What goes through your mind when you first wake up? Do you immediately start thinking about all you have to get done in this new day? Do you quickly start trying to order and organize your family, your work, your stuff?

Do your thoughts go into that hampster dance thought process of circling over and over about all the things and people that worry you, that anger you, that frighten you, that frustrate you and worry you?

We have a choice to think about a bigger truth. Every new morning (and every minute) our God is with us. We are with God.

When I awake, I am still with you. Psalm 139:18

Let’s choose to wake up–and wake up our minds right from our first waking moments–with this big truth from God. All that other stuff will be put into perspective and become a lot smaller and a lot easier to handle when we–

Awake with the awareness that we are not–and never will be-alone.

Our God is with us. We are with God.

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Okay! I’m on a bit of a quietness kick. And I’m going to stay here for awhile! I have been labeled as a force of nature by some. (Hey, I’m okay with that! I hear I’m in good company as this term was used to describe Walt Disney!)

Even as a force of nature, I crave to be quiet and alone with my Lord Jesus.

So, yes, I am on a quietness kick because I know that, for me, purposefully taking time, choosing to be quiet–consciously and intentionally quiet–is so healing. So refreshing. So powerful. (So! Deal with it, okay?)

A lot of noise comes at us from our high-tech world of constant and instantaneous contact–tv, phones–of all types and functions, radio, ipods, cyber-space (oh, my gosh!) and–yep, even from blogs.

A lot of noise comes from our rushing and on-the-go world–cars, trucks, subways, taxis, buses, trains, planes. And all those sirens. (No, Toto, I don’t live in Kansas. I live in Princeton–between New York City and Philadelphia.)

A lot of noise comes from other people. Don’t need to say much more about that.

But much of the noise being made comes from us–as we interact and converse with others in real time. 

And much more of our noise comes from all our imagined–and really noisy–interactions, conversations, rebuttals, worries, full blown stage and screen productions, color commentary and play-by-play interpretations that are perpetually going on, really loudly, inside our heads.

So, shhhhhhhhhhhh…let’s, for just a few moments, choose to be quiet.

Everything and everyone with whom we want to (or maybe don’t want to) interact will still be there in a few moments. So, shhhhhhhhhhhh…

God tells us:

Be still, and know that I Am God–Psalm 46:10

Really. Be still. Be silent. Be strengthened. Be healed. Be refreshed. Be Quiet.

Recognize–and Know–God’s presence. God is with us. We need to take time to really live this truth. We need to take time to be quiet.

Know God’s unfailing love. God’s love fills our souls’ greatest need and answers our hearts’ deepest cry. God’s love enables us to love in ways that are outrageous, unexpected, pure and purposeful. God is love. Know God.

Know God’s unlimited power. God is the Mighty God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, the Sovereign One for whom nothing is impossible! God’s power enables us to do immeasureably more than we could ever ask or imagine. God’s power enables us to completely conquer every hardship, obstacle and lie (about who we are in Christ) that comes our way. Know God.

Know God’s transcending, inexplicable peace. God is the Prince of Peace and with His peace, which transcends all understanding, our God will guard our hearts and minds–no matter what our circumstances are. Know God.

Know God’s transforming grace that changes our mourning into joy, our bondage into freedom, our hate into love, our cruelest injustice into unconditional forgiveness, our deepest shame into untarnished purity, our weakness into strength, our death into resurrected lives. Know God.

So, shhhhhhhhhhhhh…Take a deep breath.

Choose to Be Quiet. Choose to Know God.

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

I really love to be peaceful and quiet–really tucked-right-in quiet. And in this peaceful, quiet place there is a deep confidence in who I am in God.

It is because of the love and power, the grace and the truth of our Righteous, Holy LORD that I can be tucked right into the mind-set of being peaceful and quiet and confident.  And that’s a very good place to be.

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; 

the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.  Isaiah 32: 17.

