“And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.” 2 Chronicles 2:5

Here I am in Taiwan again for a few days. Since my time is short and its uncertain when I’ll get another chance to come back, I have been trying to see all my favorite people, eat all my favorite foods and basically squeeze as much enjoyment out of my time here that I can.

Yesterday I treated myself to a day at my favorite hair salon. Miss Yang is the only one I trust to cut my hair. I let her give me the full treatment—hair cut and straightened, manicure and pedicure. It turned out to be the perfect opportunity for her to train a couple of new girls too. She is good at what she does and is proud of her work. I was impressed with her thorough explanations and detailed guidance. She teaches her students to do every step correctly in order to have a great finish. No sloppiness or short cuts allowed!

One can assume Miss Yang strives for high quality work for many reasons—perhaps to make a name for herself, to build a solid clientele base, or personal pride in a job well done. Such commitment to excellence for an “everyday job” is admirable and inspiring. I thought, how much more committed should we be when attempting to do things for God!

When David’s son, Solomon, began to attempt something for God, he called it “great!” While the building of Solomon’s Temple did make him famous, that was not his purpose. He stated his purpose quite clearly—the house I build will be great because God is great! The overarching goal in everything we attempt to do for God should be to magnify the Lord and show His greatness, as the one true “God above all gods.” I'm reminded of a phrase I heard many years ago which inspired me then and still does now:

Attempt great things for God—Expect great things from God!

What are you attempting to do “great” for God today?

“…When thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then thou shalt go out to battle, for God is gone forth before thee.” 1 Chronicles 14:15

As the old year ends and the new one begins. I am making a resolve to fine-tune my spiritual ears to listen for the sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees. The sound of leaves rustling is not what one would expect to signal a charge into a battle. But then God doesn’t have to fit into a mold of our making. Unlike the sharp, piercing sound of a gun shot that signals a race, the sound God chooses is soft and gentle, requiring close attention to know the precise moment to begin. There can be no allowance for distractions, for to lose focus would be to miss the signal.

The danger here is going too soon—ahead of God—or lagging behind resulting in missed opportunities. I do not know what kinds of battles I will face in 2008, but of this I am sure: I do not want to go anywhere unless God goes before me. Such a decision requires absolute trust. My life verse has become Psalm 18:30 "As for God, His way is perfect..." I would never have chosen the hard path of the last few years which the Lord chose for me, but seeing His hand through it and in it, neither would I change it now. I used to know in my head about the sovereignty of God. Now I really know it--in my heart.

So with renewed courage, a good dose of patience, and faith in a trustworthy Lord, I look forward to 2008. I have lots of plans, but I’m listening for the rustling of leaves.

“I being in the way, the Lord led me…” Genesis 24:27

To have confidence of being exactly in the center of God’s will is a precious thing. It takes faith and it takes persistence even when at times there may be doubts. In Genesis the story of Abraham’s servant, Eliezer’s search for Isaac a bride is a fantastic snapshot of the way God sends confirmation through divine appointment. Before Eliezer could finish voicing his prayer for guidance, Rebecca arrived. The circumstances of answered prayer left no doubt of God’s intervention. Eliezer’s response was to worship the Lord (verse 26) and his explanation was simply, “I being in the way, the Lord led me!”

The lesson for me is that when I am in the place of God’s perfect will, I need only make myself available to see Him work through circumstances. “I being in the way…”—what an awesome phrase! This past week I experienced my own personal snapshot of God’s confirmation that I am where He wants me. My husband, Jerry, and I had the unique opportunity to go to the public high school and mingle with the students during lunch hour one day. To make a long story short, because of that visit I was made aware of a Chinese student in the school who is challenged in English. I offered my help and this coming week I will be translating so he can take the required state testing.

I don’t believe in coincidences with God. I am excited that He is giving me opportunity right here in the US to use my language skills and begin to make contact with the local Chinese community. I’m not sure what God has in mind, but I’m not concerned about that. I am confident that being in the way, the Lord will lead me!

“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)

And now for the final installment in the saga of The Pineapple Plant: When I returned to Taiwan in early August, the now famous pineapple was beginning to ripen and was too heavy to stand up. It literally had to be propped up so that it wouldn’t fall over. I was amazed at the huge leafy top it sported for such a small pineapple! (It certainly was the smallest full-grown pineapple I had ever seen.) After another week or so I observed that it was ripe enough for picking, so I plucked it from its bed of leaves and enjoyed showing it off to the delight of anyone who visited my home.


While that pineapple was growing, I imagined one day being able to share it with friends. But the day I sliced it for eating, there was scarcely enough for one person, so I sat down and with a thankful heart to the Lord enjoyed every bite while imagining what Malcom might think if he knew his pineapple plant had finally produced a piece of fruit. It might have been small, but it was sweet!

Now should I decide to grow another pineapple, I think I am much wiser to the techniques of container gardening. In retrospect, I realize we should have increased its pot size each year, which would have allowed the roots sufficient expansion room. Perhaps next time there will be a larger pineapple to eat. I can always hope! After all, the pineapple for me was a symbol of hope for the future. In the months since discovering fruit on that formerly barren plant, God has enriched my life in so many ways and truly allowed me to experience the joy of hope fulfilled.

“But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.” Psalm 71:14 (KJV)

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

The path of Christian growth is a steady process of recognizing that no matter what lessons have been learned along the way thus far, we have not yet “arrived.” Yesterday’s victory doesn’t suffice for today’s challenge. I must daily choose to put on the Christian armor and stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13) Today’s trial does not exempt me from facing one tomorrow. There is no room for complacency or self-congratulatory accolades.

With one phone call I was reminded just how quickly things can change and how very much dependent I must be upon the Lord for what a day will bring. One of our granddaughters was in a car accident that could have had a very serious outcome. (Praise the Lord she is okay and her friend’s injuries are minimal.) Upon hearing the news, my heart was gripped with that familiar feeling of helplessness and loss of control over life’s circumstances. When the prospect of tragedy brushes so close, the heart cries out “No, Lord, please don’t make us go there again!” Then the Holy Spirit gently reminds me that nothing comes into my life but that it has first passed through the hands of a loving God. I praise Him for protecting my loved one. I honor Him for the reminder of my own weakness and the need to daily draw upon His mercies.

“And Solomon left all of the vessels unweighed because they were exceeding many, neither was the weight of the brass found out.” 1 Kings 7:47

Reading through the account of King Solomon directing the building and furnishing of the temple for God, I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer volume of work and materials involved in the project. Obviously, Solomon was overwhelmed by it too and dispensed with trying to keep count of it all. When the work was finished and the people assembled to worship, it is recorded that they sacrificed sheep and oxen that could not be numbered for multitude! (8:5)

Such an account prompts the question: Is there anything in my life in such abundance that it cannot be weighed or measured? Oh yes! I am blessed beyond measure from above as God pours out innumerable blessings on me. I am recipient of His great and precious promises that are mine without end. His mercies are new every day. His love and forgiveness knows no boundaries. I cannot count the times I have cried out to Him and He has heard me. This one may sound silly, but having just returned safely to Taiwan, I am reminded that in 27 years of air travel back and forth to the mission field and others places in between, I cannot count the times I have arrived safely without so much as a piece of lost luggage!

A second question is more sobering: What have I done for the Lord in such abundance that it cannot be weighed or measured? I want to live my life in such a way that if I were to begin to count my service, my worship, my sacrifice, it could not be numbered for multitude. Perhaps one day this temple of the Holy Spirit will be furnished with innumerable gifts in response to the extravagant love of God. The debt I owe cannot be counted!

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

The other day I opened my computer as usual only to discover that everything was gone. What a shock! All programs, emails, documents, pictures and files were missing. It was as if somehow during the night the hard drive had been wiped clean. My initial reaction was one of panic. I began to think of all the important data that I had not backed up which now was forever lost. The more I meditated on it, the worse I felt.

At that moment I recognized the familiar feeling of loss for something that could not be changed nor restored. In that instant I realized that I had allowed "stuff" (namely my computer) to hold an important spot in my heart. I had a choice to make. Would I allow myself to be controlled and even devastated by this turn of events, or would I put the loss in it's proper perspective? Things can be replaced. My relationship with God, with my husband, with my children--these are the important things of life. With a contrite heart I turned to the Lord and confessed I had made much to do about stuff.

You know what? None of my circumstances had changed, but the meditation of my heart had turned to thankfulness for the blessings I have and for a loving God who used "stuff" to reboot my attitude.