Have you ever thought that just giving up is really the easiest thing to do? That you have come to the absolute end of your ability to deal with things?

That you have come to the absolute end of your limitations?

The circumstances seem absolutely monstrous and insurmountable.

The other people involved seem absolutely monstrous and unmovable.

And you just don’t believe that anyone or anything else is going to change. EVER! You’re tired of the battle. You’re tired of the hardship.

I get it. I understand insurmountable circumstances and monstrous people.

I have compassion for you.

Yet to just offer understanding and compassion for your weariness is just not enough. 

Our God of LOVE and TRUTH–offers far more than His perfect understanding and compassion to our monstrously insurmountable circumstances and monstrously unmovable people!

God offers each of us His LOVE and TRUTH  that will first change us…cleanse us…and lead us in God’s eternal ways. Sometimes that monstrously unmovable person is me.

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

God offers each of us His STRENGTH and COURAGE and His constant presence so that we may obey His Word and His Will even if it’s scary…even if it’s unknown. Because we can always trust that God truly is with us wherever we go.

Have I not commanded you? 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

God offers each of us His very SPIRIT to EMPOWER us to be conquerors even right in the midst of the most monstrous and insurmountable circumstances we may face. God offers us His very SPIRIT to EMPOWER us to love even the most monstrous and unmovable person in our life.

God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us…Ephesians 3:20

God offers so much to us. Will we accept and put into practice all that God offers: LOVE, TRUTH, STRENGTH, COURAGE, IMMEASURABLE-UNIMAGINABLE POWER through HIS SPIRIT?

I know that when we are willing to depend, really depend, on God AND when we are willing to receive what God has to give us AND when we obey AND trust God—THEN amazing transformation, renewal of mind, heart, spirit, body and relationships are absolutely possible!

God is not limited by our limitations!

So let’s not limit God’s love and power to work in our lives and our circumstaces just because we think we’ve reached our limitations!

 God is not limited by our limitations! 

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all you MOMS, everywhere!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all you WOMEN in our lives–sisters, daughters, friends, mentors, teachers–who may or may not have children of your own, yet have loved us passionately with your time, your courage, your counsel and your compassion!

I thank God for all the women who have left an impression on me–a God impression–because of their love for God and their trust in His Word. 

There can be no better way to love God than to truly love another person–and actively, intentionally and joyfully  impress on others how great God’s Love is for them and how powerful God’s Word is for guiding their lives!

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandents that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.– Deuteronomy 6:4-7

God’s love–and our love for Him–is meant to be shared! Everywhere and with everyone. It’s meant to leave a deep impression on us and through us into the lives of others. 

God has given Moms…and all women…and all people, who have placed their trust in God, the task of telling His truths to others–impressing God’s truth on the hearts of others, starting right with our own children…and on to all those others with whom we interact.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all you who are making an impression on the lives of others as you follow after God’s ways!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Have you ever received a letter, card, an invitation and you didn’t really take the time to read it right away? You knew you needed to read it, check out what it had to say–but you just put it aside…over and over again. And you just never got back to it–at least not until it was too late for the revelant information or the invitation you received in the message to make any difference in your life.

Or maybe that letter, card or invitation got mixed up in with all your over-abundant junk-mail, and you just missed knowing it was ever even there for you. You hadn’t taken the time to sort the real messages from the junk messages carefully enough. And you missed something very important, very special.

Years ago I inadvertantly recycled (after dutifully tearing it up into bits and pieces) a fairly sizeable check (thinking it was junk-mail) because I had not looked at the envelope carefully enough. The check was actually a very kind and tangible gift  for me that I had not expected. And that I did not look at carefully enough to recognize it for what it truly was! 

We can so easily miss the messages that come into our world–whether they come in via the mail, phone, black-berry, email, text, face-book, blogs or twitter–if we do not open up the messages so we can know what they have to say to us.

In the same ways, we can so easily miss the messages from our God if we do not–will not–take the time to look, to listen, to acknowledge and to receive all that our God gives to us through His Word and His Spirit.

And we really do not want to miss those messages! They are life and love messages to us from the very heart of our Sovereign LORD.

Through God’s revealed Word and by the power of God’s Spirit we are given knowledge that is life-saving and life-transforming.

Through God’s revealed Word and by the power of God’s Spirit we receive the wisdom, encouragement and power to follow, obey and trust God’s ways.

Oh! We will not ever fully know and understand our Lord on this side of heaven. But! All that God does reveal to us is ours forever! We need to receive it!

Our God even invites us to ask Him to tell us all that He will tell us.

Our God has already revealed and shared His ultimate message to us: His Son Jesus is the Promised Messiah! And this knowledge gives us divine power–gives us everything we need for life and godliness.

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29

This is what the LORD says, He who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it–the LORD is His name: “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:2-3

God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

Wow! Let’s not miss the messages of God!

