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UNHURRY HACK: Christ shows us how to live unstuck while we live in this sticky world. Is the phrase, "if only" keeping you stuck today? Is there a worry or frustration filling in the blanks around those two words that needs surrendering? FIRST READ: Colossians 3 It's totally normal to reflect on our life, current situations, or even dream for the future. However, occasionally our thoughts and brainstorm can reach tornadic levels. I found myself here just the other day. Our mind is quick to focus on what we don't have in order to solve a problem...information, skill set, exposure, resources, time, cures, the list goes on. God created our complex brain with ability to problem solve and create, but like anything, when we leave Jesus out of the equation, sin creeps in and strongholds pop up. Success and happiness get confused with the phrase"if and only then." Left unattended, the words "if" and "only" become a set of bullying hands attached to arms that formidably cross and form the word "can't". But, we don't have stay in their clutches. The Bible tells us much about our complex mind and thought life. Colossians 3:1 tells us there is a safe and solid place to relinquish frustration and worry. This place is where Christ is. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV) Listen to that language: raised, set, above, where Christ is, where the hand of God is. These words are complete opposites of being stuck! We don't just have to hide and will our thought-life away. The language of Colossians chapter 3 is approachable. Our God wants to help us deal with the stuff of our heart and mind. Think of a parent beckoning a child to come close so they can soothe their pain or guide them away from danger. Our God wants us close. As Children of God, we have the privilege to go to our Lord and let our High Priest tend and minister to us. We can safely set our heart and mind on this solid holy ground because of Jesus. His work on the cross is what welcomes us into the presence of God, not our shiny good deeds and happy thoughts. Fellow Christians, we we too are raised with Christ. It is pure joy that we don't have to settle for stuck. Daily joy. When people ask why I am a Christian, I often speak of this freedom and victory. There is so much joy in not living stuck. Our earthly body wants to cling to earthy things--including our if-onlys, but when we do, we settle for less than our glorious inheritance. Verse 2 reminds us of this privilege, and we are invited to live unstuck while we are living in this sticky world. And so, the act of setting our heart where Jesus is becomes a daily need. Another word for this is surrender. Have you tasted the freedom and joy of setting your heart and mind where Jesus is? You can. Today. Our mind has a lens similar to our camera lens. Both zooming in too far out, as well as zooming in too close can result in blurriness. When our focus is blurry we can't see Jesus or His best for our life. Our "If-only's" Iove to hang out here. If only I had gotten started earlier. If only I had waited. If only I had made a different choice. If only I was more talented. If only I was better at doing... Like our cameras, visibility is limited. Keep your heart and mind where Jesus is and surrender them daily. When our heart and mind are set on things above, the angle, setting, and focus of our life is just right. Thank the Lord for this day, and thank Him even for what you don't have. Stay in His Word and pray for guidance for your future. Let Jesus be your IF and your ONLY.

Busy people are good at "doing," but not always so good at "letting." I can jump on board with a visible project or preparing for company to arrive, but it's hard for me to wait on things I can't see taking place...like hope. Perhaps you can relate. Hope often fits into a category of waiting and that means we don't get to control the time table or results. UNHURRY HACK: Hope does not need to be micromanaged. FIRST READ: Romans 8 Through Jesus, we are invited to enter a hope that is eternal and daily. That is our starting point and greatest gift. Daily, we have the privilege to trust Jesus and let him work in our life. But, the "letting" part is hard, isn't it? To surrender? To give control of outcomes and what-ifs? The trouble with micromanaging hope is that God doesn't need our help. Micromanaging hope brings us great stress! Unlike God, we have limited perception and understanding. Our sinful nature gets in the way because we can only see and feel what is right in front of us at the moment. However, in Jesus we can safely and confidently place our hope. Let Jesus work. This is hard to live out sometimes! Jesus wants our whole heart...all the stuff. The tiny sliver we are reluctant to release often holds us back from the area of freedom that Christ wants to lead us into. Hope is expectant of His great work in our life! It is only when when we finally release our white-knuckled grips, that we experience victory over a worry, a hurt, a fear, a stronghold...the list goes on. I know, becuase I have spent years hanging onto slivers and they have gotten me no where but stuck. Jesus wants to be the Lord of our life, our entire life--past, present, and future. He doesn't need our help in being Lord and Master. He needs us to let go and trust Him. If you get stuck like me in the cycle of want-to-but-can't, Romans 8 brings such hope with the reminder of the incredible power of God's Holy Spirit dwelling within us (verse 15). Letting go is hard! Surrendering, trusting, waiting, praying all involve letting go of control, but we are called to do each and every one--and more! In my experience, this is where I tend to get in the way. How about you? Romans 8 reminds us we don't have to default to our sinful nature (verse 12). We do not have to micromanage hope. We do not have to maneuver visible outcomes and results and cling to emotions for our protection. We HAVE another way...to be led by the Holy Spirit and to stand on the promises of God. Letting the Spirit control your minds leads to life and peace (verse 6). The same Spirit of God, who raised Christ Jesus from the dead, indwells every believer (verse 13). God's Holy Spirit helps us live out each day with living hope. What grips in your heart need relinquishing? What is one area of control you can ask Jesus to help you let go of today? Because of Jesus we are free, and today by God's power we can: Love Forgive Trust Let go of results & outcomes Hand over the what-ifs & used to be's Rest in God's joy and peace. Put to death our old ways and walk in Living Hope Start fresh... Hope is alive. Hope has a Name. His name is Jesus. Let Jesus work. Choose to rest in God's peace and joy as He works in us, in others, and in situations around us. It is a balm for our soul and helps us let go of control.

