SINCE QUITTER:1-Month Edition

It's been a month since the Quitter Conference. How has "the rubber met the road" in the past 30 days?

* Did the hustle! Gotta say, that phrase makes me think of a disco ball and a catchy 70's tune. Yep, I hustled at 5am nearly every morning. Actually, my hustle is typically more of a 6am hustle. And every now and then it's a 6:30 one. Okay, it's usually a 6:30 one. But at least I'm up before anyone else and able to work without taking time away from Justin and my babies.

* Wrote 12 (hopefully quality) blog posts.

* Logged ideas on Evernote, which is an awesome free online notebook. Great idea-capturing system!

* Spoke at 2 events, and prepared for each as those it was my one shot ever to communicate truth. Sought not perfection, but excellence as an offering to the God who put those things on my heart in the first place.

* Did the "Reverse Superman" after said events. It was tough--it almost physically hurt to do it. But God! He is faithful and will continue to make a way.

* Used Evernote to make a list of what I've done that I've loved. Eye-opening! The connections were amazing, and when I looked at it all, it was so evident that God has been weaving this calling throughout my life in the coolest ways!

* Tutored 5 times a week and sought excellence in every session. If I can't be faithful in this, why should I ask God for more?

* Scheduled reminders to be sent to me via Future Me. Come to think of it, one of my "Future Me" emails should be arriving within a few days to kick me in the butt. Looking forward to it.

* Set a "fake deadline." As of Saturday afternoon, there's nothing on the books for which to prepare. But I've set up a pretend deadline for preparing another teaching, as though I'll have an opportunity to share it.

* CRIED! Seriously. I won't lie, this month has been hard! To hustle every single day and not necessarily see any measurable impact? Pretty tough. But it's also been drenched in peace. I know I am being a faithful steward of the gifts, passions, talents and words God has given.

* Revived my Twitter account and am trying to figure it all out. I am soaking up what others have to offer. Pretty incredible insights, encouragement, and hilarious commentaries!

* Sought to encourage other Quitter Conference Alumni. Awesome community!

* Began to pray toward the possibility of Dream Year, She Speaks Conference, another Quitter Conference...What's next? Who knows. Some of the possibilities are terrifying in the best possible way, because they would be tremendously faith-stretching, but we don't know if they're necessarily ones for me to pursue. So we're praying.

* Spoken Galatians 6:9--aloud--on a number of occasions. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

* Did NOT hustle on Sundays. I very intentionally took a day of rest. Sure, I could work 7 days a week. But I am trusting God to make 6 days of "hustle" stretch to cover a 7-day week.

Up next: More hustle. A time audit (which never happened this month). And I also want to make a list of what I've done that I have NOT loved, because I think it will be every bit as insightful as listing what I've done that I HAVE loved. Also: I need some shower crayons. I actually did have some great ideas in the shower but forgot them by the time I lathered, rinsed, and repeated. Needed some shower crayons to write them down so I wouldn't forget them! Does Evernote make a shower edition???

So that's where I am! Any Quitter Conference buddies out there? How has the past month "since Quitter" looked for you?

BECAUSE OF TOMORROW, WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN TODAY?

Given the second half of this sentence, how would you fill in this blank?

"____________ , for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

If you knew with 100% certainty that God was getting ready to do AMAZING things among you, what would you do today?

Would you pray?
Would you prepare?
Would you posture your heart accordingly?

Joshua knew God was about to move--that He was gearing up to do "amazing things" which in the Hebrew language meant that God was about to

do wonders
do monstrous things (love that!)
do things too difficult
do things that seemed hard
do miracles

And so he said, "________________, for tomorrow the LORD is going to (do wonders, do monstrous things, do things too difficult, do things that seemed hard, do miracles) amazing things among you."

So in light of all that comes after that blank, what should fill it in?

"CONSECRATE YOURSELVES."

Dedicate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD is going to do amazing things among you.
Set yourselves apart, for tomorrow the LORD is going to do amazing things among you.
Keep yourselves clean, for tomorrow the LORD is going to do amazing things among you.
Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD is going to do amazing things among you.
And my favorite: Manifest His holiness, for tomorrow the LORD is going to do amazing things among you.

Because tomorrow the LORD is going to do wondrous miracles among us, because He is going to do things that seemed to difficult and too hard among us, because He is going to do monstrous things among us (Hallelujah!), that means today is the day of consecration. It means now is the time of setting ourselves apart, cleaning and purifying our hearts. It means this is the day of dedication.

In light of what God is going to do tomorrow, what are we going to do today?
What needs to look different than it does? What time needs to be spent, what words need to be said, what things need to be fled?

APPLAUSE FOR STAYING

I was a loyal customer of Dish Network for 7 years. But my relationship with them didn't really get much attention from them until it ended.

Same with Georgia Natural Gas. And Sprint. And BJ's Wholesale Club. And Progressive Auto Insurance.

The moment I'd moved on to I-can-get-a-better-deal-elsewhere greener pastures, I was suddenly their valued customer with whom they wanted to reunite.

But I never really got much applause for staying, or for my commitment of several years.

Take a look at any array of magazines at the check-out line. The fanfare and attention begins when a marriage disintegrates--not when it goes the distance.

I think there should be fanfare for staying.

