May 28, 2012
One of my fondest childhood memories is singing with my friends in the Chapel Choir at First Baptist Church in Dallas. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a great singer, but I sure had fun going on choir tours and having a great time with my dear friends. To this day, one of the songs we sang still rings through my mind, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. This past Memorial Day, I was thinking back over the powerful words to the song. You can read them below, and if you want to hear a choir sing them, go to my video link and you’ll hear a wonderful version much like what we sang in chapel choir many years ago. Have a tremendous Memorial Day and give thanks for those who gave their lives on our behalf.
BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC(JULIA WARD HOWE)
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He has loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!Glory!
Glory! Hallelujah!Glory!
Glory! Hallelujah!His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
l can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on.
I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnish`d rows of steel,
“As ye deal with my contemners, So with you my grace shall deal;
“Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on.
He has sounded form the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
He has sounded form the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
ln the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea.
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
May 17, 2012
This week we went to the arboretum in Dallas for a concert and saw breath-taking displays of color! The Dallas Arboretum has the wonderful privilege of hosting an exhibit by the world famous artist Dale Chihuly. He has created and delicately placed his beautiful and colorful glass works of art in and amongst the flowers and plants in the gardens. It is a wonderful sight to behold, especially at night when the glass is lit in such a way that it seems to glow.
As I looked at Chihuly’s unique and original style, I couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that God has created us and designed us each with unique and different gifts and talents. What makes this world beautiful and colorful is the diverse gifts and talents we have. Let us celebrate the beauty God has given each of us and how we each have various functions and purposes in the world. We don’t need to try to be like everyone else. Let us be thankful for the uniqueness of each individual. 
Just as the Chihuly exhibit is a celebration of style and color, so let us celebrate the different gifts and talents God has given us to use for His glory. Let your light shine brightly in this world, so that others are drawn to our wonderful and glorious Lord.
May 7, 2012
Recently, Curt and I flew to Florida for a business conference, and God surprised me with several precious, new friends. One is a speaker, actress, and writer from Brentwood, Tennessee. She recognized me because we are both in a national organization called Christian Women in Media (www.CWIMA.org), and we are randomly Facebook friends as a result. Alice Breuer and I connected immediately, and we spent a great deal of time on the trip visiting about the Lord and all that He is doing in our lives. As sisters in Christ there was a deep connection between us.
The very same evening I meet Alice, I also meet Shannon, a wonderful believer from Tyler, Texas. It only took us a few minutes in conversation to recognize we were both Christians and shared many of the same interests, most importantly an interest in growing in Christ. We bonded immediately, and I felt as though God gave me another heart to heart connection. By the way, when Alice and Shannon met, then they too enjoyed getting to know each other, and we soon became a sisterhood of three.
Another special surprise on this trip was to see my old, childhood friend Billy Glass and his wife Laura. What a joy to reconnect and establish a wonderful, rekindled friendship. Interestingly, I was in the midst of finishing up writing another book on this trip, and I needed one more story to place in the last chapter. As Billy and Laura shared with me about their Downs Syndrome son (Billy Ray) and the blessing he is to so many, I knew this was the story for my book. I was blessed to spend time with Laura, interviewing her about Billy Ray’s story. I even mentioned Laura in my video this week, so click on to my video to see what I learned from her.
I marvel at God’s gracious surprises in life. He brings gifts to us, often in the form of new friends. I watch with anticipation as He continues to guide my path. How has He surprised you lately?
May 2, 2012
God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.”
Genesis 1:27
After God created all the birds and fish and every kind of animal according to their own kind, there was still one creature He had in mind. This one would be different from the others. This creature would bear the image of God. Obviously humans are not created exactly like God, for an image is simply a reflection, not an exact replica of the model. We reflect certain characteristics about God which separate us from plants, animals, birds and fish. What are those characteristics? We demonstrate His nature in our ability to reason, in our creativity and imagination and in our speech. His character is reflected in our capacity to love, forgive, show patience and kindness toward one another. Just as He is an eternal being, He has given us an eternal soul which will carry on when our bodies have long since decayed.
There is dignity and worth in every human, because each human is created in God’s image. Let us recognize the value of every life including our own, for we reflect the image of our Creator.
(This post is an excerpt from my new book Pursuing God in the Quiet Places
