Who's Hand Are You Holding?

One of my earliest memories of my Daddy is of his hands. I remember being in our small Nazarene church in Santa Fe, New Mexico, sitting on the pew between him and Mom. At some point during the preaching, I took Daddy's big hand in my tiny ones and played with his fingers. I remember turning his hand over and studying the lines there, bending fingers back and forth, and basically entertaining myself. Daddy was an Engineer for the highway department by day, but on the weekends he used his hands to build a beautiful Santa Fe-style adobe home our family lived in for 55 years. His hands were not soft and smooth, but had calluses and strength. Daddy wasn't showy with his affections, but those hands comforted me and told me I could trust him to take care of me. He never let me down.

The above picture not only brings back that sweet memory, but it also reminds me that my "Daddy" in heaven wants to take me by the hand. His scars are available for me to touch, to run my fingers over, and to know the love that spilled out of him for me as he hung on that cross.

"But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them--sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute." Isaiah 42:16 The Message

As I'm preparing to attend the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference next week, I'm thankful for these words. God has all my tomorrows in his hands. He knows the roads I need to take and the roads I need to avoid. He already knows the books I'll write and the book ideas that might not ever make it into print. I trust him to open doors that will lead to new opportunities and close doors that should remain closed for my good even if I don't understand. His plans and purposes for me have been in place since before I was born. The work he has for me to do is already prepared. I don't have to do anything more than take his hand and walk into them. Isn't that great news?! No struggles! No forcing my way onto a road I wasn't supposed to be on. No fear and no regrets. Just peace, joy, and fulfillment, knowing I'm exactly where God wants me to be, doing exactly what God wants me to do.

Have you fallen into a ditch because you weren't holding fast to Abba's hand? I've been there too, friend. Thankfully he doesn't leave us there to wallow in the mud and muck. He'll offer his hand over and over, until we finally understand that holding onto his hand is the ONLY way to travel through life.

Tomorrow is unknown to every single one of us. Like the passage above says, it's "unknown country." When we travel to places we've never been, it's so much better when we have a knowledgeable guide who knows the area, the attractions, the sketchy and dangerous places where we shouldn't go. That's exactly what our Father is offering. He'll show us the roads to take, and he'll protect us along the way. 

All we have to do is take our Father's hand!

Who's hand are you holding?

Blessings,

Michelle

What is a Friend?

If you look up the definition of the word friend, this is what you might find:

a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.

Over the years I've been blessed with many, many wonderful friends. My first friend was my older sister Kim. Just two and a half years older than me, there's no telling how many hours we spent together playing, reading, arguing, loving. We were lucky to have two little girls our age live across the street and another one next door, despite living out in the country on a dirt road. I cherish sweet memories of summer days spent with Paula, Valerie, and Lori, riding our bikes, having water gun fights, and sleeping under the stars. 

When I started school, God blessed me with a friend who would be a rock in my adolescent life. Kathy and I were in the same 4th grade class and became best friends. We lost touch during our junior high years when we went to different schools, but once we hit high school the friendship was reborn and continues to this day. She even put up with me as a roommate our freshman year of college. 

After I transferred to a college in Oklahoma, where I knew not a living soul, I had to trust God to bring me some new friends. He did, in a mighty way. My roommate Sherry and our neighbor in the dorm, Susie, remain two of my dearest friends. We try to get together for a girls' weekend every few years, and oh, the wild and crazy fun we have!! To top it off, each of us married tall, handsome men named Brian! Another college friend, Teri, and I shared our first apartment together. I can't even tell you how many boxes of mac and cheese we ate that year! 

Of course, the greatest blessing that came out of my college days is meeting my bestest friend and love of my life. Brian and I have been together 34+ years. I can't imagine life without his solid strength and love. Now that we're empty nesters, we've enjoyed becoming a couple again. Our Friday night burger date is a highlight of our week. He truly is my best friend and favorite human on the planet!

Some of the sweetest friendships I've made as an adult have come from my church family. We have friends we've known for 30 or more years and still enjoy hanging out with them. Our Texas gang --Tim, Terri, Eddie, Rhonda, Bob and Tamera-- will always be our treasured friends despite the distance that separates us now. When we moved, we knew making new friends was a must. Our co-worker Brenda has become a dear friend, and we're gradually meeting folks at church. I also cherish the friends I've made in the writing world, like Pam and Paula. 

So THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHOM I'VE CALLED FRIEND! I hope I've been a good friend to you too!

But looking back at all the friendships I've enjoyed over the years, I realize there is one that is far different from all the others. It's a friendship that began before I was born, really. This Friend will never, ever let me down. He will never grow weary of my presence, he'll forgive my mistakes immediately, and he'll always be available when I call. He listens to me whine, cry, laugh, and sing. He picks me up when I fall and carries me when I'm too weary to walk. When I'm afraid, he's right there, ready to comfort and do battle if necessary. He even thinks I'm cool enough to be his neighbor and has prepared an eternal home for me. In fact, he loves me so much he willingly took the punishment for my ugly, horrid, despicable sin. He literally died for me. Would any of the friends I've listed above do that for me? Would I do that for them? If we're being honest, I believe the answer to both questions is no. 

Is Jesus your friend? He can be. He wants to be! One of my favorite hymns growing up was "What a Friend." It may seem a bit old fashioned to some, but the words of it are still as true as the day it was written. I'll leave you with it and pray that each person who pops into the blog today will know Jesus as their very best friend! 

Blessings,

~Michelle 

Fasting ... Is it Still Relevant to Christians in 2016?

I love food! I don't like to cook, but I do love to eat! Growing up I was a pretty picky eater, but these days you can put just about anything in front of me and I will happily gobble it up! Mmmm!

So when God started calling me to a day of fasting each week, I wasn't exactly hopping for joy. Shamefully, I had only fasted a few times in my life, despite having grown up in the church. (Here's a link to my testimony.) Fasting isn't fun. It is sacrifice. And like most of you, I'm not too anxious to sacrifice what I hold dear. Some folks fast from something during Lent, but God was calling me to something more regular. Like ... one day every week. Every week?? Wow. Could I do that? I hadn't been too great at fasting in the past, so I didn't have much confidence in myself.

But God wouldn't let it go. After a few weeks of knowing in my spirit what He wanted me to do, I gave in. That doesn't sound real spiritual, eh? Giving in. But that's kinda how I felt.

"Okay, Lord," I said, already missing my favorite meals. "You're gonna have to help me do this."

I decided what day of the week I would fast and what meals. I won't spill the details here, because fasting is not supposed to be a public display for all the world to see. It's between you and God. It is a very personal act of worship and obedience.

From the get-go, God led me to Isaiah 58, a chapter with the heading "True Fasting." I encourage you to read it, because God has some very specific things to say about what fasting is and what fasting is not. I read this chapter each week on my fasting day to remind me that what I'm doing is not about me. It's not even about food. It's about being obedient to what the Father asked me to do.

Some Christians don't believe fasting is relevant to us today. "Isn't that an Old Testament practice?" they ask. Why should Christians in 2016 fast? Well, the answer I give to that question is the same answer I give to a few other questions:

Why should Christians in 2016 pray? Because Jesus did. (Matthew 6:9-14)

Why should Christians in 2016 be baptized? Because Jesus was. (Matthew 3:13-17)

Why should Christians in 2016 read the Bible?  Because Jesus loved the scriptures. (Luke 4:17-21)

Why should Christians in 2016 go to church? Because Jesus did, regularly. (Luke 4:16)

Why should Christians in 2016 fast? Because Jesus did. (Matthew 4:1-2)

If we are going to wear his name -- Christ -- then we must be Christlike. In all things. No where in my Bible do I find an expiration date on fasting or praying or attending church. On the contrary, I find plenty of instructions to do these things continually. In Matthew 6:5 Jesus said, "When you pray ..." He didn't say "if" you pray. In verse 16 he said, "When you fast ..." Again, he didn't say "if" you fast. The Apostle Paul also encourages us--New Testament Christians--to pray, to fast, to attend church regularly, to read the scriptures, and to be baptized.

So, let's answer the question I posted in the title of this blog. Is fasting still relevant to Christians in 2016? Answer: a resounding YES, it is!!

In my prayer journal, I wrote down the date I started fasting: September 28, 2015. I am happy to say I have kept up with fasting once a week for an entire year now. I don't say that to get pats on my back, or to toot my horn, or to claim to be holier than thou. I simply state it with a grateful heart for what God is teaching me through my day of fasting. I truly, truly look forward to that day now. Instead of eating a meal, I spend time in prayer. When my tummy starts to growl in the afternoon, I stop and thank God for the provision he has always given me. Several HUGE prayer requests have been answered in the past year, too. If you have never fasted, or if it's been a while since you fasted, I highly encourage you to incorporate fasting into your regular worship time with God.

I'll leave you with these beautiful promises from God found in Isaiah 58:8-9. Promises to those who are sincere in their fasting:

"Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say, "Here am I."

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