The Confessing Lunatic

What is silence? Dictionary.com defines silence as "the absence of any sound or noise; stillness; the state or fact of being silent; muteness." This week we've been studying Psalm 46:10 where the psalmist says, "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." Too often we are unable to be silent... In fact, Donald Whitney, author and teacher, puts it this way, "Many of us need to realize the addiction we have to noise. It's one thing to turn on the TV, tape, or radio to listen to while ironing or doing other chores, but it's another thing habitually to turn one of these on immediately upon entering a room just to have sound. Even worse is to feel that it's necessary to have background noise during Bible intake or prayer. I believe the convenience of sound has contributed to the spiritual shallowness of contemporary western Christianity. The advent of affordable, portable sound systems, for ...

If you're a parent, gather your kids and kiss them. Tell them how much you love them. Hug them so tight they beg for air! If you're a grandparent, call your grandkids and tell them you miss them and just how much you love them. What has prompted this? I confess...after 14 years of parenting I didn't realize just how blessed I was to have healthy, happy, well-adjusted kids. In 14 years, not one overnight stay until now. It wasn't until I was walking back into the hospital after staying one night at home while Jim stayed with Cali that I understood just how blessed Jim and I are. Sure, we've had our bumps and bruises. We've had our sleepless nights. We've even had multiple trips to the Emergency Room (more with some kids than the others). But nothing that compares to this recent illnes of Cali's. And in the grand scheme of things, Cali's illness is nothing compared to other children. Don't get me wrong, it was scary enough. I never left her side u...

"Let us not...delude ourselves with easy and infantile conceptions of holiness...Mere external respectability, without deper or more positive moral values, brings discredit upon the Christian faith." Thomas Merton We are called to live a life of holiness in 1 Peter 1:15, " But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do ." Some might think that holiness refers only to how I act or speak outwardly but as Mr. Merton clearly points out, mere "respectability" brings about discredit to the Christian faith. How many times have I refrained from saying something unkind or hurtful, or refrained from making a gesture or thought twice about acting out of frustration PURELY because I was in the company of someone who might think badly of my behavior (I'm opening Christian, mind you)? How may times have I "let it all out" when in the company of those who know me best because I don't have to put on a front? Shame on me! My standar...

This week has been amazing. I am so glad that Jim and Caitlin came along with me. Caitlin is very well spoken, nearly as tall as me (I know, that's not saying a lot), and handles herself very well. She is so mature that often I forget that she is only nine. After dinner tonight - a wonderful dinner I might add - Jim and I were talking about her. Jim said that after spending this time alone with her, he has discovered that she is very witty. She talks nonstop about just about anything that is on her mind. (This trait I'm not sure where she gets, ha, ha :o)...). She is very caring and has wanted to buy gifts for everyone she knows, from her siblings, grandparents, friends to the kids that live next door to her Billman grandparents. One of the disadvantages of being a working mother is that too often I am unable to focus on my children because I am so busy caring for them. Does this make sense? During the few daylight hours that are left once Jim and I get off work, there...

After work today, Jim, Caitlin and I walked over to the National Archives to view the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and other documents central to our country's history. As we walked, I snapped a number of pictures of various Government and non-Government buildings. As I did, I thought to myself, "this town is absolutely beautiful!" We walked through Freedom Plaza and I was totally amazed at the planning that has gone into our Nation's Capitol. Check out this article on Freedom Plaza . This trip has been educational for me and certainly educational for Caitlin. I'm so thankful they came with me! 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. Psalm 27:6

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of going to Okinawa, Japan to teach a portion of a class that I've been teaching since Caitlin was a baby - Design Build. I teach one full day of the four and half day class. I have some pictures that I will share in another post soon. This week I'm in our nation's Capitol with Jim and Caitlin. I had a meeting scheduled and ticket prices were decent so they decided to come along and be tourists while I work. Jim and I have wanted to take Caitlin on a trip with just the two of us since Jim and Jordan got to go to New York. I'm so glad we've gotten this opportunity. On Friday when we get back from DC, Jim and his mom will fly to Minnesota to surprise his cousin, Corey, who is having a wedding reception on Saturday. They will get back on Monday, June 2nd. On Thursday, Jim will fly to Indiana to work SBC. In August, Jim will fly to Egypt to participate in a media missions team. So, if you take my trips, our trip, and Jim...

