A Prayer

It's been several months since I've had any time to write words of wisdom to you. We both have been quite consumed with opening up another coffee shop in Bellevue, and the urgent has crowded out the important. Instead of offering any wisdom in this post, let me just say a prayer.

Lord, I thank You for Your direction in our lives. You continue to be faithful to us, even when we fall short of being faithful to You. My prayer is that the enemy will not use our "busyiness" to allow the urgent things to push out what is really important. Instead, birth in us an urgency to seek You, to trust You, to honor You. Instead of asking You to bless us, Lord, I am asking that we would bless You in everything we do. In Jesus' name I pray - Amen.

I love you, Son. It is such a pleasure to be your mother and to work alongside you.

Richest of Fare

What could fare mean, other than a fee you pay to travel somewhere? A second meaning from Webster says "fare" is fine dining.

Son, you've seen my life over the 25 years of your life, and you know that dad and I never do any fine dining. We do leftover dining, fast-food dining and made from scratch dining. Fine dining is for folks who have unlimited income. And a suit in the closet.

You, your bride, dad and I got the opportunity to go to El Gaucho in Tacoma last week. Our employees blessed us with two $100 gift cards to treat ourselves to the richest of fare. Parking is valet and costs $6. We found free parking and walked. My frugal thinking allowed me to believe that inviting your sister and her guest would be alright - as $200 would surely cover the cost for 6 adults. Wrong! We had to throw in another $200 so that we wouldn't have to do dishes (or jail time)! But my goodness, talk about the richest of fare. It was lavish what we had to eat that night! I will not soon forget that evening!

Isaiah 55:2 "Why spend your money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

Son - Our gracious God has a table set with the most succulent of food. Isaiah tells me that if I listen to HIM and walk in HIS truth (eat what is good), then my SOUL will delight in the richest of fare! Everyday I can have a continual feast that is better than any dinner at El Gaucho. And I don't have to pay for valet parking!

It all comes out in the wash

I had an interesting day with my dryer. A life lesson in the laundry room. Ironic how something that so seldom happens, happened back to back today. One of my dear family members left a tube of chapstick in their pants pocket. It must have gone through the washer alright - I suppose it was the cold water that kept it in tact. But a hot dryer??? The product melted and oozed out to give a blotchy look to our clothes. I took it in stride, after all - there are other things to get upset about. I continued with the next load. When I went to get the second batch out of the dryer, there was a minty clean scent that I recognized as speariment chewing gum. Another one of my beloved family members left a single, unwrapped piece of Orbit gum in their pocket. The washing machine took care of unwrapping it. The dryer took care of melting it all over the dryer drum and our clothes. Okay, Lord, what is the lesson here so that I can move on with the laundry?

1 Corinthians 5:6 - Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast - the bread of sincerity and truth.

Something as small as a tube of chapstick, as small as a piece of gum, as small as a white lie, as small as a piece of gossip, as small as an envious thought can create so much damage in our lives. Let's get rid of it. And in the meantime, check all the pockets before doing laundry.

Contentment

There's a conversation that goes off like clockwork everyday after school, one that is so predictable and can be likened to a constant drip. It greets me minutes after my sixth grader walks in the door after school. I think her version of the verse in Timothy must go like this:

1Tim. 6:8 - "But if we have food, clothing and a cell phone, we will be content with that."

This is one deprived child. You see, she is one of the only students at her school without a cellphone (so she thinks). And she wastes no time after getting off the bus to engage me in a 17 minute conversation about how irritating all her friends are with their cellphones and how rude their texting is because it causes them to ignore her and about their "chatting amongst themselves" about their razors which causes her to feel left out. She hopes her life of despair will be solved by me rushing right out to buy her a cellphone. I listen with empathy and respond with great wisdom: "You need to choose new friends".

So I pondered today - do I whine and complain like a child to God when I want something that I can't have? Of course I do. Do I sound like a constant, irritating drip? Probably. Does He listen with empathy? I'm sure He does. And He always responds with His infinite wisdom: "You need to choose me". Ahh, yes. How simple the solution and how wonderful the contentment that follows.

1Tim. 6:6 - "But godliness with contentment is great gain."

Sustainability

Psalm 54:4 "Surely God is my help; The Lord is the one who sustains me."

Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on The Lord and HE will sustain you."

We sing these promises in worship. We read these verses in our devotions. We know with our mind that God's word says He will sustain us, but do we believe with our heart He will follow through on His promise when difficulties come? It's too easy to pull out the plastic when an unexpected expense arises. It's too tempting to rely on the advice of a friend instead of the knowledge of the Lord. It's too common to fix something ourselves without waiting on the Lord for His plan and purpose.

sus·tain:

To keep in existence; maintain.
To supply with necessities or nourishment; provide for.
To support from below; keep from falling or sinking.
To support the spirits, vitality, or resolution of; encourage.
To bear up under; withstand.
To affirm the validity of.
To prove or corroborate; confirm.
To keep up.

Son - allow your human instincts that demand human solutions to rest at the feet of Jesus. Experience what it is like to be rescued and sustained by the Lord!

Chose Integrity

Psalm 41:12: "In my integrity YOU uphold me and set me in YOUR presence forever."

I was compelled to read this verse "opposite" this morning.

"In my lack of integrity YOU can't uphold me and won't set me in YOUR presence forever."

When read as an opposite, it comes across much more powerful in producing a challenge that will prompt an action of integrity. I want God to uphold me. I want to be in His presence. What will keep me from that? My lack of integrity.

Son, make it your daily discipline to be a man of integrity. This chosen (as we have to chose integrity) characteristic pleases the heart of God.