Author: bonniejeancarr

     It’s been a long difficult week.  Bet many of you can identify.  Truth be told, I questioned God’s thinking, even with His help, Philippians 4:13 was going to win out.   (“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:13 NIV).    As always, it did.   However, it took another walk around my backyard lake to decipher directional guidance.

     While revolving around God’s creation for the umpteenth time, I was in a whirlwind of uncertainty.   Kept asking the questions: “OK, Lord, so what now?   Ignore, fight or give up – I sure don’t know what’s right.   I need you to point me where you want me.  What way are you ‘WILL’ing me to go?”   Suddenly, I perceived His answer: “Are you sliding down a slippery slope or climbing up the mountain???”   Ouch, I was convicted!

     I’d been questioning how to get around the problem, when the answer needed was examination of my vertical direction.   Life’s journey is not a horizontal course around this world, ultimately reaching earthly paradise.   It is a vertical ascent up the mountains of life to the highest eternity with God in heaven.   Simply stated, the way to heaven is by climbing up, not slipping down.  

     When life’s mountains confront us, so easily we despair.   With the devil, gladly greasing our sweaty palms, we begin sliding down a slippery slope.   With each downward spill, closer and closer we edge into Satan’s snare; and eventually we are in a free fall, skidding toward the pit of hell itself.

     Jesus Christ, to save you and me from our sins, faced the hardest earthly mountain of all – crucifixion.   (Sort of makes my difficult week look like a garden stroll through the blooming daffodils.    How about yours?)   Talk about a symbolic message.   Christ had to carry His cross (yours and my sins) “UP” “MOUNT” Calvary to win victory over the tribulation facing Him.  

     So what about us and our trials – microscopically minuscule compared to Jesus’s.   Do we see them as unfair crosses pulling us down, our lives plummeting into an uncontrollable descent?   Or do we look up with weary eyes, yet loving hearts filled with trust in God, and understand (like Christ our Brother) life’s journey is filled with mountainous trials; but through Christ’s strength, our hope filled souls can climb each and every one?

       Are you sliding down a slippery slope or climbing up the mountain?   Can’t do both.   Remember, God decrees; but you decide.

     As the saying goes, this week was one for the books.   Truth be told, the Book is the Bible.   Friday night found me parked in pitch black darkness outside an Emergency Room.   My very much loved and treasured (94 years young) Father was inside the hospital – without me or any family.   Herein, lies one of the tragic realities of present day, pandemic life.

     It was a long night.   Not until dawn was about to break, and test results were trickling in, was it decided Dad would be admitted – again with strangers as his escort.   However, the story to be shared is not a narrative of darkness, fear and separation.   It is a vision of light, peacefulness, and unity – a time when the Hand of God was working through the fingers of so many of His children.

     Getting my Dad out of my car and into the building, whose doors would shut me out, was not exclusively the struggle needed to be surmounted.   Dad’s physical weakness outweighed my strength to lift him up and settle him down in a wheel chair.   A total stranger, walking by us, did not pass us by.   Instead, his fingers offered a strength beyond my own.   He wore not only a uniform of blue, but also, compassion and commitment to the needs of others – at that moment, mine and my Dad’s.   My heart is so very grateful.

     Unable to look inside the hospital, I felt God whisper, “Look around you.”   And so, I did.  

     A group of mid to upper teens huddled inside a couple parking spots.   They were not tearing each other apart but holding each other together.   They wore smiles, not resenting frowns.   A second man in blue walked into their midst offering words I could not hear but a message to which our whole world needs to listen.   In particular, one pre-adult paid extra close attention, took a step away while wearing a smile that defied the night’s darkness.   Then, he abruptly turned around and shared with the messenger a “socially distanced” fist bump.   I’ll never know the inner details of that scene.   I, also, will never forget that moment in the dark when the light of God, through inner man, shone through.

     My head turned to see a fast approaching white pick-up nearing the neon lit ER guiding sign.   At first, I was surprised the truck did not sail up the lane in front of the hospital doors.   Instead, it veered to the left and halted in the parking spot closest to the entrance.   The driver jumped out and ran to the truck’s other side.   Darkness veiled his features, but inner light revealed his identity.   He was a Daddy, as God created man to be.  As he raced to the ER doors, a limp little girl, I’d guess to be 9 or 10 years old, had her arms securely clenched around her Daddy’s neck   And yes, those ER doors, with needed understanding and compassion, opened wide to both of them.  

