Category: Uncategorized

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Even When . . . 

“God is our refuge and strength,
An ever present Help in times of trouble.
That is why we are not afraid
Even when . . . “
Psalm 46:1-2…

  Our Refuge . . . a safe place, a shelter, a top priority in the heart of anyone in danger,

the singular focus of a heart full of fear.

Our Help . . . . . .the uppermost thoughts of a person who has found a refuge, and 

                           desperately wants to see the “trouble” fixed.

I don’t know anyone who has not had a Moment in life that caused a fear and panic in their mind and heart.  It’s a  part of the realities  in a fallen world. . . a world that globally lives with God’s Presence not in the forefront of their consciousness.  In the midst of our troubles, we tend to try to fix them as soon as possible.  We come up with ideas. . . we try to change situations . . . we try to ignore a problem . . . we lash out at the perceived “cause” of the trouble . . . and on and on.

David, the writer of this Psalm, certainly experienced that longing for safety and help.  He faced many, often extreme dangers throughout his life.  Physical, emotional, mental, and relational realities over which he had little to no control were frequently part of his experience.  But, from the time he was a young boy, responsible for his daddy’s flocks of sheep, he learned where to turn for help.  He learned To Whom he could turn, no matter what fears he encountered.  His early real-life “even when’s” were often wild predators of his sheep. His flock’s needs for food, water, and safety were constant.   His defenseless (and not very bright) wooly charges, as well as his own emotional, physical, and psychological well-being as he shouldered his responsibilities must have been quite overwhelming for young David.

When we humans initially encounter danger,  whether real or percieved, we tend to head for safety. . . escape.  Fear is often the first emotion. . . we don’t choose or think about it.  It’s simply there. . . a human instinct meant to help us survive.  But we all know that even good things can trip us up when we forget God’s abiding Presence in our hearts and minds.

One of our best reminders of that Truth are the “even when’s” along our paths.  

May the “even when” become the solid stepping-stones along your Journey . . . Home.

Order Janet’s book, Not Forgotten, Stories of a Refugee People on Amazon

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Knowing Who You Are

“Those who are not My People, 
I will call, ‘My People.'
Those who are not loved,
I will call, ‘My loved ones.’
Wherever they were told 
‘You are not My people,’
They will be called,
‘Children of the Living God.’”
Romans 9:25-26
(Paul quoting from Hosea)

“Identity” is important.  It matters to every human being everywhere in the world.  God started that, when He created the first human beings . . . a man and a woman.  They had hardly begun breathing when God announced their human identities and gave them names.

New parents deliberate over the decision of what name to give their new child.  It’s one of the most important identifiers of a human being.  A name sets you apart from the rest of the group. . . a part of your one-of-a-kind uniqueness.  Your name becomes part of the history of a family . . . a lineage.  It’s a global reality.  And God started it at the very Beginning.

This world has a tendency to mess with our identities. . . whether with our own perceptions of our true selves, or the perceptions of other people regarding who we truly are as human beings.  It’s an old Story . . . going all the way back to “The Beginning.”  We begin, over time, to lose sight of who we truly are.  Especially who we truly are to God.

We need to stop sometimes, and simply come back to the basics of who am I. . . really?

Not who others think I am.  Not who I’ve become in my world. . . through effort or through life’s impact on me. . . whether good or bad.

The world will pull us away from the “me” that God created. . . as well as the path He had planned for us . . . individually as well as collectively.

God’s tender reminder, true in ancient times (Hosea’s words), as well as in Jesus’ earthly time (through Paul’s reminder,) continues to be true in our time.

The Living God continues to remind us of the core Truth of who we truly, uniquely are, especially in relation to Him directly and personally.  Those ancient Words . . . simple. . . arresting . . . . and true.  It’s who you are.

Order Janet’s book, Not Forgotten, Stories of a Refugee People on Amazon

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Mercy by Day…And a Song in the Night

“The Lord commands His Mercy during the day,
and at night
His Song is with me -
a prayer to the God of my life. “
Psalm 42:8

When I was growing up, I often spent time each summer with my favorite Aunt and
Uncle in the mountains of North Carolina. They directed the youth camp they had
established on a beautiful mountain top. The camp cook, “Winnie” . . . was often heard
in the large camp kitchen, exclaiming, “Laaawd, have Mercy!” as small disasters often
occurred in the preparations for feeding 200 kids 3 times each day.

Mercy is often needed in the daytime. That’s when most activities are taking place.
There is more risk . . . tension . . . stress . . . in the daylight hours. Relational conflicts
are apt to ignite as people spend their days working, studying, and actively engaging
with each other in the daytime hours.

As night comes, darkness falls, the absence of the sun’s light has an impact on our
minds and energy levels. Life tends to quiet down . . . there may be more time to think .
. .to contemplate . . . to simply slow down.

God understands the ebb and flow of our human lives. He created the setting and
major elements that influence the energy we expend in the daytime hours. He knows
our need to slow down and find rest. In that quieting . . . in the stillness of the night, He
Sings to us. We are more apt to tune our ears and hearts to listen.

Have you heard His Song in the night? As a mother will gently hum a sweet melody to
her sleepy, restless child, the song brings a sweet sense of simple beauty that can
soothe and quiet the soul. Sleep comes softly.

God is Present day and night. He promised to be with us always. In the more active,
daytime hours, His Mercy is more essential for us to experience.

As the day wanes, and our energies slow, His strength and power flows into a gentler
Presence . . . a Song that helps His beloved sons and daughters to slow down . . . a soft
Melody begins as night falls. We need rest. We need the softness of a moon’s glow,

following our day’s bright sunshine and spent energies. He sets the atmosphere to
become a cushion for our weary minds, bodies, and souls.

His Presence wraps itself around us, providing the atmosphere our weary bones, minds
and bodies need to begin to restore our strenghth for tomorrow.

Winnie’s soft and low voice could be heard sometimes, from her rocking chair on the
porch, humming in the moonlight. . . a tender echo of God’s bedtime “Lullabye” to His
beloved children.

Check out Janet’s new book, Not Forgotten on Amazon.

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When They Say “You Can’t!”

“I can do all through Christ,
Who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13

We were young, pouring our energies and hearts into a fledgling “street ministry.” We also had a tiny, newborn son. Taking our seats at the desk of a tax accountant to whom we had been referred, we waited for her to begin our meeting. As she looked up from our financial documents before her, she said, “I didn’t know that anyone in America can actually live on what you make!”

Thus began our first income tax meeting as a new, young family. My husband, Bill, had been
pouring his energies into reaching out to the growing numbers of troubled youth on the main street of our city. There were increasing incidences of outbreaks of violence, a developing concern with which the people of our city were becoming increasingly alarmed. Bill, who had been a troubled teenager and drug-user, had a big heart for the kids who were without any sense of purpose in life. He knew the turmoil going on inside, because he had lived through years of the same.

I, on the other hand, was a “pastor’s kid” . . . who had never even been exposed to troubled
youth who had no awareness or experience of the loving God I had come to know and love from a very early age.

When Bill and I married, our new family began immediately. Bill’s focus was on reaching the
troubled youth of our city, introducing them to Hope through Jesus, Who had changed Bill’s life. We had no “income” from our fledgling work with troubled youth.

As a “PK” (Pastor’s Kid), I was very familiar with “ministry” being a priority in life….regardless of whether income was adequate or not. It was usually not. But I had experienced God’s care and provision often in my family, so had a firm trust that God would take care of our needs as we trusted Him in the Kingdom efforts He had placed before us.

At this, our first meeting with a tax agent as a young married couple, including our newborn son, we watched her look through the financial paperwork we had brought to her. On paper, it did not look possible for our little family to survive on those financial numbers. But we had been faithfully cared for by the God Who had asked us to join Him in bringing Hope to hearts of kids who were empty and wounded. . . and without Hope.

Despite the black-and-white numbers on the tax documents, God had met our needs. And He often did it through sweet surprises from strangers, or Believers who saw a growing trail of “street kids” filing down the aisle behind Bill in a welcoming church, filling up row upon row of pews, and singing songs of gratitude to the One Who had brought Hope and Light and Love into their personal darkness.

Now, decades later, and having experienced a lifetime of holding tightly to Jesus’ scarred Hand, I am so very grateful for His Presence in my life. . . . through the good and the bad. He has been that Constant Source of Strength . . . and all that I have needed through the many
decades I have walked with Him. He remains faithful.

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Not A Salesman


“Then He said to them all:
‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves
and take up their cross daily and follow Me. 
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it,
but whoever loses their life for Me will save it.’” 
Luke 16:24-25

Jesus never sugar-coated His Message. He did not make it palatable to his listeners. No
“sales” training, apparently. Jesus’ Message to the world . . . and to us . . . was not attractive in human terms.

“Deny yourself.” No more being your own #1 Priority. What you want now takes a
back-seat to what God wants for you and the greater Good of all those whose lives you touch.

“Take up your cross daily.” Picking up a heavy, cumbersome, sliver-giving beam of
wood would likely be impossible for most of us. Dragging it would not be much easier. A cross is not something anyone would wish for or want. EVER. DAILY. A cross was an instrument of “living death”.

Slow death. Unimaginable pain…torture. And it is personal…it’s for you. Your cross.
What kind of selling point is that for you?

“Follow Me.” The paths He walked were often not the preferred paths for the general
population of Jesus’ day. He trekked to the Desert….harsh, hot, no water, no mercy from heat and blinding sun.

Death dogging one’s footsteps. He went to “untouchables” who were forbidden to be near normal healthy people. They had to shout to anyone coming near that they were a danger to all people. How humiliating was that! Jesus often walked through Samaria with His team….a place with a religion that the Jewish people found detestable. There was tension, danger, and being “defiled” just by walking through that hostile region. A dunking
in the mikveh would certainly be in order…maybe several dunkings.

“Follow Me” was not an easy decision. Yes, there were the “pleasant pastures” . . . the beautiful Sea of Galilee . . . exciting, vibrant Jerusalem. . . . pleasant spaces of nature where it was quiet, peaceful, and beautiful. But Jesus did not stay for long stretches of time in those spaces. He was often on the move…by foot. “Homeless”….at the mercy of strangers for food, shelter and water. No weekly paycheck. No “home” to lay His head . . . just borrowed spaces along His Journey.

Anyone hoping for a sense of prestige by following Him would be sorely disappointed. It was going to be a difficult Path to follow Him…with only momentary times of celebrating Him. It would mean “losing your own life” for the sake of sharing His.

Following Jesus has a cost. At times, it can seem impossible . . . unbearable. Not to be
entered into lightly.

In my own life….now mostly looking back over more years than I want to put into print! …my
journey with Him…since the age of 3…has had many, many, beautiful and sweet seasons. But it has also often been threaded with pain, loss, betrayal, and trauma…often directly related to active service and sacrifice in following Him. I look forward to Heaven…being with Him there….and I know that seeing His Face and hearing His Voice will make all of it just a dim memory.

But what I cherish most…above all else, is that I will be in His Presence forever. The time on
Earth will fade, I am sure. The only thing that will matter is being with Him…forever.

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Where Are You, God?

“O God, you are my God.
At dawn I search for you.
My soul thirsts for you.
My body longs for you in a dry, 
parched land where there is no water.”
Psalm 63:1

I write this sitting in my clean, comfortable hotel room looking out of my 25th floor
hotel room in the heart of New York City. I was here to give personal testimony of
the realities I have experienced in the Sahara Desert, living with the Saharawi
refugees. They have been there since their homeland was militarily invaded by
Moroccan forces decades ago. Mothers, children, grandparents fled under brutal
military aggression as their ancient homeland of Western Sahara was being
invaded from North and South. With the Atlantic to the west, there was nowhere to
run except into the harsh Sahara Desert on their eastern border. Fathers,
grandfathers and sons suddenly became soldiers, desperatly defending their
homeland.

Having spent significant time in the Desert with my Saharawi “family”, I have only
tasted a bit of what it is to live in a “dry, parched land where there is no water.”
David lived that reality, as a refugee himself from his homeland of Israel and the
King who wanted him dead.

When life takes a turn, and you experience great loss, great betrayal, there is only
One place to run. Although we may find some escape and relief in our personal
world, it can only be temporary. We read of how David had known and followed
God since he was a boy. He had experienced the Power of God, the Protection
and Peace of God, and the Love of God. Yet, he had those Seasons in life that
were painful, frightening, and dangerous. He experienced a sense of questioning
where God was…

Having known God’s Presence, he knew what it was to be away from Him. We all
have those times of realizing that sense of distance from God. But David knew
what he needed to do. He was the one who had moved away from God and let
things of this world fill his mind, life, and soul.

God was still there. Waiting for David. He is waiting for us. Ready to help. Ready
to pull us back to Himself. . . into His Mighty, Safe Arms…holding us near to His
Heart with Forgiveness and always Love, it is we who need to return.

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Changing the Focus

“Those who want to save their lives will lose them.
But those who lose their lives for Me,
will find them.”
Matthew 16:25

What would it require to save your own life? Wouldn’t it require a total focus on yourself?
Your circumstances, your risks, your possibilities to save yourself, and anyone or anything that might give you a chance to survive would likely capture your entire focus. Panic would set in as you frantically look for anything that might save you from being swallowed up by the danger.

Even using another person to be able to save yourself from death would become a very real
consideration in order to survive. Most of us battle with thoughts of not being enough, doing enough, not knowing enough. And looming before us is the thing that gives us faith to take the next step of the Journey We don’t want to die in our wilderness! So we may grab onto the “hope-giver” on our path. . . and hang on for dear life… Even if what we’re clinging to for survival is another human being who is also frantic to survive.

Jesus knew the dangers for human beings on this earth. Desperation to live can mean
grabbing onto anything that floats by . . . even if it’s another human being.

Our desire to survive is deeply ingrained in us. We look for any means of escape from our peril. We hate being afraid. We hate suffering. We hate facing our own death. Jesus understood that about us. He had temptations to save His own life from the death He knew was ahead for Him. He struggled . . . even to the point of sweating blood.

Jesus calls us to follow Him. Wherever that might lead. Whatever it costs us personally. It’s
serious business. It’s scary. It may cost us everything.

But to walk that Path with Him, and to know His nearness as we walk together, is worth all of the unknown’s along the way.

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3 Simply Wise Guidelines for Healthy Relationships

“ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen,
slow to speak and
slow to become angry…”
James 1:19

James grew up with a perfect big Brother. Literally. Imagine . . . His name was Jesus.
But growing up in the same home would have surely provided the same types of
relational rubs as would be the reality of any family. Imagine a typical conflict between
the two young brothers being corrected by Mom or Dad. It would have never been “HIS”
fault. He was perfect. Literally.

We can only imagine what it was like for James, growing up as a younger brother of
Jesus. But the fact that he became a devoted follower of his big Brother, even losing
his own life for the Cause of Christ says a lot about their relationship.

James wrote these important guidelines for healthy relationships. He kept it simple
and clear. I wonder if this might have been a daily family recitation as the children of
the carpenter’s home headed out to their normal activities. The wise, simple principles
are just as pertinent in our relationships now, whether within families, the work place,
school, in a grocery store, or hearing from the neighbor that your children have again
stepped on her flowers.

James followed his older Brother, carried on in ministry, and wrote about Him. James
was stoned to death in Jerusalem because he had faithfully followed his Brother Jesus,
long after Jesus returned to His Heavenly Father. Three key relational guidelines given
to us by James: “ Be Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak,” and “Be Slow to Become Angry”.

Simple to read, practical, but not easy to do in the heat of conflicts. James’ simple, wise
principles are truly needed for any successful relationships that may last a lifetime.

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A Little Glimpse

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, 

and I will give you rest.”    Matthew 11:28

Is this a bit of what it’s like for You, God?   We’re Your children, Your busy babies.  So very busy exploring, touching, tasting, rarely pausing for a bigger picture than what is immediately at hand.

But soon something happens that gets in our way, blocks or stops us from what we were after.  We get frustrated . . . mad. 

We start to cry.  Then wail.   All we can feel is our frustration at not getting what we wanted.

But, loving Father that You are, You pick us up, wrapping Your Arms around us, and hold us close.  We feel immobilized. . . blocked.  Stuck.   

In reality, we’re being held in Your Arms.   Arms of love.  Near to Your Heart.  Snatched away from what we’d set our eyes on.  Away from what we wanted.  It takes a while to begin to stop fighting.  We only see restraint.  A barrier.  Watching what we wanted going out of our sight…out of our reach.   We try to pull free.  Sometimes with a lot of crying.  

But You see an over-tired child of Yours.  A child You love, and know that a nap is needed.  We struggle against Your strong arms of love wrapped around us.  You are unrelenting.  And we complain . . . and cry.   

After a while, Your child’s complaints begin to quiet.  The struggle to be freed weakens, and we begin to relax in Your strong Arms.  The weary little head begins to rest on Your chest.  Near to Your heart.  

Peace comes.

And at last, sweet rest.  Sleep.   

And you smile.

Thank You, Father, for loving us enough to make us rest.

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Sweet Rest

“You will feel confident because there’s hope, 

and you will look around 

and rest in safety.”

Job 11:18

This morning I had a truly precious experience.  God has been giving me glimpses of what it means to be one of His Own, using children and sheep as His primary “visual aids.”

I had made my daily morning trek out to the sheep pasture.  In the past six months it’s become a very sweet venue for God to speak to my heart.  Experiencing real sheep in a real pasture was never in my plan, but it was apparently in God’s Plan for this chapter of my life.

Maneuvering through the fence of the sheep’s field, I was greeted as usual by the two little orphaned and abandoned lambs for whom I’ve helped care since they were born.  I headed to a rickety old wooden “spool” I use as a table, and set up my weathered old chair.  Taking out my notepad and pen, I was interrupted by Easter and Autumn calling their “Maaaa’s” as they headed to my humble ‘writing table.’  One on each side of me, they nudged my legs, waiting for me to scratch their soft ears and wooly faces.  

Trying to focus on thoughts toward my Good Shepherd, I was being interrupted by the insistent nudges of the two lambs on each side of me.  Finally, I laid down my pen and just focused on scratching the two sweet faces resting their heads on my knees.  As I rubbed their wooly faces, I surveyed the scene that surrounded me: large mama sheep munching grass, and then lying down in a tangled pile of old logs, ewes, branches and lambs. Birds, butterflies, and flowers  

drew my attention as I rubbed the soft heads.

Then, I heard a new, quiet sound beside me.  Easter had fallen asleep with her furry head resting on my knee as I scratched her nubby neck and head.  Standing, she was leaning into me, her dark brown eyes closed. She was asleep.  

That simple, touching moment caught my heart and I sensed a Whisper of my name from my Good Shepherd.  He was near.  He was with me.  No words necessary.  My soul could be at rest with that.