Just Let Go!!!

Yesterday we enjoyed our church's annual fall picnic. This is an event that we look forward to all year. The highlight this year was the rock climbing wall that was brought in for the day. I knew I wanted to take a turn, so I got in line and watched as young and, well, not as young, male and female climbed the wall then repelled back down. As I watched I thought it looked like lots of fun coming down. My turn finally came and I was strapped into the harness. A helmet was placed on my head and up I started to go. It wasn't quite as easy as some people before me had made it look, but I took my time and made it to the top.
I rang the bell and was ready to descend, but as I began to follow the directions and let go of the wall I felt like I was falling and held on all the more. The owner of the wall tried again to convince me, but fear had taken over reason. I began to climb back down the wall and he told me I was just going to make it harder for myself. It didn't matter, I was not letting go of the wall. When I had come down a little way he asked me to try it from there, but I was still too high. Finally I came down far enough for him to reach my feet. He said, "now let go." Even at that height I did not want to let go of that wall. I am still not sure if I finally gave in or if I was pulled off but, when I started to fall, wouldn't you know, that cable caught me and let me down gently. AMAZING!!!
Now logically I must have believed that the cables would protect me or I doubt I would have ascended the wall in the first place, but when the moment of truth came I didn't have enough faith in them to let go and let them do their job. It was like a knife in the heart as someone from my church family yelled, "just trust," and I had to admit that I didn't by climbing down. How many times do I do this in my "climb" with the Lord? He tells me, "just let go," but I want to hold on and try to do it myself. He says, "just trust me," and I hold on to the world. I humbly admit that I do this, and I pray the next time I need to let go He will bring this lesson to my mind along with the life circumstances, beyond my control, that He worked out that same day.
That's not the end of the story though. After a rest I went up the wall again, this time at a more difficult spot. I practiced my descent once from a low spot this time. When I was very near the top I became quite tired and almost quit where I was. I figured the real victory this time would be in trusting the cable to hold me on my way down. At the very moment I was about to let go I heard someone yell my name with a word of encouragement. Considering my lifelong struggle with feelings of discouragement and rejection this was clearly a provision from the Lord, and just what it took to spur me on to the top. Soon I heard, "ring the bell!" and then the words, "now just let go!" And I did!!!

Walking Together

When my family goes out for a hike it's often difficult to stay together. Some walk slow and some walk fast, and before you know it there's a gap between us. Someone eventually has to change their pace so we can get back together.

I have been a child of God for 31 years now. I wish I could say that I've walked close to Him constantly for each of those years, but like those hikes with my family I often get out of step. Sometimes I try to charge ahead recklessly while other times I drag my feet and lag behind.

I don't know what it is that I have been doing lately, but the path has been a bit dim. I know that God's pace is perfect and He is my light. It is obvious that I need to get back in rhythm with His steps, then the path will be bright again.

More time in the Word. More time in prayer. More time in fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. These are the remedies. It seems I need to pick up my spiritual pace. Perhaps I've gotten distracted by the scenes along the way, or maybe I am looking too far ahead and have become overwhelmed by the distance.

Praise God that He won't ever let me get too far "ahead" or too far behind. He is a loving Father who will always bring me back into the light.

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

True Love Knows When To Say, "No."

Why does a parent tell their young child not to touch an electric outlet or a hot stove. Isn't it because they possess knowledge that their kids lack, and they want to protect them from learning the hard way? Isn't it out of love that they desire to protect their offspring from injury? Would it be fun to get hit by a car? No, that's why parents tell their kids not to play in the street; because they know the consequences would be painful, harmful, and even fatal.

When God tells his children not to touch it's for the same reason. God didn't come up with a list of rules to take the fun out of life, he set boundaries to protect his children. God tells his children not to lie, steal, commit adultery, etc., because these things are contrary to his nature and will have harmful consequences. These behaviors only cause pain. God is not a killjoy. On the contrary He wants us to experience life to the fullest, and that can only be done within the boundaries that he, in his infinite wisdom and perfection, has set.

Just like a child will test their parents boundaries to see what will happen if they touch the hot stove, so we as humans test God's boundaries. The child will learn that there are consequences. Either the parent will intervene with a disciplinary measure, or the child will experience the natural effect of their behavior. So it is with us; either God will intervene to prevent us from going any farther down the path of sinful behavior, or we will undergo the pain that our disobedience brings. Only He knows which will most effectively teach us to abide in him and imitate his Son.