I know, I know...you read the title to this post and thought, "WHAAAAT? Is Lisa pregnant again?" I confess...I wouldn't be too upset if I were but NO, I'm not "expecting" a baby. What I am expecting is that God will answer my prayers. I re-read my last post and it seems that God is speaking and He is speaking LOUD and CLEAR. My prayer life lacks. I have been in a mood this week - a blue funk as I described it to my friend. A "poor, poor pity me" mood. I could name a number of things that are the cause but that's really not the point. The point is prayer, or lack thereof. The scripture from this morning's sermon came from Psalm 5:1-7 . The verse that spoke to me was verse 3, "In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." How often do I wake and hit the ground running without giving any consideration to prayer? Sadly, all too often. How often do I pray expect...

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

Today as I was sitting with Jim preparing the worship songs for tomorrow, I came across a song that I wrote several years ago. I never published it because I, quite honestly, don't know how to. I have a melody and put the chords down but didn't try hard enough to put in on staff paper (kind of sad for a girl with a college degree in music). At any rate, I went to the piano to play it and the melody came back to me like it was yesterday when I wrote the song. I would like to share it with you. I wrote it during a time when I was at unrest and in a desert-like period in my relationship with the Lord. Your Sanctuary In Your sanctuary, I find rest in You. In Your sanctuary, I find peace. It's not a peace that the world understands; It's the peace that comes from You. Even though I'm in the desert Lord, Still I'm seeking You. In Your sanctuary, hidden 'neath Your wing, In Your sanctuary, I find the joy you bring. It's a joy that fills my heart with hope; ...

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Psalm 36:5 I STILL have a headache. I stayed home from work today because I hurt so bad. But when it really comes down to it, I must confess...I was feeling sorry for myself. I am frustrated at the situation I'm in at work; I was feeling restless yet in my arrogance, refused to rely on God. I even wrote about finding rest in God but last night when it was time to go to sleep, the rest didn't come. I am concerned and discouraged over the state of a couple of things in my personal life. This too, I failed to give over to God. As I was showering to get ready to go meet at church for the annual Christmas caroling, I fully surrendered to God. I couldn't take the pain anymore and I couldn't do anything more than surrender. This headache had knocked me to my knees and I would like to be able to say when I fully surrendered to God, that the headache went away. But it didn't. When we got to the...

Have you ever had a day where you've been restless? Today is my day for being restless. Yesterday I felt though my work has been difficult I could take on the world and would be able to do so without missing a beat. Today was a different story. For the first time in my career I actually have vacation time that I must take or will lose. I need to be in the office to manage this issue but yet the office is the LAST place I wanted to be today or the rest of this week. I know that I have a week and a half coming where I won't have to answer an email, think about work, or even talk work if I don't want to and I'm just restless. I had difficulty concentrating at work; the day has labored on with my inability to shake a headache despite taking medication; I'm overwhelmed knowing that the entire program I'm working on is unraveling and to top it off....I'm struggling with several things in my personal life. It's interesting though...I was stumbling and came ...

God created us in His image (Genesis 1:26). God knew us before we were born (Psalm 139:15-16). God gave us the gift of His son (Ephesians 2:8-9). John Eldredge puts it so eloquently when he says, "God endowed you with a glory when he created you, a glory so deep and mythic that all creation pales in comparison. A glory unique to you, just as your fingerprints are unique to you, just as the way you laugh is unique to you. Somewhere down deep inside we’ve been looking for that glory ever since." (Waking the Dead) There is an indescribable joy in knowing that God created me in His image. And to know that I have been created with a specific purpose in mind is unimaginable. God's Glory in the form of Jesus Christ is utterly amazing. What a wonderful God I serve.

My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:8 (Amplified Bible) Today I read chapter 1 (titled above) of A. W. Tozer's book, "The Pursuit of God." I've copied selections below that hit me square in the head (this is one of those "two-by-four" reminders/revelations that God has hit me with as He is teaching me). “How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of `accepting' Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him. This is set before us as the last word in orthodoxy, and it is taken for granted that no Bible-taught Christian ever believed otherwise. Thus the whole testimony of the worshi...