Soul Helium This Instant!

Soul Helium

Behold: a freshly-filled helium balloon. It's a mylar beauty. Maybe it's the shape of a sun or a birthday cake. Perhaps it's a big ol' yellow smiley face. Whatever it is, wherever it goes, a balloon elicits a smile. It's just what they do. Maybe that's because they lift our heads, and therefore our spirits, UP.

Helium has something going for it that nothing else does—its ability to defy gravity. Gravity pulls EVERYTHING down. No one is exempt from it. We are at its mercy 24/7. Maybe that's why helium is so appealing. It floats. Rises. Soars. It actually pulls UPward.

Day in and day out, my mind is basically as grounded as my body. It operates on a general mode of functioning (optimists call it pessimism; pessimists call it realism) that is comparable to the essential duty of gravity: to pull downward.

Oh, but the lift my entire mind, body, heart, and soul experience when I get a little helium in me—a little lift from the Holy Spirit. It's powerful stuff. Coming in a number of different forms (catching a peek of a glorious sunset, a heart-to-heart with a lifelong friend, laughing so hard I consider investing in Depends), there's no way these cherished moments are "random" events that I'm "lucky" to have.

Rather, they are priceless gifts from my Father. He knows that I am prone to dullness from the monotony of routine. He knows that without Him, I am stuck in the downward pull of my thoughts. He knows just when I need a little Soul Helium. And I never have to do anything drastic to find it. Rather, in the midst of the everyday, in the midst of the hum-drum, He finds ways to surprise me. How fun it is, at the end of every day, to count the helium-filled balloons in the bouquet He has given me.

Where do you turn when your spirit needs a lift? When your soul is flatlined, do you pray for a huge miracle? Do you try to make a dramatic escape? What if God wanted to give you His Soul Helium in the form of the simple things, the everyday things? Would you recognize them for what they are...and enjoy the lift?

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."
Psalm 42:5-6

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace (soul helium) as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13 (interpretation Jodi's)

Play the Blonde Card This Instant!

Play the Blonde Card

I'm not the best driver. In fact, passengers tend to radiate with joy when we reach our desired destination. Not because they're having so much fun, but because we've arrived. Alive.

If you rode with me and witnessed my rolling stops, my "Oops! You mean I didn't have the right of way on that one?!", my ability to find unexpected medians randomly placed in the "middle" of the road, and the suave way that I can play the blonde card when law enforcement officers are involved, you would be impressed to learn that I only have a couple of fender-benders on my record. (Nevermind those freak deer accidents.)

So, what's the secret? How can I hang on to a driver's license, keep my car in one piece, and preserve my own life, the lives of those I love, and countless millions of other lives with whom I share the road? The answer occured when I turned 16.

When I held that precious credit card sized ticket to freedom in my hands for the first time, my parents and friends knocked on heaven's door. They asked God to protect me and every vehicle in which I would ever get behind the wheel. They asked that He go before me, with me, and I'm sure they asked that He follow me (should I have to suddenly brake). It wasn't a long, drawn-out prayer, it simply asked God to provide for me that day and in every single future trip I would ever take.

Do I pray for safety every time I turn on the ignition? No.
Is there someone else praying for me every time I get in the driver’s seat? No.
Just because my life has been protected on the road thus far, does that mean it will always be? No.

So, what’s the point? The point is in the power of a single prayer.

Praying honestly, sincerely, and from the heart means it’s no longer our concern. Prayer transcends time. God is not hard of hearing. Repetition does nothing for Him. (Did I mention that repeating things doesn’t help Him?) And when we "worry" our prayers...perhaps we are just glorifying our worries...

Do you tend toward repetitive, “worried” prayer because you think one isn’t enough? Do you re-hash and repeat the same request, the same words, the same issue over and over, never reflecting a changed heart or growth in your relationship with God? What if He told you, “Rest, my child. I hear your request, and I will respond as I perfectly please. This isn’t your burden to bear anymore. It’s mine now. Let go. And, by the way, do you realize you are living out TODAY My answer to your grandma's prayer for your health more than twenty-five years ago?"

Ah, the power of a single prayer.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philipians 4: 6-7

"When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. Don't be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!"
Matthew 6: 7-8 (NLT)

Box It Up This Instant!

Box It Up

Boxes are great. I like packing them. Organizing them. Labeling them. And apparently I like moving them. Having changed addresses 9 times in the past 8 years, I'm practically a professional packer (or "boxer," if you will).

Aside from cardboard and packing tape, my brain is prone to creating imaginary boxes. I like clarity. I like organization. I like neatness. I like schedules. And I LOVE to be in control. (No, "control freak" does not begin to explain it.) If it can't be categorized and put into a box ("this is good," "that is bad," "she's a friend," "he's a foe"), then I toss it in the "baffles me" box and avoid it.

The problem is, the sorts of boxes for which I search do not exist. Not when their labels are (a) people, and (b) life. The closest thing for "b" comes with the right label, but can't hold anything more than a few cereal flakes. As for "a," who wants to be put into a box? No one! Most of all -- me -- the professional boxer!

So, what's with the box fetish? An unhealthy fear of rejection. If I can protect myself from pain before it happens, I will try to. When I see something (or someone) that fits inside the "potential to cause harm" box, I tend to not open it. It's that easy. But it's also...that much of a false reality.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose to put Judas inside of His "One of the Twelve" box? Jesus knew the guy would betray Him. He knew that Judas would kiss Him to His death. Why allow someone into your inner friendship circle when you KNOW he will cause you the worst sort of pain a friend could ever cause?

Could it be because Jesus wanted to show us that love can't be boxed up? That when we let others into our circle of trust, lines get blurred and wounds cut deep. That in the end, boxes are nothing but a lie. That the only thing really real, the only thing that can permeate our cardboard-thin walls and endure forever is...love?

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart."
Proverbs 3:3

Restore Default Settings This Instant!

Restore Default Settings

Technology is a beautiful thing. Until it flips out.

Maybe you’ve experienced the joys of having your computer or otherwise twenty-first century gadget go berserk on you. The message flashing in your face: RESTORE DEFAULT SETTINGS. You had everything personalized to your liking, but something happened and now the machine is returning to its original state—its default settings. You must bid farewell to your favorite color scheme, your fun fonts, and your own little greeting that said, "Welcome, (your name here)! You are one good-looking genius and it is my pleasure to serve you today!" (Or whatever it is you tell your toys to tell you when you turn them on.) But at some point you must have hit the wrong button because now the thing wants to turn off all of your personalized settings and RESTORE DEFAULT SETTINGS. Annoying.

Too frequently, I hit the wrong button (usually a setback or disappointment) and return to my default settings of doubt, negativity, self-sufficiency, pride, and pessimism. They feel natural. It's just EASIER to be and/or do these things. It's what my flesh defaults to.

When I'm not plugged in to my original Source, my fleshly preferences fight to rule me. And, sadly, they often win. That's because my flesh (my human nature) is so powerful. Especially when I'm weak. When I am weak, my flesh is strong. And my flesh is all about the ugly things I'm not proud of.

But my spiritual default settings are completely contrary to those of my flesh. When I am plugged in to my soul’s life Source—Jesus Christ—then I am plugged into the default settings by which He intends me to live. They include loving others. A deep and abiding joy. Incomprehensible peace. Gracious patience. Uncommon kindness. Nonstop goodness. All good things. All of the things for which I was originally created. These are God's default settings, not mine. Sometimes I just have to check my wires to make sure I’m plugged into the right outlet.

When you find yourself responding "by default" with negativity, rudeness, and selfishness, which outlet is your cord plugged into? Your ever-present SELF, which will forever claim that only YOU are the beginning and end, the only being worthy of your time and attention? Or are you plugged into your TRUE source, the One who created you and will feed you with more love, joy, and peace than you could ever find on your own.

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23