The Power of Touch

The power of touch…

I love touch.  I love to be comforted by others with a hug, a pat on the back, or simply just a hand on my shoulder.  It shows me that everything is going to be ok and that someone loves me.  It gives me a sense of comfort and peace like no other.  That’s exactly how God designed it.  Even though touch wasn’t a big part of my life growing up, it was something that I deeply needed, and as I’ve aged I realize that it was a definite deficit in my life.  Study after study indicates that touch is vital to the proper growth and development of children.  If touch is vital in that stage of our lives, then I have no doubt that it remains the same as we grow older.

I’ve been doing some studying recently on the power of vulnerability.  Touch is definitely part of this.  Extending yourself to give a hug to someone can be a bit scary if you’re not sure how they will receive it.  Even just putting your hand on someone’s back can be a bit daunting if we’re unsure of the relationship.  Of course there are those who grew up in a family of “touchers” where doing these types of things is second nature to them, but for me, it’s never easy to extend myself in this way.

I know when someone extends themselves to me with a hug or a simple hand on my shoulder it communicates much more than words ever could.  Think about scripture.  Jesus touched others when He healed them.  He held the little children when they came to him.  The bible instructs us to pray for others and lay our hands upon them as we do so to impart the Holy Spirit…how amazing is that!  Not only is it an encouragement, there also is something spiritual that can happen as we touch others and pray for them.

What a scheme from the enemy it is for us to be afraid of something that God obviously has intended for such encouragement.   How unfortunate is it when we become afraid of this gift of God because it’s been violated at some point in our lives. 

The power of a simple touch can bring healing in a time a of pain, comfort in the time of turmoil , and peace in a time of chaos. 

So, as the old commercial used to say so clearly, reach out and touch someone!

Here is a poem that I wrote when I was in high school about the power of a hug…not too shabby for all those years ago!

A Message from the Heart

There’s something in a little hug

That brightens up your day

It makes you feel so special and

Takes all your fears away

Nothing can compare to what

A hug can bring to you

It brings the love and strength you need

To see your hard times through

A hug will let you know you’re loved

And know that someone cares

It shows you that you have someone

Who always will be there

Hugs make it so much easier

To say goodbye to friends.

A hug will always let you know

That good times never end

So if you don’t give many hugs

You really need to start

For when you give a hug you send

A message from the heart.

A Poem for a Special Friend

A Poem

For a Special Friend...

Sometimes it’s hard for you to see

Just how amazing you are

Your kindness comes from Him above

Straight from your great big heart

God has made you so beautiful

You’re truly a masterpiece

He formed you to be who you are

And His love for you runs so deep

When I think of someone dear to me,

You’re the first that comes to mind

You probably don’t know the depth of joy

Your life brings to mine

I thank the Lord for you, my friend

For the time you’ve spent on your knees

For all of your encouragement

And for the strength it’s brought to me

I’ve wondered why on many occasions

Why God would bless me with you

Not too many people, you see

Have a friend as wonderful as you

When I think of you and the fun we’ve shared

It always makes me smile

I’m thankful for a friend like you

Who goes the extra mile

You’ve blessed many lives with your heart to give

And with your deep love you show

The greatness of our heavenly Dad

So others will come to know

You probably won’t realize while you’re on this earth

How many hearts God has touched

Through your life, my beautiful friend

Your life that means so much

So thank you, friend, thanks a bunch

For being just who you are

For God has made you extra awesome

And with you He’s touched my heart J

The Power of Encouragement...

Encouragement.  I love this word and the power behind it.  I love that we can encourage others and make a difference in someone’s life.  I love that a simple few words of encouragement have the power to change the course of someone’s life forever.  What a gift God has given us…why can it be so challenging to encourage?  Why do we let fear of rejection or anything else stop us from empowering others to take on the hardships they face helping them realize that they can overcome them?  Why do we sit and watch people go through a difficult time and say nothing or do nothing to build them up or encourage them that things truly will get better?