70 years ago today, my grandparents married and started a lifetime of love--a rich legacy for their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They had nearly 65 years together as husband and wife; My sweet, sweet grandpa passed away on July 4, 2006. They were the most tremendously precious and in-love couple I've ever known. But since the stayers seem to garnish far less attention, and the ones who go the distance sometimes seem to fly under the radar, I just want to take a moment to applaud their life and celebrate their staying. The fruit of their life together was something that many of us continue to enjoy today. We walk in our inheritance of love and faithfulness because they stayed.

Love--and applause--for my sweet Nana, and for my grandpa, who I know is waiting to cup my face in his hands again one day in Heaven.

A TITHE OF TIME

"I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." ~Martin Luther

Okay, that's math that just doesn't make sense.

Or does it?

I've been preparing for an event that's coming up tonight. I've gotten up early, stayed up late, and given it my all.

But by Wednesday afternoon of this week, I was still feeling anxious and overwhelmed, so I opted out of small group time to get in a solid two hours of preparation. I knew that meant I could run through my teaching four times and feel well-prepared.

But my heart needed preparation more than my mind. I knew it. And so with a two-hour block available to me, I spent almost the entire first hour not practicing. I was, however, preparing in the most important way:

I worshipped. I opened up my Bible. I prayed.

And then I practiced. And something in me knew God was stretching those two run-throughs much further than I could have made four run-throughs stretch.

Maybe when we think of tithing, our mind immediately goes to offerings of money. What about offerings of time? Even on our busiest days, what else should beckon us more than the preparation of our hearts? It seems counterintuitive, but what if sitting at the feet of Jesus is the single most productive thing you could do all day?

I know this passage in Malachi is probably talking about money--but what if we considered these "tithes and offerings" mentioned as offerings of time? Read this through with TIME in mind:

"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, 'How do we rob You?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing Me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. 'Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops and the vines of your fields will not cast off their fruit,' says the LORD Almighty. 'Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty."

Malachi 3:7-11

What if the blessing is fruit that comes from time spent worshipping, praying, and consuming the Word of God? What if God preventing pests from devouring our crops is a picture of Him protecting our time for the remainder of the day? What if we are called blessed and dwell in a delightful land because we offered up the first of our day to Him?

LORD, a tithe of time is a tough offering, mainly because we've gotten too busy. But we know You operate under a totally different economy. Remind us that You can make 23 hours of our day stretch way further than we could possibly stretch all 24 on our own. We can SAFELY offer up to You the first fruit of our day and trust You for the outcome.

READY OR NOT...

"I'm not ready," I said wide-eyed to the woman who was about to draw blood. I'd managed to make it to age 10 before ever having to give up any of the precious red stuff flowing through my veins.

I told her I needed to lie down first.

And then that I thought I'd do better sitting up.

Or....maybe we should try the whole lying-down again.

"She's ready," my stepmom finally insisted. Crying, flailing, and a lot of drama ensued. And at the end of it all, the vilest of nurses held a vial of my blood.

I don't know that I would've ever been "ready" for that.

Twenty years later, I was "Not ready" again. It was January 1st, and my maternity leave was ending. The following day, January 2nd, the day I'd known was coming, I would return to work after being home for my son's first three months. It felt really, really not right to not be home with him. I remember that night so vividly: I rocked him, nursed him, placed him in the bassinet and then climbed into bed and sobbed like I hadn't before, nor since, as an adult. And the next morning, God was good; He strengthened me and there were mercies for the work I was called to finish. But four months later when I received a job contract for the following year, I didn't sign it. I came home, and have been home ever since.

But I'm here again in this heart-rending place called "Not ready." And this time it's August 15th that draws near--the day I've known for a while now would be another "Not ready" day. That's the day when I will begin really, really sharing my son with a world that I'm praying will receive him with grace. It's the day when he will enter an environment that might not welcome the truth we've sown into him. It's the day when I pray he finds favor with those outside our family and group of friends. It's the day I hope he will encounter people who see great worth in the way God has uniquely made him. It's the day when I'll hope we prepared him sufficiently with truth, manners, compassion, more truth, and even a bit of knowledge.

I really don't feel ready. But I don't know that I could find a date on any calendar that I finally would feel ready. I want more time, more chances, more opportunities, more laughs, more talks--more battles, even! I came home to be home with him. My heart hurts knowing that a chapter of that is coming to a close.

I'm not ready. But ready or not, here it comes.

God, You are my Abba Father, my Daddy. Not only do you fully understand what my heart feels now, but the great measure of love I feel for that boy is so small compared to the love You have for Him, and that gives me great peace. I do not want to worry--I am commanded to trust You and so I am needing You to strengthen me to trust You. He will be out from under our protection more than he ever has been, but I KNOW he will never be out from under Yours. You have given him a desire for people to come to know Jesus as their Savior, so although that truth may be unwelcome, I know You have placed light in dark places. Let his light shine so that people may see his good works and praise his Father in Heaven. Please use that boy for Your glory! Please let all the seeds of truth take root in him! Please let his life bear lots of fruit--the kind that lasts! Please protect his body, protect his heart, and protect him from any who would even consider doing him harm. Cover his steps with peace, and lend weight to what He does in Your name! Thank You for creating him and for entrusting him to us. The only fitting thing is for us to offer him back up to You.

DOGGY BAGS

This week I read a "Miss Manners" letter written by a woman fed up with her in-laws for coming over for dinner, and then asking for a large helping of what was served to take home to their dog. Not table scraps, mind you, but a Tupperware-sized helping of the good stuff. As in, "Can we please have a slab of that prime rib to take home to our pooch?" type of thing.

I can see why the woman was upset. I love my dog, too--but Jack gets regular old dog food, or an occasional table scrap. We're not tossing him lobster tails or filling his bowl with caviar. It just seems like there's something a little off about taking home the richest of fare for the family pet.

But there's something more than a little off about throwing table scraps to a far worthier God.

Reading this letter in the paper was timely because I recently finished reading the chapter in Crazy Love entitled "Serving Leftovers to a Holy God" -- a chapter that has really challenged me to consider the ways in which I'm insisting on bringing the best to the LORD, and the ways in which I'm tossing Him a few table scraps now and then. And it's been a humbling little exercise.

Even as I've entered/tagged/organized clothes for a consignment sale (from which I will profit) this week, I've found myself thinking, "Whatever doesn't sell can go to the Clothesline event at the church." Ugh--it hurts my heart just to type these words because I hate that I thought them! Yes, the money I earn from the sale will go to buy the next round of clothes for my children--nothing wrong with that. But there's something about that thought process that just screams "You are planning to give the lesser things. You're planning to give the leftovers."

This week has felt overwhelming, time-wise. If I can just get through the next 9 days, I'm golden. But it has also really challenged the amount of time I have sat down strictly to worship and spend time with God. 3 minutes reading a Psalm just doesn't cut it for me anymore, but that's what the past week has been like. And it bothers me to my core that out of a 24-hour day, He's getting like 3 minutes of my undivided attention. That's unacceptable. It's like tossing Him table scraps.

It's also this way when we look at how much money we expect to have left over at the end of the month before writing out the tithe check. But in Malachi you never hear God say He anything about "leftovers." Instead, He uses the word "firstfruits."

I think sometimes the concept of "firstfruits" is a little too foreign to us. We give out of our excess--whatever remains at the end of what we ourselves have consumed is what we're willing to share. But that's not especially impressive to a watching God:

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in their large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor woman has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of her wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."
Mark 12:41-44

LORD, I am convicted when I consider some of the ways in which I'm tossing You a bone just to appease my guilt rather than bringing the very best to You because I am so in love with You. Please give me a deep, insatiable love for You that compels me to bring my very best to You--time, talents, offerings, all of it. Forgive me for all the times You've gotten my leftovers.

* In what ways are you currently experiencing the battle between firstfruits and leftovers?

COUNTERINTUITIVE

Yesterday we were at a birthday party where our friend Scott was introduced to the children's toy known as Chinese Finger Locks.

He put his fingers in, and a look of surprise spread across his face when he realized he really, really couldn't get them out.

"You have to push in!" we told him through our laughter. He looked a little bewildered that we were advising him to push his fingers in even further when it seemed there was already a death-grip on his pointer fingers.

Pulling out even harder would make a lot more sense. Pushing in surely seemed counterintuitive. But although our advice didn't seem right, he tried it--and it actually worked.

I feel like the God I serve says some pretty counterintuitive things in His Word. He said He could make 90% of our income stretch way better than we could stretch 100%. He said that the least on earth would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. He said we should love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and go an additional mile with someone who demands we walk a mile with them. He said the woman who had only a few pennies but gave them all had given far more than the wealthy who seemingly gave more. He said he wasn't nearly as interested in what was seen as He was with what is unseen. He said we shouldn't bother storing up treasures in a place where we may potentially live 90 or even 100 years. He said not to worry about your next meal. He said to seek His Kingdom before any other earthly pursuit.

To people who live in a culture that finds these commands highly counterintuitive, these words just don't make a lot of sense. And so often people find themselves just pull, pull, pulling even harder.

But oddly enough, His words work. Every time. 100% of the time. All the time. Strange as they sound, they work.

Are you struggling with any of God's commands in the belief that they are counterintuitive? Do you find yourself pulling harder to make it work, or are you pushing into Him?

* Special thanks to Scott for letting me share his Chinese Finger Locks fiasco!

IF YOU ONLY HAD SIX WORDS

My dad is a published author. I'm glad at least one of us is!

He was one of the contributors on a book called "It All Changed in an Instant," a book all about "six word memoirs." Basically, people sent in their six words that most succinctly summed up their lives, or a major part of it. And they had to encapsulate their experiences in no more than six words:

"Found tumor. Removed kidney. Turned four."

"Unplanned, but perfect: Heather, Hannah, Haley."

"Hated seventh grade. Now teaching it."

"The Fruit Loop among the Cheerios."

"Dealt bad cards. Played them well."

"Goth girl. White dog. Lint roller."

"Learned more from poverty than wealth."

"I saw the Red Sox win."

"Wish I could bubblewrap my son."

"Author of so many unwritten books."

"I'm more Clark Kent than Superman." *That one's my dad's. :)


So if you only had six words, what would yours say?

"Found a husband 3,000 miles away."

"Childhood full of love and laughter."

"Still get giggles with best friend."

"Lost a son. Gained a daughter."

"Almost wrecked my life. BUT GOD."

"My life is marked with redemption."

"Justin. Trev. Ailey. Each worth wait."

"Want to make much of God."


Your turn. You've got six words. Go!

WHERE I WAS WHEN THE THUNDER BOOMED

3:09am. A huge clap of thunder boomed, jarring my babies out of their sleep.

And my hands were on their heads when it happened.

I happened to be in their room praying over them in that very moment. The heavy rains woke me, and when I wake in the night, my go-to place is their room to put my hands on their heads and pray, pray, pray.

