You and friends are in a sailboat, enjoying a relaxing day at sea. As it gets dark you find a quiet and secluded cove to anchor the boat for the night, keeping you safe and secure while you sleep. One problem though, you forgot to drop anchor. While you and your friends are sound asleep in the boat, it slowly drifts out to sea. From inside the boat, you cannot feel this movement, but after hours of not being anchored, the boat has ended far away from shore. In the morning, you climb up to the deck, only to be horrified to find yourself in the middle of the ocean, not even knowing where you are, let alone how you will get back. Failing to anchor your sailboat has allowed it to slowly, almost unnoticed, drift away from safety.

As you look back over the past weeks or months, maybe years, do you find yourself asking, “How in the world did I get here?” You find yourself far from where you want to be, maybe not even acutely aware that you have been drifting off course or away from safety. Over time you neglect your physical health and then one day you look in the mirror or get on the scale, and it hits you, you are overweight and in poor shape. You spend hours upon hours online shopping, always finding something you “want,” until one day you wonder how you will ever pay off the credit card balance. What began as seemingly harmless conversation with a friend turned into something not so harmless. Whatever it might be, you have drifted from where you wanted to be or thought you would be.

The same can be said of your relationship with God. Your once red-hot faith begins to cool. You slowly begin to neglect your spiritual life, just little by little, until one day you wonder how you got so far away from God.

The writer of Hebrews gives us this warning – “We must pay careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away” (2:1). Drifting has disastrous consequences – you wake up one day and find yourself drifted outside of God’s will, trapped in sin, guilt, doubt, defeat, maybe even hopelessness.

The apostle Peter also gives us a warning; to be on guard against anything and everything that carries us away from God. We find these words as the last two verses in the New Testament epistle 2 Peter – “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (3:17-18). The context for these two verses is the entirety of 2 Peter, just three chapters. The “therefore” in v.17 points back to the two main themes of this epistle – (1) be on guard so as to not be led astray by false teachers or false ideologies, and (2) an exhortation to grow in Christ.

The rebellious spirit in all of us, due to our sin nature, causes us to naturally drift away from God. It takes commitment and continuing work to not only stay close to Jesus, but also to strive to become more like Him.

How do you get back to land? How do you stop the drift?

Begin by making a decision to not live that way any longer. Realize that you are drifting and be willing to change course. Repent of your disobedience. Then ask God to, by His great love, power, grace, and mercy, through the power of the Holy Spirit, begin to change you and draw you back into submission and obedience to Him. Anchor yourself to the Word of God.

Today, if you find yourself drifting at sea, and we all drift from time to time, look to God to help you begin the journey back into His good and perfect will.

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This is the time of year when many people engage in what is commonly called “spring cleaning.” Garages are swept out, decks are power washed, and windows get cleaned. The longer hours of daylight allow for us to freshen up flower beds, removing the leaves and debris that accumulated in them over the winter, getting them ready for the planting of new flowers.

Dandelions are sprayed with weed killer, but tomorrow ten more appear. Did you know that technically dandelions are not weeds, they are part of the aster family of flowering plants (think zinnias, sunflowers, marigolds). And did you also know that dandelions produce seeds without pollination, thus the offspring plant is genetically identical to its parent plant; a process known as apomixis. So, how many dandelions does it take to eventually cover your entire lawn? The answer can be found later in this writing. 

We don’t just spring clean outside; we also do the same inside our homes. Winter clothes are replaced in closets by warm weather clothes. Christmas decorations that have been sitting in the spare bedroom are finally put away in the attic. You might even have a garage sale or donate items to a local charity.

And not only do we need to do spring cleaning to our homes and yards, it is a good idea to look in the mirror and spring clean those areas in our lives that have gotten neglected, cluttered, avoided, abused, unbalanced, or put in a box but never really put away. In this hectic world, we are seemingly always in survival mode, frequently causing us to fail taking care of the things that are important, both our inside and outside our home as well as within ourselves. This is a good time to take inventory of your life and make changes where they might be needed. Some of those changes will be quick and easy, while others might be painstakingly long.