Ahhhhhhhh…breathe deeply, slowly, quietly. And take time to thank our God of Righteousness for all He has done for us. Through the sacrificial death of Jesus, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5)

Ahhhhhhhh…and in believing and trusting in Jesus as my Savior and Lord, I receive His righteousness. Wow.

Ahhhhhhhh…and as I live out my relationship with God–being held tightly by God’s love and power, choosing to trust Him and obey Him–I receive the sweet, good fruit of Christ’s righteousness in me and its life-transforming effects in my life–now and forever. Peace…Quietness…Confidence…Ahhhhhhhh.

Thank You, LORD, for the sweet fruit of Peace that comes from Your Righteousness and the deep, eternal effects of Quietness and Confidence we have in You!…Ahhhhhhhh…

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Sometimes–okay, really far too often–we make plans and decide to do things because we want to do what we want to do when we want to do them and with whom we want to do them and how…and when…and where we want to do them!

Our focus is all on us. And we feel we have every right to make those plans and decisions for all the want stuff in our lives.

The thing we don’t realize–or won’t admit–is that during those self-absorbed times, our focus for the plans and decisions we make is very limited. Oh, we do have a right to make decisions and plans for ourselves. God, in His perfect and passionate love for us, gave us the gift to make choices.

But…Sometimes–okay, really far too often–the choices and plans we make aren’t really for our very best. We make them out of a focus that is self-absorbed and limited.

We’re thinking only about what we want–not about what is truly best for us, or anyone else for that matter. 

We’re thinking only in the limited-immediate-moment–not about our future, whether that means the next day, the next week, the next year or beyond.

Our focus on us is self-absorbed and limited.

We need to know–and remember–that God focuses on us, too!

Yet God’s focus on us is far more loving, more gracious and more truthful than our own focus is for ourselves!

And God’s focus on us is more far-reaching with His perfect, eternal perspective and knowledge of the plans He has for our lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

God knows the plans He has for us! We each need to take the time to know God–to focus on God and not just on ourselves.

God knows–and I am absolutely convinced–that the plans God has for each of our lives are for our very best.

Take time, even now, to ask God to help you want what God wants for your life.

Then, consciously, deliberately choose to trust and obey God. Really.

And watch how God’s plans–God’s loving, perfect plans made through His eternal perspective are put into place for you by God’s unlimited, unfailing power!

Love must be sincere. Romans 12:9

I love God’s Word. It reveals grace. It speaks truth.

But, I have to admit–and I may sound a little irreverent–but when I read this Scripture verse: “Love must be sincere,” my initial reaction is: Well, Duh! Of course, Love must be sincere! Isn’t that obvious? Duh!

Okay, that’s my first reaction. Then, I stopped to think and asked myself: How differently would I love if I always chose to think about loving in absolute sincerity? Loving purely?

How differently would I love if I invited God to help me love others in His full and perfect way? What would this mean? What would that kind of love be like?

It would be pretty darn radical, extravagant, and seem fairly crazy at times.

Loving another would not be conditional on anyone meeting a certain standard of behavior or following certain values in order for me to fully, sincerely love them.

Now this is not about approving of behaviors and values that do not line up with God’s holy and righteous statutes, commands and precepts.

This is about loving another person sincerely–God’s way. In spite of the choices he/she makes or the life-styles he/she lives. And through God’s strength, loving each person sincerely, as Jesus loves us, so that we require-demand nothing from the other person to be deemed worthy of our love.

Loving another would not be dependent on them loving me first or loving me back or loving me according to my expectations, demands and desires.

Now this is not about foolishly setting myself (ourselves) up to be hurt or staying in destructive, abusive relationships.

This is about loving another person sincerely–God’s way. In spite of how we may have been disappointed, rejected, abused or hatefully treated. This is about acknowledging the truth that God alone is able to give us the perfect, unfailing love that our souls desperately craves. In this God-truth, we can love sincerely–being compassionate to the failings of others, forgiving everything from their thoughtlessness towards us to the ugliest, cruelest of sins done against us. Because that is exactly what the sincere love of Jesus does for us–and empowers us to do for others.