When it comes to following the Lord, will I trust His ways even when I only see a piece of what's going on? As someone who likes a clear plan of action, it is hard for me to surrender to God's strategy. UNHURRY HACK: Spending time reading God's Word actually creates more time in our day as we replace the wasted space of worry and confusion with God's life giving peace and joy. FIRST READ: Joshua 6:1-27 Joshua chapter 6 tells of the fall of the city of Jericho. This victory was an unconventional battle, won by a series of marching, trumpets, and shouting. But, this wasn't just any noise; it was divine strategy. What may seem like a quirky story in the Bible, was designed to stand out as a victory that could only be credited to the LORD. As the Israelites set out for the Promised Land, Joshua encountered a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua quickly demanded to know if he was a friend or foe. "Neither one," he replied. "I am the commander of the LORD's army." Immediately Joshua fell to the ground in complete reverence. His response in verse 14 has continued to humble believers to this day. "I am at your command," Joshua said. "What do you want your servant to do?" Am I willing to respond the same when I am facing battles in my life? Will I surrender to God's strategy in each situation I face? Big or small we engage in battle everyday, and it's always more than meets the eye. Ephesians 6:10-12 reminds to put on the armor of God so we can stand firm against the spiritual battle taking place. In Christ we are victorious every time, but it requires us to trust in Jesus. Jericho reminds us to surrender every battle to Jesus. The divine battle of Jericho unfolded through a series of worship...trust...obedience...and resulted in a victory that no man could claim. It was God. It is God every single time, and He is not done being victorious! The LORD of Hosts wants to lead us to victory in our life too. Though we may not meet God's visible army as we cross the road, we can trust that our Commander still has sword in hand ready to lead and fight on our behalf. Whether we are battling a life threatening situation or battling a life altering situation like getting out of bed to spend time with God, we fight with the strength and and victory of God's army. As we surrender to God, may our response be like Joshua, "I am at your command. What do you want your servant to do?" *New Living Translation Bible used for this devotional.

Busy days leave us with little time to sit still. The pull is great to finish the to-do list before we sit still with God. How can we beat the busyness? What if I don't want to slow down? UNHURRY Hack: Ask God to give you the desire and power to spend time with Him. FIRST READ: Philippians 2:12-13 Paul tells us that we should work hard to show evidence of our faith, but he's not talking about a chart full of gold stars. We have come to begrudge the word "work" in our society. Working often stands in the way of what we want to do and enjoy. The dictionary helps to understand the word, "work" in light of a process that leads to a desired outcome. How do you want to live and grow as a follower of Christ? - If we want to grow in our walk with God and learn to imitate Christ, we need to "work" on this growing and learning process. How? We can grow patterns of intentionality while God is at work in us. We can start with 5 minutes in prayer and in God's Word and exponentially build that footprint. Paul gives us good news about this in verse 13...something incredible is taking place in us when we lean into God. Paul explains that God is working in us giving us the "desire and power to do what pleases Him." When our intentionality intersects with God's work in us, we will grow our faith by leaps and bounds! We say Jesus is Lord of our life, but do we surrender our day to Him? Is Jesus Lord of our to-do list? When we rush, we often miss precious opportunities to share God's love and listen and care for others. When we have a full day ahead of us it is easy to compromise what matters most. Our faith includes "obeying God with deep reverence and fear" (verse 12). This means deep awe and worship. - Why do we make our faith so hard? Today ask God to help you show Jesus in your life and to help you grow daily rhythms of discipleship. When we seek God, we will find that He rewrites our to-do list, and aligns it with His will. As a result, we begin to want to read our Bible, we find that we want to pray, and we want to show Christ to the world.