The Bible gives us a roadmap to a better tomorrow. That roadmap begins and ends with asking God to make you more like Him. Psalm 139 begins with David acknowledging that God has examined his heart, and that He knows everything about David. In fact, nothing about David or his life is hidden from God. We read in Psalm 139:1-4 – “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you Lord, know it completely.”  

The psalm ends with David’s prayer for God to examine him and point out what needs spring cleaned. In verses 23-24 we see these words – “Search me, 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.” 

What areas do you need “spring cleaned” or maybe totally jettisoned like the solid rocket boosters from a spaceship after liftoff? God is ready to help you spring clean your life. Ask Him today to not only examine your life, but also your soul, and then with His help, begin spring cleaning.

The answer to the question of how many dandelions does it take to eventually cover your entire yard is one. One lousy dandelion can turn your beautiful green lawn into one of widespread yellow.

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On September 20, 1991, the seventy foot “Andrea Gail” set sail from Gloucester Harbor, Massachusetts, and headed north to the fishing grounds of the North Atlantic. On October 28, after a somewhat lackluster sword fishing expedition, Captain Billy Tyne and his crew were heading home when he gave this message to nearby fishing boats about an approaching storm – “She’s comin’ on boys, and she’s comin’ on strong.” No one heard from the “Andrea Gail” ever again. Within hours of that message, the “Andrea Gail” was lost at sea along with her crew of six. Days later search and rescue teams found some floating wreckage, but the boat and its crew members have never been found.

The National Weather Service forecaster who tracked the deadly storm said that three weather systems, three pieces of energy, came together to create this phenomenon, thus this storm has become known as the “Perfect Storm.”

Just like the “Andrea Gail,” we sometimes find ourselves in the midst of a storm. Storms that rock our lives and seem to threaten the very foundation we stand upon. Storms that cause us to become discouraged and ready to give up. Sometimes the storm is caused by only one piece of energy, other times, three pieces of energy, thereby creating a massive “perfect storm.”

So how can you weather these storms of life? Begin by putting your trust in Jesus and knowing that He is your anchor. Hebrews 6:19 tells us that Jesus is “an anchor for our soul, firm and secure.” And in Isaiah 25:4 we read these assuring words – “You have been refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.”

Jesus promises to be right there with you, every step of the way. Not only is Jesus a licensed boat captain, He is also a certified lifeguard. He is qualified to navigate your boat through the storms and He is qualified to rescue you from the raging ocean waters should you fall off the boat during the storm. Jesus reaches out His hand to you and says “grab hold.”

The Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Make, Luke, tell the story of Jesus calming a furious storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). These stories all took place on the Sea of Galilee. In my biblical studies I remember reading that the Sea of Galilee is the only body of water where four different weather patterns can converge simultaneously. This weather phenomenon can produce severe storms. Storms that come on very quickly. Storms that can sink even the sturdiest of boats.

In all three of the calming of the storm accounts, the disciples are amazed at Jesus’ supernatural power, because only God can make the winds and water obey. If Jesus can calm a furious storm on the Sea of Galilee with one word, He can calm the storms of life, or calm us in that storm, as well.

The Synoptic Gospels parellel one another, whereas John’s gospel is largely distinct from the other three. John’s gospel is not inferior to the other three, but rather, simply written differently. John puts much focus on Jesus’ miracles as a way to point to His divinity.     

So, today, whether the storm you face is the Perfect Storm or simply a quick moving thunderstorm, take shelter in Jesus. Don’t lose hope. Instead, cling to Jesus, and trust completely that unlike the captain and crew of that fishing vessel who have never been found, God never loses sight of you and He promises to be your anchor and your shelter in the storm.

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Once upon a time there was a boy in a land far, far away who was different from many of his friends and classmates. This boy talked with a speech impediment. He hid behind this impediment and strived to excel in athletics to hide this defect in his speech. He believed this “defect” defined what he was – damaged.

