Peace

The word peace shows up in the Bible something like 249 times. Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

Lying awake at 2:30 a.m. this morning, I meditated on Psalm 4:8.

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, LORD,

make me dwell in safety.

In a world of anxiety and turmoil, mounting fear, and content worry, I think the Lord wants us to remember He is a God of peace and safety for our hearts and minds.

Fix on Him instead of your troubles. Instead of your worries. Even instead of your physical aliments.

Peace.

Happy 19th Anniversary to my Hubby!

Hubby and I married 19 years ago today after four years of friendship-oddship.

When we met, we were 27. Ready to settle down, tired of the Christian AND non Christian dating scene.

I travelled around the country and world training newspaper editors and reporters, and classified advertising reps how to use my company's computers for daily production.

He was the youth and singles pastor, full time staff at the church I'd recently started to attend.

He'd been a Christian for about 4 years. I'd been following Jesus for 20! With a brief time out for college shenanigans.

When I moved to Melbourne, FL, I wanted nothing but to pay off school loans and get 100% in love with Jesus. I prayed a prayer that changed my life, set me on a difficult but glorious journey. I know that I know He is Lord.

Hubby was working out his young salvation with fear, trembling and wisdom. When we met, we actually intimidated each other a bit. He was a pastor who heard God. I was the daughter of a pastor, long time saved, and could also hear God.

Our initial attraction was interesting. He was more interested in me. I was dubious. He had a beard. Yet, I was interested. Then God flipped the tables on us. Literally.

He spoke to me one Sunday afternoon. "He's your husband." ARG! There's no way I wanted to "hear" the cute single singles pastor was my husband. Just line me up with the looney ladies.

But the Lord spoke to me over and over. Confirmed it in many ways.

Meanwhile... He told Husband. "Be her friend." Or "You're just going to be friends." Either way, a budding romance went kapoot, fast.

He thought we were only to be friends. I kept feeling, hearing, wondering if we weren't going to be married!

We confessed our thoughts. But we respected each other enough to wonder who was really hearing. Or what kind of creative answer God was going to give us.

Hubby would say, "We think it has to be A or B, but I bet God has a C answer somewhere."

Really? Like what? I never doubt God's ability to go outside our human boxes, but I couldn't see an alternative to "You're going to marry him." I mean, either we were going to get married or not!

What? In fifty years after his first wife dies? I mean, what other answers were there?

Interesting, hubby's initial attraction to me "romantically" vanished when the Lord told him we were to be friends.

So, that's all we were for three years.Friends. Best friends.

Then through a series of events, very colorful and interesting events, hubby began to ask the Lord if I was the one he was going to marry. All the while, he still had no feelings for me other than friendship.

More interesting and fun events transpired and one day, on a day God spoke to Hubby four months in advance, he saw me walking across a parking lot and all the feelings he needed to fall in love exploded in his heart.

Whoa! For me, I had to ask, "Who is this man?" Wow!

Friend to lover in 0 - 60 seconds.

We were married six months later. Today. March 21, 1992.

I am so very blessed and honored to be his wife, to know, respect and love this man, to serve him and the Lord's people with him. He's my friend, my confidant, my cheerleader and supporter.

When I graduated from college, I prayed, "Lord, I don't know what to do with my life. I know I'll only be satisfied and content if I'm doing what you want. I know I'll pick the wrong man to marry. I don't know who to pick. Only You know. Choose for me."

God is so good! God does good things for those who love Him. Not always are they simple or easy things. My journey through fear and anxiety was horrendous, but oh, the love of the Lord carried me through. I know Him in a way I'd never have known without those scary times.

Yay God! Thank you for my husband! Thank you for 19 great years. So peaceful and easy.

JOY!

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Eve, a lovely, breezy day in central, coastal Florida. This is my favorite time of year. The beautify of Christmas lights, the traditions and familiarity of songs and movies. The good will and cheer in the hearts of so many.

I'm blessed by you all and want to wish you a very, merry Christmas. I've been slow on blogging this fall, but I'm a blogger at heart and will do better in the New Year.

When I submitted the rewrites Monday morning for the first book I'm doing with a country music artist, I literally had no energy, words or emotion left. That book took it all. But my editor and I are very pleased with it. She more than me, so I'm thrilled. A writer is too close to their work by the the final version.

Artist has been a gracious and fun partner.

As we end this year with uncertainty in our financial market, going into a New Year with a new president of whom who know so little, I'm comforted to know God is not surprised or caught off guard. He's well aware and even better, in control.

We cannot judge our future successes or opportunities by the world, but by Him. He can make a road way in the wilderness, a river in the desert. Keep your heart and mind on Him, and be comforted by His peace.

As people fear the world and it's economy, we have such a great opportunity to touch them with the Light within us, the hope we have in a living, loving Lord.

I recently had a non Christian reader tell me she felt such hope after reading "Love Starts With Elle." How great to spread the love and fragrance of Jesus across the country to a woman I've never met.

God has a plan and destiny for all of us. In Matthew 16, Jesus said to Peter, "I give you the keys to the Kingdom." Wow! Jesus HAS GIVEN us the keys to His Kingdom. He's given us His robes of righteousness. What are we doing in pauper clothes? Worry, doubt, fear, pain from the past, hopelessness.

Let's put on Jesus and His righteousness. He has such great love and desire for us, not only to fellowship face to face, but to walk out the destiny He's had in mind since the foundation of the world.

Think of when you held your first child. Didn't you dream? She's going to be a prima ballerina, or a prize winning scientist. Or, he's going to be the next Babe Ruth, or a best selling author.

Jesus has those same dreams and plans for us. Better yet, He is able to bring them about! I'm not talking about digging around our own souls and presenting to Him a product of our selfish ambition. I'm talking about standing before him, arms wide, head back, eyes closed, heart toward Him and saying, "You are so good, so good, I can trust you with my life and destiny. What do you have for me to do. I'll do it."

He'll hear you, answer and launch you on an amazing journey.

Don't be afraid of being hidden, or to be seated at a table in the back. Jesus cannot resist a humble, unoffended heart.

Let's commit to seek Him wholeheartedly in '09. Be unoffended by friends, family, church, government. But seek Him.

Merry Christmas!

Dignity in Death

Allison Wilson and I drove up to Kristy Dykes funeral yesterday. It's always good to spend time with Allison, but we were both looking forward to Kristy's home going ceremony.

Unfortunately, we arrived late due to the keen-o feature of her husband's Porsch-a 911. Automatically lock the doors if the key is not in the ignition. The fact that the keys were in the driver's seat made no difference. Yes, we were locked out of the car sixty-three miles south of Jacksonville.

Nevertheless, the part of the ceremony we did participate in was so sweet, and infused with the presence of God. I teared up many times. Not so much of missing Kristy, although that is part of it, but because the Spirit of God, the Love of God permeated the room.

For about a minute, I physically felt jealous of Kristy. She's with Jesus!!

For me, and I'm sure many of the hundreds at the service, and those who witnessed her life and death on the blog, she reminded me of the way I want to live. In doing so, reminded me of the way I want to die. With dignity, with the love I have for Jesus infecting thousands.

How am I spending my time? What am I doing with my money and my words? How am I loving people? At the end of my life, those things are the only things that really matter.

You know how I'm convinced Kristy knew and loved the God-Man Jesus? Because in her dying, in her weak-conscious moments she worshipped Him, she radiated His love, she knew and experience His grace and peace.

The most impactful moment for me was when Milton told Kristy right before she died, "You won, Kristy, you won!"

Every time I hear or read those words, I cry. But it's deeper than what Milton proclaimed over Kristy. It's what Jesus is proclaiming over us, His Bride.

In out dying, beloved, we win! Die to self, you win. Die for Jesus, figuratively or literally, you win!!

"I run the race in order to win the prize."