     Immediately, I sent a whisper back to God.   “Father God, your children on earth are sick and need your healing as desperately as that little girl, tonight, needs her earthly Daddy.   God, please carry me, mine and all of Yours.”     

As the greatest Father on earth regains his physical health under the lights of a hospital, may we, all equally created to be God’s children, rally our inner strength and direction from our Heavenly Father’s light shining through all worldly darkness.   Our God leads and paints beautiful messages, if we are open to seeing all He sketches instead of focusing on the world’s sketchiness.

     O.K., so all who truly know me understand I’m an over the hill lady who has never abandoned the regiment of endurance exercise.   Thus, not a coincidence but a God incidence, a path surrounded, small lake rests outside my home.   Its distance is ½ mile, and my mornings start with a dozen laps. Never one who’s motivated by what others think of me, I walk forward, backward and, at times, even sideward to try and keep all my old bones in relatively good working condition.  

     Those, clueless to my inner spirit, occasionally stop me and inquire, “Don’t you get tired of ‘circling’ the lake?”   My reply is always, “I’m not ‘circling’ the lake.   I’m ‘revolving and evolving’ around the beauty of God’s nature – be it marveling at creation or overwhelmed by the amazing qualities of God’s character.”

     Worldly life, too often, rests in “circling”.   Spiritual life, never often enough, awakens to “revolving and evolving”.   Think about it.   In our world, when we are in a “circling” pattern, we are waiting in limbo for something to change or happen.   Be we circling the skies, the block, a parking lot, or life in general, we are getting nowhere, just waiting for the opportunity to get where or what we wish.   “Revolving” implies pivoting and orbiting — moving around the core.   “Evolving” equates to developing gradually.

No walk through life is ever meant to be “circling”.   No matter where our feet, or feats, take us, we are meant to be “revolving” around God’s presence and presents while “evolving” into not only better brothers and sisters to each other, but also, more humbled and appreciative children of God.  

Are you “circling” or “revolving and evolving” in your walk through life???

     When I turned sixteen, my Nani undertook the task of teaching me to drive what he labeled his “Machine”.   We spent many off hours circling the Sears parking lot.   When Nani felt my skills were adept enough to merit a license, he proudly escorted me to the DVM.   Let’s just say, it was not a good day!!!

     Had I not been so frustrated, I would have been more sympathetic to Nani’s being personally affronted when I announced, “I flunked”!!!   My failure was so egregious, the examining officer accompanied me back to Nani’s side.   Being highly (and directly) offended, Nani took his close proximity to the offender to air his high opinion of my driving skill.   To which to examiner responded, “Sir, her driving didn’t fail her.   Her parking did.   SHE CAN’T PARK.”  

     As a tennis ball volleyed back and forth, I stood there with my fractional driving skill being slammed back at my complete parking deficiency, and vice versa.   The match ended with Nani shoving me into the driver’s seat of his “Machine” while shouting over his shoulder, “It’s a driving test not a parking test.”

     Goes without saying, I’m not, even today, known for my parking.   Actually, maybe I am, but it is cause of my lack of ability.   Add to this that I was born and raised in flat land Chicago, and you can also deduce my “Machine” education completely passed over the lesson concerning the emergency brake. To Nani, it was , indeed, non essential.

     Fast forward twenty some years to me being newly married and living in Seattle for Hubby’s fellowship year.   Suddenly, the, till then, unknown emergency brake became my Siamese twin.   Driving up the steep incline to drop off, or fetch, Hubby during rush hour, slow down traffic was terrifying.   Not kidding, when I say every single time traffic halted, in panic of sliding backward down the hill, I yanked on the emergency brake.   If I’d have had my druthers, I’d have left it engaged the whole trip up that hill.    However, the problem was, and still remains, while the emergency brake keeps one from sliding down steep mountains, its engagement, also, keeps you from successfully climbing the mountains of life.

     It is second nature when fear engulfs us, life seemingly defeats us, or the world destroys our confidence that our chosen gear is “park” with the emergency brake flashing “ON”.   Our initial observation is safety’s been achieved.   Deeper insight reveals while locked in place means not sliding downward, it also translates into no hope of going forward.

