License Plate Inspiration

Although I don't enjoy fighting my way through traffic, one of the upsides of driving is spotting personalized license plates. Some are funny, some are stupid, others are puzzling and sometimes take a moment to dicipher. My favorites are those that are inspirational. (I suppose that having a God-themed license plate or other Christian paraphenalia on the car is somewhat helpful in dealing with road rage--I'd hate to see someone with a Jesus fish on their car giving another driver the finger.)

Yesterday the license plate on the SUV in front of me read PSALM37. Whenever I spot a license plate with a Bible verse, I assume that God is speaking to me through that verse at that time, and so I go home and read the passage. I thought I'd share this particular Psalm with you--I hope that you find some hope and encouragement through it today.

Psalm 37 (A Psalm of David)
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Take delight in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.

12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the LORD's care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:
Though the LORD's enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;

22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.

23 The LORD makes firm the steps
of those who delight in him;

24 though they stumble, they will not fall,
for the LORD upholds them with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.

27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.

28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed
the offspring of the wicked will perish.

29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.

31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;

33 but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Hope in the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

35 I have seen the wicked and ruthless
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

36 but they soon passed away and were no more;
though I looked for them, they could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.

38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

The Power of the Written Word

I'm a "word" person. Not a lover of Microsoft products--by that, I mean that I am very moved by the power of words, especially written words.

I have a box at home that is filled with notes and cards that family and friends have written to me over the past dozen years or so. I have a similar folder on my computer that contains e-mails that have encouraged and inspired me. Tonight, for instance, I was re-reading some of the very sweet and encouraging e-mails that my boyfriend has sent me throughout the past year and a half. I know that he loves me, that he thinks highly of me and respects me, but it is still a great feeling to be able to read that and be reminded of that.

There is something powerful in being able to read words written especially for me and to know that the sender had me in mind when they wrote them. I try to keep that in mind when I read the Bible. It's easy to view it as a bunch of stories set thousands of years ago, but it's so much more. It's God's love letter to us, to me.

Of course I know that God loves me. But sometimes there's a disconnect between my head and my heart. For my heart's sake, I re-read the words that God has so lovingly scribed. I am so thankful that His Word was not only spoken, but written as well, and that I have access to that Word on a daily basis. When I think about other people around the world who have never even seen a Bible, let alone owned one, I am humbled by how often I turn down the opportunity to read mine.

O Lord, thank You for the power of Your Word. Keep me from taking it for granted again. Let me be like a tree planted next to a stream, soaking in Your wisdom and counsel in all seasons of life.

Kingdom Productivity

Lately I've been praying a lot for productivity at work. Our biggest meeting of the year is next week, so as the meeting dates draw near, it seems our stress levels escalate. Thankfully, God has enabled me to get a lot done, sooner than expected, and I'm not feeling nearly as stressed as I might otherwise feel in anticipation of next week.

However, the last couple of days I've found myself thinking about the definition of productivity. The world tends to define it as being able to mark another item off the ol' to-do list. Granted, I get a great deal of satisfaction in finishing a project.

But what about on those days when I'm working on six different projects in various stages of completion, and none of them are finished by 5:00? Does that mean that I've wasted the entire day? I don't think so.

I'm realizing that God's view of productivity is very different from the world's view (duh). His plans for my day are greater than getting my newsletter to the printer or sending out press releases. He calls me to be a productive Christian first, with that "productivity" reaching into every area of my life--my work, my relationships, the way I tend to my home, the way I drive (yikes), etc.

What good have I done if I get to work early, but cut someone off in traffic in order to "beat the rush"? How productive I am being if I get all my meeting handouts copied but in the process am rude or impatient with a co-worker? Has that truly been a productive day for the Kingdom?

I'm trying to change the way I view productivity. I want to be less concerned about what I've done for my office and more concerned about what I've done for God and His Kingdom.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23)

Fearless in a Scary World

The world seemed simpler when I was growing up. It was easier to tell who the bad guys were, and there didn't seem to be as many of them. I remember that the big nation to fear, at the time, was the Soviet Union. I vaguely recall playing some game during a youth group lock-in called "Russians and Christians." To the best of my memory, it was essentially a game of chase with bad guys (the Russians) chasing after the good guys (the Christians). Funny how back then things seemed much more black and white, good vs evil. (Little did we know then that the USSR would dissolve and Russia would be welcoming Christian missionaries.)

Today, the list of "enemies" seems much longer. I can't read or watch the news without hearing about one nation attacking another or preparing nuclear weapons, "just in case". North Korea. Iran. Iraq. Lebanon. Israel. Even homegrown terrorists. I can see how some people get easily freaked out by the news, as most of it is gloom and doom reporting.

When others around me at work or even at church lament about how the world's on the brink of disaster, I remind myself that none of this is news to God. He not only knows the motives and actions of every world leader, but they are there by His power and will. I don't understand why there are so many terror-inducing leaders, or why so many countries are poised to attack. But I don't have to understand it, I just have to rest in the fact that God knows what He's doing.

This is a scary world, particularly for unbelievers. But we don't have to be afraid. As Paul reminded Timothy, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. " (II Timothy 1:7)

One of my favorite Psalms, particularly for calming fears, is Psalm 27:
The Lord is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?

When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

If you find yourself worrying about the state of the world, I urge you to make it a practice to pray for our nation, its leaders, and for all the world leaders. One resource that you might want to check out is the Presidential Prayer Team, which provides weekly prayer requests for President Bush, Cabinet members and other leaders, our nation, our troops, and other nations.

Don't let the news of today rob you of the peace that the eternal God gives.

Easier Said than Done

Although it's been a shortened workweek due to the holiday, it's been a busy one. Our biggest meeting of the year is coming up in less than two weeks, and I have a ton to do before then. I'm feeling a little stressed out over getting it all done.

This morning I read from Colossians:

Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. (Colossians 3:2)

It was a great reminder to me that I spend way too much time focused on what is right in front of me here on Earth rather than on what awaits me in Heaven. So how do I change my mindset from the temporary to the eternal? What helps YOU balance thoughts of Heaven with thoughts of things that need to be addressed here on Earth?

Happy 4th of July!

One More Thing to Celebrate about America

I couldn't resist posting this news story from Mexico (courtesy of Fox News) regarding new regulations on what residents can and can't name their babies.


Mexico Just Says No to Funky Baby Names

Oh baby! You can make it, carry it around for nine months and bring it onto the planet whenever, wherever and with whomever you’d like (theoretically, at least), but when it comes to naming it, one Mexican state says you’d better say adios to your favorite funky baby names.

Authorities in the state of Chihuahua are enforcing a new set of rules — extremely specific rules at that — on what the baby-makers can call their kiddos, KVIA reports.

It seems the state was displeased with a rash of tots running around with odd, creative and foreign names, so it decided to issue a reminder of what’s considered appropriate and what isn’t.
Among the names deemed “improper” by the state are Lluvia, which means rain, Azul, which means blue and Kevin, which means … well, who knows.

The rules dictate that if parents must name their child a foreign-sounding name, then it has to be followed by a Spanish middle name, like Maria.

And there’s more.

Parents who dare to be different by tricking up the spelling of a name better think twice — only “common spellings” are going to fly.

But bewildered baby-namers should know: the government insists it's not out to steal their moniker-making thunder, rather they’re just trying to prevent the kids from a lifetime of ridicule and legal troubles.
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Now, I've heard some...shall we say, interesting names in my life. (I think it's indigenous to Southern culture that we have families with names that sound like soap opera characters.) But regardless of whether or not I like what someone names their baby, it's still their right to choose (and consequently, their duty to pay for the therapy that some crazy-named children may one day need). If I wanted to name my future child Mayonnaise, I should be able to. (Don't worry Mom and Dad, I promise I won't!)

So on Independence Day, when I'm celebrating the many freedoms that being an American affords, I guess I can the right to name my children whatever I want to that list. God bless America!