This boy once told a friend, “If I can be a football all-star or run faster than everyone else, then maybe just maybe people will forget that I struggle when I talk.” He tried to convince himself that the thrill of a stadium full of fans cheering loudly or a trophy case full of awards would somehow magically replace his loneliness and emptiness.

The story goes on to say that this boy did receive a few football accolades and he did run really fast, but he still felt “defective.” But then something happened. As this boy matured, he began to see that the people who liked to be around him were not doing so because of successes or accolades, but rather, it was because of the person he was – the very person that God made him to be. The insecurities caused by his speech impediment still lingered. Still causing this boy, now a man, to hide behind his “defect,” not fulfilling his God intended purpose.   

As the years wore on, God began to work in this man’s heart, even as the man continued to run and hide. God did not push His way into the man’s life, but He just patiently pursued him, softening his heart, one blood vessel at a time. One day this man found himself coming face to face with his speech impediment as he stood behind a podium and was about to speak in front of an audience for the first time. He knew God had put him in front of the microphone, but still he was terrified. He stood there thinking to himself, “I hope I don’t make a fool of myself.” He continued to view his speech impediment through the eyes of his own insecurities rather than through the eyes of God.

The story goes on to say that this man became a pastor. He is very comfortable talking in front of audiences. He still has a speech impediment, but now sees it as part of God’s story. This man is no longer pastoring a church, and now does much of his pastoral “speaking” through writing. At times, this man falls back into insecurity when his speech is difficult. It is still very much a work in progress, but these days he mostly sees his imperfect speech as a true gift from the perfect God. He loves to share the story with anyone who will listen – the story of how God pursued him and had a plan for his life, and how God is not going to let a little thing like imperfect speech patterns get in the way of that plan. In fact, it was God who allowed this speech impediment in the first place.

So today, maybe you do not have a speech impediment, but maybe it is something else that is keeping you from becoming all you can be. My encouragement for you today is to just step out of your comfort zone and watch what God does. You find yourself wondering, “Is God really pursuing me? And what could I possibly have that He wants?” From the very first pages of the Bible we see God’s pursuit of mankind. And it is not what you HAVE that he wants. What He wants is YOU. God wants to use you, with all your broken parts, in His story of rescuing and redeeming a lost world.

The boy in this story is not the main character. God is the main character. The boy is simply in the cast of characters. I think this is such a beautiful story. Not because of the boy’s willingness to surrender to God, but because it is about the lengths to which God goes to accomplish His plans in and through each of us. God is not as much interested in our ability as He is our availability.

You are in God’s story too! He is lovingly chasing after you. Will you allow yourself to be caught? Will you embrace all that He has for you, broken pieces an all?

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I am continuing to find ways to adapt to the deficits caused by my stroke. The biggest ongoing challenge is excessive sensory input overload. Basically, what that means is my brain gets easily overstimulated, causing it to melt down. In my new normal, in order to not create too much chaos in my brain, I am very intentional about trying center my attention on only one person or one thing at a time, blocking out any other stimuli that my brain also tries to focus upon. As I work on improving my focus and attention, memory, processing, problem-solving by using cognitive strategies, it takes tremendous effort and energy just to complete a single task from beginning to end, easily turning peace and calm into chaos.

Let me ask you – as you go about your day, and quite possibly also as you roll around restless and sleepless during the night, is your mind at peace or is it bouncing from thing to thing? The Bible tells us that even in the midst of busyness and chaos, if we stay attuned to God, we can find calmness and peace. Easy, no. Possible, yes. In Isaiah 26:3 we find this promise, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon you, because he trusts in you.”

Bible translations (ESV, NASB, KJV, NKJV, and others) that tend to be literal in their word-to-word adherence to the original language use the word stayed; not a word we regularly use in modern language. Translations (NIV, NLT, RSV, and others) that strive to convey the meaning of the text rather than its original form, called thought-for-thought, tend to use language more common to today – “whose minds are steadfast” (NIV) or “whose thoughts are fixed upon you” (NLT). The third translation method is paraphrase, of which the most familiar would The Message and The Living Bible.

