Moved by Disney

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the

  Father of heavenly lights,

 who does not change like shifting shadows

but who  

came to seek and save what was lost 

James 1:17, Luke 19:10 combined

My sister-in-law recently shared how moved she was by Disney's newest movie, Tangled. When she used the word, "moved," I thought it a bit odd.  However, when she explained herself, the verb she chose fit just perfectly.

To begin, Tangled is the retelling of the classic tale, Rapunzel, the story of a young princess abducted at birth and forced to live secluded in a  tower, never knowing her true identity. With each passing year, the young girl becomes more and more discontent, wanting to know who she really is and what the outside world is like. Meanwhile, her true parents, the King and Queen, never give up hope that their daughter will one day be found. In the movie, their devotion to finding their daughter is symbolized by thousands of lights they send into the air every year on her birthday. In essence, they fill the skies with light hoping Rapunzel will see the lights and return to them. Their hearts refuse to give up. They continue to beckon for their child.

It's already in your hand

Faith is the channel by which all grace and blessings are received, and that which is accepted by faith God bestows in fact.  Being filled does not always lead to exalted feelings, but God always keeps His word.  We have to just look to His promises and rest in them, expecting their literal fulfillment.  Some put asking in the place of accepting.  Many wish it were so, instead of believing  it is so.

We have never to wait for God to give, for He has already given us His all.

James Hudson Taylor

We have a bunch of changes going on in our personal life right now, and I must admit, I have been distracted and anxious. For example, the other day I was on my cell phone talking to a friend, when I realized there was another call I needed to make. While still speaking to my friend, I began searching through my purse, trying to find my phone. As my phone wasn't in my purse, I began nervously searching through my car. Pathetically, this little scene went on for a good 30 seconds. Not until I was about to tell my friend I had to get off the phone because I couldn't find my phone, did I realize my own craziness. ..

MY PHONE WAS ALREADY IN MY HAND!

The thing I was looking for, the thing I was becoming frantic over was in my hand. My busyness and near panic were just hiding it from view. And so I sat there, nervously searching for something I already had.

Be Still

Be still and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10

To be still (Hebrew raphah) meaning:

to go limp, to allow to slack, to drop ones hands from work.

In my last post, I mentioned  my daughter had her tonsils removed. Although her surgery went very well, she unexpectedly hemorrhaged a few days following the procedure. This required emergency surgery which was very frightening.

As they prepped her for surgery, things moved at a hectic pace. Unlike the first surgery, nurses weren't explaining what would come next. In fact, the OR Nurse began the IV process without saying a word. Unfortunately, since my daughter was already losing a good deal of blood and was dehydrated, the process proved difficult.

Back away from the shears

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 

 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

I recently shaved my dog.  It wasn't a pleasant experience for either of us... for me, because it took over three hours... for him, well, because I don't know what I am doing and I ended up nicking him several times.

When one of my friends saw my dog, she looked at me and slightly chided, "You know, there are professionals for this."   Point taken.  I have no business shaving my dog, but as I explained to her, his shedding hair really annoys me and when push comes to shove, I  just want to be rid of it.

Of God and stink bugs

Isaiah 45:9

What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.

Does a clay pot argue with its maker?

Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying

'Stop, you're doing it wrong!'

Does the pot exclaim,

'How clumsy can you be?'

My youngest daughter despises stink bugs.  If one is spotted in the living room, she leaves screaming, refusing to return until you produce proof the thing is dead.  This becomes difficult as she actually wants to see the corpse, but will not get close enough for fear she might smell it.   Saying she is afraid of them is a bit of a euphemism; petrified fits better.

Although she is little, and they are little, to her, the fear is very, very real.  Hence the reason the following was so very, very neat!

How do you smell?

For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ, among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

2 Corinthians 2:15

This morning I was able to relax in a bath, spending a nice long time reading through the scriptures. It was a great time of worship and study. Unfortunately, as I ascended from the water, I realized my dog was very inconveniently lying on my towel. Sadly, it was the only towel left in the bathroom. Now, yes, I could have scurried down to the laundry room to get another towel, but frankly, I like my dog way more than I like being wet and cold.--- I used the towel.

Brain Worms

Last night my son asked if brain worms were real. As he asked, he was squeezing the bridge of his nose.  When I answered no, he exhaled and said, "Oh, good, 'cause Teddy and Ty (his cousins) told me you get brain worms from playing the computer too much.  My nose was starting to hurt, and I was worried I had one."

I supressed my giggle,but soon started thinking of  my own brain worms; the things I believe, or have been told, that just aren't true.   They range from little lies about myself, or the way others view me, all the way up to how I view my God.  They're insipid little buggers that wiggle there way in and, well, just plain make my nose hurt. 