     We, Christians, proclaim our trust in God and His ability to get us through any, and all, steep storms.   However, on occasion we also wonder why God is so slow to move us beyond the slippery slopes of our trials.   Could it be our fears supersede our faith?   For God to guide us forward, we first must release our emergency brake of terrified paralysis.   When our brakes are locked, God can neither push, pull nor kick our fears and breaking lives toward healing and a new tomorrow.   Trust in God necessitates releasing all that keeps us parked in immobility into God’s Hands and allowing Him to propel our journey forward with the fuel of His wisdom and guidance.      

Guess the test that’s driving our lives and needing to be passed is whether we brake in fear or keep moving in trust.   All those decades ago, my Nani was right.   The passing of a test is about knowing how to drive and keep moving, not learning in panic how to park and cling to the emergency brake.

     Anyone who possesses HOPE, we declare, define and describe as HOPE “FILLED”.   So what does this mean?   Maybe, something extremely vital but often overlooked.   By saying HOPE “FILLED”, we are proclaiming HOPE’s presence inherently comes from, and rests, within.

     Wow, guess this shoots down thinking worldly possessions as the destination of a quest for HOPE.  Truth is, HOPE’s treasure chest is only discovered, opened and possessed if we search for it within our very selves.

     HOPE is an attitude, not an aptitude.   HOPE is an inner belief, not an outer relief.   HOPE is clinging to God within us, not a stronghold embrace of what outerly surrounds us.   HOPE is sure rooted, not lure footed.   HOPE is living in God’s peace, not surviving in worldly pieces. HOPE reflects WHOSE image we are made in, not camouflaged appearance through cosmetic make-up.   

     In this 21^st Century world, filled with panic and despair, HOPE, for many, seems so very far, far away.   How sad, the majority’s search for HOPE extends to the far corners of the globe; when its roots are planted deep inside each of us.

     To have HOPE, one must be filled from within, not decorated from outside.   HOPE is the song of God’s truth within us, soothing our fears and strengthening our beliefs.   HOPE’s opposite, despair, is the battle cry of the world blaring outside our beings, inciting our trepidations and weakening our securities.

     No earthly person, place or thing can gift us HOPE.   HOPE is a presence we can only unwrap for ourselves.   What is this presence, and where is its source?   The “what” of HOPE’s presence is God’s promise to each of us that no matter how difficult our path, if HOPE in our Lord is our inner compass, then no trial nor tribulation will overcome any of us.   The “source” of HOPE’s presence is the indwelling inspiration of the Holy Spirit living within us, in the depth of our souls and height of our hearts.

     To those overflowing with HOPE, God’s true peace and power fills you.   To those searching for HOPE, may this post help redirect your pursuit.   Remember, one can search the vaults of worldly kingdoms only to discover the treasure of HOPE solely (and “soul”y) flows from within your very own, God created and centered, heart and soul.

     “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.   They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)   

     Each journey through life in this broken down world has two (either/or) paths on which to choose to travel.   Either we can be chased by a nightmare, or we can be chasing a dream.   The decision is individually each of ours to make.

     Christ, too, while on earth and travelling through the human journey God the Father assigned Him, had this same choice.   Was Christ being chased by the nightmare of crucifixion, or was He chasing the dream of eternally redeeming you and me?   I believe the latter.

     The real question is do we, each and every one of us, feel chased by the nightmare of our trials and tribulations; or do we see chasing our dreams as the weapon to defeat our nightmares.   Additionally and of utmost significance, yet often totally overlooked, is the realization that our nightmares lack the power of our dreams.   Tragically, our fear of our nightmares keeps us from the power of our dreams.   Let me illuminate this by shining light on one well documented example most, if not all, of our lives has, at least distantly, viewed.   I refer to the nightmare of cancer.

     A mother or father is battling the cancer nightmare while planning his/her daughter’s wedding.   Highly skilled physicians state that the stage four cancer nightmare, in all probability, will end the parent’s human journey before the reality of the dream of seeing/walking their daughter down the church aisle.   But Mom or Dad defy the nightmare taking over.   Their prayer, focus and direction comes from refusing to abandon the chase for their dream.   The dream not only carries them, it delivers them to its fruition.

     I ask again.   What powers your journey through earthly life?   Are you being chased by your nightmares, or are you chasing your dreams?

     Since childhood, the image of Jesus bent over a rock and praying with droplets of blood trickling from his sweaty being, profoundly touches me.   The Garden of Gethsemane might have been its geographic setting, but its purpose now settles deep within my faith.   As a young girl, I wondered how Jesus ever mastered the ability to endure excruciating physical death so I (and you) could eternally live.   With age, and God growing my wisdom, I understood.   It was not because Jesus mastered the ability but rather that Christ never doubted the ability of His Master, God His Father.   From then on, the stone upon which Jesus’s body collapsed, and prayed, was viewed by me as a focal point.

     Let’s define focal point.   “The focal point of a lens or mirror is the point in space where parallel light rays meet after passing through the lens or bouncing off the mirror.   A ‘perfect’ lens or mirror would send all light rays through one focal point, which would result in the clearest image.” (Definition: Focal Point – Amazing Space)

     Indeed, my clearest image came from the rock becoming a focal point.   I must also admit, I shook my head that it had taken so long for me to perceive this imagery of the Gethsemane rock.    Christ, when most agonizing over His impending crucifixion, collapsed His human body upon the only rock foundation that the weight of His greatest worldly tribulation would not crumble.   Jesus clung to God His Father, His rock and fortress.   Christ understood God the Father (and He and He alone) could carry Him through even the fiercest of storms.   “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” Psalm 62:2 (ESV)

     Collapsing on the Rock – for Christ, it was the first and only way.   How sadly we humans often accept this only as a last resort.  

     God did not create us to be humanly strong.   He created us to place our human weaknesses into the hands of His divine strength.   The power to withstand, overcome and resurrect comes not from human force but from God as our source.  

     How many times do we try, with our own strength, to determine our steps and defeat our trials and tribulations?   Only after we are broken, do we place our pieces into God’s hands.   Again, God is not our first response but our last defense.   God can, and does, put our pieces back together; but He so longs for us to, instinctively and immediately, collapse on Him, our rock, and allow His (and His alone) strength to bring peace to all our worldly battles.  

     As our lives are besieged with one battle after the other, one question we should ponder.   How did Christ receive the strength needed to fulfill His battle for our redemption?   He collapsed on His rock – the strength of God His Father.   In the hours of our greatest needs, should we not do the same?   “Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; You have given the command to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.”  Psalm 71:3 (ESV)

     At this moment, I’m waiting in my car for Jenny to text and say, “Come In”.   I’m ready, and Jenny’s going to lead me. I’m beginning a symbolic physical return to mirroring the true reflection of myself that I garnered while, once again, walking around my backyard lake.   This time, circling the lake evolved into my examining the inner misconceptions around which my life revolves — Who am I?  Who have I been? Who do I want to be? Above and beyond all, WHOSE am I?   Let me only say, the raft upon which I’ve been floating through life needed tug boat towing out of some mud traps.

     The lake circling journey that initiated this voyage began weeks ago – a pittance of time compared to the duration most likely required to attain the fulfillment of this expedition.   This is one finish line that can only be crossed if I’m dedicated to going back to the starting line, unpack my weighty suitcase, recalculate my course and unapologetically arrive at the finish line not in perfect, prime illusion but in imperfect physical appearance from the wear and tear of the journey. 

     Let me cut to the chase and announce I’m not referring to awarded trophies but rewarding roots.   I’m not talking about golden crowns covering my locks but unlocking, and not covering, the worthiness of my silvery white roots.   Confused???   To understand, let’s continue going back to the starting line.

     I’ve never been one to care what others think of me, my dreams, or how uniquely I see God’s hand and hear His voice.   But, wow, I did a 180 degree turn when it came to appearing exactly as my Hubby envisioned his wife needed to be.   Thus, from the moment we started dating, my premature, nearly invisible, few white strands of hair had to be dyed.   Being seven years older than Hubby, I labored under the horror that one might ever think he had married an older lady!!!   Didn’t matter that at 40, Hubby went completely bald; my full head of hair continued as the benchmark for appearance.  Even more sadly, after Hubby went home to heaven, I was still enslaved to others’ opinion in this regard.

     Fast forward to the slowdown of the past few months.   For me, so much of what was automatic in my life found time to be re-examined and, praise God, re-evaluated.   In honesty, God convicted me of much vanity I’d never recognized as such.   So, let’s talk about white roots!!!