Encouragement is meant to be a daily feature of our lives.  We should find words or deeds of encouragement coming from us many times every single day.  Why?  Because every person that we encounter can use it.  Even if someone is having a good day, encouraging words make it better.  A smile makes it better.  A hug telling someone that you love them lifts spirits like you’ll never know.  Telling someone the truth about who they are…that they’re not a failure, but indeed a passionately loved child of God encourages them to continue on in life knowing that things aren’t so bad.  It’s truly amazing what simple words and actions can do. 

I know for me, encouraging others is one of my favorite things to do.  I’m not real good on the type of encouragement where you compliment someone’s shirt or hairdo.  While that is definitely a needed form, I like to go deep.  I enjoy telling others just how great they are.  I love to see someone’s reaction to it, because it’s really not too often that we’re told something like that.  We need to be reminded all the time that God made us great and that his love for us is never ending.  We need to know just how much others love us and that we are put on this earth for a reason, more that to just take up space and mess things up. 

Lately I’ve been dealing with major back issues.  It has honestly been one of the worst physical seasons of my life, and it truly came out of nowhere.  I didn’t know what to do.  I didn’t know where to turn.  I was laid out on the floor for many days because there simply wasn’t a comfortable position to be in.  Nothing alleviated the pain.  Strong painkillers helped me go to sleep, but the pain was still there.  Thankfully I’ve been on the upswing of this now for over a week, but it was miserable.  The best thing about it, however, is that it taught me that I NEED others.  I need them…not only do I want them, but I need them.  As much as I need God in my life, unfortunately He is not the one who took me to the doctor when I couldn’t barely walk to the car…a friend did.  He’s not the one who brought me dinner for 2 weeks straight because I couldn’t stand long enough to cook it…friends did that.  Yes it was all because of their love for Jesus and also for me.  While I desperately need God and His love and everything else he has to give, I also desperately need others. And, despite all of the pain I was in, it brought joy to my life and encouragement to know that someone cared enough about me to go out of their way to fix me dinner.  It blessed me more than can be put into words that friends picked me up and took me to the doctor when I couldn’t do it myself.  This was a perfect display of Galatians 6:2.  Bear one another’s burdens… It was amazing to me, and not only that, it lifted my spirits. 

We are called to encourage one another.  Scripture says:

1 Thessalonians 5:11: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Hebrews 3:13:  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Hebrews 10:25  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Encouraging one another displays the heart of God.  Sometimes, honestly, it means you have to die to yourself to lift someone else up.  The beauty of it is, however, that as you die to yourself and do what God has called you to do, you will be encouraged even more.  I know that as I die to my desires and go out of my way for someone else it brings much joy to my life. 

The word encourage means “to bring courage.”  We are the light of the world! We are called to bring courage and light to those around us.  Can you imagine a better witness to those around us who don’t know Jesus?  If we simply were encouraging and kind to others, people would see who Jesus really is.  If we loved others like Christ loved us, we’d see a difference in the amount of friends we have…⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6.

Grace and love for others…patience, encouragement.  God is just that for us, and he encourages us to display that fruit to everyone around us. 

Give the encouragement that you desire from others. You’ll be surprised how quickly it’s turned back on you! Don’t be afraid that someone won’t take it the right way.  If it comes from the right heart, go for it! It’s exactly what God calls us to do.  

I challenge you to make it a point to encourage someone everyday.  Don’t go to bed at night if you haven’t.  It’s not that difficult.  A simple email or phone call is all it takes.  A pat on the back or smile can brighten anyone’s day.  Do it daily, and watch the difference you make around you.  You’ll be encouraged to see it!

Are You Tangled?

This morning when I was getting ready for my weekly women’s bible study, my daughter came to me and asked if her hair was brushed “good.” I took a glance at it and noticed it could use a little help so I grabbed a brush and started going to town. She had been brushing it for quite a while (for some reason it takes her FOREVER to brush her hair because she gets distracted) with a “nice brush” as we like to call them at our house and it wasn’t really going anywhere. It made it look better than before, but it never really got all the tangles out. When I came in with the “mean brush” the tangles came out, but, unfortunately they didn’t go away without some discomfort.
As I was brushing her hair it dawned on me that this is what our lives are like many times. We have so-called tangles in our lives from various things, either from the past or just all the crazy stuff that’s going on around us and we like to try to get rid of them ourselves. We know that if we fix it by ourselves that we can control the level of discomfort that is going to take place. The problem with this is that we, most times, will use the “nice brush” which only makes our hair look better, but not really get all of the tangles out. We are unable, without the help of Jesus, to get the difficult tangles out of our lives. If we allow him to come in with the “brush” that hurts a little, or sometimes even a lot, we will see things become untangled much quicker and better than we could ever do it ourselves with the “nice brush.”
So many of us have lots of deep hurts in our lives…things that nobody even really knows about. We get hurt by a friend or a family member or some other reason and we seem to bury the problem or pain and hope that it will eventually go away. It becomes a “tangle” that God wants to remove from your life so that you can be whole. It’s not always easy to look at the past issues or even deal with present problems, but God cares about YOU deeply. Sure, He cares about where you are going in life, who your spouse might be or even your next step in your career, but God deeply cares about seeing you become whole. He wants you to live a life of freedom. He wants to touch those deep parts of who you are and “get the tangles out” so you can be completely open and whole in His presence. His desire is for deep intimacy with us so that we can trust Him with whatever is going on in our lives. I believe that He wants us to walk through the pain with Him, not just bury it or try to push it aside. That never fixes anything.
I know for me, when God uses His “brush” it might hurt, but I’ve never felt so much love and even joy while he’s taking me through the process. When I’ve come out on the other side, my life is even more beautiful and free than it ever was before, and, on top of it all, I’ve experienced a new level of intimacy with Jesus that will never ever be taken away from me.
Trust God to get the tangles out of your life…ask Him where he wants to start, and he will show you. It is so worth it!

Can I Have this Dance?

What power there can be in a simple moment. God never ever ceases to amaze me with his overwhelming, beautiful, powerful love that he has for us…for me. Even as I write this I’m having a hard time holding back the tears…Yes, Jesus loves me. He loves me so much, way more than I can come close to comprehending. He really, truly, loves me with all the love He can give. I have no idea why, but He does.
A lot has been going on in my life lately. Things have gotten confusing because of some decisions we’ve made, and other decisions that have been presented to us. Decisions that will completely change our lives yet again. I’ve honestly grown very tired of having to be in a “transitional” state of life. It feels like we’ll never be settled. Of course, the great promise of God is that we always know where we belong if we’re with Him. He truly is the only thing constant in life, and I’ve been holding on to Him very tightly lately. Today while I was walking at the park, laying in the fall sun, and just trying to spend some time with Jesus, my mind was on other things. I was praying about everything going on, praying for friends, family, and just thinking even about all that I had to do. I’ve been feeling physically bad the past few days as well, so I was rather “blah” you might say while I was out there. Every now and then I’ll decide to put the ipod on shuffle, where I don’t have the control of what’s coming up next, and that’s what I did today. I was thinking about all of these things and as I looked down to see what was coming up next the song “Can I have this Dance?” from High School Musical 3 flashed across the screen. I heard Jesus loud and clear speaking directly to my heart, asking me a simple question: “Can I have this dance?” Tears immediately came and God showed me once again in one simple moment just how much he loves me.

What a powerful moment that was for me. In the midst of turmoil, sickness, and hurt Jesus came to me and simply wanted me. Nothing else. He didn’t want all the ways I serve him or anything that I could do for Him, He wanted my heart. He wanted to dance with me. So we did. I sobbed and sobbed to my best friend, the lover of my soul, the one who makes all things new…and that’s just what he did again. He caused my heart to well up with his amazing love and filled me to overflowing...all in an instant.