UNHURRY HACK: Jesus teaches us right where we are. FIRST READ Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Last week I had a heavy decision on my mind, that was weighing down my heart and the phrase “let me teach you” pierced my heart.  I don’t think I had ever even noticed that part before. Yet, that’s what the Holy Spirit does when we read God’s Living Word.  He teaches us right where we are. “Let me teach you,” Jesus says after he tells us to to put on His yoke.  Jesus promises that He will show us how to wear it.  Burdens under the world’s yoke cause my shoulders and neck to hurt with tension.  The world does not promise peace with its yoke.  Jesus says His is light and easy to bear.  Even when our physical body is hard at work in our career, or fighting illness, care taking, or just needing discernment, we are tethered to God’s strength, wisdom, peace, and rest in the midst of our work. “Let me teach you…” a little further digging in my Bible Concordance gave me even more clarity when I learned that the greek word used here in this phrase means to learn, study, be instructed, even get into the habit of being. Wow! God will even teach us how to be yoked to him. A yoke was often placed on oxen to toil the fields. Being yoked to the Lord, however, leads us to freedom at the Lord's lead.  The field oxen could only be yoked to one master, and so is true for us.   The weight of sin, worry, striving, material success, all weigh us down, but the yoke of Jesus is forgiveness, love, peace, wisdom, and purpose, just to name a few.  If you carry a burden today, trade them for the yoke that is light. As believers, we are tethered to Jesus who is the One guiding us, but it is so tempting to slip on the heavy yoke of the stresses of this world. I learned this week that when thoughts of worry threaten me, Jesus will teach me to trust Him.  I could make my big decision that I had been faithfully committed to prayer, and I trust Jesus lead me to make the right choice.  I could rest in knowing I wouldn’t have all the answers and I wouldn’t know how to do it all, but yoked to Jesus, I could learn.  After all, that is what being a disciple is all about, not having all the answers, but learning. Take a moment and pray through Matthew 11:28-30, and ask Jesus to teach you how to lay down your burdens and not pick them back up.  What do you need to let Jesus teach you today? “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid,” John 14:26-28 (NIV).

Who is like you LORD…..you delight in showing unfailing love.  Micah 7:18 In a broken, hurting world, it can be hard to believe that God still loves His people. Do the words we read in our Bibles, penned so long ago, even still apply to us today?  Or has our sinful world strayed too far for such love. Let’s unhurry our heart for a moment, let go of worries, fears for the world, or perhaps even complacency.  Put all of that aside as we breath in God’s goodness and let’s listen to what God says about His love. Throughout the Bible, God is often described as having “unfailing love” for his people, but what does that really mean?  It is certainly hard to see evidence of God’s love in the headlines of today’s world. Interestingly, headlines throughout history have not differed much.  In the mid 700’s BC, the headlines screamed of a rotting society, dishonest political and religious leaders, selfish motives, fraud, violence, and oppression (Micah 2:1-13). Sound familiar?  Yet even in the midst of such depravity, God called out a message of hope and offered His unfailing love and His message and unfailing love for us continues today. God called the prophet Micah from his rural village in Judah to warn the people of their coming judgement and exile.  For years and years, God had steered his people back to himself, but they refused to listen.  While none of them deserved His love,  God wanted none of His people to perish.  He sifted His people through a time of exile and captivity and blessed the faithful remnant who chose to love and follow Him.  Who offers that kind of love to a depraved people?  Just listen to the hope spoken to these people and to us today in the passage below. “Where is the god who can compare with you-wiping the slate clean of guilt, turning a blind eye, a deaf ear to the past sins of your purged and precious people? You don’t nurse your anger and don’t stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty.  That’s what you love most.  And compassion is on its way to us.  You’ll stamp out our wrongdoing.  You’ll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean.  You’ll stay true to your word to Father Jacob and continue the compassion you showed Grandfather Abraham-Everything you promised our ancestors from a long time ago”  Micah 7:18-20 (The Message Bible). Micah’s very name means “who is like the LORD?”  He explained that if his people would only turn to God, ask forgiveness and turn away from their sin, that God would forgive them and redeem them instead. When the world deserved the worst, God offered His best.  That is God’s unfailing love. God maintains His plan and His will for this World.  His unfailing love is God’s covenant to us.  God will not let anyone miss the chance to love Him. The people of Judah resisted the prophet Micah’s message, and history recorded their foretold Babylonian captivity.  But out of this captivity, God gathered and redeemed a remnant of believers and blessed them. That is unfailing love.  God doesn’t throw us away because we mess up.  He shows every willing person the way back to Him.  Even if it takes wandering and captivity to get us there.  He loves us too much to let those who love Him slip out of his hands.  Like the Israelites, we are selfish and forgetful, but He continues to relentlessly pursue us with his unfailing love and redeems us, washing us clean when we turn back to him. God made a covenant to Abraham and God protected a remnant of believers throughout the Old Testament. Micah 7:8 speaks of a covenant love, chesed, a Hebrew word describing absolute fidelity, unwavering even when that love is undeserved (from Strong’s Concordance).  Out of this remnant Micah foretells a future deliverance not only for the exiled people, but for all believers as God’s unfailing love climatically emerges with the promise of the Messiah (Micah 5:2).  Micah chapter 4 is a glimpse of God’s perfect kingdom that you and I as Christians get to live in one day when Jesus returns to gather His people. We have a future to look forward to and be excited about! So does God still love His people? YES! Over and over again, account after account,  example after example we see a cycle throughout the pages of the Bible of people messing up, God steering people back to Himself,  God’s forgiveness and redemption, and God’s blessing.  There is hope for God’s people and there is hope daily for us individually.  This hope is God’s unfailing love.  This unfailing love has a name; His name is Jesus.

I find myself asking today, “do I fully understand this gift of God’s Holy Spirit?”  Maybe you are like me and have walked many days of life, consumed with life, busyness, and the weight of the world.  It pains me to think of days I maybe even forgot He was there. In Ephesians 1, Paul prayed over the recipients of his letter, and that includes you and me today. UNHURRY HACK: Let the Holy Spirit change the way you approach every area of life. FIRST READ: Ephesians 1:16-20 We can read this passage as a prayer over our self and others: “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,” Ephesians 1:16-20. I pray today that you and I can walk each day fully realizing the hope and power that indwells us through the Holy Spirit of God.  What a life changing way to live out life, but our awareness of the Holy Spirit is constantly at battle with sneaky attacks by the enemy to keep us distracted and forgetful of the power and peace and guidance that is available to us.  Join me in surrendering this day and its troubles to God.  Let his Holy Spirit encourage, reveal, teach, correct, guide, and bring you freedom as the Spirit of God works in us and through us.  For many of us, that would change the way we approach every area of life.  What peace and what hope that would bring every day!  Be sure of this my sister or brother in Christ, Jesus is with us always, even this very day, even to the end of the age.

Waiting rooms are a just a part of life.  We’ve all been stuck within the four walls of the dreaded waiting room.  Sometimes I feel like I am stuck sitting in God’s waiting room.  I show up on time for my appointment, I check in, and wait for God to call my name.  It is very hard to be patient in God’s waiting room.  I am sitting there today.  Perhaps you are in the room with me.  Has God asked you to do something, but the next step isn’t clear? The tricky thing about God’s waiting room, is that the waiting could take moments or years. In obedience we stay ready to take the next step, but what in the world do we do while we wait?  As I have been struggling over the last several weeks,  I came up with 5 things to do in God’s waiting room. Join me in trying a few this week: 5 THINGS TO DO IN GOD’s WAITING ROOM (in no particular order): Enjoy God’s Word. Stop searching for answers and just enjoy reading God’s Word.  Sometimes it is in the midst of just reading the Bible for pleasure that we are given confirmation or direction, and it can ironically be missed with the mindset of desperately searching for answers.  A clear mind is much more open to hearing the Holy Spirit speak through God’s written Word.  Start by reading Psalm 103. Fellowship.  We can be so bogged down with needing to focus on God’s directions for us, that we can feel too busy, distracted, or tired to meet with others.  Yet, sometimes the enjoyment of spending time with friends can be just what we need to clear our head, even if only for a short while.  Time spent with Godly friends uplifts us and encourages our walk with God.  I am blessed every time I get together with my “God-Gals,” as I like to refer to my close sweet friends who love the Lord and whom I can count on to pray for me, as I enjoy doing for them. Take a baby step.  Maybe God hasn’t given you the green light or go ahead, and perhaps the map to the final destination is still unclear.  Is there a small step you can take instead?  Sometimes we get so caught up in the big picture, that we miss the important small steps that God lays in front of us.  What looks like small stuff to us, may be the pivotal step or connection needed to go forward.  “We make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps,” Proverbs 16:9 (New Living Translation). Pray.  OK that’s obvious, right? This is a sneaky one.  But if you are like me, I find myself doing a lot of thinking about something, which is not the same thing as praying about something.  The enemy knows there is power in prayer, so we have to be extra vigilant here.  He will do all he can to distract us and keep us from praying.  In the absence of prayer, worry and confusion, there are liable to be mainstays in the waiting room. Enjoy the joy.  There is joy all around you, yes even in a waiting room.  Nothing feels more trapped and helpless as waiting an undetermined amount of time, but when we are forced to be still, if we look, we will notice God’s beauty and creation quietly performing all around us. Whether it is in dappled sunlight dancing off the trees, or a quiet cobweb spider delicately dancing in the corner of the base boards, God enjoys the beauty and offers us to notice His creation.  When we remember to enjoy the joy, we balance the heaviness of our heart. Jesus tells us that His burden is light.  Read Matthew 11:28-30.  Perhaps the simple reminder of God’s creation can help us see the extra burdens we need to let go of before God will call us out of the waiting room. Waiting rooms are never easy, and I write this for myself: God made the plan, and if I truly submit to His plan, then I submit to the wait for His timing in God’s waiting room. Father, help me wait.  I said yes to what I felt was your calling, but here I sit not knowing my next step.  I don’t like to wait; calm my anxious soul.  I want to serve you; direct my path, keep me following your direction.  Help me to hold fast to what you have called me to do; don’t let me quit on you.  I am but dust, and I am liable to crumble under pressure; be my strength and my Rock.  Let me not compare myself to others; Your call for me is unique to me.  In the precious name of Jesus,  Amen.

The question today becomes: The earth yields to God, so why can’t I? Will I yield to God or wilt with a stubborn heart? UNHURRY HACK: Stubborn hearts wilt the body & waste our time. FIRST READ Psalm 62 I woke up to beautiful snow this morning,  truly a reason to marvel at God’s wonders, but my first thought was, “Oh no, my tulips!” And then a one-sided, downhill conversation began in my head. “Why would it snow?  It’s April.  It’s not supposed to snow.  This is such crazy weather; it just doesn’t make any sense.  I have worked so hard in my yard.  Lord, everything has just begun to bloom, why would it snow and take it all away? And Oh no, I’m hosting a baby shower in a couple of weeks, nothing will be in bloom at my front door to greet my guests!  Wh..wh..” I jumped out of bed and sprung into action.  I grabbed trash bags and a pair of shoes left by the door.  I scrambled to shield the endangered blooms.  With my last bag, I bent down and checked the vitals of my favorite purple Tulips, cupping its elegant head in my hands.  At that moment,  I saw the humor of my salvaging frenzy.  That beautiful tulip was not worried one bit about freezing to death, and certainly not about her upcoming role of front door hospitality.  She was simply yielding to God at that moment and weathering the storm. What a site I must have been to anyone who witnessed a crazy woman running around her yard with trash bags, wearing non matching pajamas and feet hanging off the backs of shoes that were clearly too small because they belonged to her son. Oh to be as faithful in yielding to God as this delicate spring flower. As I looked around my yard, I didn’t see a single flower who had chosen to simply throw itself on the ground convinced it was just going to die anyway. No, as I looked around my yard, each and every bloom gracefully yielded to their Creator as the snow kissed each one of their tiny heads. But what would I do in that same situation? My honest answer is that I have a stubborn heart sometimes, and on more than one occasion, I have claimed a hopeless outcome before the storm has even passed. I have a history of giving up and wilting on my own. The question today becomes: The earth yields to God, so why can’t I? Will I yield to God or wilt with a stubborn heart? How helpless we are when things that don’t go as we planned. How nice it would be to wish all the bad away. Life gets interrupted, outcomes aren’t as expected, we are thrown a curve. What is our response? “It’s not fair!”  “Why would this happen?”  Or perhaps we put up a wall and stand behind it with our arms crossed. Yet what if we yield to God?  What a difference yielding sounds like:  “God, this stinks.  It hurts, and I don’t understand, but I trust you.  I don’t see this outcome but you do, and may it bring you glory.  Give me peace and blessed assurance that you are near today.  I just give this whole situation to you because I’m not even sure what to pray for right now. Keep my eyes fixed on you, even if there are tears.” A stubborn heart assumes hope is lost, God’s plan is lost, or victory is lost.  What lies!  Yield to God and we hear a very different message, one of Truth.  The Bible tell us that Christ alone IS our hope (Psalm 62), God KNOWS the plan for our life (Jeremiah 29:11), and Christ IS victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57).  God can even use what seems to threaten us, to water our roots.  Ask yourself today, “Do I yield to God or does my stubborn heart resist?” As I returned indoors, God reminded me that He is the One True God that can and will melt the icy snow, but sometimes allows the snow.  In fact, the snow may become the very water that nourishes and grows the roots.  Even when all I see is the frost bite.  God reminded me: Yield and I will nourish the roots of your heart.  It is God’s Living Water alone that can nourish and heal the unreachable and untouchable places of the heart. Will I yield to God and let Him nourish and grow me?  Will I trust Him with the outcome, or will I miss the blessing of peace and glory of God?  Will I weather the storm Or will my stubborn heart lay wilted on the ground in the despair of circumstances.   I don’t always get it right, that is for sure, but maybe, just maybe I will remember that even prized purple tulips yield to God.  If the earth yields to God, will I? April 28 will arrive in a few weeks, ladies will arrive at my door to shower an expectant mother.  They may not be greeted by cheerful purple tulips, and that is OK.  We will celebrate my friend and the promise of new life growing within her.  And tucked away just outside the door, tulip bulbs deep under the ground, will celebrate life too, one that yields to God, weathers the storms, and awaits new life to come.

UNHURRY HACK: A perennial heart is a patient heart Perennials vs Annuals…gardening terms, but perhaps relate to people as well.  First let’s set the record straight.  Typically, annual plants last one growing season and perennials come back year after year.  As I write, it is time to divide perennials that have grown too large, time to plant bulbs, and time to plants trees and shrubs.  Recently, I planted handfuls of spring bulbs,  grape hyacinths to be exact.  With the promise of cheery clusters of  purple faces that will awake when the snow melts, I tirelessly placed the little bulbs in their prescribed depths of soil.  Next, I  covered them with a think blanket of earth ensuring their protection from squirrels and dropping temperatures.  When at last, the final little bulb had been tucked in for his long winters rest,  I stood up and stretched out my dirt covered knees.  I stood back to look at my work and I noticed something.  I couldn’t see one darn thing!  All this work, and nothing to show for it. What makes perennial plants different? Much of perennial work occurs under the ground. Perennials grow a lasting structure and they carefully re-seed.  Perennials are able to weather storms or an accidental shovel because their roots have grown deep into the soil.  They can adapt and seek shelter and regrow.  They trust in God’s timing.  Perennials watch the passing shows of annuals grace the stages of flowerbeds and they wait patiently for God’s timing instead.  They endure and persevere and wait.  In God’s perfect timing, their tender shoot bursts through the soil, giving God all the glory as they display their proud flowers. I need a perennial heart don’t you? God speaks of plants and seeds, farming and cultivating, and waiting for the harvest throughout the Bible.  God’s answers and actions often take place after a period of waiting.  God is at work, even if is taking place in the deep soil of our hearts. There is something special about waiting.  Like a seed or bulb, God tells us to wait for His placement and timing.  A little seed is useless until it dies to itself. The seed cracks open as germination takes place.  It is reborn and given new life.  God does that in our hearts when we surrender to Jesus.  He has a good and perfect will for our lives and when we place our trust in Him, when we pray, and when we wait, we are germinating.  We are bulbs resting and growing underground so that in God’s timing He can use us to show His glory to the world.  A perennial heart is patient. In 2 Timothy 2:24 we are told to be patient with difficult people. Additionally, Paul tells us in this passage that as a servant of the Lord, we are to be kind to everyone and not quarrel. In Genesis 6:6-12 God tells us to be patient with difficult circumstances.  After the rains stopped, Noah waited.  No doubt craving space to stretch out, fresh air to breathe, and the absence of the boat’s sway under their feet, his family and the animals waited for God’s timing before they exited.  Romans 5:3-4 tells us that problems and situations help us develop endurance and perseverance, which strengthens our character and grows our faith and trust in God. In Psalm 142 God reminds us to be patient in distress. “When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn…” (Psalm 142:3). Psalm 127 God reminds us to be patient with our goals.  In all of our pursuits (even our dreams and areas we feel called to serve), the LORD must be our firm foundation.  This psalm reminds us that unless The LORD is the builder, our work will be wasted. Romans 8 reminds us that the best is yet to come.  We are reminded to be patient for the future.  Romans 8:18 says that “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. While these are just a few examples, we are reminded that there is care and beauty and strength in the waiting.  Having a perennial heart in an annual world isn’t always easy, but let us remember that God’s glory is always worth the wait.

