified and excited. Friends matter so very much; are you being a good friend? Are you choosing Jesus disciples to be closest to you? Are you bold and loving, kind and truthful? Are you Spirit-led in your texts, your social media, your lunchroom conversations?

In the opening of Colossians Paul joyfully greets the Christians because of the faith, love and hope they exhibit, the evidence of the Spirit in them. And the evidence he is so excited about is this- love, in the Spirit.

Father, I thank you again me again not just for my four, but for the many Spirit-filled kids and teens whose paths I’ve crossed. Thank you for their faith, love, and hope. I pray, Father, that each of these beautiful souls would have friends to love who love faithfully, through the fun times as well as the difficult. I pray our love for each other in the Spirit would grow in power, joy, and strength through our hope in Jesus. #prayersformychildren #friendshipprayersfromColossians