Loving sincerely would mean that I send out no hidden messages. I would love with no falsehood at any level, at anytime.

This does not mean tell all, reveal all–to all. 

This is about sincerity and truth. And loving in purity. With no hook. No hiding. No pride. No prejudice.

So, maybe: “Love must be sincere” is not such a Duh! kind of statement after all. But rather a high calling, a Jesus-like way to love another person that can only be done as we allow our God–who is LOVE–to transform our thinking, our actions, our all.

To love as God calls us to love: “Love must be sincere,” we must be fully dependent on God’s powerful, faithful, forgiving, unchanging, unconditional, extravagant love. Now that statement deserves a Duh!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hopes fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:13

Be Prepared! The familiar Boy Scout Motto. It’s a good thing to Be Prepared!

Yesterday, I thought I was prepared. I wasn’t. Not anything big or tragic happened, but I wasn’t fully prepared.

An unexpected circumstance required that I be prepared with great patience in order to stay fully chill in the reality that some many things can not be foreseen or controlled.

Traffic is one of those things that cannot be controlled. Especially on the way to the Newark Airport on Route 1 and the NJTurnpike–driving through the armpit area of NJ. (Many parts of NJ REALLY are beautiful! Just not there. No how. No way.) 

Be prepared! For Traffic. Jams. Delays. Accidents. Yesterday the highway became a parking lot. I know this can happen. I thought I was prepared for just this sort of thing! You see, I always keep a bottle of blow bubbles in the car with me. Just so that I would be prepared!

Blowing bubbles out my car window during those traffic-jam times of life (literal or figurative) can be very therapeutic and just plain fun. I started the bubbles-stash-in-the-car thing during our Southern California days–of outrageously heavy traffic jams–when Erin and Julia were only 4 and 2 years old. This kept the girls happy and, therefore, mama was happy. We all had our own bottles of bubbles. No road rage from us. No sir.

And the people in the parking lot traffic jam with us also had fabulous, free bubbly entertainment as we blew our bubbles out the car windows, setting them free to dance around the air and bounce lightly on the cars nearest us. 

The three of us would laugh ourselves silly. And we would watch others around us as their faces–filled with the stress of yet another Southern California traffic jam–would, first, relax a bit…then, curl into a smile…and then, burst out into a chuckle. Now that was being prepared! 

So! Yesterday, when I realized that my trip to the Newark Airport was going to be majorly delayed, instead of going into a jaw-lock of tension across my face, I reached for my trusty–better than valium–calming bubble bottle! I was so proud of myself for how prepared I was!  

But I wasn’t. Oh, my bubble bottle was there. Even filled with bubble-blowing-liquid. But! There was no bubble-blowing-wand inside! (Don’t ask! I don’t know where it could have gone–or whose twisted little mind might have thought it funny to steal my bubble-blowing-wand! Arrrrghhhhh! Unbelievable!)

Yes, I thought I was prepared to deal with one of life’s unexpected-expected-circumstances–like this traffic jam on the way to the Newark Airport. But I really wasn’t. I had just taken it for granted that my resources (bubbles and bubble-blowing-wand) would be always ready and available to me.

God’s Word in this Scripture passage tells us to be prepared in our minds for action. This doesn’t mean that we should be worrying about things that may never happen. Rather, we are to let God take greater and greater control of our thinking, reacting and responding to every circumstance of our life.

Just as the bubbles need a wand to form and shape them–and prepare them for flight. So is God’s Love, God’s Word and God’s Spirit the preparer of our minds for action.

We need to choose God’s loving, transforming power over our minds so that those unexpected-expected-circumstances in life won’t blow us away.

We need to choose God’s loving, transforming power over our minds so that during those unexpected-expected-circumstances in life we will rise to meet them–being well-prepared for Christ-like action, guided by godly self-control and filled with hope in God’s eternal promises.

