From My Heart

It is the week of my 50th birthday. Encountering certain milestones tends to make one a little more introspective. I am coming upon this one with a certain measure of uncertainty - where do I go with the  rest of my life? As I look back over the years, there are many moments, decisions, and choices made that I am not proud of or happy with. Without a doubt, those are times in my life where I did not "inquire of the Lord." Over the past couple of weeks studying the lives of David and King Saul, the times they did and did not inquire of the Lord stand in stark contast. The difference between having a listening spirit and a hardened heart is evident. Certainly, I do not want to end my life like Saul. All of his work, achievements, accomplishments meant nothing because he did not have a right relationship with God. Everything he worked for was snatched away and handed to antoher because he was disobedient. David was not perfect by a long shot. He did not always remember to see...

Yesterday I "came clean" about my closet (wish my closet came clean) and confessed that I opted for working in my yard. My entry today has a similar message from a little different perspective. Sometimes, I feel like my front yard flower bed is the bane of my existence. No place else in my yard can grow weeds like this particular patch of ground can. It also grows oak trees. Thousands of them. You think I am exaggerating? Please - come to my house and I will let you help me pull them up. The thing is...If we don't stay on top of them, they take over the entire area. They are relentless. Once again, this is such an analogy to our spiritual lives. We let one little thought or action take hold without dealing with it, and the next thing you know it has multiplied, dropped seeds and put down roots until it takes over your heart and mind. It is a continual battle to stay on top of these spiritual weeds. I believe a few gardening tips are in order: 1. Do not make your mind ...

Every morning when I make my bed I take the pillows and store them in my closet. This morning when I opened the closet door, my heart sank a bit. I am not a fanatical housekeeper, but I do like things orderly around me. I can honestly say that most of my house is this way....except for the closet. Shoes all over the floor in spite of the beautiful cubes with individual little spaces for each pair, things tossed here and there. It was depressing really. The thought crossed my mind that I ought to clean out that closet while I have a little extra time at home. Then I remembered that I had planned to clean the flower bed in my front yard today. The closet really needed cleaning, but no one can see that. The front yard is seen by all. How like our spiritual lives. Of course, the David study brought to mind the scripture in 1 Samuel 16:7, "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." How often we w...

Today was Beth Moore Bible Study Day! We are continuing in our study of David and Beth continues to give us wonderful truths from his life. I always come away from the video sessions with a morsel or two to chew on and today was no exception. The point that particularly resonated with me today was as follows: "Significant rest comes to the soul when we accept that God alone is in charge of our honor." Psalm 62:7 states, "My salvation and my honor depend on God". Seems like it should be simple enough. When she expounded on the point she raised a question as to whether you have ever been shamed in front of someone and can't seem to regain your dignity with them. In my mind the question also seemed to include allowing someone to steal your confidence. Beth pointed out that some of our biggest conflicts come over matters of personal honor. Recently, I have had someone in my life who seemed to do just that. In subtle ways, they constantly seemed to undermine my ab...

My daughter in law is a bit of a fitness nut. She loves to eat right and work out and seems to think that running long races involving obstacle courses is an idea of fun. I feel really good about myself for walking around the block!  She recently ran in a race called the "Rugged Maniac" with a number of other Army Wives from Fort Knox and as I looked through her pictures, I thought about how like this race our lives are. Sometimes its all downhill. Sometimes it is not. As we move through life we encounter many obstacles and trials. Some are conquered without much effort. Most are not. How well we are ready to run the race and meet the obstacles is critical. One thing is always sure - it is rarely EASY. Several scriptures came to mind so I am giving you a "Rugged Maniac" montage with lessons from scripture to relate.  Cris Pre-race 1. You Have to Be Prepared. Stretching before the race  Just as you cannot run a physical race without training and preparation,...

I recently started the Beth Moore Bible Study "David: A Heart Like His". In the first sessions, as we began the study with a look at King Saul, Beth mentioned in her material that Saul was not passionate about being king. As a matter of fact, when the leaders of the nation of Israel looked for Saul to crown him, he was hiding. Beth concluded that, in looking at Saul's life and reign as king, his position exceeded his passion . This statement struck me like a ton of bricks. In fact, I have been mulling over it for at least two weeks now. Why? Because I recently found myself in a similar situation and it has caused me to ask myself the question, "What am I passionate about?". I have certainly realized with startling clarity in recent days what I am NOT passionate about. Unfortunately, for a period of time, that which I was not passionate about seemed to overtake my life. Interestingly enough, it tuned out not to be a fruitful endeavor for me. It also negatively a...

I wrote this 10 years ago after the attacks.... Our enemy has walked among us, Striking swift and sure. Hope seems lost with life and peace. How much can we endure? Haunting pictures sear our minds, All innocence is lost. We've learned the frailty of our lives, But, why at such a cost? Empty arms that ache for loved ones One more time to hold. Grief stricken faces, broken hearts Cling to fragile hope. But from the ashes, more will rise Than death and pain and grief. America will stand united Firm in its belief: We are a nation under God, It is in Him we trust. For sustenance in crisis, We will turn to Him - we must. God bless this nation; make it strong, A light for all to see. Illuminating freedom Faith and liberty! Judie Britt September 11, 2001 We will not forget.