That word stayed comes from a Hebrew word that literally means “to prop, or to lean, lay, rest, support,” or in other words, settled upon. In my study of the Hebrew word samak (stayed in Isaiah 26:3 above), I find several other usages, here is just two – we will be sustained (Psalm 3:5), we will be upheld (Psalm 71:6). Matthew 22:37 tells us, “You shall love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” We are also instructed to not set our minds on earthly things, but rather, on things that are above (Colossians 3:2). And if we allow ourselves to be, we can have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

I also find it interesting that in this context the word for perfect is shalom. The ancient Hebrew concept of peace, rooted in the word shalom, meant wholeness, completeness, soundness, carrying with it a sense of permanence. So, this verse literally says peace, peace.

If we keep our minds stayed upon Yahweh, we are promised perfect peace. Perfect peace is not a life free from turmoil or struggle or conflict. In John 16:33, Jesus tells us that life is full of things to worry about or keep us up at night. So then, just what is this perfect peace we are promised? This peace is not tangible or visible, but rather, it is a gift offered to us by Jesus that soothes our heart, mind, and soul in those times of trouble that He said we would have. As Jesus was saying his earthly goodbye to his disciples, we find these words in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts (and I parenthetically add minds and souls) be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Amid the chaos that is often life as we know it, there can also be peace and calm. Have you ever quietly sat in the shade under a tree and experienced a temporary peace and calm flooding your soul as your mind centered (stayed) itself upon the rustling of the leaves as a gentle breeze blows through the tree? A more lasting peace and calm comes when we keep our minds stayed upon the Lord.

Will you do so right now?

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Earlier this week I wrote about a “painful” lesson learned in my childhood while visiting my grandparents in Iowa. You can read that post here. Today I share another memory from those visits, this one “sweet.”

One of my favorite things to do when visiting my maternal grandparents was help my grandma make apple cider. We would go out into her orchard and fill a wooden basket with apples. After we washed the apples in a sink in the basement, we would head upstairs to the kitchen where a wooden apple press awaited us. Grandma let me help her fill the round hopper with apples. I then watched with wide open eyes as she turned the crank, causing the pressing disk to slowly crush the apples, squeezing the juice into the tub below. Grandma always let me have a few turns of the crank, but it was hard work for a little boy. With a smile and a pat on my behind, she always told me I did a good job.

This went on for what seemed like hours, but time seemed to stand still as I helped Grandma make apple cider. Once all apples had been squeezed, and after we cleaned up the cider press, the best part was yet to come – Grandma poured me a glass of cider as I sat on her lap. To this day, I do not know which I liked better, sitting on her lap, or tasting the cider.

The apples got put under tremendous pressure, pressed and squeezed, turning their once roundness and red color into a pile of pulpy residue, called pomace. But because of the pressure exerted upon the apples, delicious juice was extracted. From a little boy’s point of view, what was left in the hopper sure didn’t look like apples anymore. But this pomace, it did not go to waste. We fed it to the hogs. And in today’s commercial apple juice processing, pomace is the major by-product, a good source of antioxidants and dietary fiber. And for your sweet tooth, apple pomace powder is used in the production of toffee.

How often do you feel like one of those apples? You know, those moments when life is pressing in on you and you wonder if the pressure is more than you can endure. You cry out to God, begging, pleading, maybe even deal-making. You sense hopelessness and despair.

In the fourth chapter of Second Corinthians, the apostle Paul bares his soul regarding his struggles, his pain of being pressed and squeezed, But, amid despair, Paul finds strength in Jesus. In vv. 8-9 we read these hopeful words – “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Those words are hopeful because in our pain Jesus reveals Himself to us. Those words are hopeful because through our pain Jesus is refining us. Those words are hopeful because out of that pain Jesus can bring sweetness.

These next words are hopeful, because in, and through, and out of, our pain, we are being made more like Jesus – “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way” (James 1:2-4, MSG).

So, no matter how pressed in, pressed on, pressed under you feel, know that God is using your circumstances to make something beautiful, something majestic, something delicious, in you, like the sweet taste of my grandma’s freshly squeezed apple cider.

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