A Lounge Chair Is For Lounging

Life has been complicated as of late. Many doors are closing and none appear to be opening in their place. I’m trying to continue praising in the hallway, yet I’m growing tired. Uncertainties plague my career, my education, my relationships, my future, my finances… I’ve felt as though the last two years have been a continual fight to survive and get back on my feet after the rug was pulled out from under me– I’m tired and am still not where I'd like to be. Anger has been rekindled. Emotions have run high and energy run dry. Thus, I decided to buy a lounge chair.

After our six-month, Pennsylvania winter, the few days we’ve had in the upper 70’s have felt like heaven on earth. I have taken on the task of “New Mexicoifying” my patio. I have terracotta pots with cactus in them (which I have to move inside on a daily basis so they don’t drown in the rain). Southwest pillows adorn my patio chairs and lizards decorate the fence. It’s my little slice of home! 

But, I desired a lawn chair. The kind you lay out by the pool in. I saw an advertisement for a store in town that was going to have a 50% off patio furniture sale.

So, I had one of my “I am woman” moments where I decide I’m perfectly capable of life on my own and don’t need help from anyone. I drove to the store to get the chair.

In the back of the department store, I was eye-level with the stack of loungers. Being determined and stubborn, I hoisted, grunted, lifted, and maneuvered the heavy chair off the stack (I only hit the wind chime display once!)

Now the task was to get it to the front of the store. Mind you, it is not exactly light. I flipped the chair upside down and balanced it on top of the excessively tiny cart. (Get the visual – tiny cart, lounge chair twice the size.) I start rolling it down the narrow aisles, using the legs of the chair to steer with.

The clerk at the checkout counter saw and heard me coming… “Wow. That’s impressive. Do you need help? We could really help you with that.”

“Nope! I got this. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Feeling proud of myself, I wheeled my lounger out to the parking lot. About halfway to my car, I considered that maybe I should have measured things first… 

I clicked open the trunk of my Hyundai Sonata and quickly decide that there was no way the lounger would fit in there. TaDa! The back seat. I threw open the side door and began to manhandle the chair with great determination. Other shoppers walked by – some stared – some laughed – this only fueled my determination. (It is also possible that I was talking to myself.)

Not even exaggerating, after 20 minutes of trying, a sweet old woman with a handicapped tag in her car window pulled up beside me. “Darling, do you need help?” She had to have been over 70. “No, Ma’am. Thank you though! I will get it.” The elderly woman placed the car in park and got out of her vehicle.

She walked toward me and placed her hand on my shoulder. “Sweetheart, I’ve been watching for a while. I know you really want this chair, but it’s just not going to fit.” I was annoyed, but knew she was right. What I really didn’t want to admit was that the chair was now stuck in the backseat.

Voluntarily, the old woman went to the other side of the back seat and began helping me wiggle the lounger out of the car. Once free, I thanked her and she drove away. All pride and power gone, I loaded the lounge chair back on the cart and went back inside to return my purchase. The clerk suggested I just leave it there since it was already paid for and “come back to try again tomorrow.”

I left feeling pretty defeated, frustrated and disappointed. Not to mention, embarrassed, hot, tired and sweaty. The next day I borrowed a friend’s SUV to return for the chair. Customer Service remembered me (after that spectacle, how could they not!) and one gentleman brought the chair out to the car for me. I opened the back of the SUV and the man placed the chair in the back. He closed the door and sent me on my way – a 30 second adventure as opposed to my 30-minute one the day prior.

The ease with which it happened was annoying in its own way – I put up such a great fight the day before! On my way to the house God shared a painful yet powerful truth with me.

We do that with life. (I've been doing it for months.) We want something – we want it now – we want it our way – on our terms – in our timing. So, we force it. We expend time, energy, money, and refuse the assistance and wisdom of others, just because we are determined to make it happen. All we really end up doing is growing frustrated and embarrassing ourselves. 

When, all along, God says, “Yes, you can have it, but let me help you.” When we wait for Him – for His help – His timing – His resources, our struggle becomes His way of blessing us.

I image God in His own lounge chair, sipping lemonade, watching me look like a doofus trying to stuff a giant, metal chair in my tiny back seat. He was inviting me to sit with Him – to sip on His goodness – but I was too busy doing it my way.  And being the gentleman that He is, He didn’t interrupt me.

Surrender it. He knows you heart. What you want, what you need, where you’d like to be. Sit with Him and wait. Allow Him to provide your heart’s desires.

I’ve been marinating on this powerful truth as I sit, wonder, and wait, fighting the lies and insecurities of my past. I’ve found that in my moments of pushing, shoving, twisting and forcing, my emotions and fears take center stage. It’s when I sit down in the lounge chair with the Father that none of the concerns matter. That's when His promises are whispered in my ear, drowning out the lies of the enemy. FYI - a lounge chair is for lounging. 

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

When Your World Is On Fire

On April 13, 2012, I was crowned Miss Sierra Blanca and began preparations for the Miss New Mexico Pageant. Ironically, in early June, lightning struck the mountain of Sierra Blanca… void of moisture and strengthened by heat and high winds, my namesake mountain was quickly engulfed in flames.

From my hometown 80 miles away, we watched smoke billow down the mountain and fill the Pecos Valley. Over 200 structures were destroyed in the blaze that burned out of control for nearly a month.

My family has had a cabin in this region for 20 years… the flames came within a mile and a half of our home. Driving up to the mountains following the fire was gut wrenching, the devastation visible for miles.

My mountain was on fire… my life was on fire. On February 28, 2012, lightning struck my world in the form of a text message. Instantly I watched my love, my hopes, my dreams, my job, my home, and my future go up in flames.

Fire is destructive. It is hot. Painful. Unpredictable. Insatiable. Deadly. Yet, we are enthralled by fire. Consider the 4^th of July… a holiday known for explosives! A friend who lives on Sierra Blanca sent me the above photo. I was awestruck by the beauty of the fire. For a moment, I forgot that people were losing their homes and livelihoods in the lethal blaze. Being a visual learner, the Lord continued to teach me. Fire hurts and impacts those who experience it, but when something is on fire, others often gather to watch it burn.

For the last nine months my world has been consumed by a fire that countless people have gathered to watch. Honestly, I feel like a goldfish! A woman I deeply admire recently lost her husband to cancer.  She told me that “Often, tragedies like ours have a way of placing an unwanted spotlight on our life.” She was correct!

Fires are necessary though… they burn off what is dead and useless, they enrich and refresh the soil, and they make room for new growth. Pleasant, no. Painful, yes. Essential, sometimes.

The damage up on the mountain is bone chilling. Structures demolished.  Trees appear as only black toothpicks on the charred ground. Wildlife deceased or at the very least, displaced. It will take years for the mountain to heal, but when it does, it will be more lush and beautiful than before.

This week I was privileged to share my testimony with one teen bible study and two Christian schools in my hometown. I guarantee you that was not on my list of things to do while home for the holidays. Actually, my plan was to hide out in my house. I didn’t want to run into people who ask questions; people who want to tell me what he is doing now; family and friends who dance around the “are you really ok’s?” Not gonna lie, it has been much easier to put 2,000 miles between the memories and myself.

However, the Lord had plans to take me out of hiding. The very week that I was dreading my return to my small hometown, both schools contacted me asking me to speak to their teens. I had told the Lord I would share my testimony wherever He asked me to. I should have clarified. I meant anywhere but here.

I was afraid of what people would think. They know me. They know the situation. The very people watching me burn were asking for a fire report. Thankfully, the Lord directed my testimony. While talking points of the three speaking engagements were the same, each was very different.

Revelation 12:11 says, “We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.” I wanted to overcome. I know I am covered by Jesus’ blood and redemption; I needed to share my story. It went a little something like this:

Ever receive a participation award/trophy or ribbon? They are kind of annoying when you think about it. I would much rather have a 1^st place trophy! My generation is especially used to instant gratification; instant rewards; meaning that we don’t try very hard and are quick to give up.

James 1:2-4 states, “When trials come…” Not if, when. Yet, we have trials or losses come into our lives and we are shocked, surprised, and decide to quit. Many championship teams have a loss or two under their belt. What if after that first loss, the whole team threw in their towels and equipment and quit, blaming the coach for the loss? Would they ever go on to win a championship? No! They would settle for a participation ribbon rather than a championship trophy.

Losses and “hard games” will come, but they cannot be an excuse for us to get mad at the Coach and quit. I shared with the students three reasons why it would have been understandable if I quit:

1. Living with one of the most severe cases of hip dysplasia in the country. 23 years old and 12 surgeries. A glamorous total hip replacement. The man I loved speaking belittling and hurtful things about my hip on his way out of my life.

2. The loss of all three of my grandparents within a six-month period. No peaceful passing’s. Receiving the phone calls alone. Passing out at my Grandmother’s funeral only one week post surgery.

3. The text message that sent my world spiraling. Yes, it was the perfect proposal. Yes, he gave me his wedding vows. Yes, he reaffirmed his love. Yes, the man I loved with my whole heart lied to me, betrayed me and rejected me, claiming he had not loved me for over a year.

Quitting was not an option. Blaming God or questioning my faith was not an option. I shared my story this week not to boast, but rather to encourage. I understand physical pain, I understand loss, I understand more than I would ever like to rejection, emotional pain and a broken heart. I know what it is like to have your world set on fire.

But, I believe what Isaiah 43:1-2 says,  “Do not fear! I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and the waves will not overtake you. When you walk through the fire, you won’t be burned.”

I like to pick up in Psalm 66:12, “…we went through water and through fire; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.” Praise the Lord for that!  Fire is painful and powerful, yet it refines. It warms. It heals. It provides life. It draws people close. It is beautiful to look at.

Areas of my life have been charred and burned to the ground, yet I hope as you have watched my fire, you have begun to see new growth spring forth from the rubble.

I asked the students I spoke to if they have ever experienced a loss or trial that caused them to feel like their world was on fire. Everyone raised their hand. We all have experienced the pain of this world. Thank the Lord it is only temporary!

Regardless of how your world was set on fire, people are watching it burn. It could be an out-of-nowhere lightning strike, a firework gone wrong, a car spark, or a cigarette butt tossed out the window. Others watch, they take note, and they draw conclusions about your faith, family, etc. Call it judging, but it’s the truth, is it not? We care about others and watch how they react to trials and tragedies. 

I have known people who were diagnosed with life-threatening cancer be healed. However, they walk away from the trial unchanged. No testimony, no ministry. Instead they pretend that part of their life never existed, living in fear that the symptoms will return.

In addition, I have known others who had cancer claim their life, but they left a testimony and legacy far more beautiful and inspiring than the person who was healed! They allowed God to use them as a vessel of hope to others who were experiencing the same suffering. There was beauty in their fire.

This week I shared my testimony – gave people the fire update. Reliving the story, trying to talk past the still-raw emotions is hard… truth be told, after my last speaking engagement of the week, I came home and bawled my eyes out in my mother’s arms. The pain is still real – the fire is still hot. But, each time you or I share our testimony, we overcome. 

Whatever fire you may be experiencing in your life, don’t quit. Trust that God will bring something beautiful from the ashes. (Isaiah 61:3) Share your fire with others… sitting on it will just burn your butt. Let other people see the beauty in your flames.

Do You Have Valid ID?

You know you are from New Mexico if: 

   1.     You have shook out our bed sheets or shoes to check for scorpions.

   2.     You understand the waitress when she asks, “Red, Green, or Christmas?”
   3.     You know what a horny toad is.

   4.     Christmas decorations include red chilies, half-a-ton of sand and 200 paper bags.

   5.     You or your car has been attacked by a life-size tumbleweed.
   6.     Out-of-state salesmen want to charge you extra for international shipping.

   7.     A sunset stops you dead in your tracks.

   8.     You have used a snow sled to slide down a sand dune.

   9.     You understand the importance of “Hatch.”

  10.  You need a passport to travel to neighboring states…

I would like to settle on number 10 – Thanks to the Real ID Act, as of January 2013, New Mexico residents will be required to have a passport in order to fly within the US. Why, you ask?

Well, we are one of two states, Washington being the other, which gives drivers licenses to illegal aliens… Yup. We have handed out nearly 100,000 of them in the last ten years alone.

However, this now makes law-abiding citizen’s drivers licenses obsolete. The state along with our Governor has been battling this for some time.

NM residents must produce a passport in order to gain admittance into airports, labs and local military bases. (Because a birth certificate – proof of citizenship- is required to get a passport.)

I took my passport with me to Pennsylvania. I left it there while coming home for the holidays knowing that my family wasn’t going to be traveling… and low and behold! My host family has to mail it back to me just so I can return in January!

Passports are not cheap, nor are they easy to obtain. We have shot ourselves in the foot and all residents will now be paying the price.  

Do you have proof of citizenship? A birth certificate? Not of the state you are from, but of Heaven. What proves your residency as a Kingdom dweller?

Do a self-check. Is your ID valid, or could someone call it in to question? Imagine the many at airports this January who will be denied access to a flight because the TSA agent can not accept their photo ID… now multiply that frustration and fear times a thousand. What would it be like for the King of the Heavens to deny your ID? I cringe at the thought.

Matthew 7:22-23 says, “On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”

Don’t lose heart! I love this verse – it motivates me to live a life of genuine Christianity. I hope it does the same for you. How then can you prove the authenticity of your eternal ID?

Back up a few verses to Matthew 7:16, it says, “You will recognize true believers by their fruit.” John 15:8 says that when you bear much fruit, you prove you are His disciple.

I want to bear much fruit! Cultivated from our lives should be a ripe harvest of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Christ should be able to taste of our fruit – others should experience it every day.

Along with you, I am a work in progress – not all fruits are currently ripe in my life, some may be a bit bitter and others kind of mushy, but I am working on it!

I desire that my Heavenly ID be authentic – genuine – tested and proved. Many, like those in my state, have received an ID that is no longer recognized by the nation. The amazing thing is, God is always ready and willing to give an ID to those who call upon His name with a sincere heart.

Don’t drive around with a fake. Get the real deal – your life fruits will show it. So, when you approach the King of Kings with your ID, he will run to embrace you as he already recognizes you as the grower of some of his favorite fruits!  

Love and blessings from The Land of Enchantment! 

You Can Say "No"

Happy Thanksgiving Friends! It feels so good to be back home in the wide-open spaces of the Pecos Valley… it is amazing how much one can miss the smell of cow poo and dirt! I have had my green chili fix and am enjoying the warmth and sunshine as well as my friends and family!

This summer, my parents and I were in the process of planning our week long, cross-country road trip to take me to Pennsylvania. Note that my family has never done a road trip vacation before! Mom left much of the planning to Dad and I.

He and I spent weeks researching which routes to take and where we might like to stop, things to see along the way, restaurants, hotels, etc.

We were thrilled when we found old battlegrounds in Lexington and Segway tours in Charleston! He and I began the process of booking rooms and activities in the two towns when (motherly timing) Mom walks in to see how we are coming along.

Excitedly we told her of our successes in planning and the great adventures that awaited… then she looked over our shoulder and her eyes rolled – that means trouble.

Leave it to a Mom – quickly, she pointed out that we were fixing to make reservations for Lexington, Massachusetts not Lexington, Kentucky and Charleston, South Carolina not Charleston, West Virginia. Both would have been way off our route! Needless to say, Mom fired us from trip planning and immediately sent the two of us out to buy a GPS. She no longer trusted our navigating skills!

In the past year, I have been struggling with the concept of an all-knowing God giving us a free will… how does that work?! A dear friend entertained this conversation with me recently. She pointed out that our lives are much like a GPS.

God knows the ultimate destination that He desires us to reach; yet He provides us the option of how we want to get there - or if we want to get there at all. 

Thanks to the Word, the Lord lays out before us a map and explains exactly how to get to our destination. Yet, Matthew 7:14 says, “...narrow is the road that leads to life, only few truly find it.”

Matthew 22:14, “For many are called but few are chosen.” I believe that all of us who have knowledge of Jesus are called to join Him on the journey – He desires that none would perish. But He chooses few… this is because you must answer the call first. A friend calls you multiple times to invite you over for a feast. If you never answer the phone… You can’t go. Likely, they will call and invite someone else.

The Lord cannot choose you if you don’t answer. When we answer, He shares with us His heart and desires and helps us live a life that ensures we will reach our destination (which I hope you know is, Heaven).

But, like that GPS, we get to pick how we want to get there. Can you imagine how many ways there are to get from New Mexico to Pennsylvania? Countless!

Enter man's free will: we get to pick the routes. The Lord doesn't script our journey. He knows that we will make a few wrong turns and detours. And I believe there are times in our life when we are faced with a Y in the road, and each path would be a good decision - neither one wrong! Jesus hopes that we will simply follow His directions; which still requires an act of our free will - to say "Ok, Lord! Take me that way!" 

The Ultimate Navigator gives us the directions but what terrifies me is that we can say “No” to the direction of the God of the universe. In recent months I have watched people I deeply love say “No” to Jesus: NO to God’s best, NO to blessings, NO to ministry opportunities, NO to a life of holiness, NO to the direction He is calling them.

The scariest part is that the Lord is ok with us saying No – He will never force anyone to live for Him. Often He will find someone else to do the job – the job He wants you to do. Or, like in the story of Jonah, the Lord will send discipline to redirect one’s heart to obedience.

Too many Christians veer off the path and decide to go off-roading. This is never safe… here in NM; off-roading results in a cactus in your tire, life-size tumbleweed attacks or a dirt storm. In PA off-roading results in dense woods in which one can quickly get lost and lose all sense of direction or worse yet, drive off a hilltop.

The path the Lord provides isn’t a scenic highway along the coast; it is a windy, narrow, up-hill road. But, along that road lie unspeakable blessings, peace that surpasses understanding, and “gas stations” to provide you with fuel to ensure you reach your destination. The paved road is much safe than your little detour.

My heart breaks for friends and loved ones who have openly said “No thanks God, I will do it my way.” They miss out on so much life – eternal life. They proudly and loudly live their “No, God, I will find my own way” lifestyle through social media; blending in to the world and yet still showing up at church on Sunday. In Revelation 3, the Lord vomits this lifestyle out of His mouth – it is disgusting to Him.

Roadblocks and warning signs are posted along the path for a reason, yet countless speed through them into dangerous territory where safety is no longer granted.

I challenge you to pick the narrow road. Yes, it is hard! But the crown that waits at our destination is beautiful. The pleasures of this world satisfy for a season but only lead to death. I pray for you an eternal mindset…. Living for Heaven. What happens on earth is what is weird – operating in the Spirit, living for Jesus – now that is eternal!

God wants to hear you say, “Yes, I am coming with you – I am going your way!” When God hears a YES, when someone answers His call, you are chosen. You are selected for great things, for blessings untold.

Sync your GPS with the Word of God. Does is align? You can always get back on the road…. You are never too lost that Jesus can’t find you.