Be Prepared! God’s loving, transforming power is always available to us!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

One Sabbath day in Nazareth, Jesus went to synagogue as was His custom–He stood up to read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

“…unrolling it, Jesus found the place where it is written:

‘The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.’” Luke 4:17-19

Then Jesus sat down and

“and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4:21

Last night I and a Transformed By Grace Board Member, DeAnne Harland, attended the annual Womanspace Banquet for the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award where Dr. Nancy Snyderman (love her!) was honored as the award recipient. Womanspace is an amazingly well run organization that serves “victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Mercer County, NJ. “

In other words their mission is to help “to release the oppressed“—women and children—from these ugly, evil, despicable–and far too prevalent, and far too hidden–abuses that happen right in our midst. Right in our homes.

This was my story. Horrendous abuse. Ugly incest. Rape by a stranger.

But that is not God’s story! And it wasn’t–isn’t–the end of my story!

God’s power! Our Sovereign LORD’s power, passionate love and unlimited, transforming grace ”to release the oppressed” is far beyond our ability to truly grasp!

I am no longer oppressed. The chains are gone. The fear is gone. The hate is gone.

The twisted perspectives of myself and of my self-worth have been killed through the washing and renewing of my mind and spirit by the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Ephesians 4:23-24; Galatians 5:1)

The inability to trust another person with my heart is no longer a wall I hide behind–preventing any possibility of true and free-flowing intimacy. I am able to courageously risk myself because I know–I am convinced–that my heart is held fast in the true, protective, conquering, inseparable LOVE of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 8:37-39)

Because of Jesus–my Sovereign Lord–I can love. I can sing and dance, smile and laugh.

Because of Jesus–my Sovereign Lord–I can live in the fullness of freedom through the healing and renewing of my mind, my spirit, my life!

We humans can, and ought to, do everything possible to help “to release the oppressed”–those who suffer from the pain and evil of domestic and sexual abuse. If you need help and don’t know where to start, visit the website for The National Domestic Violence Hotline–or call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233).

For me,  and the ministry of Transformed By Grace, we will offer the grace and truth–and the unfailing, unlimited, healing, freeing love–of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus alone is the Sovereign Lord who is able to truly, and completely, “release the oppressed.”

And Jesus does this by conquering the hate with His Love.

No oppressor, no oppression can continue to hold any power over us when Jesus Christ sets us free! He is the Sovereign Lord.

Will you choose to let this freeing truth–this full power of Jesus Christ to “release the oppressed”–be “fulfilled in your hearing”?

What makes you glad? What makes you happy? What makes you want to start singing? Or humming? Or whistling? Or dancing? Or tapping your toes and clapping your hands? Or just puts a great big smile on your face?

What makes you want to thank God?

Go ahead think about it! Go ahead make a list of those things that make you happy! And then! Thank God for the things that make you glad!

It is good to praise the LORD and make music to Your name, O Most High, to proclaim Your love in the morning and Your faithfulness at night…For You make me glad by Your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

Psalm 92:1,2,4

There is so much to thank God for, even when–or maybe especially when–we might be going through difficult or sad or uncertain times.

Here’s just a portion of my own YOU Make Me Glad list:

• Tim–my husband, lover, best friend, counselor-advisor, chief-comedian and dance partner since 1980! (Best friend since 1973! Boyfriend since 1975! Oh, my!)
• The sound of Tim’s voice–deep, low and strong–his voice still makes me smile, especially when he says my name! (Hey! It’s my list! So, just deal with the mush!)
• Erin and Julia–our grown daughters! They can make me smile, laugh, laugh at myself, laugh out loud and sing even louder–more quickly than just about anyone in my world!  (AND! My son-in-law Marcus just earned himself a whole lot of points on my YOU Make Me Glad list, too, on Mother’s Day!!! Smart Boy!)
• Silence…sweet silence…in prayer and listening to God…reading God’s Word…sensing God’s Spirit…being centered, grounded and refeshed in the way and the truth and the life offered only through Jesus Christ.
• Our traveling, hiking, biking, touring, sharing great food and important-family-days together Buddies–We can go for a day or for many days–and the fun and the conversation just keep on flowing!
• Friends–my Darlin’s that can be really real with me, have crazy fun (including Chinese-Fire-Drills) and still offer wise counsel and intimate time in prayer!
• My Beautiful and Fabulous Bible Study Ladies–Who are always ready to answer THOSE Two Questions: Do you believe it? What are you going to do about it? They know that God’s Word is DELICIOUS!
• My Faithful, Prayerful, Encouraging, Helping TBG Sisters and Brothers! This TBG ministry is what God has given to all of us!
• Being at the Ocean! Ahhhhhhh! (The waves crashing on the shore is my second favorite sound in the whole world. Coming in 2nd only to Tim’s voice!) 
• Taking loooooong walks–as often as possible
• Traveling all over–locally, nationally and definitely internationally!
• Triple-Vente-Non-Fat-Cappuccino from Starbucks. Mmmm Mmmm! Perfect!
• Smucker’s Natural (Reduced Fat) Peanut Butter with Nestle Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips mixed together! Oh! I’m smiling just thinking about it!
• Drinking the Triple-Vente-Non-Fat-Cappuccino while eating Smuckers Natural (Reduced Fat) Peanut Butter mixed with Nestle Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips! While with my favorite people! At the Ocean!!! 

These are just a very few of the many, many things that God has put into my life! And I am glad! And I am thanking God!

Feel free to write a comment and share some of your own YOU Make Me Glad list!

It’s always good to share the joy!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

…Jesus gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father Promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5

Wait, don’t go yet!! Jesus is asking us to always remain dependent on God’s Timing.

This is not to restrict our enthusiasm for serving God right now! This is a freedom that will help us seek God’s timing as we carry out the loving-work that God has placed in our lives.

Oh! Sometimes it may seem too slow to us (other times too quick!), but it is always for our very best to WAIT on our God’s timing.

Wait! Don’t go until we’ve received what God promised to give us! Jesus is asking us to always remain dependent on God’s Power.

This is not to restrict our ability for serving God fully! This is a freedom that will help us seek God’s full empowerment by His Spirit for everything we do! We need God’s powerful Holy Spirit, His promised gift to us, to live as His ambassadors in our daily-days, in our times of turmoil and in our times of joy.

Wait…until you have received the power of the promised Holy Spirit! What a sweet, good, wise, perfectly-timed and incredibly empowering commandment this is from Jesus for us!

May we each grow in our dependency on our Lord Jesus–His Timing and His Power–in all that we do! This dependency is our truest freedom!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

There are so many times that I am so clearly aware that my own thinking is just not enough.  No matter how perceptive, discerning and analytical I may be! (Or think I may be!) 

My thinking–on it’s own–just isn’t always broad enough or deep enough or visionary enough or objective enough to give me the insight and wisdom that I need. Whether for an immediate interpretation of a situation that requires quick action right now OR for a long-view interpretation of a situation that requires far-reaching plans to be put into place.

Nope.  My thinking on it’s own just isn’t always enough.

This is actually a very good realization to come to! Because it’s the truth for me–and pretty much for every single person in this world, at least at some point..in some situation. Whether we admit it or not!

How great is our God! And how well God knows us AND our needs! God invites us to seek His wisdom. This requires humility on our parts (which is not exactly the core trait in too many of us humans) as we acknowledge that we really do need God’s wisdom!

And when we do ask, our God is so good, so kind and so faithful in giving out His wisdom to us–without ever giving us any sense of blame or guilt for not being wise enough on our own in the first place! How great is that?!

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

How great is our God! How good and loving God is!  And wants to be to us. God knows we need His wisdom. We just need to agree with God and ask!

So! Let’s ask! We have God’s promise that He will give His wisdom generously!

God’s wisdom is awaiting? What are we waiting for?

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane