Mikki's Blog – Living in the Grace and Love of God

Jan

Mercies in Disguise: Finding God in Your Trials

By Mikki · Comments (0)

broken heart Seasons of trials and troubles, pain and suffering, disappointments and dying dreams can leave all of us with more questions than answers. We find ourselves unable to box our theological answers as neatly as before. We wrestle with questions like, “Where are you, God?” “Why have you deserted me?” “Are you real, God?” In our trials, we reach for our false strengths and we find that they were only illusions. Read more...

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Categories : God encounters, Pain, Pain and suffering, brokenness, seasons

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Jan

Seize the Day!

By Mikki · Comments (1)

A few years ago the movie "Dead Poets Society" resurrected a Latin phrase, Carpe Diem, or Seize the Day, an exhortation to live life to the fullest, getting the most out of each individual day.

I thought of that phrase this morning as I read Ecclesiastes 9. Ecclesiastes is not on the top of my reading list, but I found myself there today. Throughout the book, Solomon struggles with issues like the vanity and futility of life. Not exactly the book you turn to in order to be encouraged. Yet that is what I found in this passage!

Solomon’s journey had taken him through seasons of pursuing God wholeheartedly to times of seeking his own paths. His wrong choices left him empty, broken, and dis.heart.ened. He had lost heart.

Solomon had great wisdom, wealth, and every whim of his heart was his, yet his long season of pursuing selfish desires had left him disillusioned. We believe he wrote Ecclesiastes toward the end of his life. He reflected on his life and on life in general and shared what he had learned.

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?” … “I communed with my heart, saying, ‘Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge. And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 16-17).

Wow, that will stoke your fire, huh?

Chapter nine continues with Solomon’s exploration of how both good and bad come to all, “To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner,” (vs. 3). And just when you think you want to close the book before you are overcome with discouragement, he offers these truths:

“Go eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart: For God has already accepted your works. Let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life…Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going,” (cheerful, huh?) [verses 7-10].

And yet, there is a simple wisdom for us.

Enjoy the day. We don’t know what will come tomorrow. (Click post title to read entire post)

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Categories : Enjoying Life, Fullness of life, Real life issues, Relationships, failure

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Jan

The Day My Clothes Spoke to Me

By Mikki · Comments (1)

closet A new year. A new opportunity. A new day. A new beginning. Ah, the inspiration of it!

I spent part of New Year’s Eve cleaning out my clothes’ closet. I took everything out of my closet and laid the stuff in stacks around my room. Then I began. Toss. Keep. Give away. Store in a different place. Reorganize. Somehow the arrival of the New Year beckoned me to start over again. To think in new ways. To look for new strategies.

Magazine articles about decluttering and organization called to me.

I was in a ruthless mood. If I didn’t love it, it went no matter how much I wondered if it might come back into style in a year or if it might fit me better later.

The process became spiritual.

I picked up a blouse. I thought of my mother and her changing memory. The blouse represented a shopping trip we’d had. I felt saddened and a deeper realization of my time with her changing as she ages.

A dress touched my memory of days gone by and folks I love who I don’t really see anymore. Tears filled my eyes as I allowed the memory to fill my heart.

Another outfit took me back to a season of my life. Ah, those were good days.

The blouse I would wear for my anniversary this week. More smiles.

Ah, there was that item that needs hemming and one that needs a button. Read more...

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Categories : Change, Hearing God, Hope, New Year's Resolutions, seasons

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Dec

Remember, Reflect, Refocus, Resolve: Preparing for the New Year

By Mikki · Comments (0)

new year's My heart is filled with a quiet anticipation and traces of ambivalence. Another year is ending; a new one beginning. The very passage into a new year carries an innate sense of need to evaluate oneself. This self-evaluation, if done in truth, brings one face to face with the depths of one’s own depravity and the heights of one’s own glory for both are true of the human heart and life.

The end of the year beckons us to remember. What have we done well this year? Where have we gained ground? Have we grown spiritually, emotionally, and mentally? Where have we failed? Missed the mark? Wasted the treasure of life?

True reflection on one’s life can be painful, especially when we must admit that we didn’t keep any of those 2011 New Year’s Resolutions! Yet the purpose of our reflection is to refocus not to condemn.

How can we see and hear more clearly what God is saying to us at the end of a year?

While typical New Year’s Resolutions are things like spend more time with my family, organize more, lose weight, spend less money, etc., the commonality seems to be this need to refocus our lives.

How do we refocus our lives?

Intentional introspection requires a quiet spirit submitting to the voice of God who will lead us to remember, reflect, refocus, and resolve. Read more...

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Categories : Change, New Year's Resolutions

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Dec

Seeing Christmas Through the Gift of Myrrh

By Mikki · Comments (3)

myrrh I love meaningful gifts. What’s a meaningful gift? For me, it’s a gift that says you know me. You understand at least some of the essence of who I am. And it cannot be dishtowels. My hubby and kids all know that I hate getting dishtowels for Christmas (lol, can you tell that I get dishtowels every year from a certain beloved relative?)

The magi brought meaningful gifts to Jesus. Jesus, being just a small child, certainly couldn’t grasp the significance of the gifts but yet they were deeply meaningful. They were prophetic gifts. Frankincense, gold, and myrrh.

I wonder if Joseph and Mary kept the gifts, thought on their meaning, or perhaps, re-gifted? Nah…

This morning I’ve been pondering the gift of myrrh.

Myrrh is derived from tree sap. A tree is wounded, repeatedly, pierced to locate the resin deep inside the tree. The resin then begins to ooze from the cut, dripping out in tear-formed drops which are left to harden on the tree. Later this hardened resin is collected and transformed into something useful. Although myrrh tastes bitter, its fragrance is incredibly beautiful. In the days of Jesus, it was often used in burial and many times symbolized death.

How beautifully this gift spoke of Jesus’ life and death!

Does it speak of your life?

Have you been wounded in this life? Pierced deeply? Repeatedly? Do you have a bitter taste in your mouth from the woundedness?

How can your deep woundedness become a lovely fragrance?

Well, just like myrrh, it is a process that takes time. It costs. The process may involve pain, suffering, bitterness, and hardening, but God’s refining applied to the essence that flows out of our wounded places, can create an aroma that rises from our lives that is a gift. A gift to ourselves, a gift to others, and a gift to God.

Have the wounded places in your life become gifts?

What a great time to ponder the gift that we now have and enjoy that flows out of his wounds.

Mercies in Disguise: Finding God in Your Trials

Seize the Day!

The Day My Clothes Spoke to Me

Remember, Reflect, Refocus, Resolve: Preparing for the New Year

Seeing Christmas Through the Gift of Myrrh

Welcome to My Journey

Books I Love

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