     Roots are defined as: a) the basic cause, source or origin of something, b) the essential substance or nature of something, c) a scion or descendant.   From this, my basic deduction sees my roots as both who I am and WHOSE I am.   Who I am (or you are, too) is never to be thought of as not good enough or unworthy.   God creates each of us different, yet individually special.   If we fail to believe (or let ourselves be blinded to) the real beauty God instilled in each of us, then, more than likely, we will also fail to know God forgives our sins and does not judge our worth through impossible perfection.   If I (or you) fall victim to measuring our worth through attaining physical perfection on this earth, then my (and your) existence will be rhinestone studded and worldly, not Bethlehem starred and heaven bound.  

     Should I ever be rooted in the color of my hair over my root as God’s heir?   Absolutely not.   Ouch!!!   Sure felt convicted of being so concerned about my outward looks that for eons I overlooked the message of my inner roots. 

     The years of life, or so we are told, bring forth wisdom.   I’m currently chuckling a little as I can’t help but wonder if those initial few stands of almost invisible white hair were a message from God that His wisdom was from what my roots were meant to both grow and SHOW.   And there I was working hard to hide them!!!    

     Why does age turn hair white?   Maybe, science has an explanation; but, as for me, I’ll deduce a God centered theory.   Could it be that as God leads us through life, we exchange the abundance of superficial colors of the world for the absence of all worldly colors and the pure reflection of God’s light?   Brain thinking is transformed into soul wisdom.

     Subsequent to this line of thinking, I found myself becoming sensitive to so many being obsessed with their hairstylists being shuttered for the moment.   Maybe, I saw too much of the old me in others’ appearance focus.   Granted, I was no longer worried I needed to camouflage my roots, but seeing others repeat my mistake felt a little like the sting of salt in my old wound.  How many of you, too, are wounded by others’ judgment and try to, not only, color over what others dislike in us, but also, our being wounded and feeling unworthy?   Why is it so hard for us to see ourselves as God views us and not how other humans surface paint us to be?

     Back to the moment of me sitting in my car, waiting for this journey to begin.   Like most women, I love my hairstylist.   Yep, Jenny is the gifted artist who works magic on my locks, but that’s not why she holds a special spot in my heart.   Jenny is, first and foremost, a daughter of God whose fingers might color and cut the perfect hair style, but her greatest (and God given) talent is the caring love that flows from her soul.   Thus, Jenny wasn’t surprised when I declared my resolve to dissolve the dye and start growing the roots with which God graced my life.   Instead, side by side, she will lead me through this journey.  

     Not all, however, are as wise as Jenny.   Upon learning the roots of my new journey, others declare me crazy.   Shocked, some even inquire have I even thought how I will look?   My reply —  Like who I really am….

     As vivid as if it happened just this morning, I remember, well over 55 years ago, when the monthly “cleaning lady Saturdays” dawned.   Today, I laugh.   Eons ago, neither my sister, JoJo, nor I were even cracking a smile.  Let’s say the least, and merely state, my Mother was unique.   Re-enacting the scene would sketch the picture of my Mother scurrying throughout the house dusting and sweeping while shouting instructions over the vacuum noise to JoJo and me.   JoJo’s toilet duty had to make sure she scoured under the rim.   My instructions were to take the burners off the stove, so I could both see and vanish every speck of grease.   After all, we couldn’t have Mary, our cleaning lady, come into the house and judge us a “dirty” family.   Our reputation would be ruined!!!   Truth be told, if our monthly routine had been known, we would have been declared CRAZY!!!

     So what has this reflection to do with anything???   My response is maybe more than we think, or so, it weighed in on today’s walk around the lake.  

     We, Christians, are created to be people dependent on God.   Especially when life buries us in clutter, untidiness, and the grime of worldly existence, we are to put all in God’s hands and trust.   A large percentage of the time, we mostly do this.   However, a huge percentage of the time we fail to let go of, and step away from, what we place in God’s hands.   We foolishly act as if we first need to clean up a mess before we completely turn it over to God’s spotless ability – flashback to my Mother’s summoning the troops to swab the deck in preparation for the clean-up crew’s arrival.    As ludicrous as it was for my Mother to scrub before the cleaning lady’s arrival, it is even more absurd for us to think we must tidy up our messes before placing them in God’s cleansing palm. Seriously, if we wait till we’ve got it all under control to place our messes in God’s hands, then one likelihood will prevail.   Our messes will never be gotten around, over or beyond.   I’ll admit messes on our own are easy to make.   However, more oft than not, God’s mercy, forgiveness and love are needed for our messy disarray to be renewed to the state of our lives’ messiness being straightened out.