Let’s listen! Let’s learn! Let’s be open to God’s revelation! Let’s live as God’s people with the power of God’s Word and God’s Spirit fully available to us–at all times!

Let’s not miss the messages of God!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Grover, the Cute and Furry Monster from Sesame Street often taught about prepositions of location. What?? You know words like: over, under, near, far!

These words really have great power in knowing where things are! They change the whole understanding of where something or someone is actually positioned! They’re basically our linguistic GPS.

The words near and far have especially powerful eternal life consequences when it comes to us and our LORD. Throughout Scripture our God is calling out to us, Come near to Me…come listen to Me…come put your faith and trust in Me…come near to Me now and be with Me forever.

And just as Grover encouraged the little children to run up to the television screen in order to come near, so must we run into the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to come near to our Heavenly Father–our Abba.

Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of Your deeds.  Psalm 73:27-28

Jesus said to them, “Let the little children come [near] to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God Belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:14-15

Come near to God and He will come near to you. James 4:7

Come on, let’s run near to our Lord! Let’s come near to our God in faith and receive His promise and stay in His presence. Our Lord is near, and always has been–waiting with outstretched loving arms, once stretched out on a cross for us in the fullness of His love.  

Yes. Our God is very near to us–we just need to turn and choose to be very near to Him. It really “is good to be near God!” Now and for all eternity!

Sometimes some things are just not in our control. Okay! That really should say: Most of the time most things are not even close to being in our control!

Good thing God is!

But, it’s those extra special reminders of how very much not in control we are that can either make us cry, get angry or–hopefully more often–laugh out loud! Well, I have done a bit of all three over the last two days!

I ordered a lovely basket of delicious goodies for my daughter’s Julia’s birthday. It was to be filled with gourmet cheeses and crackers, fabulous mustards, short-bread cookies, chocolate dipped cookies, french-twists, select  teas, hot-chocolates and coffees and (oh, yes!) Godiva chocolates. The basket itself was a beautifully crafted masterpiece.

And just to assure me the well-deserved title of Super Mom, I asked that a brightly colored mylar–HAPPY BIRTHDAY!–balloon be attached to this fabulous feast in a basket! It was to be delivered to my daughter’s NYC office a little after 9:30am the morning of her birthday.

 Sometimes some things are just not in our control.

My extra special reminder of just how very much not in control I am, looked like this:  

The basket arrived after 5pm.

There was no balloon.

And my daughter’s fabulous feast in a basket consisted of some plastic wrapped American cheese, some yellow mustard, and a can of sardines.

Let me assure you that Julia was able to laugh much more quickly than I! She even gave me credit for being clever and funny by sending a very un-gourmet basket as a joke for her birthday! Now if that isn’t grace, I don’t know what is!

But, no. I had other Super Mom intentions! It didn’t happen the way I planned it at all!

Sometimes some things are just not in our control.

Are you okay with that reality? Am I?

For–the–moment, I can say, “Yes!” And I can laugh! Because it is really is kind of funny. Even while it’s maddening and outrageously wrong, too!

And I can laugh! Because it is not eternally important! Nobody got hurt! Although I have to admit that God had to give me an extra measure of restraint towards the basket vender who gave me one of those extra special reminders that I am not in control!

God is. God is in control at all times, in all places, in all ciricumstances–and our very lives are in God’s hands. And sometimes we just have to laugh!

Sardines, anyone?

My times are in Your hands Psalm 31:15

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy! Psalm 126:2

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Storms hit.

Maybe these storms are the terrible and terrifying tempests that come at us–as part of the reality of living in this frail, flawed and finite world. 

Maybe they are storms that we have been caught in, as consequences of our own choices, because we refused to heed the warning signs and remove ourselves from the danger zones.

Maybe they are only storms in our perspective because someone or something is raining on our parade.

Whatever the cause of the storm or the circumstance that puts us in it or the mind-set that keeps us in it, we can be sure that God is with us. And when we truly seek our LORD’s help, we can be sure that the power of the storm is no match for the power of our God and His unfailing love.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Psalm 107:28-31

Since the storms are still going to come at us–or because of us–we need to run into our Abba’s storm-stilling, compassionate and forgiving arms. 

We need to fully turn to–and trust in–our Abba’s unfailing love that is present with us even when we are right in the midst of the storms. By Abba’s unfailing love the most dangerous of storms are stilled to a whisper. The most frightening, crashing waves are hushed.

Is it still storming for you in your mind and heart? OR Have you let Abba still the storms within you? Come on, cry out to Him! Your storms will be stilled!

Let us give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love and for His wonderful deeds for men!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

When our youngest daughter Julia was just a toddler and learning the fine art of walking like a Big Girl (without falling smack on her forehead every four or five steps! Ouch!) she would often imitate the walk of our dear Italian friend Claudio. She loved him. And rightly so. Claudio showered her with loving adoration, speaking to her with an incredibly animated face, in his sing-songy oh-so-fabulous-Italian accent. And almost every phrase he spoke ended in Juliatina–Piccolina. Yep, Claudio held a very special position in Julia’s life. And Julia showed her love right back to him by trying to master his same walk.

 So Claudio–dark skinned, with dark hair and dark eyes–standing erect and taking very long strides with both hands clasped behind his back, would lead as Julia followed. And, oh, she followed him! Our little Julia–our little red-headed-curly-haired toddler, with bright blue eyes–would follow very closely behind Claudio, imitating him as precisely as possible, with her hands firmly clasped behind her back and taking the longest strides her chubby little legs would allow. Claudio and Julia would laugh and take great joy in recognizing just how very similar their walks were!

Our God takes great joy in us! Our God celebrates with us as our lives reflect His truth and shine with His Love–as we choose to walk as Jesus walked! As we choose to obey our Abba’s Word just as Jesus obeyed! And as we choose to be imitators of our God as His dearly loved children! 

If anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. 

1 John 2:5-6  

       Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:1-2

Oh, Abba! I’m too little to be so big!

That’s what I call out (cry out, shout out, whimper out, sigh out) to my God whenever I feel like life is just a little way too much for me to handle.

Sometimes I get so tired of carrying the responsibilities and concerns for my family. I want the very best for each member in my family and in my husband’s family–for every darn one of them–young and old, near and far. Darn it! I want them all to know–and live in–the grace, truth, love, salvation and transformation of our Lord Jesus.

And this is especially true for my three (2 daughters, 1 son-in-law) 20-something children. Even as an empty-nester, I am still, and will always be, a mama! And the needs of my grown babies are still, and will always be, very close to my own heart, and must be constantly lifted up in prayer to my Lord!  (Oh, Jesus! You know what they need! And I’ll be happy to remind You, if You forgot!)

And for my husband–I just want to love on him with all that I am. I really want to be fully present for him all the time in all ways–which isn’t always easy when we both travel a lot–and away from each other. And it’s not always easy even when we are both home together–not when I’m still trying to write or study or take care of some oh-so-urgent-something-or-other! 

Oh, Abba! I’m too little to be so big!

Sometimes I get so worn down from wearing so many hats at work. (And I really love my job!!) But sometimes trying to lovingly serve-lead the ministry and manage all the constant and varied demands on me is just plain, well, demanding! These demands require that I find some kind of bizarre (but still grounded in Jesus!) BALANCE–that is somewhere between intense multi-tasking and multiple personalities!

Oh, Abba! I’m too little to be so big!

And I could go on and on and on about all the things I need to do at church and for friends, getting to know our new community and our new neighbors, caring for my home and caring for my planet. Being green can be very demanding, I’ll have you know!

And, of course, there are always the usual, life-sucking, demanding needs for my time, energy, attention…and, yep, even my money. (Although, I heard I could put off all money concerns by blaming them all on Bernie Madoff!)

Oh, Abba! I’m too little to be so big!

And you know what? Sometimes I just get really tired of having to be mature–or at least act as if I’m mature regardless of how I may really be feeling at that moment! Oh! Thank you, God, for being ever-present to snap the stupidity and immaturity right out of me–but, ouch! It’s just so tiring–and hard–to constantly choose God’s maturity when I just want to stomp my feet and punch something–or someone!

Oh, Abba! I’m too little to be so big!

Well, you know what I hear back from God when I call out (cry out, shout out, whimper out, sigh out) to my God whenever I feel like life is just a little way too much for me to handle?

I hear God agreeing with me.

You are too little to be so big! So! Stop trying to be so big, so balanced and mature on you’re own. You’re so silly. You know you’re too little to be so big! So?? Why do you even try to do it on your own?

Get over yourself! And seek Me. Look to Me. I AM BIGGER. You need to get smaller so that you can clearly see just how much BIGGER than you I AM! 

I am BIGGER than any responsibility or concern you may have for every darn family member–young and old, near and far. And I know, and can meet, the BIGGEST needs that any of them may have. (And thanks for the offer to remind Me, but I’ve got it covered!)

I am BIGGER than any balance you may try to find on your own–at work or anywhere else. 

I am BIGGER than any of your feelings and will give you deep strength and true maturity as you rely on ME, My Wisdom, My Word and My Way–in your life–at every moment.

Let your perspective of Me get BIGGER. Because when you do, your problems will get smaller. As I get BIGGER in your perspective, My strength and power will renew you even when you are most weak, weary and worn out.

He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth! He will not grow tired or weary and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

Oh, Abba! It’s so good to be so little because You are so BIG!

Forgiveness is the fullness of God’s gift of freedom for us.

Forgiveness is an intentional, heart-encompassing choice we must make in order to be truly set free. Forgiveness is a determined decision to trust and depend on–not on our feelings, but rather on–God, God’s Word, God’s Love and God’s Power to move us and empower us to forgive what to us seems unforgiveable.

To be truly free, God requires us to do things His way: Forgive everyone of everything.

But let me assure you: Forgiving others is NOT about denying the injustice or the ugliness of the sin done against you. No matter how big or how small it was.

Forgiving others is NOT about pretending that it didn’t really hurt.

Forgiving others is NOT about somehow stuffing it to the back corner of our mind. 

Forgiving others does NOT in any way diminish the gravity of the sins done to us.

Forgiving others is definitely NOT about acting as if  “It’s okay.” 

No. Jesus didn’t die because sin is okay. Jesus died because sin–all sin–is a death blow to our souls. Jesus died because all sin is big, bad, ugly, relationship-destroying and life-killing. Jesus died a brutal death precisely because sin is so terribly destructive. Jesus Christ fully paid the price for my sins, for yours, and for everyone who has ever sinned against us.

Jesus died because that was God’s perfect choice in order to completely eradicate, and set us free from, the bondage of sin in our lives. Whether that bondage is grown out of our own sins or from the sins thrown at us by others.

To live in freedom, to live in the power of God’s healing and transformation, we must accept the truth that God forgives us completely through the sufficient and perfect sacrifice of Jesus.

And, to live in freedom, and to live in obedience to God, we must live out the truth that God demands that we forgive everyone of everything. PERIOD.

Forgiving others is NOT conditional upon any action of the ones who have wronged us. We are to forgive everyone of everything regardless as to whether or not they have ever:

• Asked for forgiveness
• Admitted the wrong done to us
• Acknowledged the validity of our hurt and anger
• Agreed with our perspective about their sins against us

 No. Forgiving others does not even require that they still be alive. 

Forgiveness is not optional for the children of God.

To live our lives as children of God, in the fullness of God’s freedom, we must follow and obey Christ’s example: Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. 

Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13

Forgiving others is about choosing to yield to, and receive, God’s transforming power that brings the fullness of freedom to our lives! And how beautiful that freedom is!

 Do you believe it? What are you going to do about it?

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Oh! Those Spritual Dwarfs: Prideful, Fearful, Sinful, Shameful, Whiny, Grumpy and Dopey (and all of their evil friends, of so many other names. You know: Lustful, Forceful, Sneaky, Meany, Nasty, Busy, Two-face…on and on!) wreak horrible havoc within our minds, our bodies, our souls and our relationships.

What are we ever going to do? What can we do? Those dwarfs just keep yapping and shouting and telling us we have a right to think what we think, do what we do, live like we live. And, quite honestly, they are right in this one way: we do have a choice. Always.

It was God’s loving will for us to give us the gift of freedom of choice. But! We must be wise! Choosing anything other than God’s way is no freedom at all. And turning our backs on God and our focus on ourselves is an ugly, vicious, evil, LYING trap that the Spiritual Dwarfs would have us believe is the ultimate way to assert our independence, freedom and control over our own lives!

This is a deadly lie. And God wants us to live. God wants us to choose life. The BATTLE for our minds, bodies, souls and relationships has always been about life and death. Always.

In the Garden of Eden…Obey our Loving God and LIVE. Disobey and die.

God spelled out this choice so clearly as He was leading His people out of slavery and into the Promised Land.

…I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life  Deuteronomy 30:19-20

It has always been about choice. We have to realize that: Everything we think, say and do is either bringing more life or more death to our minds, bodies, spirits and relationships.

And God wants us to choose HIM because HE is our LIFE. Our LORD is our FREEDOM. And it is in choosing to live listening to the loving, life-giving TRUTH of GOD–and obeying it–that we are able to kill the Spiritual Dwarfs. 

The choice is still, and always will be, about life and death.

Jesus has already died and rose again to conquer the influence and lies of the Spiritual Dwarfs! Let’s choose this resurrection-power of Jesus! Let’s choose life! Let’s choose freedom!

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again be a yoke of slavery! Galatians 5:1

You have heard these words of Scripture before from me. And I’m sure you will hear them again. I wish I could tell you that God’s words and God’s ways are what I always choose. I do not. Darn it!

Yet, these words of TRUTH are as is GOD. GOD never changes. Even if I waiver in my behavior or my circumstances are like a roller-coaster ride or a crushing storm. GOD is LIFE. GOD is my LIFE. And that never changes.

GOD’S TRUTHS are LIFE and they are FREEDOM to me. They are my song. They are my breath. They are my guardian to my mind, body, spirit, and relationships.

What to do? Choose the LORD–His love, His life, His freedom. That’s: What To Do! And the Spiritual Dwarfs will by killed. In this, they have no choice! Jesus has already conquered! Amen!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane