This Instant

Perfect Posture This Instant!

2012-01-04T20:46:00.000-08:00

No one ever intentionally slouches, but most people do it anyway.

Posture is a funny thing. When you’re not thinking about it, it just is what it is ... and that means it’s probably not great. But when you do think about it, when you turn your attention to the way you’re sitting or standing, you become prompted to hold yourself differently. You probably pull your shoulders back, your gut in, and your head up.

Perfect posture doesn’t happen on its own (unless you’re a professional dancer). It requires conscious effort. The more you pay attention to it, the more you strive to make it better and the easier it becomes to sit and stand straight. The same holds true for other things you long to change about yourself.

Struggling with bad habits? Stinkin’ thinkin’? Unhealthy but familiar patterns of relating with someone? Sure, you want to change, but it’s just so hard. The process seems too daunting. So you carry on “as is,” wishing things were different, but not putting forth the effort that actually causes change.

Instead of waiting for an instant, magical new you, what if you saw your “issue” as you do your posture? You can’t automatically have great posture without ever practicing great posture. And you can’t suddenly kiss your “issue” goodbye without ever putting forth bits of effort that will eventually make it a thing of the past.

As you try pulling your shoulders back, won’t you also try a small, kind gesture in place of a rapid, rude response? As you lift your chin, won’t you also try respecting your personal boundaries? As you sit with your tummy tucked in, won’t you also try replacing that self-defeating thought with biblical truth?

Practice, practice, and more practice ... it’s the perfect posture prescription!

“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:42

“First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” Matthew 23: 26

In Between This Instant!

2011-05-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Maybe a burger doesn’t mind the bun. Maybe Oreo stuffing is at peace with the cookies. Maybe water is happy to be not steam or ice. But for the rest of us, being in between is no desired destination.

We get the false idea from an early age that life takes us from one stage to the next with zero in-between time. After going from first to second grade, fifth to sixth, middle to high school … you begin to think that as long as time passes, you are moved to the next level in life just as naturally as breathing. Going from one thing to another should be smooth, easy. No one ever talks about in-between time.

But then comes real life. And that’s when we realize that in-between time is all the time. We face it in pesky, everyday sorts of ways: standing in line at Target. Stuck in traffic. Listening to cheesy hold music while on the phone with the dentist. Standing in front of the microwave. At gate C9 in the airport.

We also face in-between time on monumental levels: when we’re pregnant. After we’ve been laid off. When we receive a diagnosis but no cure. On a friend’s couch with all our belongings in the car. After he moves out and before the divorce papers are served.

In-between time is brutal. It’s relentless. And it’s not going away.

Are you experiencing in-between time right now? How are you responding? Are you floundering, anxious, and impatient? Or, have you perhaps come to terms with this third point in time that has wedged itself in between Point A and Point B? What if you could embrace your in-between time as a monkey swings from one branch to another? In faith. With determination. In eager expectation. And perhaps even with grace and style.

“I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Psalm 130:5

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Accidents that Never Happen This Instant!

2011-01-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

It was dark out. Cold, wet, dreary. A typical January evening in Portland. It was also my dear friend’s bachelorette party clear across town. I didn’t have to go, but I did have to get out of the house. That much was screaming at me. So, I got into my car, fired up the engine, and backed out of the garage. Just like I’ve done hundreds of times before.

But tonight was different. Like I said, it was dark out. And my token glance in the review mirror didn’t alert me that anything was unusual. Intuition typically works in my favor, but tonight it was hibernating.

My driveway is short but steep. It intersects a narrow street between townhouse units. There is no parking allowed on that street. At least that’s what the red curbs are supposed to mean.

I flew down the driveway, cranking the steering wheel so that the rear of my car would angle to the right. As I came to a full and complete stop, about to turn the wheel to the left to straighten out my car, I casually glanced out my driver’s side window. And there, not more than an inch outside my door sat the hood of a pristine gray Mazda. I froze and stared. My heart rate skyrocketed. The car just sat there empty and still, innocently looking at me and asking, “What?”

My mind reeled. Deafening silence encompassed my vehicle. Had I been just centimeters off milliseconds earlier, my ears would now be ringing from a sickening crunch. But instead I sat in safety, only a breath away from an accident that would’ve sucker-punched my pocketbook and beat up my mental wellbeing.

How many times have you been spared the worst? How many times have you looked out your window to see the reality of God’s protection staring you in the face? Maybe you don’t know ... but the fact is that you are here today in one piece. Knowingly or not, time after time, maybe God has guarded your steps down to the inch. Is your present condition enough to prompt praises to the God who has spared you from accidents that have never happened? Are your lips poised to praise Him?

“Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.” Proverbs 3:23

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” Hebrews 13:15

Use It This Instant!

2010-12-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

An umbrella. It’s useful thing #104. At least here in Portland, Oregon.

Recently I discovered a secret about this handy little device. You can carry it in your hand, step outside into the downpour, waltz along on your way, and still be just as drenched as the next guy who doesn’t have one. How’s that, you ask? It all depends on whether you’re using it properly.

Proper use: remove the Velcro or snap wrap thing that keeps it nice and tidy when not in use. Push what might as well be the “eject” button and let ‘er explode into full extension … its usable state. Then, hold the rod perpendicular to the ground, fabric portion upright above your head, and you’re good to go. You’re protected from the wet, and your hairdo thanks you.

How can a good, quality umbrella fail you? It can’t. Problems emerge due only to user error. You could forget it at home. That’s never good. Or, you could have it with you but not be aware of “proper use” instructions (above); you fail to use it because you don’t know how to. Worst case scenario, you have it with you and you know how to use it … but you’re simply too lazy to wield it properly. You take your outdoor jaunt, umbrella in hand but not in usable form, and the rain hammers you. You get soaked and, well, you look like an idiot.

What if your faith in God is an umbrella? Do you keep forgetting it at home? Or do you take it with you but fail to use it? While the storm rages all around, are you standing there getting drenched, even with the umbrella in your hand? What’s keeping you from using it as it’s meant to be used? Fear? Doubt? Pride? What will it take for you to push the “eject” button and let your faith explode into a canopy of protection?

When the storm rages, there is no better time. Open up your faith and use it. You will not be disappointed.

“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:26-27

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Question the Mark This Instant!

2010-09-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

Behold ... the flirtatious, curly-q of a mark, vivaciously easing up and over, gently around some gracious curve, poised to drift into oblivion. But it can't; it's halted by the bold blot of a definitive dot. It’s the question mark. Cute. Tantalizing. And demanding – it need only be present to elicit the squint of an eye, the raising of a brow.

This pen stroke, in and of itself, breaks the straight-as-an-arrow rules abided by its brother and sister punctuation marks. The question mark seems to have all the fun. But the questions it represents? Not so much fun.

I don’t like questions. No ... I just don't like questions that aren't followed by answers. I don’t like the kind that linger. The kind that ignore me after I've told them they're dismissed already. The kind that feign innocence while mocking me.

You know the ones I’m talking about. Mine say mean things like, "What's wrong with you?" "Why are you still single?" "Why aren't you earning more money?" Even the sucker-punch, "What if this God you say you believe in isn’t really real at all?" Maybe yours say similar things.

Questions, nagging questions. Questions that get under my skin and pry into the deepest crevices of my floundering heart. Questions – the kind without answers – really are the peskiest, and sometimes the near-deadliest thing. That is, of course, until you thrust one right back in its face. (Like this):

What if your questions didn’t have to have answers? Could you, in fact, learn to coexist alongside them? Could you let them rise up, like bubbles, and hang out while you go about your business? What if you made peace with your own haunting questions without having to exterminate them? What if you so deeply trusted the God who holds you, along with all your questions, that you could begin living as freely and definitively as an exclamation point? ! What might happen to your questions then?

"Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'" Matthew 14:31

"He must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:6

My Own Gospel This Instant!

2010-09-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

If I was asked to run the world, nothing would be as it is.

Text messages would be allowed 20 more characters each. Ice cream would be good for you. Ghost-white skin would be attractive. Neighbors would be quiet. Traffic lights would stay green. Skinny jeans and mustard yellow would stay “out,” where they belong. None of my friends would be married to their current spouses (not because I don’t like them, but because I was so sure their first-ever boyfriends would take that honor). Doctors wouldn’t get paid unless they actually resolved the issue. And I, placed in any given social situation, would be graceful and beautiful and smooth as a radio disc jockey.

Yes, life would be grand.

But, no. Instead, life just is what it is. Clunky and cumbersome and challenging and downright aggravating.

So, since I’m as “off” as I am on these fundamental matters, what would happen if I was assigned the task of writing the Gospel and figuring out how the entire human race can get right with God? My conjured-up religion would be pretty cut-and-dried:

It would involve me paying penance. It would involve rituals, because rituals make me feel like I’m doing something. My own gospel would involve ruminating, because pondering my sorry state shows that at least I’m aware of it. Rituals and ruminating … couple them together and call me accomplished. A little more effort, a little bit closer to God.

But, praise God, my gospel is not His Gospel. His truth – the real Gospel – is actually completely upside down from anything I would ever dream up … from anything any human could ever conjure up. God’s Gospel is bizarre. It has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Him. It’s relational, not ritual. It’s grace, not grief. It’s mercy, not misery. It’s love, not lament. It’s truth, not tricks. It’s Jesus, God’s only son, not “woe is me.”

What if you didn’t have to come up with your own gospel? What if the great Almighty, the three-in-one, the One with a crazy plan for redemption is pursuing you now just as intensely as He proved his pursuit 2,000 years ago? What if His truth never changed, yet the ways you could discover and rediscover it were as fluid as the blood that flowed from His side? What if His simultaneously ludicrous and wonderful Gospel could, in fact, set you free from the chains of your own makeshift gospel?

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD." Isaiah 55:8

"Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 'The time has come,' he said. 'The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!'" Mark 1:14-15

Show Off This Instant!

2010-07-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit of a showoff.

This first became evident when I played on the volleyball and basketball teams in high school. Afternoon practices in the gym were always a boring, monotonous pain to get through … until members of the guys basketball team started trickling in, waiting for our practice to end so theirs could begin.

They would linger around the edge of the court, stretching or just watching us. These guys lived up to their “good looking jock” reputations well. Of course I had a crush on one or two of them, if not the entire starting lineup.

They would arrive in the gym and when they did, I miraculously became a better player. Though it was at the end of a long two hours, my skills immediately sharpened. My form somehow improved. I sprinted faster. I cheered for my teammates louder. I scored points. Suddenly, I was a pro.

It fascinates me that the Bible was not written by pros, or even people trying to show off. It was written people who actually didn’t even know they were writing the Bible. These guys only intended their stuff to be read by a select audience. They weren’t trying to impress the whole world. They weren’t trying to win generations of different personalities and nationalities to the Gospel. They were just writing the facts, as they witnessed them, to a select audience. They were, essentially, “practicing in an empty gym.”

If the Bible included the Book of Jodi, and if I knew my writings would later be added to a book deemed God’s Holy Word, you can be sure I’d try to show off a bit. Unlike these writers, I’d have tried to prove my expertise, my smarts. I’d have passed my stuff through a slew of editors.

But instead, we get the Bible — God’s living Word, man-written but God-breathed. He chose mere mortals to reach each and every one of us in just the way we need to be reached. Matthew, Luke, Paul and the rest … they didn't write to show off … and yet God calls their efforts “perfect.” Today He is using their humble records to change the world.

Have you ever tried to do something harder because you wanted to impress whoever was watching? What if God is using you just as you are? What if He is making your practice … perfect?

“I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.” Colossians 4:18

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Picky, Picky This Instant!

2010-05-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

Picky, Picky

I’m not a picky person.

I’m not picky about my food (so long as I’m not allergic to it). I’m not picky about the aisle or window seat on the plane (so long as the middle’s vacant). I’m not picky about my clothes (so long as they’re comfortable). I’m not even picky about my car (so long as it’s red). See? I’m not picky at all!

But about people … yes, indeed, I am a picky person. Little did you know that if you’re in my life, you’ve passed a slew of invisible tests. Are we related by blood? You’re in by default. Do you make me laugh? You’re in. Do you look me in the eye and prove your listening skills? Points scored. Do we think alike, talk alike, and approach life alike? Check, check, and check. All you people are IN.

I have my Favorite People, Nice But Just Okay People, Fully Draining People, and Make Me Grit My Teeth People. It’s quite the contest to land in the most desirable caste, but don’t give up just yet. Keep trying to impress me and you’ll likely arrive.

So, that’s me – picky is as picky does. But Jesus? Jesus knows of no such tests or categories. He wasn’t picky. He isn’t picky. And while I feel justified demanding loyalty and honesty of my people, Jesus doesn’t even set the bar that low. He hung out with 12 guys, knowing full well all along that one would betray Him. And one would deny him on more than one occasion. Yet still He let them into His inner circle. Seriously, Jesus? Have you no standards, not even for your friends? Nope, and no.

What if you were standardless with the people in your life? What if you had no tests, no series of ‘rulings out’? What if you loved others simply because you were so full of love, you had nowhere else to lavish it than onto your Favorite People, So-So People, Insanity Inducing People, and even your Outright Enemy People … What if you loved them all? And what if your love was so genuine that somehow you, too, became changed by it?

“Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’ Jesus answered, ‘Yes, it is you.’” Matthew 26:25

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

Throw It Away This Instant!

2009-03-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

Throw It Away

My brother has been brilliant since he was just a kid having lunch at Burger King.

Like any good mother who’d just treated her kids to fast food, Mom would remind me and my bro to clean up after ourselves. So, after enjoying whatever it is that we ordered (likely a Junior Whopper, and of course we “liked fries with that”), we’d crumple our napkins, pick up our countless squeezed-to-death ketchup packets, slurp down the last droplets of pop (we’re from Oregon; it’s “pop” here), run our straws up and down through the lid for an extra measure of squeaky satisfaction, and head for the door.

There in front of us, on our way out, would loom the receptacle for all our trash. And standing there before it, my brother would issue the most profound of statements:

“Pee-yooo-esss-aych … THROW IT AWAY!”

The swinging door that hangs over the garbage can in Burger King never said “Trash.” Nor “Garbage.” Just “P U S H.” (In case someone would attempt to PULL open a door that has no knob on it.)

Yes – to my brother, and Burger King fans across the land, “P U S H” was a simple command: “throw it away.”

It is there, in the lobby of America’s fast food favorite, that I learned how to handle those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days* that I seem to attract on a semi-regular basis. One thing may go wrong, or everything may go wrong. Or, maybe everything’s just fine, but I just can’t shake the foul mood that came on at the same time as my morning alarm. THOSE days. Those are my “pee-yooo-esss-aych” days.

Do you ever just want to crawl into bed, throw the day away, and forget it ever happened … but it’s not even noon yet? Have you ever been so overwhelmed by the stench of your own bad attitude, you seem to be suffocating in it? On those days, do you wonder how you could possibly be of any good to anyone?

You may “pee-yooo-esss-aych” those days away, but don’t be fooled. There is no garbage can big enough for our ugliness. Only a cross. And it is more than enough.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

“Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

* Special thanks to Shel Silverstein for his poem in Where the Sidewalk Ends.

Take It This Instant!

2008-12-14T21:22:00.000-08:00

Take It

A chocolate fountain is a thing to behold. Dripping with delight and surrounded by fruit chunks, white marshmallows, and salty pretzels for dipping, this simple work of art is a natural beauty.

To make proper use of it, you must exert some effort. First, make a quick stab of your fondue fork into the snack of your choice. Secure it. Then aim the fondue wand under the steady stream of shiny brown liquid. Let it pour down and around your sweet or savory morsel. Watch wave upon glorious wave flow over and around your treat. Blink frequently to fight hypnosis. Finally, remove wand from the liquid stream of joy, close eyes, insert deliciousness into mouth, and repeat.

The thing that makes a chocolate fountain so truly lovely is that it flows. It is not merely a bowl of liquid chocolate. Nor is it a stick of hard Ghirardelli. It is instead a lively stream of goodness that falls from top to bottom, and then – magically, in my non-mechanical mind – circulates back up to the top in order to continue flowing. This cycle of chocolate is successful because the fountain has mastered the fine art of giving and taking.

If it did not properly balance the two – say it “took” too much – then all the chocolate would disappear into the holes. It would not “give” the chocolate back to the top so that it could flow down again. Or, if the fountain “gave” too much – and the “taking” holes at the bottom were plugged – the bowl would overflow and chocolate would spill onto the table. Without a proper “give and take” balance, you have nothing but a sticky mess.

This Christmas season, how is your “give and take” balance? Are you giving out of the overflow of your heart? Are you extending the kind of love that offers forgiveness, heals brokenness, and restores relationships? And … amidst all of your “thank you’s,” are you truly receiving?

You may give all you want this Christmas. But it’s whether or not you take that matters. Because if you refuse the greatest Gift ever offered, something must be done with it. A rejected gift must be returned. And when this one is returned, it’s done so at the expense of your very soul. It’s a mess that can be avoided … if only you practice the simple art of humble acceptance.

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Bite When It's Ripe This Instant!

2008-09-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

Bite When It’s Ripe

O loke tow oat, O loke tow oat,
O loke tow oat oat opples own bononos …

Sing it! It’s that ditty from youth camp. You simply replace the various vowels with one single vowel. Kind of fun. Kind of annoying. Totally fruity.

I never did learn the secret to picking out ripe fruit at the grocery store. (I think the song messed me up somehow.) Mom, however, knew all the tricks, down to picking something out that’s under ripe on Sunday in order that it will be perfect for the barbeque on Wednesday.

I’m sure she passed along her Ripe Fruit Secrets to me, but I can’t keep them straight… What was that about knocking on a cantaloup? Is it supposed to sound like the ocean?! Or, when you squeeze a mango, should it give to the pressure? Or should it be hard enough to break my neighbor’s window should I have to rescue her from a fire? And a pineapple’s bellybutton … should it be soft or hard? Eating it in Hawaii via room service is the only foolproof way I know to eat it right.

In any case, usually I’m just shopping in my favorite local landlocked grocery store. And if I can’t figure out how to buy exactly ripe, I prefer to buy under ripe. It’s the same as buying time. But if I take something home that’s past its prime, there’s no turning back. It’s just rotten. Good for nothing.

The dream scenario is biting into a piece of fruit in its prime. There’s nothing like it! That perfect piece of cantaloup, that smooth, juicy chunk of mango, or that dripping, slurpingly sweet hunk of pineapple.

Opportunities are much like fruit; there’s a brief window of time where they’re right. If you hold an opportunity for too long, inspecting and pondering it, it’ll pass you by and it will be too late to go back. On the other hand, if you jump on it too early, before it’s ripe, you’ve sabotaged it. You ruin its chance of ever being as good as it could have been had you patiently waited.

Is there an opportunity in your life upon which you need to act? Perhaps you need to make a decision about a relationship, a job, a childhood dream, or a financial matter. Where do you think you are in relation to its chronological scale of readiness? Do you perhaps need to continue waiting for that day of peak ripeness? Or maybe you’ve over-thought it and – sorry, but the opportunity is long gone. Or just maybe… the time for you to act is now.

Ask the Orchard Owner what He thinks. He’ll tell you. Maybe even as plainly as my mom reminded me that a cantaloup is not a conch.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” Luke 14:34

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil (and the fruit about to go rotten)” Ephesians 5:15-16, ESV (Jodi addition in parenthesis)

Lie About a Cry This Instant!

2008-07-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Lie About a Cry

“So, did you cry?!”

The question is typically asked of me by another woman after a poignant event of some kind (movie, wedding, song, play, concert, speech, or similar such emotional experience).

I don’t feel quite right stating the truth. “No, I didn’t” is just such a harsh response, particularly as my friend looks at me through weepy, puppy dog eyes.

But I also don’t feel comfortable telling a flat-out lie. After all, my makeup remains perfectly in tact and my unclenched hand produces no wadded-up tissue.

Instead, I’ve found peace with my avoidance of a response. When I answer, “Oh, yeah. That was amazing,” I actually can rest well that night. I figure that the nano-second when my eyes welled up is equivalent to most women’s endless, open sobbing.

Yes, it takes a lot to move me. But no, I’m really not cold-hearted. I just have a heart I’m learning to tend to.

I once mistook it to be a stepping stone in the garden of life – something I’d use, but not think twice about on my way to observing the roses. Now I get it … my heart is actually the soil in that garden. Soil takes a whole lot more TLC than a stone does.

If I want my heart to experience beautiful things – to grow incredible flowers - I must tend to it. I must guard and protect it. I must water it and nurture it. I must give it attention, as well as time and space. I must treat it forever gently.

In what state is the soil of your heart today? Hard, cracked, and neglected? Or soft, moldable, and brimming with life? Do you like the flowers your garden is producing? Is it a place that welcomes visitors and bids them to stay?

Whenever our heart needs tending, we’ve got a Gardener eager to step in and nurture it back to life. All we need to do is ask. But we must be prepared … He just might install a sprinkler system like He has for the friends with whom I keep seeing movies.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” – Jesus (John 15:1)

Join the Team This Instant!

2008-04-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Join the Team

I often have a recurring dream. It goes something like this:

I’m back on my high school volleyball team. My teammates are all around me. We’re either practicing or playing a game. There’s a lot of running, jumping, and sweating. The plot can be as thrilling as me issuing the game-winning spike, or as excruciating as me failing miserably to serve the ball OVER the net because I’ve completely lost all upper body strength (sadly, reality can seep into my dreams).

The girls’ volleyball team was not the priority of the North Salem High athletic department. We had decent uniforms, but the football team was the group that scored the sweet jerseys. On the front was their carefully chosen number with our mascot name in screaming red across the top: VIKINGS. And printed boldly on the back in black was their individual last name. How cool would that have been? CARLSON 07. Well, maybe I’ll dream about our jerseys next.

I’ve noticed that I seem to have this dream when, in real life, I am feeling lonely and craving community. Being a member for three years of the varsity volleyball team defined my concept of community, and it was a good one. I liked being a team member. (It didn’t matter that we weren’t a winning team…we were a TEAM!) It allowed me to experience a bit of life as God intended it.

Have you ever considered your team? Who in your life has got your back, and whose back will you get … whether you want to or not?

See, I didn’t choose my team members. My coach did. I didn’t argue; I accepted the position I was assigned, and practiced until I excelled. I strove to be the best middle hitter so that, combined with my teammates’ talents, we would enjoy success together.

Who has the Coach placed in your life? If He assigned you a jersey with your name on the back, and “Believer” on the front, how would you approach your role in the Body? Would you sit on the bench and watch, claiming you’ve lost your upper body strength? Or, would you pick up a dumbbell and start lifting again, so as to bring unity among the team and honor to our Coach?

“The name on the back of your jersey is not nearly as important as the one on the front.” Herb Brooks, the Minnesota coach who led the U.S. hockey team to the "Miracle on Ice" victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Olympics

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 (emphasis mine)

Take a Whiff This Instant!

2008-03-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

Take a Whiff

The tire section at an auto parts store.
Hawaiian Tropic brand sunscreen.
A sidewalk two minutes after a downpour.
Campfire smoke.
Piping hot homemade cinnamon raisin bread.

These are some of my favorite scents. No matter how bad my mood, each has the power to instantaneously take me to a happy place. You can try it sometime if you want… just take me to Wal-Mart and steer me to the tire section. I’ll come out one minute and ten deep breaths later a new person. Or simply hand me that gleaming white bottle with the bright blue top. It may be snowing and hailing outside, but it won’t matter. One whiff of SPF 15 will melt the worry lines from my forehead and make me smile like a fool.

Different scents cause different reactions in different people. That makes sense. Smells are intricately connected to our emotions via past experiences with them. But, generally speaking, most people will agree when something smells “good” or “bad.”

Chocolate is one of those scents that is commonly declared good. Rotten eggs? Bad. Fresh air, good. A dumpster, bad. It’s those peculiar odors on the sliding scale in between them, like gasoline, burgers, Pine sol, and my beloved tire section, that prompt heated arguments either for or against an aroma’s happiness-inducing capabilities. Same scent, different reactions.

Have you ever thought about the scent you leave other people after you vacate a room? Not just when you’re freshly showered or -- at the other end of the spectrum -- suffering the ramifications of a refried bean burrito. I mean the emotional fragrance you impart upon others. Are you like fresh movie theater popcorn to your coworkers? Could you be a chocolate bar to a stressed-out first-time mother? What about grandma’s apple pie to a soul suffering loss?

We all have one distinct scent that we take wherever we go. But, no matter how good we think we smell, we will always come into contact with others who pinch their noses in our presence. And that’s a good thing. Our signature scent is supposed to produce different responses. But the moment we try a potpourri life in order to please the countless different noses around us, that’s the moment we become a singular, intolerable stench to the only One whose sniffer really matters.

"Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume." 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess." Hebrews 4:13-14

I Can’t This Instant!

2008-02-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

I Can't

I can’t snowboard. WHY? Because I’ve never done it. WANT PROOF that I can’t? When you and I hit the slopes together, you’ll see.

I can’t hear. WHY? Because before I turned three years old, my ears lost the ability to hear certain frequencies. WANT PROOF that I can’t? Test results and graphs will show you my mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

I can’t sleep. WHY? Actually, no one knows, not even sleep specialists. WANT PROOF that I can’t? No scientific test will show it, but you’d bore your own self to sleep if you watched a video detailing night after night after sleepless night of my life.

Three different “I can’ts.” One most easy to overcome. The other two – difficult.

The first “I can’t” has an obvious solution with a clear, albeit long, path to getting there. How can I get to the point of saying “I can” snowboard? I have to DO it. I have to make a point to gain the experience, and then keep practicing. I can choose to change my “I can’t” to “I can,” though I will have to step outside my comfort zone to get there.

The second “I can’t” has an obvious, practical solution with a clear and simple path to getting there: wear hearing aids. Let the devices amplify the sounds that I cannot hear, so that I can live a life similar to the one afforded everyone with full hearing. But the ideal solution—full hearing—can only be achieved through a miracle from God.

The third “I can’t” has no specific, practical solution and no charted path to finding one. Again, the ideal solution is simply a miracle: a “light switch” in my brain to flip between awake and sleep. Instead, I have wandered into doctor’s office after doctor’s office, popped pill after pill, altered habit after habit. I’ve knocked on every door, spent thousands of dollars in search of The Solution, and all the while just cried out for that elusive miracle.

Which “I can’t” do you face? Is it the first kind, where you know what your solution is, but haven’t taken the necessary action steps to getting there? Is it the second case, where a work-around solution is available as you wait upon the “impossible” from God? Or, lastly, do you face the kind of “I can’t” where defeat whispers your name every day, and you just don’t know what to do as you long for mercy and relief?

What if your “I can’t” didn’t dictate your disposition? What if, in waiting for God’s miracle, you sought and accepted His often unexpected means of provision along the way?

“And God is able to make ALL grace abound to you, so that having ALL sufficiency in ALL things at ALL times, you may abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

“For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Get Rich This Instant!

2007-12-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

Get Rich

What is it to be “rich”?

A dessert would say: to be thick, heavy, and melt-in-your-mouth, all-around sinfully delightful. That is richness to the taste.

A scent would answer: to be distinct, desirable, and powerfully memory-evoking. That is richness to the nostrils.

The walls of a concert hall would respond: the depth of bass, the peak of soprano, and the perfect point where the two hang in delicate balance resonating with crystal smooth clarity. That is richness to the ear.

Nature would say: to be bright orange, purple, red, yellow, blue, and magenta all at once, splashed above that fine line where land meets sky on a mid-winter’s afternoon. That is richness to the eye.

The human would declare: to pad my 401k, to drive the latest model sports car, to travel often to exotic places, to afford my kids the finest in designer fashion, and to host holiday parties that leave my guests in awe of my home. That is richness to the flesh.

But how would a memory define richness?

A memory would say: to have laughed often and loved much; to have breathed deep the intoxicating aroma of RISK instead of treading the stale thin air of my comfort zone; to have wallowed in fleeting self pity because I sacrificed my personal wants in order to honor his … followed by inexplicable joy for having done so; to have said, “Yes,” when it would have been easier to say, “No;” to have been raw and vulnerable when I just wanted to put up a wall and hide my real feelings. To have experienced the thrill of conquering my fears and doubts by daring to achieve what I thought would be impossible.

What if richness no longer defined your goals for your pocketbook? What if richness had nothing to do with your stuff? What if you ceased the money-making mentality because the dream that it will somehow produce more merry-making … just never seems to come true? What if Jesus Christ really did shed His blood not so that your bank account, but your LIFE, would be rich?

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
– Jesus, John 10:10 (NIV)

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
– Jesus, Matthew 6:21 (NIV)

Life. Make it rich.

Press 0 for an Emergency This Instant!

2007-10-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Press 0 for an Emergency

The phone on the wall in the fitness center has a huge sign above it: "Press 0 for an emergency."

What does that mean...really? If I wanted an emergency, I would dial zero?

What about the hair gel that says "For curly hair."

Does that mean that if I have straight hair but I want curly hair, I would use this product? Or vise versa?

Or, driving down the road, what about that yellow diamond-shaped sign that says "Shoulder work." Does it really know that I’ve been driving for hours and should relax my tense muscles, starting with some light shoulder rolls?! Or perhaps there’s a massage therapist at the next pullout, waiting for my business.

I’ve been known, in my own head, to communicate with striking clarity. I say exactly what I mean and describe with brilliant accuracy that which I want to express. However, I’ve also been known—by people in the REAL world—to communicate things that are completely contrary to what (I believe) I was actually saying. Why, WHY can’t people just live inside my head where everything makes sense?!

Do you ever feel like you must exist on another planet than those with whom you interact? Maybe things make sense in your own mind, but when you go to express yourself in words, the other person misses your meaning entirely. Perhaps you despise miscommunication…but miscommunication LOVES you.

Have you considered that Jesus Christ was often misunderstood by His best friends (see below)? Have you noticed how He never let that frustrate Him or cause Him to terminate any of His relationships? Do you think that, should you ever in the off-chance be misunderstood again, you could be the bigger person, apologizing for being unclear rather than blaming for misinterpretation?

"They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying." John 16:18 (emphasis mine)

“If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.” 1 Corinthians 14:11

“You will say the wrong thing if you talk too much—so be sensible and watch what you say.” Proverbs 10:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Orange or Dip This Instant!

2007-10-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Orange or Dip

The orange is a spherical, solid mass of, well … orange. The attaching sections form the juicy parts we eat. These are protected by the outer peel. Both peel and flesh are orange in color. Hence the fitting name. This fresh food is beautiful in its own right, and a delight in every bite.

Move from the Floridian treat to the Mexican potluck fiesta favorite: seven-layer dip. Refried beans, guacamole, tomatoes, onions, cheese, olives, and sour cream. Take your chip and dig in. Go all the way from top to bottom and get all the layers smothered onto your crispy tortilla triangle. If you want just the guac, you’ll surely make a scene digging through the other layers to get there. Or, if you want just the olives, you’d be better off picking through Aunt Sally’s wilting bagged salad.

An orange and a pan of seven-layer dip. Both edible. Both consisting of different parts that form the whole. But an orange is an orange all the way through. You peel off one section, and you get an orange. You tear off a section on the other side, and you get the same orange. The fruit is simple. It’s clean. And it’s nature-grown.

Seven-layer dip, on the other hand, changes by the layer. Come at it from the side three layers down and you get cheese. Go straight to the bottom to get beans. Two totally different food groups. The dish is complicated. It’s messy. And it’s man-made.

If the word “integrity” comes from the word “integro” or “integer” and means “one” (and it does), can you claim your standing as an orange? Are you the same all the way through? If someone sampled who you are at work, would they get a different you at home? You may have many different layers or sections, but are they consistent?

If you note a disconnect in who you are around your coworkers than with your family, your boss and your waitress, your clients and your peers … are you perhaps re-making yourself for different audiences? Are you failing to be YOU through and through? Have you perhaps become … a bit of a dip?

“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9 (ESV)

“A lot of people think integrity means honesty. But it actually means your whole life is the same; that you don’t act one way with one group and act with another group a different way. You’re the same all over.” Pastor Rick Warren

The Big One This Instant!

2007-09-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

The Big One

I must officially be an adult. Birthdays are no longer something to look forward to.

My next one looms large. It has been staring me down since about 11 months ago when I turned my current age. (I refuse to list specific numbers in this article so you can freely insert your own scary age, whatever it may be, and more easily relate with what I have to say. Okay, that’s not true. I just don’t want to tell you how old I’ll be. See? Proof of adulthood.)

Because I was “young for my grade” in school, I’ve been celebrating my friends’ Big Ones all year long. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed asking them what it’s like “up there.” But I can’t deny it any longer. My time, too, has come.

The other day a piñata in the shape of those two dirty digits was sitting on a coworker’s desk as she prepared to throw her friend a surprise party. It wasn’t my piñata, but it just might as well have been.

“Put that I away!” I cried. “Ugly number. Bad, bad, stupid number.” Followed by further moping and mumbling.

Another (older, wiser) coworker overheard me and stopped me in my tracks. “Okay, Jodi, let me put it this way. You have a choice here! Either you turn XX (dreaded number) … or (insert dramatic pause) … you DON’T.”

I stopped. I stared. And I burst out laughing.

She had a point. I was whining about something that wasn’t going to change. And if it did change, well, the alternative was even worse. I could be dead.

Are you fighting XX – perhaps your age or some other less-than-desirable circumstance – in your life right now? When irreversible things happen regardless of your opinion on the matter, do you act like your negative attitude is also unchangeable? What if, no matter how sour your face, combative your fight, or grim your outlook, you discovered the silver lining? What if, in the midst of the dreaded, you chose the beautiful?

“For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11

Take a Gulp This Instant!

2007-08-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

Take a Gulp

Bubble tea is fun. It’s basically a party in a cup. Served in a clear container with a straw as fat as about 5 normal straws tied together, it’s a colorful, sweet drink with plump tapioca “bubbles” bouncing around the bottom. Take a gulp from your straw and you get an explosion of flavor along with a couple chewy tapioca pearls the size of small marbles. The consistency of these “bubbles” lands somewhere between Jell-O and gum. Weird? Sure—but fun.

Ordering this drink at a gourmet coffee or tea shop is like being a business executive making a string of VERY important decisions. First, you pick your tea—green, black, or Rooibos. Then you pick your flavor—mango, papaya, pina colada…? Next, your temp—hot or cold. Finally, pick your bubble—tapioca balls, fruit chunks, or coconut beads. (If all this sounds way too foo-foo fruity, I suggest a Hawaiian vacation ASAP.)

While its beauty is indeed something to behold, with its bright sherbet-like colors, fiestas exploding at the bottom of each cup, and gigantic straws, bubble tea isn’t made to sit there and look pretty. It’s made to be consumed.

You just don’t want to attempt to do so with a “normal-sized” straw. You’ll drive yourself crazy. Every time you take a sip, a tapioca bubble will clog it. You’ll try again. Same thing. Nothing gets done. Soon you’ll chuck the straw and try to gulp the drink down without one, but you’ll only get all the liquid at once, leaving the pile of tapioca balls at the bottom of the cup. No thanks. The joy of bubble tea is in the pearls passing through the huge straw, nice and smooth, one at a time.

Have you ever considered that maybe you are a straw? Perhaps God wants to accomplish His plans through you…but you think you are too small. Maybe you think you’re an “average-sized” straw, that God’s expectations are tapioca-ball-sized (too huge and im-“passable”), and you might as well not try. Are you leaving His work at the bottom of your cup, unaccomplished, because your perception of your ability is off? But what if God has promised to never pass anything ill-fitting through you, and that He already made you the perfect-sized straw for His purposes?

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Hit SEND This Instant!

2007-08-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hit SEND

I love email. You can talk without talk-back. You can bare your soul without exposing your poor interpersonal skills. You can carefully pick and choose your words without fumbling around for the best ones. Email is quick, easy, and all-around painless…

UNTIL.

Until you commit your first major email faux paux. Your first tried and true, you-can-run-but-you-can’t-hide social blunder. Your “I thought I was relatively intelligent, but I can’t even send an email to the right people,” or worse, “I thought I had a life and a future ahead of me, but now I have none” moment.

My first real mess up occurred years ago and involved recapping a rather boring first date. Normally my emails to this dear friend of mine go into great detail, but I was pressed for time that morning and simply said, “It was fine. But no butterflies to speak of. What do you think that means?” In my haste, I hit SEND without verifying who I was sending to, breaking Email Rule #1: Always, always, always check and double-check the “to,” “cc,” and “bcc” addresses before hitting SEND. So, instead of sending it to Friend and Confidant, I somehow sent it to Ryan. Yes, the one and only First Date himself.

Needless to say, I ended things before they could begin. He got married less than a year later.

I’m sure you have had similar such email traumas, ranging from hitting “reply to all” instead of just “reply” (and the inside joke - that only the one person would’ve understood - makes you look like a first-class jerk)… to sending out an update about you and your spouse’s latest efforts to conceive to – not your prayer partners – but all the students in your classroom….

Have you ever been knocked off your high horse and cried, “Me, ME!!” in answer to the question, “Who’s the fool?” Have you ever - willingly or not - lost whatever it is that makes you feel self-sufficient and put together (a.k.a. your pride)? In these moments when you confess that you can truly do nothing by your own strength or intelligence, do realize you’re actually one step closer with God?

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT)

“God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” Matthew 5:3 (NLT)

Accentuate the Positive This Instant!

2007-08-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Accentuate the Positive

I’d never laughed so hard, or often … and at work, of all places.

My boss was one of a kind. I’m not even sure “boss” is the right descriptor. When I think of her now, I think “team leader,” “coach,” “mentor,” even “hero.” She had a knack for taking the most boring, mundane, stressful, aggravating, or impossible situations and turning them completely upside-down AND inside-out, so you felt like you’d just been to Disney World, not the office.

Instead of tears of frustration, she gave me sighs of relief. When clients brought insanity, she brought inspiration. When a project made me sick to my stomach, she pained it with gut-wrenching belly laughter. When negativity brewed, she literally sang out, “Ax-sennnnnt yoo-ate the positive… E-liiiiiiiminate the negative!” And when Friday afternoons rolled around, it was guaranteed she’d bring out the guitar and serenade us from one cube to the next. (It’s okay. We worked in the creative department of an advertising agency, not an accounting firm.)

It’s been a few years since I worked for her, my all-time favorite boss. But it’s funny. Her memory doesn’t stay back there, in that time and place. It somehow lives on -- in ME now. Bizarrely enough, I actually become like her on occasion. I respond just as I know she would. It’s the power of a good example.

Consider for a moment the opposite; consider the Bad Example. We’ve all got at least one – parents, teachers, coaches, bosses, relatives, or acquaintances. The people on your “Bad List” made you swear out loud, “I will NEVER (x, y, or z) to ANYONE like (insert name here) did to me!”

But, sadly, those bad examples rarely have the power to stop us from behaving as we most despise. That’s because we don’t learn from others how NOT to be, we learn from them how TO be. So, when we’re under the influence of a bad example, we’re more likely to follow that lead (and kick ourselves later), than to never act as they did in the first place. (Insert the common shocked-and-appalled gasp from women across the land who realize, “I think I’m becoming my mother!”)

What if the power that all of your bad examples hold on you today could be broken by the miracle of just one good example? What if you became the kind of person you most admire? What if that person, role model, and hero already exists? Could you get to know Jesus Christ so intimately that perhaps your thoughts, words, and deeds could become His?

“He (Jesus Christ) is your example, and you must follow in his steps.”
-- 1 Peter 2:21
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (Paul)
-- 1 Corinthians 11:1

Luxurious Living This Instant!

2007-06-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Luxurious Living

It’s summer. It’s hot. And though I do not live in humid Minnesota like my mosquito-bitten relatives, I still know what 90 degrees is. It’s called: sleepless nights. Like I don’t already have a hard enough time sleeping, I do not need to add “ice cube counting” to my repertoire of tricks to fall asleep.

Somehow, with no air conditioning in our townhouses, my management company thinks they can still market our community as “luxurious living.” While my bedroom is on the third level (didn’t the architects know that heat rises?!), I suppose I could set up camp in the garage to find some refreshment, but come on.

I began researching air conditioning units like mad. The Internet has an incredible way of taking you from “clueless” to “expert” in no time. Soon I knew all about BTUs, portable units versus window-mounted, the most popular and reliable brands, and the price ranges for each. I knew I needed a portable one and I knew Costco’s brand (usually the best deal) was in the upper $400 range. Others were selling online between $400 to $700 – without shipping. Yikes. But again, is there a price too high for precious sleep?

I finally drove to Home Depot to interrogate a salesman. I didn’t plan to buy. I just wanted to learn more. But after he showed me the only five remaining portable units (from a shipment of 100 they received just one week before), a $299 price tag, and the fact that they would not be restocking them again this summer, I was sold.

Had I not done any research, I would have balked at the price and walked out of there and back into my torture chamber of “luxurious living.” Instead, I made the purchase, two guys threw the thing in my Subaru, and I was off on cloud nine. I felt as though I had just stolen a treasure chest full of gold. Three hundred bucks for cool and comfort? Are you kidding? I’m the luckiest girl alive!

Do you ever find your less-than-desirable life circumstances to be equivalent with the mercury in hell’s thermometer? Does it seem everyone else’s lives are equipped with central air, while you’re just pining by, paying an arm and a leg to simply try to cool down one room? Is the price tag of your circumstances a rip-off compared to your friends’ and neighbors’?

What if the only “price comparison” or “product research” you did was between you and God’s Word, not you and anyone else? What if you knew you could get through this because your eyes are fixed on the goal, not the neighbors? What if the price you’re paying really is a bargain…because the Lord is with you in it.

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you (not on keeping up with the Joneses), because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) (addition Jodi’s)

Stuff an Olive This Instant!

2007-04-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

Stuff an Olive

Never mind whether or not you like green olives, just take a moment to behold one.

In your mind or in your pantry you can see it: round, plump, juicy green goodness. Not too dark, not too light, just that perfect shade of green—olive green. Packed with nutritional benefits, the green olive is a beauty. But, really, it’s nothing until it is pitted and stuffed with something.

Pimento is a popular center for the green olive. That little splash of red pokes out of either end, enticing you to plop the whole thing in your mouth and bite in. Other well-known and loved stuffings include walnuts, garlic, blue cheese, feta cheese, chipotle pepper, orange and lemon peel, Prosciutto, sun-dried tomato, Bubba Gump shrimp…

Now go back to the plain, pitted, but un-stuffed green olive. It’s attractive, sure, but it’s definitely missing something now that you know its potential.

Have you ever felt like that empty green olive? Perhaps you think you’ve cleaned up well enough on the outside to fool everyone. But really, your self-esteem—your core—is slim to non-existent. Maybe your green olive exterior was never built upon the screaming red pimento truth of your incredible value. Or, maybe your core was strong and healthy when you were younger, but life circumstances have whittled it away and today you feel as though your center is missing. Like the chef who just doesn’t know his clients’ tastes, you try to fill yourself with whatever is the flavor of the day.

What if you didn’t have to “swap out” or “try on” different centers? What if you claimed the reality that your core has already been determined? What if you began to live the truth that Jesus Christ actually likes you? Could you become whole and complete, pitted of everything perishable and “stuffed” with the truth of His unchanging love? Could you let Him be your center?

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Hebrews 13:8

“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Live to Eat This Instant!

2007-03-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

Live to Eat

Some people eat to live.
Others live to eat.

I’m a proud member of the latter group. Food makes me happy. I like thinking about it, planning for it, buying it, preparing it, and of course savoring every delightful bite of it. I love that our bodies are designed to need food on a daily basis. Every night upon retiring, it’s not like we have to wait another week to eat again … we get to start all over again when we wake up! The joy is near-constant.

I bet members of the "eat to live" group have no idea what it’s like for us who live to eat. I’m guessing that for them, food is an after-thought. Eating is something they HAVE to do, rather than GET to do. Maybe they think to grab a bite only when they glance at the clock and realize it’s 9 p.m. and, "Oh, yeah, I should have some dinner." Or—horror of horrors—perhaps they occassionally even miss a meal entirely and not realize it until the next one. (Who are you people?!)

On a recent vacation, while I physically feasted, I spiritually starved. Though I’d packed my Bible for the trip, I found it way more fun to pack my stomach. Somehow I thought I could use a vacation from God’s Word as well as "real life." I had no idea the effects of my decision on my spirit until I was headed home. I cracked the Book open to read a Psalm and found myself drinking in several as though I was severely dehydrated.

If our body is made for daily feedings, what about our spirit? Whether we eat to live or live to eat, do we hunger for the things of the Lord? Do thoughts of our Father consume you like thoughts of food consume the "live to eat" crowd? Do you crave His Word like it’s Grandma's apple pie ala mode? What if there really is a Food that can't be consumed too much...and only one nourishing Source that truly satisfies?

"Jesus answered, ‘It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."’" Matthew 4:4

"Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8

The Sky in Your World This Instant!

2007-03-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

The Sky in Your World

Has anyone ever described you as someone who "marches to the beat of a different drum?"

It's a polite way of saying, "You're different / special / unique / not like the rest," or even, "You're just weird."

My friends in high school had their own special way of implying this of me by simply asking: "What color is the sky in your world, Jodi?"

And I wonder: how many different colored skies are we all walking around under, thinking we all see everything the same way? My sky may be powder blue (normal) to me, but yours maybe be screaming fuchsia with hints of fishtail silver embedded around every canary yellow cloud (weird...to me). Same sky? Same understanding of the world? Hardly!

My genes and personality, background and experiences, character and soul—they all color my sky. They define my normal. Yours define your normal. These come together to shed a different light on our daily experiences: how we think, how we feel, how we react, how we live. So what happens when you and I meet? Typically, I see how crazily colored your world is and I'm either completely attracted to it, gently intrigued by it, or totally turned off by it.

What if it's okay that everyone's skies and clouds are different colors, but not okay that some deny the sun? What if the only truly off-colored skies are those without the Son? What if the Son is the one true thing, the one reality that never changes with the shifting of our colors? What if the sun can never be anything but bright? Hot. Blazing. Spherical. Powerful. The same yesterday, today, and forever. What if the Son is constant, our skies incredibly different, and the beauty of each unique color that's created when He blazes through your world and mine...in existance to rightly reflect His glory in a million different striking ways?

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” 1 John 1:5

New Year’s Realization This Instant!

2007-03-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

New Year’s Realization

What's New Year's without a party? Well, just another night. But let's run with the party picture.

The house is crowded with people dressed to the nines. White Christmas lights twinkle in the background. The DJ plays a few tunes and gets the dance floor moving. Laughter fills the room. Wine glasses are tipped and designated drivers pretend to enjoy their Shirley Temples. People continue to trickle in while you find the best seat in the house—an inconspicuous spot facing the front door. Here is where you make your New Year’s realization that there really are only two kinds of people in this world.

Enter the more common of the two, the “Here I am!” type. These people come in with their heads held high and their self-esteem down low. They are well put together and quite attractive. But when they open their mouths to converse, their true colors are revealed: self. All self, all the time. They are “here I am” people—insecure, self-oriented, and desperate for attention, even if they have to demand it, to feel good about themselves.

But the sweet refreshment that comes with a “There you are!” person. These are the people who light up a room when they enter it. They are rock solid, tried-and-true, completely confident. They need no ego stroking. They think nothing of themselves because they think the world of everyone else. They are fascinating people, but you would never know it because they are so busy asking you about YOU...not telling you about THEM. “There you are” people bless you. “Here I am” people drain you.

If life is about giving and taking, which is your habit? If relationships are about loving and sacrificing, how healthy are yours? If you walked into that dirty, smelly barn 2000 years ago, what would you have proclaimed to Jesus, the One who came to save you from your own dirt and stench? “Here I am; I finally made it!” Or, “There you are…my Savior and my King!”

“…in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2: 3b-4

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16, New Living Translation

Mistake It This Instant!

2006-12-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

Mistake It

When an artist (a painter) needs a color along the likes of a dusty purple, he doesn’t reach for a bottle of “Burnt Eggplant.” Instead, he takes the raw primary colors of blue and red, along with varying amounts of white and black, to blend, mix, add and dabble. He experiments until he has created just the right shade of purple envisioned in his mind’s eye before ever touching brush to canvas. Creating a color—just the right color—takes time, experimentation, and…at least two colors.

Why is it that when we make a mistake, we see it as having grabbed the wrong bottle of purple, and that somehow we’ve failed? Why can’t we see the mistake as the first in a two- (often more) step process? Each step, each “oops,” is necessary to creating the desired outcome.

Further still, perhaps what we classify as “mistakes” really aren’t mistakes at all. They might be just the catalysts (the shades of color) needed to shape our character. Perhaps every time we “mess up,” the mistake—and not our own limited understanding of its purpose—propels us toward God’s ideal outcome in us. As white and black alter a shade of color, so too do our mistakes allow us the chance to shine more brightly than we ever would have had we gotten it “right” the first time.

If Jesus was perfect, why do you think He made the “mistake” of not getting the blind man’s sight right the first time (see verse below)? Perhaps it wasn’t a mistake at all. Perhaps our understanding of what a mistake is…is mistaken…

“They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”
Mark 8:22-25

Soul Helium This Instant!

2006-11-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

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

Catch a Wave This Instant!!

2006-09-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

Catch a Wave

If you’re a surfer, you undoubtedly know the name Kelly Slater. He’s a seven-time world champion. He’s the pro of all pros. If you aspire to be a surfer, you want to be Kelly Slater.

Unfortunately, when it comes to surfing, I'm essentially Keanu Reeves in Point Break. I’m just a wannabe. I’m an actor who desperately needs a stuntman to do the actual work for me (while I get the credit, of course).

That’s certainly the case when we’re talking about liquid waves. LIFE’s waves, on the other hand, I know well. One thing after another, break after break, crash after roaring crash—circumstances collide to tempt, test, and try me. If life is a body of water, mine is NOT a still Minnesota lake. It is a turbulent ocean shore, crowded with monstrous waves, beautiful but devastating whitewater, and an undertow that could drown even Kelly Slater.

The bizarre thing is…I haven’t drowned. And I’m not even just doggy-paddling my way through survival. I even would dare to say…I’m surfing. I’m riding these life waves, and I’m securely navigating them. How? Practice (age) has something to do with it. But what can explain the exhilaration I experience when these circumstances, changes, and events should technically be crushing me? I certainly don't boast in my surfing prowess (I have none). It can only be one thing. It's my surfboard. It's made of nothing but the finest material--God’s grace. And His grace is more than enough to see me through.

How are you handling the breaking waves in your life? Are they tossing, turning, or pounding you? Deep down, do you doubt that God really cares about what you’re going through? Do you fear that He might be a great God of the entire universe, but a poor PFD (personal flotation device)? Or are you standing tall on His promises, un-intimidated by the waves because your surfboard is a brand-name Grace Glider?

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
James 1:6

“Therefore, …we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Romans 5: 1-5

Paper Thin This Instant!

2006-09-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Paper Thin

“The word is not the thing.”

Huh?

It’s a concept I learned in a college communications class. Basically, it works like this: When I say “dog,” I picture an adorable, happy, go-lucky golden retriever. But when my friend hears “dog,” she pictures a 140-pound growling beast bearing its teeth, breath reeking from its latest kill. “Dog” makes her shudder while it makes me light up.

Unfortunately, the word “dog” is a poor representation of the actual lazy, chunky basset hound it was intended to describe.

Okay. Now, when I say “fear,” join me in visualizing an old, ugly, steel chain. Fear is heavy. Burdensome and uncomfortable, it prides itself on its tight grip, its power to hinder, its ability to weigh one down and make life miserable.

Fear is a close cousin of anxiety, something I think is just as much a part of my DNA as red and white blood cells are a part of what pumps through my veins. Fear and anxiety have the same mission: Forbid inner peace and contentment at all costs. Keep the victim from experiencing the thrill of life. Chain her up, tie him down, keep them living small.

Now, leave those chains in the dungeon. Come with me to the sunny boutique on the corner downtown. Observe the sales lady as she prepares to wrap the precious gift you just bought for Grandma in tissue paper. Clean and crisp, white and light, the wrapping material is thin. Held by its top two corners, light shines right through it. It flutters in the breeze. A scale wouldn’t even notice it.

What if fear is but a sheet of gift wrapping tissue paper? What if you can see through it? What if fear is fragile…destructible…paper thin? What if it can be destroyed in an instant? What if it’s wrapped all around you, but you were the fool for thinking it held you captive? What if I said “fear” and you just shrugged and smiled?

If fear is tissue paper—not a heavy chain—then all it takes is a spark of the Holy Spirit’s fire to land on it, ignite it, burn it to destruction, and free you completely.

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'"
Romans 8:15
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” Isaiah 41:10

“For our God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:29
(Emphasis: Jodi’s. Consuming meaning: Nothing left. Nada. No evidence remains. As in: “Fear? What fear?”)

My Head a Piñata This Instant!

2006-09-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

My Head a Piñata

Camping is at its best when you've got a roaring campfire, your best buds sitting around it in some cheap folding chairs, twinkling stars overhead, and a toasted marshmallow squished between a couple of graham crackers and chocolate. Oh, and the remains of a busted piñata scattered at your feet.

It was the weekend of my seventeenth birthday. My high school buddies and I had packed up and headed out for a rambunctious weekend at the beach. On my actual birthday, they unveiled a gift that has yet to be topped: a piñata. Of my head.

Yes.

They hand-crafted a piñata (thoughtful) of my head (weird) thinking it would be fun to wail on this thing (with my face painted on it, remember), bust it open, and eat the candy that would burst out. I felt oddly honored...somehow. I mean, how often can one boast, “I bet you never had anyone make a piñata for you before! Oh, you have? Well, was it of your HEAD?!”

Every one of those friends on that camping trip remains in contact with me today. In fact, they’re all on this email list, so I hope they enjoy the memory. My point being – these friends are tried and true. They’re the real deal. After high school, they didn’t just make like a piñata and bust.

When it comes to showing my love and affection for another, I tend to think that the way I do it is NORMAL. That everyone should show me their love in the same way I do for them. But, oh, how wrong I am! And how heartbroken I would be if I didn’t recognize these different methods for what they are. What if I had thought the piñata was a cruel, mean joke and missed the point entirely? But the piñata said, “You’re weird, Jodi, and we GET your sense of humor. (And we're weird, too, because we made this thing!)” Friends like that are hard to come by.

How do you show your love for your spouse/significant other/family/friends? How do you receive theirs? Are you waiting for them to say "I love you" in the exact same way that you do? Or can you accept their gifts or words or actions or touch or time as gestures of their love for you? (And no, men, this concept does not mean that you're off the hook simply because you put down the toilet seat.)

”Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins.”
Ephesians 5:2

“Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.”
2 John 1:6

Open Palm This Instant!

2006-08-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" was not a noteworthy film if you ask Siskel and Jodi. But it did do one cool thing. It gave us a visual of shrunken people—little people so small, blades of grass tower above them.

Take that image of little people and shrink in your mind those you hold most dear to your heart. (Cute, aren't they?) Now invite them to climb up into your palm, one at a time. One by one, consider them. Let them run around in your hand and play.

As each climbs on, what are you tempted to do? To let them skip up your fingers and jump back into your palm? To have free reign of the territory? Or, the more you care about the person, are you more tempted to gently curl your fingers and grasp them, to hold them secure? To ensure their safety? Because what if they were to run and jump and fall…right out of your hand? What if they fell right out of your life? Do you tighten your grip to keep them safe because they are yours and they are precious?

I've come to a beautiful discovery when it comes to the people in my palm. The flatter my hand, the straighter my fingers, the wider the space between my fingers…the more at peace I am. I am blessed to even get to have little people! I know my palm is a safe place for them, but I also know they could choose to run right off, right between my pinky and my ring finger. They could. It might be accidental, it might be intentional. But it's not my place to hold them tightly like I so long to do.

How can I loosen my grip when I most want to clench it? Only knowing that my hand is being held by a much bigger one. Outside of my own hand rests my Father's all-encompassing net of safety. If my people fall or jump off, I trust that they will fall into the palm of the One who cares for them even more than I do (which is hard to comprehend). It's okay. I can love and I can give, but I must hold all that is precious to me with an open palm. And I will relish the sweet peace that comes in doing so.

How open is your palm? Are you holding your people tight because you cannot imagine living without them? Do you clench your grip because your love is so great? Or can you perhaps loosen your fingers, to give them their freedom...even if it means you lose them?

“Love…does not insist on its own way.”
1 Corinthians 13:4, ESV

“For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand.”
Isaiah 41: 13, ESV

Would You Like Some Valium This Instant!

2006-07-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Would You Like Some Valium?

It was a ridiculous question. WOULD I like some Valium?! Hello! I'm about to put my two—my only two now, my only two EVER—eyeballs under a laser beam (a patient-friendly term for what must really mean a knife) to be opened up, messed around with, and forever altered. WOULD I like some Valium? I'm sorry, doctor, but while you have your words right, you have them in the wrong order. It's more like: You WOULD like some Valium, Jodi. You really, really would.

I gave my obvious answer to her pointless question and, when I was brought the beautiful, heaven-sent, mind-easing pill, I saw that it was cut in half. "Huh?"

"You're so small, we don't you to O.D. So we're just going to give you a half." Fine. Whatever. I'll take what I can get.

An hour later (30 minutes for the precious half a Valium to kick in, plus 30 minutes for the procedure), I was done. My legally-blind eyes had been thoroughly lasered-up, worked on, and zapped to what I hoped would be PERFECT vision.

Less than twenty-four hours later, when I removed some of the most attractive goggles known to man (just wait till the fashion industry starts marketing these!), I found that I was indeed the recipient of a true miracle. I could see. Unaided. Just my natural eyeballs, looking 20/20 into a beautiful, intricate, laser-sharp world. Incredible.

What my eyes had just gone through isn’t much unlike the character pruning process that Jesus continually brings me through. Neither is fun. Both are uncomfortable. But both are endured for the sake of the result. And while there’s no denying when you’re in physical surgery, character surgery is much more subtle. (I'm lucky if I even catch on to the fact that it's happening.) And while physical surgery is MY choice, character refinement will always be HIS choice. While Valium will temporarily alter my mind, His Word will permanently soothe my soul. (Thankfully, He offers the WHOLE Bible—no downsizing for "small people" or a “small faith.”) Finally, while the outcome of physical surgery can only be HOPED for, the outcome of His work in me—Christlikeness—is absolutely guaranteed...every time.

How are you surviving the character pruning process that He is performing in you right now? Are you trying to numb the pain, or are you maximizing the honor of being under the Master Physician's always precise, always loving care?

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15: 1-2

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

Liquid Draino This Instant!

2006-07-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Liquid Draino This Instant!

I don’t know how people live without a garbage disposal. It is one of the simplest, most user-friendly, slim-to-no maintenance required, relatively cheap kitchen appliances out there. And it does SO much! The benefits are staggering…a bunch of smelly, undesirable food parts—gone!—at the flick of a switch. Less trash to take out. A fresh scent to fill the kitchen (if oranges are your peel of choice). Water freely flowing through the kitchen sink once again. Ah, America. Only you would think of a way to improve upon waste disposal (or was it China? Everything’s made in China. Anyway, smart people).

A garbage disposal is one of the first things I had installed in my townhouse, and I use it every day. But I’ve recently discovered another kind of pipe that could use a similar device from time to time: my emotional pipes.

Ever noticed how some people are as transparent as a missing window pane? They cry at the drop of a hat, they shout with joy and laugh out loud (and I do mean LOUD), and you can read their every emotion because it’s written all over their faces. Ah, I envy them. Their emotional pipes are pretty darn clean.

But me? Mine get clogged up. As much as I try to maintain my pipes by appropriately expressing my feelings, I'm also known to stuff them down, or try to wish them away. I invalidate them, or ignore them altogether. Then, when I least expect it, I’m suddenly “clogged up,” or down and out for “no reason,” or I snap at the radio (I live by myself, so that’s my company).

“What’s going on?” I wonder. Simple: I've got an emotional clog. I haven’t dealt with something that needs my attention.

These pipes take maintenance! While I certainly try my best to keep them clean and clear, I also need God to use His Liquid Draino every once in awhile. To flick on His garbage disposal. To clear me out. Only then can I be usable by Him again.

Is something hindering the Holy Spirit's flow in and through you? Have you checked your pipes? Do you have a dreaded hairball of sin or lingering negativity that can only be dissolved by God’s Liquid Draino?

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139: 23-24 (Jodi version: “See if there is anything stopping me up from being usable by you, and use Your Liquid Draino so Your life can flow freely through me once again.”)

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 (Jodi addition: “…and keep your pipes clean for His sake.”)

Chinese Finger Trap This Instant!

2006-07-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Chinese Finger Trap

Have you ever had an encounter with a Chinese finger trap? If you have, you can visualize this thing as a small tube made of thin bamboo. It's designed that you place your left index finger in one end and your right index finger in the other. Moving your fingers tightens its grip. Your natural inclination to break free from the trap is to pull your fingers apart. That move, however, only further tightens the thing. To escape the finger trap, you actually have to bring your fingertips toward one another, thereby enlarging the openings, loosening the grip, and—voilá (whallah)!—you’re released.

When I'm in the thick of my problems, I try to pull my fingers apart. I struggle and pull, toss and turn. I do everything in my power to find release from the trap. Meanwhile, the grip of my problems only tightens its hold on me. So I do it some more.

But when I stop and just feel my fingers pulsate for a minute, I relax. Then I reassess. My problem has faded in comparison to the pain in my fingers. I've been fighting arrogantly, pridefully saying, "I'll just fix this myself, thank you very much."

Miracle of miracles—when I do the thing most unnatural for my SELF, when I let the Spirit of God take over and direct me ("Jodi, try pushing your fingertips toward each other, rather than pulling them apart"), I'm suddenly free. Sure, I have arguments with the Spirit, saying, "That's the most foolish thing I've ever heard! Why would I do the exact opposite of what I want to do?" He tends to win those arguments...usually only when my fingers are throbbing and I'm at my whit's end.

It's too bad I'm such a slow learner. I've caused myself a lot of unnecessary pain. But I can now say that doing things "MY way, thank you very much," is definitely losing its grip on me.

Are you in the thick of a problem right now, actively pulling your fingers apart from each other? Musing and worrying and attempting all things human for a way out, or a solution? Is there, perhaps, a better way?

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."
Proverbs 14:12

"We live by faith, not by sight."
2 Corinthians 5:7

Men in Uniform This Instant!

2006-06-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

If you're a Safeway shopper, or have even just one strand of blonde hair, you might appreciate my humbling story. Here goes:

I'm shopping at my favorite Safeway store. I have a list and, of course, check it twice. I start the shopping spree on the right-hand side of the store, and work my way through the aisles to the far left. All along the way, eager Safeway workers constantly ask, "Are you finding everything okay?" to which I reply, "Yes! Thank you." And then another, "Can I help you find anything?" "No! Thank you."

When I finish my sweep through the store, I realize I never did find the Calrose rice I was looking for. So I head back toward the Mexican aisle on the far side of the store. None of the aisle headings say "rice." And I'd already checked the Mexican aisle to no avail. "Ah ha," I think. "This is the perfect time to employ these overly-eager employees!"

I round the corner. Lo and behold! A man in uniform! A very good looking man in uniform. The usual nervousness starts to creep in until I remind myself that overcoming Shyness Around Men Syndrome starts with small steps of boldness. And since I know these Safeway people are eager are to help, I simply decide that he's the one.

"Excuse me, sir. You totally don’t have to walk me over there, but I’m just wondering if you know offhand which aisle number the Calrose rice might be on."

He grins.

He's even BETTER looking. This is a great day. Thank you, Safeway! You've made grocery shopping fun again.

Then: "Uh, well, if I worked here, I would help you. Maybe this guy over here can tell you," he says and points to a young kid in an apron...a SAFEWAY apron.

I stop, wrinkle my forehead, and turn to consider what's different about what Attractive Man is wearing. It's definitely a head-to-toe uniform...but it's...

for FIREMEN!!!

Note to self and lesson for all: Firemen do not work at Safeway. Firemen shop at Safeway. And Safeway workers wear APRONS.

Sometimes we only see what we WANT to see, even if it's flat out WRONG. Is there something in your life where good looks are distracting you from the truth? Can you see something clearly, but are being deceived by your own one-track mind?

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." James 1: 22-24. (Or, in my case: Any person who can look at a fireman and think he is a grocery store clerk...desperately needs a reality check.)

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Missionaries have monthly newsletters.
Pastors have weekly updates.
And Jodi has This Instant!
WHAT:
This Instant is a branch of In the Moment Ministries (IMM). Subjects include anything related to living life and following God. Sometimes humorous, sometimes deep. Always random.
WHEN: Sporadically, in the moment I feel so moved to post one.
WHY: Several reasons: I’m a writer. I dig this stuff. Also, I’m jealous that my missionary friends have an excuse to send out updates to their supporters. I’m also easily inspired and need an outlet. Finally, I’m exploring God’s calling on my life. I feel led to focus on speaking and writing. (Not sure where the speaking part could lead, but I figured the writing part could start this instant!).
What’s with the name?
This Instant comes from my favorite story in the Gospels where a woman who was bleeding for 12 years was healed instantly when she touched the edge of Jesus’ garment. (Luke 8: 40-48). She was healed that very instant and, like her, we often need a fresh word or insight this instant!
In the Moment Ministries (IMM) sums up my desire to impact others “in the moment.” It’s the value of meeting another’s need at just the right time. God’s timing never fails to impress me. It’s not like we learn one thing, never to re-learn it again. Rather, His ministry to us is ongoing, moment by moment. And we have the honor of doing the same for others. That person who held open the door for you? They ministered to a specific need you had, right at that moment. The friend who called you “out of the blue,” right when you felt you had no friends? She was an in the moment minister. The opportunities are as numerous as we have moments!

Launching This Instant

2006-06-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first edition of This Instant. (For more information on what, exactly, This Instant is, check out the fine print at the bottom.)

Every Person a House

No man is an island. That goes without explanation. But if we’re not an island...could we perhaps be...a house? Try this on for size:

Getting to know someone is like getting to know a house. When you first meet, and for an amount of time that varies per house (person), you explore each other’s front porches. Sometimes you don’t spend much time there, other times you hang out for quite awhile. Maybe the porch is small, or maybe it’s sprawling and intricately designed. It’s the exterior, It’s out there for all to see and examine.

Then something happens (we all know the moment) when you’re allowed...INSIDE. (And when you choose to open up your own front door). Once you’re inside another’s house, whew! This is when the adventure begins. Room after room and treasure after treasure become evident. You cruise from the comfortable living room where everything is openly displayed (the good stuff that we like to show off to people) to the kitchen (our practical, available aspects) and bathroom (well, no decent analogy there). In time, you’re allowed into the lesser-visited rooms (perhaps the master bedroom, the laundry, even some closets.) The more time passes, the more you are free to explore and discover.

After even more time, you are allowed into the tightly closed-off rooms. The down-right scary rooms. For example, the basement. Usually there is no overhead light, but you have a flashlight. You can spend much time in the basement, discovering all kinds of things in this huge area. This room contains all the things we like to hide, or simply not reveal. But because of the trust factor, you are granted permission to explore. All in all, you get to see the house for what it is. And after many years, you find the house only grows. More rooms are added on, and together you find secret passage ways that neither of you knew existed!

When the love is sincere, you know that you don’t want to remodel the house. You don’t even want to rearrange or redecorate. The only two things you desire are: (1) to help the person do some cleaning. To become free of the stuff that is just that – stuff. It’s junk that weighs down and hinders. And (2) You want to inspect the house’s foundation to make sure it’s secure and will last.

How open is your front door? Would you like to install a deadbolt? Maybe a screen door? Or would you dare take it off the hinges altogether? And what’s your house built on? Unlike wooden structures, it’s never too late to lay a new foundation for our human house.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Matthew 7:24

“For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)”
Hebrews 3:3-4

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Missionaries have monthly newsletters.
Pastors have weekly updates.
And Jodi has This Instant!
WHAT:
This Instant is a branch of In the Moment Ministries (IMM). It’s simply an email of my thoughts for you to ponder. Subjects include anything related to living life and following God. Sometimes humorous, sometimes deep. Always random.
WHEN: In the moment I feel so moved.
WHY: Several reasons: I’m a writer. I dig this stuff. Also, I’m jealous that my missionary friends have an excuse to send out updates to their supporters. I’m also easily inspired and need an outlet. Finally, I’m exploring God’s calling on my life. I feel led to focus on speaking and writing. (Not sure where the speaking part could lead, but I figured the writing part could start this instant!).
What’s with the name?
This Instant comes from my favorite story in the Gospels where a woman who was bleeding for 12 years was healed instantly when she touched the edge of Jesus’ garment. (Luke 8: 40-48). She was healed that very instant and, like her, we often need a fresh word or insight this instant!
In the Moment Ministries (IMM) sums up my desire to impact others “in the moment.” It’s the value of meeting another’s need at just the right time. God’s timing never fails to impress me. It’s not like we learn one thing, never to re-learn it again. Rather, His ministry to us is ongoing, moment by moment. And we have the honor of doing the same for others. That person who held open the door for you? They ministered to a specific need you had, right at that moment. The friend who called you “out of the blue,” right when you felt you had no friends? She was an in the moment minister. The opportunities are as numerous as we have moments!