Verizon and Valentine's Day

I just got off the phone with Verizon Customer Support.  I spoke to "Ed," however based on his accent, I am guessing this was a pseudonym, and Ed was speaking to me from India rather than Indiana.

At one point, Ed and I had to wait 30 seconds for my modem to reboot.  Me, being me, decided to fill the silence.  I say to Ed, "So how many of these calls must you get in a day."  Of course, I wasn't looking for a concrete answer, but Ed, not having a real grasp of English idiom,  answered seriously, "I am sorry, mam, I do not count my calls."

How ironic, Ed was able to break into my computer and fix my problem, but he wasn't able to understand the simple meaning behind my words.

I stole this from my friend

Ephesians 3:14-19

For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

Now, read that passage again.


Yesterday our pastor read these words, and after the message my dear friend simply said, "Why aren't we doing this, Why aren't we praying these words for each other?  They are so powerful, why aren't we praying them?" 


I didn't have an answer for her, but her words pierced my heart and I knew what my next blog would be.  It would simply be this Ephesians passage, and a promise that this week I will commit to praying for those of you who read this.  I don't know all of your names or your faces, but each time I sit down at the computer this week, I will pray you see the love of God.  I will pray for your roots to grow, that you will be strengthened by the knowledge that Jesus, the Christ, the Holy God loves you.

A God who grows

Yesterday, due to a series of odd events, I found a cassette tape of a sermon I first heard when I was 20 years old. In short, it's a message encouraging listeners to trust their Savior, to watch their God grow. It's a good one, and as I re-listened to it, I recalled what the 20 year old Jessica was trying to trust God with at the time she first heard the message. Ironically, I also realized that thing, that wound, was really just a scrape in comparison to what the next few decades would hold.  

I ended up listening to the whole sermon and found myself marveling at how, even though the thing I faced back in 1994 seems so insignificant now, the words of the sermon are still true. Life has gotten bigger, trials grew, but God has risen to every occasion. He has grown (Isaiah 41:10).  Again and again, God proves to be the opposite of almost everything; while most things get smaller the older we get, He grows.

Humility with a side of Amoxicillin

A few days ago I had to pick up a prescription, and as the day was freezing, I decided to use the drive through pharmacy. It's just like Burger King, except you have to sign your name on a little paper pad before you get your order. Unfortunately, when the lady passed the pad through the little drawer that sticks out, it fell to the ground. Drugstore lady didn't see this happen, plus drugstore lady was inside behind a window and I, already being outside, tried to retrieve said pad thingy. Unfortunately, the little drawer thing was still extended, making it impossible for me to open my car door.  Drugstore lady finally looked up so I told her the pad thing had dropped, and was about to ask her to retract the drawer thing, when she condescendingly interrupted with, "Well, sweetheart, you are just going to have to get out of your car and get it, now aren't you." And with that she retracted the draw thingy and turned to help an inside customer.

My son and the King

Last night my son ended his prayer very sincerely with, "and thank you, God, for my sisters. I mean 'er,' sister. Thanks for just the one, God, not really both.

The mom in me felt the need to tell him to like his sister more, the child of God in me was intrigued by his ability to tell God exactly what was on his heart. He doesn't really enjoy his little sister, so he tells his God about it. How absurd, yet how perfect..

A God who goes out

And who is like you, O Israel, the one nation whose God WENT OUT to redeem a people for Himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, redeemed from Egypt.

I Chronicles 17:21

How unfathomable.  The Creator God went out to redeem a people for Himself.  He did the work.  He went out.  He rose to show us compassion (Isaiah 30:18).  He went out from perfection, He went out from His throne, He went out.  

This seems unreal to me.  Seriously, I love my kids but I will hardly even go out in the snow for them.  I can't stand being cold, I can't stand the process of getting ready, but when I do give in, my kids give me a heroes welcome.  They are glad to see me.  How different it was for our God.  There was no welcome, there were no cheers, yet He went out for us.  He went out.  Yes, I love my kids but about 8 times out of 10 I draw the line when it comes to the snow.  

Friends in shining armor

I have this hang up that rears its ugly head from time to time. I kind of picture it as one of those dragons from medieval times, but smaller with mangy hair like a mutt. It's plain ugly and I am never glad to see it. Unfortunately, it seems to show up during  times of stress, poor eating habits, and large gatherings. Enter the holidays.

Yesterday I was with a good friend, and although my mangy mutt thing seems to have settled down, it's still breathing. As she and I talked I shared my hang up. When I was finished, my friend simply said, "Jessica, that's vanity. Why are you letting yourself do that?"