The Bible tells us that only those who trust in Jesus as the sacrifice for their sins will enter eternal life. John 14:6 NIV "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" Those who refuse to receive Jesus choose the path of destruction. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

God is good! He made a way for us to be saved; after all "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6 NIV. When we receive salvation he sends us help in the form of the Holy Spirit to help us follow him. He disciplines us because he is a loving Father. He showers us with grace and mercy. He gives us his word to show us how to live. Praise be to God who reaches out to us so that we can reach out to him"We love him, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19 KJV

Harmony Rings

Harmony Rings began simply as my online user name for You Tube and then various other web sites. I chose it because musical harmony appeals to me both as a listener and as a singer. However, as I ponder the name I realize that it penetrates much deeper that what the ear can perceive.

As a child of God I desire for my life's song to be a harmony in God's great symphony. As I work together with my brothers and sisters in Christ the part I am playing should compliment theirs, and we should all be meticulously in tune with God's word. At times I may be asked to play a lead and I pray that I will play it well. At other times my part will be almost undetectable to the world, but I know that it is important to my Father's perfect arrangement and I ask him to help me to execute it with precision. There may be times when my function in the score will be to rest. I pray that I will do it effectively and come back in right on beat. Much of the time I will be playing right along with the other musicians in the symphony of life called the church, and every note I produce should blend well with the other notes in the song.

In 1 Corinthians 12 we read:

¹⁴Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

As I consider the application to music and to my life I could ask, "if the alto should say, 'because I am not a soprano, I do not belong to the choir,' would she for that reason cease to be part of the choir?" Or "if the baritone should say, 'because I am not a tenor, I do not belong to the choir,' would he for that reason cease to be part of the choir? "Each voice has value and we should all praise God for giving us a part to sing in His song.

Verse 26 reminds us that ^"If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." Sometimes a member of the group will be out of tune or make a mistake or be unable to preform because of an illness. When that happens the whole choir is affected. If one member is singing out of tune others may follow. If one member is in error the whole company sounds bad. If one member becomes ill the others will miss and grieve for their fellow musician.

Thankfully the Master Composer has a plan to rescue us from our discord. He knows that none of us is perfect so he sent his perfect Son Jesus to sing a flawless song. Jesus was punished for our imperfections and payed the penalty we deserve. But because his song was perfect He was restored to his proper place at the Great Conductor's right hand. Now if we will trust in him he will cover all of our mistakes with his blamelessly beautiful music.* "So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Hebrews 9:28)

So you see, all of life's a song and I want mine to ring with beautiful harmonies. Praise be to God for sending Jesus to tune my heart and transform my life song.

*If you do not yet know Jesus as your Savior please ask me to explain this more clearly.

White Noise (A Lesson from My Hair Dryer)

Yes, this is a picture of me drying my hair. I smiled for the camera! This morning I was praying during this everyday activity, and a few thoughts occurred to me. It may seem like my mind was wondering, but the ideas are worth pondering.

When the hairdryer is running and humming in my ear my husband will sometimes try to begin a conversation with me from across the room. I find this aggravating because I can't hear him. I was thinking about how great it is that I can talk to God and he can hear me no matter what noise is going on around me. The more I thought about it though I realized; if I were to say something to my husband while I am drying my hair he would probably hear me because the sound of the device is not so close to him. I began to wonder, "can I hear God when I pray through the white noise of life"? . Hopefully I can hear him speak to me through the sounds in my ears, but how much white noise in my heart do I try to converse with him through? Am I really trying to have a conversation, or is it mostly just one-sided babbling?

Last Friday the scenario occurred that I previously mentioned. I got aggravated because I couldn't hear my husband and he stopped trying to communicate with me. After a while I decided what I really needed was to just spend some time with him; time with no interruptions or distractions or loud noises interfering with our communication. I took him by the hand and began walking toward the living room, the one room in our house that is usually free of messes and clutter. I was glad that he was willing to go with me, glad that he was willing to put aside what he was doing. We sat on the sofa and talked. We simply engaged in two-way conversation; the kind where each person has a chance to share their thoughts and ideas. It was refreshing and restorative. The tension dispersed. We were able to connect.

Oh, how many times my conversations with God take place with the hum of a million thoughts bouncing around in my head. I am not really listening, I'm just talking endlessly. How many times I say what I need to say but the white noise in my heart drowns out His response. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with praying while I go about the activities of my day, it's scriptural: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "pray continually;" those two words must be important, they make up the entire verse. I do hear Him speak to me during the daily activities of life, but my focus here is the importance of setting aside times just to spend with God. We should always be in fellowship and communion with Him, but sometimes that is all we should be doing. What better way is there to be refreshed and restored, to release tension, and to really connect with our Creator, our Father, our God?