UNHURRY HACK: Don't rush past small scary steps leading to big obedience. What if your best friend called you up and told you to pack your bags for the adventure of a lifetime.  All the details had already been planned out including all of your current responsibilities and commitments.  All you have to do is just say yes.  Would you go? What if God invited you to go on an adventure? What is an adventure with God? I can tell you first hand. But first let’s understand the word adventure.Webster Dictionary defines “adventure” as the following: “1. a) an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks. b)the encountering of risks. 2. an exciting or remarkable experience. What feelings did that definition evoke? Exciting or even a little scary? Count me out, or count me in?  Me too.  But oh when we say yes! God shows us things about him and about our selves, and about the world around us that are far greater than we could even imagine. You see, a year ago I said yes to an adventure with God. God invited me on an adventure to be a writer.  In school I never minded writing assignments, and I always kept a journal of thoughts and prayers, but never dreamed of being an author.  That dream was lying dormant. But over the years, a little inexplicable flame would ignite in my heart when thought formed into words on paper before my eyes.  Certain words began to pierce my heart and I would find myself jotting down words, phrases, and thoughts for no understandable reason.  I was just compelled to keep them close to my heart.  I think the Lord had been whispering in my heart, “you will need these on your adventure.” I suppose I had been packing, because years later when God called me to say yes, and it was time to board that vessel,  and all of my bags were packed and ready. God is so personal and so creative and exciting, I’m sure the adventure process is unique to each of us too. But for me, it was gradual and then once God’s invitation burst forth, I was ready to say “yes.” But then what?  God does not always provide clear instructions for his adventures.  I dreamily decided that I would write a book.  And maybe I will one day, but as I began to walk toward the route of published writing, God slowed me down.  He completely unhurried my heart.  And that’s where it got a little scary.  A little risky.  A little personal. God showed me that writing for Him can look like a lot of different things.  A blog, an encouraging word to a friend, prayer journaling, and just simply writing for the joy of writing.  About that same time, another seed of adventure was germinating.  This seed was a heart for women’s ministry and Bible study.  This seed grew into an idea to write a Bible study.  But this would mean putting aside my blog for a while and it would mean taking my writing time a little more seriously.  A few years before, God blessed me with my dear friend Karen, who also loved to write.  It became clear that God had plans for us to merge ideas and author a bible study together.  As ideas became sheets of paper with printed words, and “some day” became a date on the church calendar, I came face to face with fear.  I have never like speaking in front of people, in fact, I hated it.  And, teaching our Bible study to our new women group, would require me to do just that.  How did I forget that part? Anxiety crept in and whispers of doubt and insecurity began to threaten me.  This was risky, perhaps a little dangerous.  I had people counting on me to teach God’s Word.  What if I fail?  I felt incredibly vulnerable.  What if my worst nightmare comes true, and I just stand there frozen before these people?  All through out my childhood, teachers and adults would tell me to “speak up.” I used to hate that phrase so much, because it was scary to speak louder.  What if someone tells me to speak up?  What if I faint or run off the stage? I battled these fears one prayer at a time and continued to write and trust. I was compelled to keep going.  God kept providing the words to write. Months passed and Karen and I kept meeting, writing, planning for our Bible study.  God didn’t take away my thorn of “what ifs,” they remained painfully in my side, but he provided his holy peace that covered those fears.  God filled me with his peace and the calm assurance that everything would be OK.  About that time, my mother spoke the affirming words that “God equips those he calls.” I held on tight to those words.  He would equip me for this adventure.  I held on tight to Jesus.  This part of the adventure began to get a little bumpy.  A bit dangerous.  I held on even tighter when fear gripped me with a panic attack one night before I fell asleep.  I didn’t know that was what was happening but my physical body was at war with my self battling the anxiety that was brought on by the “what ifs.” Days passed, final touches were made and the big day arrived.  I would be teaching our first lesson.  As women found places in their chairs in front of me, I found my place before God.  Humbly leaning into Christ.  Leaning in through my first spoken word, leaning in through the second spoken word…and the next.  I prayerfully made it through teaching my first authored Bible study lesson.  Teaching that day was the hardest thing I have ever done, but the most fulfilling.  I wasn’t near as nervous the next time.  And since that knee knocking first day, God has taken Karen and I to a second church to teach our Bible study.  We didn’t even dream of that opportunity.  But that’s God, he does more than we can ever imagine or ask, when we say yes to HIM. I thought God was calling me to safely sit at home and write a book, and maybe I will one day.  But the adventure God took me on this year was to fully grasp Phillipians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV).  The Message Bible says it like this, “Whatever I have, wherever I am,  I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” Maybe I will publish one day, but for now, I am still tackling small steps of big obedience. I am continuing to learn how to trust and lean into Christ.  He continues to lead me on this writing adventure illuminating one little path stone at a time.  Where is God leading you?  What seeds have been lying dormant that have begun to germinate? It will be an exciting and remarkable experience.  I dare you to say yes to God….go on an adventure with HIM.