And then suddenly, *BOOM.* They both sat up quickly, looking terrified. But they seemed comforted that I was already right there.

Because usually I'm down the hall, asleep in my own bed. That's the norm. They'll call for me, and I'll book it down the hall to get to them. But I'm not typically already right there, with my hands on their heads.

And I think it's also where we assume God is when a storm hits--down some hall, until summoned. Sometimes it feels like when things fall apart, we think we need to call for Him, disturbing His slumber while He rushes down the hall to tend to us. Oh, maybe we believe He'll come running--but we think He has to, because we think He's elsewhere when we call.

But what if we believed in the presence of God? What kind of peace could we have if we recognized that His hand is on us before the storm even hits? What if we knew for sure that He is near, not only when we call out for Him, but even before we do?

By the time we hear the boom of thunder, He has already has His loving hands on us.

The LORD is near to all who call on Him,

to all who call on Him in truth.

Psalm 145:18

DEAR "FUTURE YOU,"

Have you ever wanted to be able to send yourself an email in the future? Now you can. How cool is that?

Recently I heard about a site called futureme.org that will send you an email you write to yourself. And you choose the delivery date--it can be a week out, a month out, a year out, twenty years out! And what I love (love, love) about it is that I have not received one spam-ish email from them at all. You don't have to sign up or provide info or anything, other than providing the address to which the email should be sent. It's a pet peeve of mine to sign up for something online and then get a lot of emails I do not want, so this is a big deal to me!

And so I'm using it to speak truth to the Future Thea Nelson--The girl who in a month will be tempted to let up on using what God has given her, and will need Galatians 6:9 to kick her in the butt. The girl who in 3 months might forget who she is in Christ, and why that should affect her day-to-day. The girl who in 6 months might forget the worth of spending time with God daily. The girl who in a year might have forgotten the pit from which she has been freed, and how bad it was in there, and how sweet freedom is in Christ.

Yes, I sent myself each of these.

So what truth does the Future You need to read? That you've made a commitment that time was never intended to dissolve? That the days of bringing up children may be trying, but are more than worth it in terms of long-term Kingdom impact? That those words you're tempted to believe again are simply lies you need to refuse? That the mountain-top high you experienced may not be your day-to-day but was still absolutely real, and worth remembering? That all these sacrifices in the name of debt reduction will be worth it, and not to give up? That the job the Future You holds is an answer to prayer and a provision from God?

Does the Future You need a challenge?
A word of hope?
A reminder of truth?

Go over to futureme.org and speak some truth to the Future You. The "3-Weeks-From-Now" You or the "5-Months From Now" You or the "One-Year-From-Now" You will thank you for it! :)

I DON'T WISH I HAD BARBIE LEGS

"Do not lock your knees," our wedding coordinator told our wedding party at the rehearsal. And again the morning of the wedding. And again just before the ceremony.

She'd seen too many bridesmaids and groomsmen topple over from keeping their knees locked.

The key is to keep a slight bend in your knees. Basically, have the opposite of Barbie legs.

Have you ever tried to stand a Barbie up? She falls right over. Sure, her legs look a whole lot cuter in her little sundresses than mine do. But no worries--I've got a huge one-up on her:

My knees can bend. And bending knees keep you from falling.

When I think of people who are too clothed in pride to say they are sorry, I picture Barbie legs. When I see someone refuse to make the first move toward reconciliation, I picture Barbie legs. When I encounter a person who digs his heels in, or who doesn't seem to think she needs to do anything to bend or grow, I picture Barbie legs.

Because on the surface, they may look great. But their destiny is a fall.

Are you in a situation where you're both wrong and you're both right, but you're only able to see your rightness and their wrongness? When was the last time you apologized to someone when it was due? Have you ever been described as stubborn?

We can hold on and not give an inch, and we may look great for doing so; others may even applaud our tenacity. We can refuse someone a "sorry" that's due, and give off the perception that if we didn't admit fault, we must be innocent. We can refuse to go first, because we think that's what weak people will do.

And with those unbending knees, you might just look great. But if looking awesome in your unbending Barbie legs is your pursuit, then standing tall is not your destiny. A fall is your destiny.

Pride precedes disaster, and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall.
Proverbs 16:18

Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility precedes honor.

Proverbs 18:12

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2

A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

Proverbs 29:23

So forget having perfect-looking Barbie legs. Go first. Admit fault. Say the "sorry." Make the first move. Bend your knee in humility. You won't look small for doing so.

You'll look small if you don't.

QUITTER

I'm a quitter.
Yesterday I attended a conference in Nashville that ended up being some of the best, most insightful, God-honoring, hilarious 8 hours I've spent: The Quitter Conference. Jon Acuff (of the hilarious "Stuff Christians Like" fame) wrote "Quitter" -- his book about having 8 jobs in 8 years and being the perpetual quitter because of the tension between what he was doing, and what he was hungry to do with the gifts and talents God had given him.
But in the sea of all that quitting, he began to glean some insight. He realized that when you're waiting to do what you really, really feel called to do, you don't have to see your current circumstances as prisons from which to escape. They can be platforms from which to jump. And you can--and should--hustle while you're waiting. He talked about how to pursue a calling while honoring God, your spouse, your family, even your current employer.

One of his excellent insights--and one worth sharing--is the idea that "discovering" what you really want to do isn't so much an act of discovery, like some a-ha/lightbulb/walking-down-the-street-and-I-suddenly-realize-I-was-meant-to-be-a-beekeeper moment, but rather an act of recovery. So rather than the overwhelming "What do I want to do with my life?" question, we can start to ask, "What have I done that I've loved?"

I am passionate about being a wife and mom and communicator of truth. My heart longs to be the wife Justin deserves, and the mom who makes much of Jesus in such a way that it's real for my kids. And if being a wife and mom was all there was to my life, I know I would never look back and say, "That's all there was to my life?" This part alone is so precious, so real, and it matters so much. I'm passionate too about speaking truth in a way that brings clarity and stickiness to the truth of God's word. Getting to do so makes me feel like I am really using all God has given me, kind of like someone who had spent their life in a wheelchair dreaming to walk, and then one day getting to stand and take steps. It would feel like, for once, they were getting to use all of the parts God had given them. That is what I feel like when I write and speak. The amazing thing is that what I am doing right now IS connected to what I want to do long term. I am a tutor, and I use all my gifts to make information clear and memorable to students. What a blessing to have the awesome privilege of serving my tutoring students while practicing making it clear and making it stick for all God has in store for the future. Awesome! All I'm saying is that what you're doing right this moment probably does have tie-ins to your future dreams, even if you've never yet been able to make those connections. I love how our God is a tie-it-all-together God; There's peace in knowing that none of this waiting time is wasted time.

God has woven these longings and gifts into you and to me to use for His glory. It's about choosing to be a faithful steward of these things by using them, and giving them back to Him as an offering.

But it's more than just a "do what you love" thing. It's an obedience thing to use what God has given you to use! For a long time I've been compelled by the story of the talents in the gospels. Jesus told of a man who entrusted talents to three of his servants. When the master returned, two had used them and had returns on their investments. The third buried his talent. And his master did not take that lightly.

This parable compels me to write teachings before I'm booked to speak. It compels me to write blog posts even when I wonder if it matters. It compels me to pray for favor and opportunities, and for the diligence to pray and prepare in the meantime. It's what I can do now. I can't speak before I'm asked--but I can get ready. And I really feel called to get ready.

Why would we not, and how dare we not intentionally consider how God has so wonderfully and purposefully made us? Imagine Him fashioning and forming you in your mother's womb with great intentionality and purpose. He did so that you might use those things to point to Him. If you love photography, why not use that talent? If you love writing, why not write in response to the gift He's given you to do so? If He has gifted you to teach, why not teach?

Consider your life as it is right now. Are you doing what makes you feel like you're getting to use all of you? If your current job situation is not in line with the gifts and passions God has given you, by no means should you turn in your 2-week notice tomorrow. But you should--today--consider making individual actions and taking individual steps to prepare you for when God calls you out. Our days are numbered. Why not live them using our talents?

I'm a quitter, too--a quitter of an ordinary life void of the use of my God-given passions and talents. And I think this sign I saw in the snack room yesterday really summed up why:

So what would YOU do? If the bills didn't have to get paid (and yes, they do have to get paid), what would you want to do? Would you still do what you're currently doing?

NEGLECT

Yesterday I had 7 root canals.

Oh, wait--no. It just felt like I had 7 root canals. Because apparently a deep tooth cleaning following a 10-year hiatus from the dentist also feels as though you're delivering a baby, sans epidural, out of each one of your tooth sockets.

On the way home I stopped by Chick-fil-A to order the one thing I could eat--a "Sawberry Mipshape" (That's the only way I could say it after the gallon of Novocaine they injected into me). As I drove home, attempting to drink my "mipshape" through my half-numb lips, I couldn't help considering this one truth:

NEGLECT ACCUMULATES. And eventually having to deal with the accumulation is really painful.

There was no reason for me to have to go through the horrendous procedure I endured yesterday. Normal people who aren't ten-steps-beyond-terrified of the dentist usually go in every six months and get their teeth polished, collect their free toothbrush and floss, and are on their way.

Oh, but not me. I have severe dental phobia and decided to let things go for a solid decade. I went with the "Have someone scrape the ever-loving heck out of your teeth" plan. I took the "You'll need nine (yes, NINE!) shots of novocaine just to be able to survive this" route.

Why??? It didn't have to be this way.

But neglect accumulates.

Neglect your marriage for a day or a week? Probably no biggie. But neglect your marriage for any sort of a stretch of time, and you'll find yourself having terrible, tearful conversations and working tirelessly to rebuild trust and put the pieces back together.

Neglect your children for weeks and months, and you'll wonder a decade from now why they have no interest in really opening up to you.

Neglecting housework. Neglecting family relationships. Neglecting work responsibilities. Neglecting our health. Over time the neglect accumulates and it all eventually catches up, and the fall-out isn't easy to deal with.

Then there's neglecting your relationship with God. Neglecting His Word. You probably won't notice any trouble with this at first, but neglecting His will over time is to practically invite the painful consequences you'll face.

The price to be paid for neglect is painfully high. I will say it again--The price to be paid for neglect is painfully high!

What area of your life needs your attention--right now? Consider that one area. Pray over the part you've been neglecting. Maybe it will be painful to recover what has fallen through the cracks, to make that phone call, to spend that time that needs to be spent, to get up for that workout, or to make that appointment.

"You can't cram for a great marriage. You can't cram for a relationship with your kids," Andy Stanley said. It's true. There are certain things that simply have to be maintained a little bit over time. If I had spent every moment of the day leading up to my appointment incessantly brushing and flossing to try to compensate for not going to the dentist for the last 10 years, it wouldn't have helped. I had let things go for far too long.