     How often do we overlook that no mess is too big for God to make clean?   And no, we do not have to whitewash the dirt of our lives before sincerely, and remorsefully, asking God to purify our mess.   We need to be sorry, not spic and span clean, when we ask God to renovate our messy today into His cleansing power for our tomorrow.  

     Biblically, I see Christ telling us not our cleaning, but our gleaning of His washing our sins away, is on what we need to focus.   Let’s reflect on Jesus’s response to Martha when she asked Jesus to reproach Mary for seeking Him instead of helping her ready the table and food to be worthy of Christ’s presence.  “But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.   Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her’.”   Luke 10:41-42 (ESV)   In other words, Martha had prioritized preparing the home to be worthy of Jesus.   Mary chose to forego making things “good enough” for Jesus and instead sought to go as imperfect as she was to Jesus and let His words and wisdom transform her unworthiness into His divine bestowal of enlightened purification.      

No matter how much we try and scrub clean our imperfections before opening the doors of our heart to God, only His loving power and forgiveness makes us worthy of being at home with God.   Bottom line, we don’t have to (and in most cases can’t) clean-up our messes before we turn them over to God.  However, what we need to do is turn them over to God with remorse and resolution not to repeat them.   Equally important, let us not forget, while our hands can’t scrub away the sinful stains of our lives, they can, and should, fold in thankful prayer.   For, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1John 1: (ESV)

     But, God, if I only had MORE (money, home square footage, respect from others, time to accomplish my abilities) I would be happy, fulfilled and able to be a better disciple of your steadfast help and strength throughout life’s realities.  

     But, God, if I only had LESS (bills, responsibilities, expectations from others, demands on my time and energy) I would be happy, not overwhelmed, and able to dedicate my life more to the mission of sharing your will and way to family, friends and foreigners.

     In truth, God’s place in both our inner being and outreach should NOT depend on MORE or LESS.   God desires, and deserves, to be first and foremost in where we are, not in what we have or have not.   If we can’t, don’t or won’t find God in where we are, then bottom line is we aren’t looking for, recognizing or seeing the priceless gift of God’s “everywhere” presence.   God does not exclude His presence from His children, be they living in environments deemed too lowly or too lofty by judgmental man.   “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite’.”  Isaiah 57:15 (ESV)

     Simply stated, no matter who we are or where we are, God is with us and calls us to joyful sharing of HIS existence, HIS word and HIS never ending comfort and love.   Thus, neither our jammed schedules nor isolated moments are an excused absence from living close to God.   Busy or bored, each of our lives should consciously reflect God being behind, beside and before us.   God is not meant to be a raincoat we put on and take off depending on our needs but rather the flesh and blood upon which our very lives depend.

     What MORE we long for, or LESS we yearn for, has no bearing on our being called as witnesses who take comfort in God as our strength and refuge.   We, Christians, are summoned to be firmly rooted not in the fruits of life but in the seed of God sustaining our lives.

     More often than naught, we are convinced if we could just get above our present circumstances, then we could, and would, be happy.   However, happiness is most ours when we get beneath our circumstances and lift them up to God.   God’s light, love and inspiration carries and shines forth from all who raise, and place, their imperfect lives into His perfect, guiding and guarding hands.   We can be in a utopia, but if God is not our substance, outer glee might surround us but inner happiness will evade our grasp.

     We need to trust God with where we are for Him to deliver us to a better place – be it on earth or in heaven.   To do this, we need to not be delighted in where we are but to delight in the Lord everywhere we are.   Best tactic about this is it keeps our minds from being submerged in our negative woes and our hearts and souls uplifted by our positive blessings.

     So wherever we are, we are never alone or on our own.  God stands watch over us.   Whether we like where we are, or not, God is with us.   Be we earthly succeeding or failing, God labels us His beloved children.   No matter if the world decries our Christian lives as right or wrong, God declares us His righteous heirs.   Thus, the real question we need to ask ourselves is could we possibly ask for MORE and would we ever desire LESS ???