All of a sudden, your words fell.  They fell silently on my heart like the first drop of a soft rain. It was just a gentle nudge. A still small quiet voice in my head answered back, “You are mine.” My heart was humbled and full all at the same time.  Did I hear that right?  You were really listening God?  You really care about me and my heart’s ramblings?  And the thing that matters most to you God, more than all these roles and areas where I serve you, is just that I am yours? UNHURRY HACK: When our soul is dehydrated, stop drinking what makes us thirsty. FIRST READ: Psalm 42 No wonder I’ve been panting Lord, I am thirsty for you. Psalm 42: 1-2 (NIV) paints this kind of thirst beautifully, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” The Message Bible translates this verse, “I want to drink God, deep draughts of God.” Here I’ve sat wondering about the how and the what that you have wanted for my life, and all the while the thing that you wanted most was (and what you continue to want is) my heart. You want to quench my thirst. May I take in gulps of your love today Father. Being your child is the only role that fills me with your living water and leaves me thirsting no more. Let me just bask in this knowledge today. I am first and foremost your child. That is my greatest role. “Being yours” is and will be my greatest accomplishment here on this earth. Lord, I want to gulp down your love today.  I want to drink in so much of you that it runs out of the corners of my mouth.  I am honored to be your child, your creation. You created me with limits, but you are the almighty.  There are no limits to your strength and power, and love.  You alone can fill my needs and the desires of my heart.  When I look at my body and my skills Lord, the world might tell me I don’t have what it takes.  You tell me I have the only thing it takes.  When I say I don’t know who I am supposed to be, You tell me “you are mine.”   Thank you Jesus.  May I bask in this truth today.  Amen. Wondering how to know for sure that you belong to God? Wondering if you belong to God? Yes, well maybe…I’m not really sure.  Does that express your heart?  Would you like to know for sure?  Put to rest once and for all that aching question?  Perhaps your life is like mine was-a puzzle with a missing piece. Think about your answer to these questions ?  If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Do you know with 100% certainty that you would go to heaven?  Can you remember where you were when you made Jesus your personal Savior?  If not, then it may be time to do so. Perhaps you remember asking Jesus to be your Savior, but you have walked far away from him.  He’s never left you, your salvation is never lost, but you want to rededicate your life to Him. It may be time to do so. Jesus was my missing piece.  When I said yes to Jesus, I became whole-and I became HIS.  The bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” From the best to the worst, every one of us is a sinner by nature and in need of a savior. That sin is what separates us from God.  Jesus Christ is our only savior.  Romans 3:24, tells us that all who believe are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Friend, when Jesus died on the cross, he did it for you.  He did it for me. He did it to save us from the penalty of sin which is death and an eternity apart from him in hell. That is how much God loves you!  His salvation through Christ is a gift he extends to us, and we can receive simply by saying yes. How? Just pray and ask.  There are no magic words that will convert you.  It is between your heart and God.   Your prayer might be something like this: Dear God, I come to you today.  I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of a Savior.  I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died on the cross to save me from my sins. Only by your grace am I saved, nothing I am or do will save me.  Father, on this day (today’s date), I want to receive Christ once and for all.  Come into my life Jesus.  I put you in charge and make you Lord of my life. I want to follow you all the days of my life. Thank you for your gift of salvation. If you just prayed that prayer, then welcome to the body of Christ! Friend, I am excited for you!  This is a big day! The heavens are rejoicing and you can put to rest the uncertainty of your eternity. The bible tells us that we can never lose our salvation (Revelation 3:5) and so begins a life of fellowship with God.  I encourage you to write down this day, as a special memory. When doubt creeps in, you can pull out this memory and doubt no more.  Your missing puzzle piece was found and put in place for all eternity. What next?  Followers of Christ need to spend time with God in prayer and study the bible in order to grow that relationship and fellowship with God.  Find a church home so that you can surround yourself with believers who will love, support, and disciple you, and where you can worship and learn about the bible through the pastor’s teaching and guidance.  An outward expression of your inward change is to follow through in believer’s baptism, just as Jesus did. It is important also to remember that we are still going to mess up and life is still going to be hard sometimes. Go to Jesus with everything.  Seek him in all of your ways.