Why do we live as though we can neglect the critical areas of our lives--and then cram to make it all up?

Father, You want us to be diligent and attentive, not lazy and neglectful, with what You've entrusted to us. And it's for a reason: The fallout is too great, and the price is too high. And You want to keep us from having to deal with the consequences that come with neglect! Let Your Holy Spirit speak to us, right now, about the areas we're neglecting. Show us, day in and day out, what it looks like to deal with what we've neglected, and to begin being busy about the things that really matter. Amen.

LOOKS READY TO ME

Last week I attempted to roast a whole chicken for the first time ever. I'm a decent cook, but somehow the ability (or courage) to cook an entire chicken has always eluded me.

So I made a lemon-thyme chicken and hoped for the best. The oven timer beeped, and I couldn't wait to see how it had turned out. I pulled a delicious-smelling, beautifully golden chicken out of the oven. It looked great, but having zero whole-chicken experience, I knew I needed some expertise on this one. I asked Justin if it looked ready. He wiggled its legs and poked at it a bit and said, "Looks ready to me."

So we sat down to our dinner table, ready for a taste. But after a few slices into the bird, Justin furrowed his brow and said, "I think it needs a few more minutes in the oven." In Justin's defense, it really did look ready--in fact, I couldn't believe I had cooked a chicken that looked so downright Martha Stewart-y! But I hoisted the chicken back into the roasting pan and popped it back into the oven. It was a bit of a let-down, especially since we went through this scenario like three more times before we actually got to eat the thing, and by then we had filled up on broccoli salad and mashed potatoes!

As ready as the chicken appeared to be from an outside assessment, it wasn't really ready for us to enjoy. And I'd venture to say that some of the awesome, glorious, good things God has in store for us are still cooking right now.

Even David was anointed, consecrated, set apart, chosen by God to be King--and then things kind of came to a halt. At least from a circumstantial standpoint, the way it all went down seemed kind of--well, anticlimactic!

The LORD revealed to Samuel that David would one day be King, so Samuel anointed David with oil, and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. No small things! Can you imagine?

Aaaand then right after that, he was right back to tending sheep, working as an armor-bearer, playing harp for Saul, and delivering lunch to his brothers. Riveting stuff--especially after the high of being chosen and anointed to reign as King.

Yes, he was still the anointed one, set apart for God's purposes. But it wasn't yet time for the big-guns stuff of taking down Goliath or wearing a King's crown. He was just hanging with the sheep, playing the harp, and running errands. The ordinary stuff of his life.

You'd think that he would've been ready at the moment he was anointed. You'd assume it would be full-steam ahead from the moment they poured that oil over him.

But as ready as things may have looked at that anointing ceremony, it wasn't time quite yet for God's call on David's life to be on display. But God was busy displaying HIS power to David. As a shepherd, David had to defend his sheep (and himself!) against lions and bears, and He saw God as His deliverer in every one of those instances.

And then when Goliath finally did enter the picture--even more waiting!--the giant showed up for forty days, taunting and tormenting the Israelites, before the big David vs. Goliath event went down.

And when it finally did, David was READY. God had readied David. And it was the God he had come to know as his Deliverer while doing the menial task of tending sheep whom David trusted when he needed a Deliverer once again:

"The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine, Goliath," David proclaimed (1 Samuel 17:37).

In this life we go from glory to glory and strength to strength, and it can be a bit of a letdown to get a taste of glory and then have to return to the unspectacular stuff of life while we wait for the next glory, the next strength. During these in-between, pre-ready seasons some of us are in right now, I believe God is currently revealing to us all we need to know about Him. And I also believe that what we come to know of Him in these days of waiting are the very things we will need to know about Him for our victory when we really are ready. We will be able to refer back to what He made known to us about Himself in these watching-sheep, delivering-lunches, uneventful days, and KNOW who is with us when it's time to go forward.

The things God has us up to now may seem mundane, even disconnected from what we believe to be the call on our lives. But isn't it interesting that a man who held the unimpressive job of shepherding a flock would one day shepherd the hearts of people when he reigned as King?

Maybe you think you're ready. Maybe you're getting close--maybe not. But we can trust God to show us who He is along the road to readiness.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY - The Blog

Recently my friend Jill thought it would be interesting to send out one verse a week to a handful of women, and ask them to write what God had communicated to them through that verse throughout the week. It's been really cool to see how our personal-relationship God communicates His living word in both similar and unique ways to His children!

Check it out at Communication is Key For Us --

Enjoy!

MARRIAGE AND WORSHIP

A few years ago I was driving through Atlanta, singing along to this song that has always made me think of my husband:

Something brought you to my mind today

I thought about the funny ways you make me laugh

and yet I feel like it's okay to cry with you

There's something about just being with you

that when I leave I feel like I've been near God

and that's the way it oughtta be

You've been more than a friend to me,

you've fought off my enemies

and you have spoken truth over my life

and you'll never know what it means to me
just to know you've been on your knees for me

Oh, you've blessed my life more than you'll ever know.*

And as I drove along I realized I had lifted my hand up like I sometimes do when I am caught up in worship. I hadn't realized what I was doing, but before I knew it, my hand was lifted up. "Well, that's odd," I thought as I dropped my hand down and kept driving.

But the more I thought about it, the more a connection between marriage and worship isn't really too far a stretch. Because a marriage living out as God intended really is a sacrifice of worship to our God. And it's not only that, but also a picture to a watching world of the love between Christ and the church.

LORD, thank You for these ten years as Justin's wife. You know where I've done well as a wife and You know where I've fallen short. You know how you've used Justin to buff out rough edges, to speak truth, and to show me love and grace as You've done. When I think of what I thought I'd have for my life, it makes me shudder. I'm grateful that what I thought I wanted wasn't all there was. Instead, what You held in store has far surpassed my grandest hopes and dreams, even when I thought I was dreaming big. Please bless Justin with great measure for the love he has shown me.

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Nelson * July 21, 2001

*"More Than You'll Ever Know" (Watermark)

WHEN YOU DON'T GET THE "FEAR" MEMO

What would you do if you didn't know you were supposed to be afraid?

My little girl is a daredevil. She's this tiny, fearless, jump-in-with-both-feet, do-crazy-stunts-without-batting-an-eyelash kind of girl. And she's always been this way! She wasn't even a year old when she started climbing this horse and not just riding, but standing up on the back of the horse like she was riding in the Kentucky Derby! She'd bounce along enthusiastically as though gravity somehow didn't apply to her.

Meanwhile, we were terrified! We kept taking her down off the horse, until about 20 times later we finally realized she was fine. I mean, really fine. She had this super-tenacious hold on the horse and just bounced away, grinning from ear to ear. Sure, we put pillows on the floor all around the horse, but not one time did she fall. She didn't even waver, that I ever saw--and believe me, I watched her like a hawk.

I think maybe this tendency to be totally unwavering was there because she was not afraid. Not at all. I don't even think she realized she should be! It's like she never got the "fear" memo. And without fear on the table, she rode with joy and abandon. It was amazing to see.

For us as followers of Jesus Christ, it goes beyond not realizing you should be afraid, like a tiny 11-month old should be when they're riding a horse standing up.

We are commanded not to fear.

When we live to pursue the Kingdom of God, we are not supposed to be afraid, and are in fact commanded not to be. As we invest and build and speak and minister to others and wait upon Him, we are not to have a spirit of timidity, but the one of boldness we've been given in His name. And when we really get onboard with this idea, that's when we can ride without the fear of falling.

It's a family peacefully waiting for the provision of a job.

It's a couple who leaves their comfort zone to go minister to people half a world away.

It's writing the tithe check when money is already tight.

When we're called to do the things of God, we are enabled--by God--to do the things of God.

So pretend you never got the "fear" memo; It's not from God, anyway. Act like gravity doesn't apply to you. Ride with abandon.

So rather than asking what you would do if you didn't know you were supposed to be afraid...

What will you do since you know you are not supposed to be afraid?

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

JOSHUA 1:9

THE PRODIGAL PATIENT

A few weeks ago I went to the dentist for a cleaning. For the first time in--Well, let's just say I've missed the last, oh, twenty cleanings. You do the math.

My saving grace with my teeth is that I am very, very meticulous about brushing and flossing (so as not to HAVE TO go to the dentist, of course)! But I knew that with all my efforts, it was time to go have a professional take a look.

I'll admit, I was more terrified to go for a dental cleaning than I was to give birth. Seriously! Sure, I was worried about pain and the sound of the drill and being told every tooth would need a root canal.

But the number one reason I was scared to go back was that I was sure I would be chastised and judged for being away so long.

Oh, I had my reasons for not going--no dental insurance for part of the time, and a history of being yelled at by the hygienist as a child. Good times. So either I couldn't go, or I had legitimate reasons for not wanting to go. It just got to the point that staying away somehow felt easier than returning.

And I was sure they'd make me feel rejected. They'd see me as a patient, of course, but really, why wouldn't they--Surely after so many years away I was sure I had, as they call it, "Lottery Mouth." But they'd judge me, I was certain. They'd smile their (shiny white perfectly veneered) smiles at me but inside would wonder how on earth I could stay away so long.

I felt like the Prodigal Patient.

I thought back to the son Jesus described to His disciples who had asked his own father for his portion of the inheritance, only to go off, live a wild life, and fritter it all away until he was penniless. To get by, he fed pigs and found himself eating out of the feeding trough because he was so famished. He wanted to return home, but surely questioned how warm the reception would be for someone like himself. Finally, he headed home, fully prepared to beg his father for a servant's job in the home. But while he was still a long way off, his father (who had been watching for him) saw him and went running. Running. He plowed into his boy with the warmest embrace. He brought him home, called for a celebration feast with the best meat and a ring for the son who had willingly left him. Such celebration for the one who was long gone, but had finally come home.

When I arrived at the dentist's office a few weeks ago, I was met with warmth and understanding. Nobody seemed to condemn me for being away so long. The hygienist just said, "We're just glad you're here today."

Grace, grace, grace. I had to smile.

Yes, I have a few cavities. But the report wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be (maybe my floss addiction might not be a bad thing). There's some work to be done. But I was shown grace.

How desperately we need grace. We willingly leave and do our own thing, and mess up in epic ways. We knowingly chase a life we were never meant to have and refuse the things that will introduce us to the Living God. We want what we want from Him, but we don't want Him.

But then one day, we find ourselves broken, penniless, and shoveling pig slop into our mouths. We realize we could have so much more, if only as His servant. But He's watching, waiting for our return. He's got His running shoes on, ready to race out and meet us on the return trip home. He has a fattened-calf feast and a robe and a ring in which He longs to adorn us.