My Son

My son is a boy who is fast becoming a man.
My son does not ask the question, but reaches out to see how I will respond.
I fail the test.
He wants to know, "Am I important? Will you stop what you are doing just to spend some time with me?"
I go on about my task thinking that there will be time for that later.
I have it backwards.
My task will be there later, but my son will have taken flight.
I will always have those "other things" to do.
Someday I will be reaching out; I may not ask the question but will look for a response.
I will want to know, "Am I important? Will you stop what you are doing just to spend some time with me?"
My son may fail the test;
Not because he lacks the skill or knowledge required to pass it, but because he is following my example...
My example...
My example...
What kind of example am I for my son?
My words mean little, my intentions nothing; if they are not lived out in my example.
My son, I will stop what I am doing.
I am grateful for your hand reaching out for me.
You are my teacher.
You are important.
You are My Son.
I love you!

dedicated to Cody
by: Mom

Ears to Hear

It was a Wednesday morning when I felt the sore throat coming on; by Thursday night my right ear was so congested I couldn't hear properly. Saturday it started to hurt and I tried to get in to see the doctor on call, but that didn't work out. Monday I went to the doctor concerned about my hearing. By this time I had lost my voice and was communicating in squeaks. I was hoping and praying that my voice and hearing would be back by Saturday because I was scheduled to be on the worship team at church. I always look forward to participating in Saturday's practice with the band and Sunday's worship service, so I dreaded having to call and say I was sick. An ear infection, at least, would have been easy to treat with antibiotics, but alas, the doctor concluded that was not my condition. I was told to take decongestants and was given a prescription for an antibiotic to take if things got worse.

Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that the ear got worse, but by Wednesday I was getting desperate and started the antibiotic. All that pressure in my ear combined with the hearing difficulties and my expectations for the weekend was driving me crazy. To my dismay the antibiotic was ineffective, and Saturday morning my ear was still blocked with congestion. The blessing in all of this was that my voice had returned, unfortunately I was still so worried about my ear that I forgot just how grateful I should have been. I went to practice having decided to give it my best try. Practice went alright. I was uncomfortable and insecure, but by the end of practice the team didn't seem to think the ear would be a problem. They said they would pray for me and one friend even said not to be surprised when I woke up in the morning without the congestion. I had high hopes, and I prayed, but I lacked the necessary faith. Oh, I believed that God could heal my ear on the spot, but I doubted that it was His will to do so. I believe that God is benevolent, and works all things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28), but maybe healing my ear prematurely wasn't what He had in mind for me.

I woke up at 6:30 Sunday morning so I would have plenty of time to get ready and be at church by 8:00. My ear was still blocked. I thought maybe it would clear up in the shower. I thought maybe the trip over the mountain would force it open. I thought maybe God would wait until the last minute to open it so that it would be unmistakable that it was opened by Him in answer to prayer. By this time I had at least realized that I had not given him the glory he deserved for the return of my voice. I asked for forgiveness for whining and complaining about my ear when I should have been giving thanks for my voice. I asked for an opportunity to share this insight with the team. The opportunity was presented that morning and I was thankful for it. My ear remained blocked throughout practice and the service, but I was able to sing God's praise despite the obstacle, and for that I was truly grateful.

I realized later that day that God had answered my prayer. My real desire was to be able to sing. He gave me my voice back, but allowed the complication with my ear to remain. He caused me to succeed despite the difficulty. God always answers prayer. He doesn't always answer the way we think we want Him to, but he answers. I'm glad that in His sovereignty He gives me what I need instead of what I think I want. I would be in trouble over some of the things that I ask for if God always said yes. I can't see what the outcome of my requests would be, but He can. The apostle Paul prayed three times for a "thorn in his flesh" to be removed. I don't know what his affliction was, but I know what God's response was: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

To be honest, I do not particularly enjoy hardship, in fact I usually protest with all my might. Paul learned to say, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (*verses 9-10). I thank God for allowing me to be used for His purpose despite all of my weaknesses and shortcomings. I may not very easily see my flaws as a blessing, but they have a purpose. Paul knew why his thorn was there: "To keep [him] from becoming conceited" (*verse 7)

Thank You Lord for keeping things in perspective for me. It's all about you, and I feel privileged that you would work in and through me. Thank you for making me your child. Thank you for allowing me to minister to others through Bible teaching, music, and sharing personal experiences. I pray that you would cause your family to grow through these ministries. In Jesus precious name, amen.

My dear friends, if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please ask me or someone else who knows Him to introduce you. He is waiting for you to invite Him into your life.

* 2 Corinthians 12