A simple question from Jesus: “Can I have this dance?” Amidst all of the crazy things going on in life, he gently asks, “Can I have this dance? I want to dance with you and love on you…I want to fill your heart and let you know just how special you are to me. I long to look into your eyes, face to face, so you can see just how much I delight in you. I desire for you to know that I love you, just the way you are and there is no one else like you. There is nothing more you can do to gain my attention…you’ve already captured me. I think about you all the time. Oh, you are so beautiful to me and I just want you…nothing else. Trust me, and I’ll lead the way. You’ll be safe with me…don’t be afraid to fall, I’ll catch you through it all.”
So, in the midst of the busyness of life, Jesus is whispering, “Can I have this dance?” In the middle of hardship, pain, or even joy, “can I have this dance?” When you feel like you’ve failed and you’re not worthy of anyone’s love, Jesus asks you, “Can I have this dance?” What an amazing gesture of love from our Father to us. A simple question that speaks volumes to one’s heart. “Why would God want to dance with me?”, you might ask. Simply because of His great love, and the fact that you are beautiful. Forget about everything else…all the struggles, sin, fear, insecurity, and everything else that might be getting in the way, and when you hear Him ask “Can I have this dance?” run into his arms and let him sweep you away in His presence. What an amazing Lord we serve.

Jesus Wept..The Amazing Compassion of our God

Jesus Wept

This one scripture alone has been known for being the shortest, easiest verse in the Bible to remember. If you ever want to memorize a scripture, there it is…John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”
It wasn’t until tonight that I truly understood the power of those words. Jesus, the son of God, creator of the world and everything in it, the one who knows all the hairs on my head, who flung the stars into the sky, and who is bigger and more powerful than any other….he wept. Why in the world would the man, God, have any need in weeping? Why would he show this apparent weakness? (at least the world would call it that)
If you know me at all, you know that crying is something that I’ve tried not to do too much of throughout my life. I grew up in a home where we never really talked openly about our feelings and I never truly felt as if I could open up my heart to anyone. I always wanted to be able to cry, but never felt released to do so. I had to be the strong one, I mean, after all there really is nothing to cry about, right? Nothing could possibly be so wrong in my life that I would need to shed any tears over it. Wrong!
As I was spending time with Jesus this evening, he reassured me that it’s ok to be broken. It’s ok to let your heart be vulnerable. In fact, in these moments is when God seems to touch my heart the deepest. It’s ok to weep. After all, Jesus wept. Jesus, the king of all kings, had reason to shed tears, and so do I.
This passage is telling the story of when Jesus came to Mary, Martha, and Lazarus’s house after a journey to visit. He knew and even waited two extra days before he decided to go, knowing all along that Lazarus was sick and would die. When he arrived the sisters and all the Jews that were there were in tears. They had lost their brother, so their hearts were broken. This is the good part…Jesus wept with them. This man who had all the answers, the power to heal and raise from the dead, took time to weep with those who were weeping. He had compassion on them and displayed just how deep his love extends to those who are hurting. He didn’t correct or rebuke. He didn’t even raise Lazarus immediately. He wept. This hit me, and it hit me hard. If Jesus weeps, then I can feel free to do the same. His friends were broken. They had just lost their brother, and he felt their loss deeply, so he shed tears along with them. What an amazing man.
I know when I’m broken, many times I’ll try to talk myself out of it. I’ll feel like a failure, as if I should have more faith, or as if something so trite shouldn’t affect me this deeply. All I know is that I’ve been in tears a lot lately, and God has met me. He has shown me his compassion. He has wept with me, held me, and been more patient with me in my struggles than I could ever have hoped. I feel no condemnation, even though I feel the way I do.
As I was praying, He was with me, encouraging me though, that it doesn’t stop with Him simply weeping. He weeps with us, shows us deep compassion, and then what happens after that in the story? He raises the dead! All these trials, all the brokenness, all the pain…what does it end in? A resurrection! One that no one was expecting, after all Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. Wow. God is just like that. One day we’re broken, crying out, and the next moment God comes in and resurrects the dead. He lifts us out of our brokenness, touches our heart and sets us free. He takes the place in our heart and makes it new again. He takes our situation and completely makes it new. What an amazing, compassionate, powerful, resurrecting God we serve. I love learning about his great love for us…a love that I will never know fully until I meet him face to face. Thank you for weeping with me, Jesus, and better yet, for the victory you constantly bring to my life. There is none like you!