"My child has returned!" Cheers and celebration all around. No condemnation. Just rejoicing over our return.

Grace, grace, grace.

HIGH MAINTENANCE

Life is just high-maintenance.

Just as you fold the last piece of laundry and tuck it into a drawer, somewhere else in the house another piece of dirty laundry is being dropped into a hamper.

Moments after scrubbing the toilet to a sanitized, glistening shine, your young son with "questionable aim" has to use the bathroom. Back to Square One.

The just-emptied dishwasher quickly gathers many a newly-dirtied dish.

Cars need oil changes, houses need fresh coats of paint, lightbulbs and batteries need to be changed.

The maintenance is never done, and won't be until we breathe our last.

Even the second law of thermodynamics says that things are constantly moving from a state of order to a state of disorder (That's a little shout-out to my science teacher husband, and quite possibly the most academic statement I've ever used on this blog!!).

And it's the case in our own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It takes zero effort to drift away from Him. He doesn't move away from us, but when we forego what it takes to maintain an intimate relationship with Him, we find ourselves far from where we want to be.

It takes zero maintenance to realize we haven't prayed in a week. Or two.

It requires no effort on your part to go a month without opening your Bible.

It takes nothing to end up thinking, speaking, deciding, acting and reacting like this world does.

But is that what we really want?

We were created for an intimate, life-altering relationship with the One who made us. But it takes maintenance.

Praying. Reading the Word. Serving as He did. Being in fellowship with other followers.

And while it takes investments of love, sacrifices of time, laying down our lives, and taking up our cross daily (read: a lot of work!), we were made for the abundant life that results from the maintenance of our relationship with Jesus.

There will be a day when we breathe our last and the laundry and errands and dishwashing and obligations will all end.

But this relationship with our God will go on and on. For we were also made for the eternal life that results from a relationship with Jesus.

TEARS

What makes you cry?

Weddings and funerals? Lifetime Original Movies? Chopped onions?

Yesterday I cried over something that has never moved me to tears before.

I'd had a block of time to myself (Thank you, Sweet Husband!) and had finished the last words in the book of Genesis. I closed my Bible and just kind of sat there and shook my head in awe, reverence, and just plain love of the words I'd just read.

I began to pray to thank God for His Word. And before I knew it, I had tears rolling down my face as I expressed my deep sadness over what seems to be a prevailing problem:

Many, many, many Christians just don't seem to see a need to consistently take in the Word of God.

Oh, they'll receive it in spoon-fed form from their pastors on Sunday morning. They're okay with a few verses sprinkled into a book they're reading. Maybe they're even prayer warriors. But as for spending time reading the Bible? " Meh."

I don't say this from any sort of a high-horse--Believe me. Because not so long ago, I was the president of the "I'm-Just-Kind-of-'Meh'-About-the-Bible" club. I loved God and prayed consistently and felt convicted about not reading His Word, but I had come to the conclusion that it was just a dry read.


When I was single, I read my Bible. A lot. While my friends were getting married and starting their families, I had the Word of God. I have notes in the margins dating back to '96. But then eventually I got married, got busy, and somehow got the impression that reading God's Word was something I really should do, but no longer wanted to. Looking back, I'm grieved at opportunities lost and truths overlooked. I don't live under condemnation for it, but I have to acknowledge I did miss out. And I bet others around me missed out because I wasn't truly seeking the LORD. Our actions (and inactions) rarely affect just us. And while I don't want to dwell in the past, I want to glance back to decide what needs to be different going forward.

After years of hit-and-miss, extremely sporadic Bible reading, I got into a Bible study 3 years ago and was reminded of what I'd known to be true in the past:

The Bible is real! And exciting! And convicting! And moving! And relevant! And awe-inspiring! It brings guidance and gives direction and breeds hope and turns our feet from traps and tells us how to relate to others. It is GOD-BREATHED. Really! How can we think that the very breath of God is boring?

But the number of unread Bibles in Christian homes just seems to be epidemic. I mean epidemic! And the thought of this very thing reduced me to tears yesterday. I felt--and feel--absolutely broken about it.

It's not that I look with condemnation on anyone whose Bible is collecting dust. First of all, been there myself. Second of all, I am nobody's judge. But I am deeply concerned about what we as believers are missing out on and who's missing out as a result of all we're missing. What lives are not being impacted? What truths aren't being spoken--and what lies are? What hope isn't being nurtured and what pits are people falling into? What directions are being missed, and what grace is going unrecognized? It's hard enough to live in excellence when we are walking in the instruction of God--how can we expect to live with any sort of excellence apart from it?

I have days that come and go when I spend zero time in Scripture. And I have to come back at myself with one question: Why not? How did a full 24 hours go by without me making that a priority? And what did I decide was more worthy of my attention in those 24 hours?

Maybe we're getting by. But I am terrified we're missing out.

Holy God, I am literally crying out for a stirring in our hearts to love Your Word. We talk at You and tell You what we need and never crack open the book through which You have already answered. We make foolish decisions that Your Word clearly addresses, and then wonder why You didn't try to stop us. We live our lives in pits when Your Word proclaims freedom and release. Husbands aren't looking to see how they're supposed to lead, and wives aren't seeking Your ways as they relate to their husbands and children. We say we want You but then refuse what You've said! Please bring a revival in our hearts for Your Word. Draw us to it. Let it so satisfy us that we can't go without it.