I love to think of life as a story.

A story being written as we move and breathe.

The Bible says God is the "author" of our faith,

and I have to believe that He pens our day much like a modern-day author pens a novel.

I've read a lot of books on writing and what I've learned is that many times writers allow their characters to make decisions they had not "planned" as the storyline moves along.

While the author holds the writing utensil, he often allows the characters in his story to help reveal the plot.

I think God is that kind of author.

He knows how the story ends, but He gives freedom to each of us as we move through our own personal journeys.

I love seeing God as this kind of writer and Creator.

I also love knowing that as each chapter of life ends,

He's already thinking about the next chapter, and His plans are always good......

even when we've made decisions that weren't so good along the way.

And even when life has been painful,

He can write beautiful things back into our story.

Great stories have tough chapters.

Great stories have dramatic plot lines.

God is the author of great stories.

And He is with us as each chapter ends.

This week is a big week for many kids I love.

They are going to end their high school chapter and venture into the next chapter.

I'm excited to see what God has planned for each them as He continues to pen their personal stories.

Maybe you are nearing the end of a specific chapter in your life.

If so, know that God is already working on the next chapter.

And know that He has already written a beautiful ending to all of our stories.

Sometimes it's easier to end one chapter and start a new one when I know a book will ultimately have a happy ending.

I'm so thankful God allowed us to see the happy ending He has for each of us as we walk (and sometimes stumble) through the part of our story that takes place on Earth.

I'm reading  a book right now entitled,

Sacred Rhythm-A Journey to Spiritual Transformation.

In the chapter I read this morning, the author shared research from brain specialist, Joseph Chilton.

In his research of the brain, he discovered that just as many adults experience a mid-life journey to find deeper meaning in life, teenagers also have a brain spurt related to how they see reality.

During this time in their development, this is what they need:

Adults who model a meaningful life.

When teens don't experience adults who help them find a deeper purpose and meaning for living,

they can become "profoundly frustrated."

Researcher Joseph Chilton believes this is why we are seeing an increase in teen violence.

Teens  need to see meaning

in the adult world.

"When teens moves into adulthood without having discovered a deeper sense of meaning and purpose of existence, their disillusionment can settle into a profound (and sometimes very subtle) cynicism and emotional detachment that is opposite of the hope, passion, and energy that are basic to the Christian faith."

This morning, I'm thinking of all the amazing men and women I know who model life with a deep sense of purpose and meaning,

and

I am overwhelmed with thankfulness.

As you walk through your day today,

look for opportunities to impact the next generation in a way that helps them discover a deeper reason for living than simply "to exist."

This world needs purpose-filled people.

This world needs passion-filled people.

This world needs hope-filled people.

Our teenagers need us to be those kind of people in their lives today.

As the mom of two teenagers, I am so incredibly thankful for all of you who are already those very kind of people to my kids!

Praying for all of you today and truly feeling that in so many ways "my cup overflows."

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a

light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

No matter how uncertain the future seems.

No matter how unclear.

God longs to lead the way down a path of purpose.

Hoping you'll turn to His Words today.

They make all the difference.

I've been reading this morning about the importance of "walking by faith, not by sight,"

about "God-sized assignments,"

about "hearing God's call and responding."

I've sat here wondering what in the world I'm doing in my life right now that requires any more than human strength.

I work, and yes it's stressful at times, but lots of people have stressful jobs.

I'm a mom, and yes, I fail often; but lots of women are struggling moms who keep trying over and over again.

I'm a wife who messes up daily but keeps  pressing on, but I know lots of other wives just like me.

I lead a Sunday school class.

I go to jail for Bible study when it's my turn on the rotation list.

I pray with friends who are hurting........

but what am I doing that is God-sized?

What am I involved with that could not be happening without God's strength and power?

I am energized by God-sized assignments.

I find my deepest joy when I am in the midst of something only God can do.

Today, I'm praying for a God-sized assignment.

That's a scary but exciting prayer.

I don't want to step out ahead of Him,

but I do want to step out.

Maybe He's calling you to step out too.

Maybe you already know what He's asking of you and you've been holding back thinking "there's no way this or that could happen."

Trust Him today if He's calling you to do something you can only do with His help.

The world needs to see Christians living out God-sized assignments in order for them to see God working in this world.

I'm not sure what my next assignment will be, but I want to be ready.

I want you to be ready too.

Can you imagine a world filled with people living out God-sized assignments?

"Jesus looked at them and said,

'With man this is impossible,

but not with God;

all things are possible with God.'"

Mark 10:27

This morning I've been reading news stories about the missing girls in Cleveland who were miraculously discovered this week.

One of the girls broke free and began screaming at the front door of the house in which they were being held captive as a man walked by.

He came to her rescue and now their lives have been changed forever.

As the mom of a teenager a daughter, news stories like this terrify me.

To think someone could hold girls in captivity for 10 years is simply more than my mind can absorb.

But as I read some of the comments from neighborhood citizens,

I found myself becoming a little angry at mankind in general.

How can we live so "blind" to the things around us?

One story said that a small girl could often be seen standing and staring out the attic window.

Another said screaming could be heard from within the house at times and that the windows were all covered in some sort of plastic.

Another said that several years ago a woman was seen crawling naked on her hands and knees in the back yard.

The police were called on a couple of occasions.

They responded to the calls,

knocked on the door, and then left when no one answered.

I guess that was enough for the people who had made the call.

Ever since I heard about this story in Cleveland, I have been thinking of all the other families around the world who are still holding pictures of their missing children.

I watched one interview of a Houston couple whose daughter has been missing for three years.

Crying, they held up her photograph, begging anyone to come forward who had any information about their daughter.

The $20,000 reward doesn't hold a candle to the worth of holding their daughter in their arms again.

Over 7,000 missing persons' reports are filed every year in Houston alone!

Many are found.

Many are not.

So, how should the Cleveland story change us???

It should cause us all to open our eyes.

It should make us all more aware of our surroundings.

It should compel us all to report unusual activity to the police.

Pray for every parent who falls asleep tonight not knowing where their child is sleeping......or if they are even alive.

I remember when Adrienne died -

The devastation of knowing she was gone from our home forever.

The thought of her not being in her crib ever again.

But I also remember saying to my mom one night not longer after her funeral,

"At least I know where she is."

Twenty-one years ago I was keenly aware that there are parents who wake up every morning not knowing where their children are waking up.

That broke my heart then and it breaks my heart now.

Today as the story in Cleveland continues to unfold,

let's remember all the families who are watching and hoping for the same kind of miracle for their child.

God will certainly avenge all the wrong of this world in His time.

He will redeem all the lost years.

Until then, we have got to do our part as citizens and Christians in an extremely broken world.

Praying more specifically today for families with missing children.

Asking God for more miracles like the one in Cleveland.

I love to imagine my life from God's perspective.

I love to see wherever I'm at in any given situation as a dot on a map that gets smaller and smaller as it is viewed from a place further and further up in the sky.

When I am able to keep this kind of perspective on my shortcomings and my schedule,

everything seems less "dramatic."

My inability to cook very well.

My inability to sew.

My tendency to wear my feelings on my sleeve.

My emotional highs and lows.

My insecurities.

My grief.

My complicated personality.

My list of things I need to do.

My responsibilities at home and work.

My moments of not being the friend I want to be to those I love.......or the wife or mom or daughter or sister or sister-in-law or  aunt or cousin or on and on and on....

When I see "me" from God's perspective,

I realize that anything I do well is truly about as insignificant as anything I don't do well.

Not because God doesn't care from His high position,

but because He keeps all my strengths and weaknesses in a healthy perspective compared to all other things going on in this world.

When I view my tiny life as a dot on a gigantic map of people and places covering an entire globe,

I am humbled and comforted at the same time.

Which is why I think this morning is an important morning to see "the test" from God's perspective.

Our county is entering testing week this morning.

Many schools in America may have already had this critical week of school and many others may be heading into it in the next couple of weeks,

but for Carter County this week is the week.

Teachers have worked hard all year to teach the content.

They've invested time, money, and energy helping their students learn as much as they can learn.

They've creatively encouraged the kids to do their very best in pre-testing spirit weeks.

Click HERE to see some of the things our teachers have done to inspire their students.

Now the time has come.

Teachers will hand out test booklets and pencils.

Students will take their tests.

Results will be calculated.

Data will be analyzed.

The stress level is high in a test-driven society.

But, I just feel compelled this morning to remind everyone to view this week from God's perspective.

We are tiny dots on a world map,

and this test is even tinier than us.

So, take a deep breath.

Hand out your tests and breathe.

It's going to be okay.

And students, do your best and let God do the rest.

God's got the whole world in His hands,

so He's got this test in His hands too.

And He's got all our other worries and stresses too.

Matt. 10:29-30

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?

Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care.

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Today, remember this:

His eye is on the sparrow.

His eye is on you too.

Rest in that truth.

You are loved.

I've been working through my Experiencing God workbook for the past six weeks.

I've learned how important it is for us to remember these truths as we walk through every new day:

God is always at work around us.

He is constantly pursuing a relationship with us.

He invites us to become involved in His work.

He speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal His plans, His purposes, and His ways.

His invitation often leads to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.

We often have to make major adjustments in our lives to join Him where He's working.

We come to know God by experience as we obey Him and He accomplishes His work through us.

I looked ahead yesterday and noticed today's devotion was about how important it is to have God's perspective when we face difficult circumstances.

I almost read it yesterday, because I was so anxious to see what it said.

I'm kind-of glad I didn't then, but I'm glad I did today. 

Because today I had also read about God's faithfulness in the book of Psalms.

The author of the devotion shared about a time when his daughter had cancer.

He shared about how her chemo was suppose to last eight months and what a horrible time it was in their lives.

He then shared about rallying prayer warriors all over the world, and how after three months, the doctor's couldn't believe it when her cancer was gone.

Of course he went on to talk about how God worked a miracle and how the prayer lives of thousands were strengthened because of what God did for them. 

The final blow for me was this statement,

"I knew immediately that my job was to "declare the wonderful works of the Lord" to His people."

AAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's where I struggled.

I had prayed for the same kind of story with Nick.

I had promised God I would declare forever His power and glory if He healed Nick, because I knew that thousands were praying for Nick too.........

waiting to see God's healing power displayed in a mighty way.

We even had a thumbs-up cloud as a promise of God's presence in our pain and suffering.

But, as you probably know by now, if you've walked through life long enough with our family,

that God chose to answer our prayer for Nick's healing in a completely eternal way.

Nick was definitely, wholly, perfectly healed.

But his healing led to our brokenness.

So, our reality isn't the reality we prayed for, fasted for, and longed for.

No.

God has called us to a different kind of testimony.

A testimony that involves rejoicing with others even when our hearts are aching.

Watching Nick's friends  and classmates get their caps and gowns yesterday as I entered the high school,

Seeing the huge grins on their faces as I took their pictures,

Realizing that graduation will be a milestone for them that is just the beginning of a big life here on earth,

this is where we've been called to live.

And sometimes reading a devotion in which the writer shares a different kind of cancer story hurts.

But, today as I was reading and hurting,

I was also reminded.

I was reminded that Nick is still smiling and that his story is still changing lives.

I was reminded that "death has no sting" when eternity with God follows.

I was reminded that after the cloud, God gave us a special rupee when we visited India!

And I was reminded that He led me to do some research when I got home from that trip that uncovered pictures of

Thumbs up Mountain in Manmad, India.

God then reminded me of Psalm 121,

I lift up my eyes to the mountains-
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He reminded me that the heavens are the cloud and the earth is the mountain.

Our help comes from Him.

Just as He walked beside us through Nick's fight with cancer,

He walks with us in our grief.

Sometimes reading devotions can hurt.

But they can also remind.

I hope today even if you find life painful you will be reminded that God loves you and He is with you.......

every single step of today and tomorrow and the next day.

No matter what happens.

He is with you.

Even when life hurts.

And because of this truth, you can smile today.

You really can!!

I guess this week is all about confessing........

So, here I go.

My morning started with words from social media.

One little tweet.

Words I somehow absorbed personally.

Words that made me feel "not good enough" or "inadequate."

Truly, I read too much into words that weren't even met for me,

but somehow they hung over me as I made my coffee and tried to make it to my Bible.

I confessed my shallowness to Tim.

It felt better just saying it out loud, just knowing someone heard me and "got" my moment of insecurity.

Have you ever been affected negatively by social media?

I read recently that there is actually a new type of diagnosable depression linked to social media caused by feelings exactly like the one I was experiencing this morning.

Good grief!  I don't need to go there!

As soon as I realized I was being distracted by less than 140 characters on a screen,

I understood on a personal level how easily this happens if we allow ourselves to be distracted by words on a regular basis.

I then started questioning everything about Twitter, about Facebook, about blogs, about all the ways we communicate to large groups of people.

As I prayed and read the Bible after starting my day with such a moment of inner turmoil,

I realized God understands the power of words more than I ever will.

He spoke the world into existence with words.

He called prophets and priests and kings with words.

He healed with words.

He forgave with words.

He challenged with words.

He made promises with words.

But most of all, He is the Word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

Today, I'm sensing that God is saying,

"Let me distract you from the world.  Don't let the world distract you from Me."

See, the devil imitates everything God is.

He's a deceiver.

He's everything God isn't.

So he's not a creator of anything new.

He's a user of anything old.

And doesn't he love to use words to pull us away from the Living Word?

This morning the devil distracted me with words.

I am thankful for a God who is gracious enough to understand my distraction and use it to pull me closer to Him.

If you feel distracted by Tweets, Facebook, blogs, or any other type of words this world sends your way,

ask God to transform those very words into a message from Him.

The devil is relentless.

But so is God.

Turn the world's temporary words into a journey closer to the Eternal Word.

It's the only way we're going to survive in a word-filled world.

I'm thankful for His Words this morning.

And oh, so thankful for each of you.

I'm praying for all of you today.

Praying you are distracted by His Words.

Yesterday, I went out on a limb and opened up a little about a very private part of my life.......

My marriage.

I did this because I knew it was time to step out and admit that the one part of my life that has been the most difficult to hold together through all the pain and loss over the years has been my relationship with Tim.

He'd say the same thing if you asked him.

We've had some ugly fights.

We've said some ugly words.

We've held grudges.

We've dug up the past.

We've walked out on each other.

We've pretended everything is good even when it wasn't.

We've mastered fake smiles on many occasions.

But.......

somehow, someway

We've come out on the other side of all our pain

and

we're still together.

We didn't get our earthly miracle with Nick.

(Believe me, this is still the hardest thing in life for us to swallow.)

But, the fact that we are still married is the earthly miracle we did get.

And since I know and believe Nick received the best possible option......

eternity in Heaven - complete healing - no more pain or tears,

I'm learning to be thankful for the earthly miracle God knew we needed.

So, now that it's out......

Now that you know that while my relationship with God has grown stronger and stronger through the years

my relationship with Tim has been more of an up and down series of unfortunate events,

I feel a sense of freedom.

I  learned yesterday through inbox messages and texts that we are not alone in our up and down, high and low, good and bad marriage.

That's what happens when you're honest.

You find out that people all around you are just like you.

Struggling

Hurting

Questioning

Trying

Hoping

And you realize that trying to pretend gets you nowhere fast.

So, when you see me and Tim out and about know this.

We are a messed-up pair of people who love each other in spite of every wrong thing about both of us.

And truly isn't that what love is all about?

Accepting flaws

Forgiving failures

Understanding weaknesses

Admitting mistakes

God is in the love business.

I think that's why the Bible compares the church to the Bride of Christ over and over again.

God knew marriage was work.

And He knows loving the church is work too.

The world is watching Christian marriages.

It's watching because Christian marriages are the closest thing to what God's love for the world looks like.

So, today,

I hope you'll be honest with someone about whatever you're dealing with in life.

In your honesty, I think you'll discover others who have the same pain, the same struggle, the same hurt.

And together you can face things impossible to face alone.

The devil loves to isolate us in our pain.

Honesty scares him, because honesty brings people together.

Where two or three are gathered, the Bible promises that God is also there.

Reach out today.

Be honest today.

It will change everything about tomorrow.......