You Stoop Down to Make ME Great

YOU Stoop Down to Make ME Great…

I love Psalm 18. It has to be one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. David was writing this after God had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from Saul, who was trying to put him to death. David was rejoicing in God, his Rock and Deliverer. He is explaining that when he, the man after God’s own heart, cried out to the Lord, how powerfully God came and rescued him. In verse 6 David, in his distress, called to the Lord and cried to his God for help. It says that from His temple God heard David’s voice and that his cry came before him, into his ears. Then God responds in such an amazing way…as only God can do for the child that He loves. In verses 7-19 the Psalm explains how God was angry at David’s enemies and the earth trembled and quaked. God parted the heavens and came down, shot his arrows and scattered the enemies. He did not sit still. His child, who was righteous in his sight, cried to him and He heard…and acted. He not only comforted David, He routed the enemy with great force and placed David in a safe place. In verse 19 “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Later, in verse 35 David writes “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not turn.” What a great God we serve!
Our God delights in us! God delights in me! He loves me, saves me, rescues me when I am in trouble and sets my feet on a place where I can walk. He makes me great. He does all this out of his amazing love for me. All I have to do is ask.
So many times I’m going through a difficult time in life and I never ask for help when I desperately need it. I think to myself that I can handle it. Many times I don’t even think to ask God, and if I do ask God I don’t really expect Him to do anything. That wasn’t David’s cry when his life was about to be taken from him. He was desperate for God to move. He was crying out to God to save him…and He did. Sometimes I think we’re not really desperate enough for God to move. Maybe our physical life might not be at stake like David’s was, but our spiritual life, emotions and faith are being attacked and we just sit back and let the devil beat us up. Why in the world don’t we ask for help? We seem to have this false view that it’s wrong for us to be praying and believing God to move in our life. I mean, why should I ask God for anything for me when there are people out there who have real problems? Mine are only miniscule compared to everyone else’s. Well, maybe that’s the problem right there, and a lie from straight from the enemy. We compare ourselves to others and because of this sell ourselves short of God’s best for us. God has a desire to give us HIS best…yes, even to me and you. It’s not only for other people. He wants to rescue YOU and ME…not only him or her. It’s absolutely NOT selfish to cry out to God and ask for help. It’s not selfish to believe God for his favor, protection, peace, and prosperity for YOUR life, since it is a promise from Him because He delights in you. Sure, other people are all needy as well, and of course God wants us to help and pray for others, but we are only truly responsible for taking care of ourselves. If we don’t take care of ourselves and cry out to God to move in our lives, how can we truly expect to ever really help anyone else?
I know in my life when I’m loving on Jesus and experiencing him and His presence on a daily basis I have a great desire to bless others and help meet their needs. When my “love tank” is full, I want to give, and it’s easy to give. If I’m struggling every day, wondering why I do what I do, and have no direction in my own life, then there is no way that I can listen to the voice of God to be an encouragement to someone else. It’s only when we’re full of the Holy Spirit and walking in step with Him that we can truly put others needs before our own, like the scripture says to do.
So, do you believe that you’re great? Do you believe you have what it takes to do what God has called you to do, or are you letting the world dictate your life and being tossed back and forth without direction or purpose? Remember, YOUR needs are important. God delights in you and longs to fill your heart with more of the fullness of his love every single day. He wants YOUR heart to be well, so you can truly love others and serve them out of the joy inside, and not out of obligation. God stoops down to make YOU great!