An Anchor of Hope

When I was young, family vacations meant camping and fishing. Singing songs by the campfire, roasting marshmallows, sleeping under peaceful starry skies, reeling in the big one. Sounds too good to be true, right? For some families camping might have been the perfect get-away–but not mine. The reality of our annual camping trips was anything but peaceful. We never really sang by the fire (argued yes–sang, no), I always burned my marshmallows, it always seemed to be raining and no one ever caught the “big” one. But it wasn’t the wet sleeping bags or the mosquitoes or the arguing that I hated. It was the fishing.

I remember one of the first times my dad took my sister and I out on the lake to fish. It was exciting putting on the orange lifejackets, making sure the tackle was secure and going out on an adventure with my dad. He rowed us out to what I was certain was the middle of this unending lake. To my young mind, every stroke of the oars propelled me into the unknown. The bow of the boat easily slicing through the still, glassy water–the adventure had begun. Then, all of a sudden my dad said, “We’re here” as he dropped a small but heavy anchor over the side of the boat. We’re where?  Why have we stopped? The adventure has just started. We spent the next three hours sitting–sitting! And did I mention that we weren’t supposed to move or talk?

As the minutes painfully stretched out, I grew to hate that anchor. It was preventing me from gliding; it was holding me back from soaring, and it was definitely keeping me from my adventure. So you have to understand that when I read that God’s hope was an anchor, I didn’t jump for joy.

Hebrews 6:19 tells us “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (NIV). This anchor holds us–attaches us. Jeremiah Burroughs, who wrote on hope in the 1600s, defines hope as “the grace wrought in the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, whereby the soul quietly waits for and expects the future good that God has promised in the covenant of grace, though there are many difficulties in the way to hinder the accomplishment of it[i].” He further explains:

They do not have so much need of it in calm weather…now in times of greatest opposition and of greatest temptations there a Christian casts his anchor, the anchor of his hope and there he sticks.

There the soul is kept from being hurried up and down, and carried away to split upon the rock of such a temptation. His hope holds him fast[ii].

            Hope keeps us from being carried away–a sure attachment. Grounded and secure, we endure the waves and storms of life. This anchor does not prevent or hinder us, it allows us to soar.

- from the soon to be completed The Human Hope Shift

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[i] Burroughs, Jeremiah.  Hope.  Orlando: Soli Deo Gloria Publications.  6.

[ii] _____.  15.

How do you know if you’ve encountered the One True God?

You have a desire to grow in freedom that leads to spiritual enlargement, not in relational and social entanglement.

You have a desire to grow in hope that leads to confident standing firm, not in doubting half-wishing.

You have a desire to grow in understanding that leads to deepening personal, emotional and spiritual maturity, not in superficial, situational self-serving immaturity.

You have a desire to grow in creativity that leads to an outward expanded realization of limitless wonder, not in an inward-focused musing over abstraction and technique.

You have a desire to grow in passion that leads to dancing, singing, leaping, kneeling, and taking off your shoes because the ground you are standing on is holy, not in the smoldering ashes of condemnation, consequence and regret.

You have a desire to grow in love that leads to selfless dimensional eternal abandon, not in selfish, stagnant, temporary satisfaction.

How do you know if you’ve really taken hold of the One True God?

You would be freer; you would have more hope and understanding; your creativity and passion would be unstoppable, and you would love—mightily.  

He Has Won the War

 Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood . . .

Here I am alone, standing

 in the fire. Instead of laying

at Your feet, I’m weary, Lord,

I’m tired. I’ve dropped my sword in battle,

Frightened by the cost, bombarded by my failure,

I fear the war is lost.

No longer able, Lord, to run

I drop upon my knees. I cry

to You, “This burden, Lord, is

just too much for me. I cannot

carry anymore; I cannot bear it, Lord.

It seems I’m just not strong enough

– a casualty of war.”

Amidst my bitter cries, I hear a stirring sound. I look

out of my darkness and see angels all around.

His gentle hand before me, I’m lifted to my feet.

Standing there, forgiven, my sword’s returned to me.

He said:

“Fight on my sweet and weary child, I’ve not forsaken you.

Because you did not trust My Word, your burdens crippled you.

I offer you unceasing rest and strength to stand

once more. Remember do not lose your hope

for I have won the war.”

 
 

What do You Really Believe?

How important is it to really know what you believe? I mean, really know. Seems silly to say that you believe something but don’t really know about it. Doesn’t believing mean that you have understanding?

Knowing from a biblical perspective is more than casual; in fact, in reference to knowing God, the word “know” is the Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse. It’s not the “Hey. I know you. I remember you from that party. You’re the best friend of my cousin Sally’s Uncle Charlie” type of knowing. It’s the acknowledging, feeling, understanding, perceiving, getting up close and personal kind of knowing.

And what about belief? Could belief also have a deeper dimension than just a mindful decision? I remember a story about a tightrope walker who was famous for daring stunts. This particular time, crowds gathered to watch him walk across a thin rope strung precariously over a canyon hundreds of feet deep.

First, he simply walked across, from one side to the other. The people were amazed.Then, he did it blindfolded. The crowds went wild. Next, he rode a unicycle across. He seemed to be unstoppable.

Suddenly he turned to the crowd and said, “You’ve seen me walk this rope blindfolded. You’ve seen me ride across it without so much as a flinch. Now I will do my greatest trick: I will push a wheelbarrow across to the other side. Who here believes I can do it?”

Everyone shouted and heartily agreed that he could do it. The tightrope walker set his eyes on one man in the front. He took the handles of the wheelbarrow and wheeled it over to the somewhat startled onlooker.

“Do you think I can do this?”
“Well, yes” said the man.
“I mean, do you really believe I can push this across and back without falling to my death in the canyon below?”
“Yes, yes, I do. I watched you walk blindfolded. I watched you ride without even flinching. Yes, I know and believe you can do it beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
The stunt man was quiet for a brief second, and looking intently into the man’s eyes said, “Then get in.”

This kind of belief does not stand on the sidelines. It literally puts its entire faith in what is intimately known.

Know what you believe and your heart will not only be pliable, but accessible.

Father-God, I put myself into Your loving hands. I desire to know You more and more. Lord, take my intellectual belief and turn it into an all-encompassing heart and soul belief.

Check out: Psalm 46:10

Put Off or Put On?

This morning as I spent time with the Lord, I started to think about things that I needed to let go of. Years ago, I actually made a list. After reading it over, I thought about what it realy means to let go of something. I was reminded of the scriptures that speak about putting off and putting on, so I went to my Strong’s Concordance. I was curious about the original meaning behind it all and was once again enlightened.

In Ephesians 4:22 and 25, the words “put off” refer to putting aside or away. Putting off the things of the flesh and of the world is an active “doing,” an intentional act. It’s like taking off your coat—you either do or you don’t. How strange would it be to walk around with your coat half on. Putting on is also an intentional act—a choice. It means to sink into or clothe yourself with.

So, in light of the above meanings, I revised the list:

Put aside, put away hate—sink into and clothe yourself with love

Put aside, put away unforgiveness—sink into and clothe yourself with mercy

Put aside, put away judgment—sink into and clothe yourself with understanding

Put aside, put away lies—sink into and clothe yourself with truth

Put aside, put away apathy—sink into and colthe yourself with passion

Put aside, put away shortsightedness—sink into and clothe yourself with possibility

Put aside, put away limits—sink into and clothe yourself with dreams

Put aside, put away “can’t”—sink into and clothe yourself with “can”

Put aside, put away weakness—sink into and clothe yourself with strength

Put aside, put away uncertainty—sink into and clothe yourself with determination

Put  aside, put away hopelessness—sink into and clothe yourself with hope

Put aside, put away blindness—sink into and clothe yourself with vision

Put aside, put away fear—sink into and clothe yourself with safety

Put aside, put away confusion—sink into and clothe yourself with clarity

Put aside, put away rebellion—sink into and clothe yourself with acceptance

Put aside, put away carelessness—sink into and clothe yourself with purpose

Put aside, put away insecurities—sink into and clothe yourself with worth

Put aside, put away anger—sink into and clothe yourself with peace

Put aside, put away regret—sink into and clothe yourself with respect

Put aside, put away insensitivity—sink into and clothe yourself with gentle wisdom

Put aside, put away heartlessness—sink into and clothe yourself with patience

Put aside, put away malice—sink into and clothe yourself with kindness

Put aside, put away resentment—sink into and clothe yourself with benevolence

Put aside, put away pity —sink into and clothe yourself with empathy

Put aside, put away doubt—sink into and clothe yourself with belief

Put aside, put away humiliation—sink into and clothe yourself with grace

Put aside, put away captivity—sink into and clothe yourself with salvation's freedom

Put aside, put away the past—sink into and clothe yourself with the future

Put aside, put away tears—sink into and clothe yourself with joy

Put aside, put away transitory, worldly feelings, sink into and clothe yourself with the unchanging, depth of God's eternal Love.

We are called to put off, to put aside and to put away our inadequate old man “coat” and put on, sink into and clothe ourselves with the full armor of God’s provision and grace.

What do you need to put asde or away today?

Ephesians 4: 22; Ephesians 6:11.

His Divine Invitation

One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 1:18-19. Lately, I've been drawn to it again and again. This morning, I felt I needed more from my NIV translation, so I went back to the original meanings.

Just wanted to share the blessing:


I also pray that the eyes, the faculaty of knowing of your mind, your way of thinking, will be illuminated, be informed and imbued with saving knowledge that you may perceive, discern, discover, pay attention to, behold what is the hope, the joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation of His divine invitation to embrace the salvation of God, and what are the riches, the fulness, abundance, splendor, and majesty of His inheritance, the eternal blessedness of the consummated kingdom of God in the saints, and what is the transcending, the exceeding greatness of His strength, ability, influence and power to us who believe, who think to be true, who trust, who acknowledge and entrust, according to the efficient working of His forceful and mighty power and strength ...

Seek Balance

Everyone has memories from their school days that, to this day, make them either laugh or shutter. For me, gym class was one of those classes that brought laughter and fear together. Whenever the teacher said we were beginning gymnastics, most students cheered, happy to leave behind volleyball nets and exercise mats. Not so for me.

I remember the first time I saw a balance beam up close. I panicked. Was my teacher kidding? Walk across an unbelievably narrow board raised to what I was certain was a ridiculous height, go to the end, turn around, and walk back – all without falling to my death.

It took three tries before I could even get on that thing. I think I was hoping that the teacher would get frustrated and just send me to the back of the line and forget about me. Finally, after the teacher and another student finally hoisted me up there, I froze. The beam seemed to disappear as fear and anxiety began to creep up my legs and into my throat. Jolted back to reality by the teacher’s angry voice, I tried to lift my foot. It didn’t get more than two inches off the beam before I fell off. Humiliated and somewhat relieved, I stumbled to the back of the line praying for the bell to ring.

After class, the teacher took me aside. I told her that I thought that my body just could not balance – I was too tall-too awkward. She said that the problem was not my body, but my mind. She said that whenever I lost focus, looked down at the ground or around at the other students, I stopped trusting what my feet were feeling beneath me. I could certainly balance when I tried to walk a straight line directly on the ground. But once I saw that the board was high and that there was the possibility of falling off, I became fearful and that was what caused me to lose my balance. She said fear always affects our ability to balance.

Although those balance beam memories are far behind me, I never forgot her words: fear affects balance. They came back strong one day when I was praying about restoring balance to my life. I had allowed fear and distraction to create an imbalance in my thinking and in my decisions.

But what exactly is balance to the believer? In Scripture, the word does not appear as such. But when you consider that the idea of balance means a leveling, the verses abound. You see, when we want to correct something in our lives, we have this tendency to swing from one extreme to the other.

What corrects this pendulum sway? We need to center ourselves in Christ and allow Him to lead us on level ground - to make our paths straight and smooth, and to guide and bring us into a level and balanced place. Because sin entered the world and created an imbalance not only in the natural world but within us as well, it takes the saving and restoring power of God to take away the fear and tendency to shift and sway.

Balance and communication? Just consider how hard it is to concentrate and carry on a meaningful conversation when standing on the deck of a boat that is tossing and turning, pitching back and forth. Physically, your balance is thrown off – it is not long before a sense of distraction and fear take hold.

Father of all that is straight and level, help me to fix my eyes on You and not allow fear and distraction to shift me off my course.

Check out: Isa. 40:4; Psalm 143:10; Proverbs 4:26

Today's blog is a review of a new work by Lisa M. Buske titled:

Where's Heidi? One Sister's Journey.

 

This book invites the reader not only into Lisa's personal sorrow after her sister was kidnapped, but draws you into the story and subsequent process of healing both her and her family have gone through. Framed between quotes from Ecclesiastes and Psalms, each chapter moves you through the darkness and pain of loss into the hope and light of hope.  A great read for anyone who has gone through a personal tragedy.

Below is the author's info:

About the Author:

 

Lisa M. Buske’s sister, Heidi M. Allen was kidnapped on April 3, 1994 never to be seen or heard from again. God has taken a tragic instance of her life and transformed it into a life-saving occurrence. She writes with passion and out of obedience for the God who saved her knowing others need to hear her story. Lisa’s relationship with Jesus opened the door to a hope and healing she didn’t think was possible.

Lisa’s husband, Ed, daughter, Mary, and her parents serve as Lisa’s team as she writes and speaks. Lisa’s faith in God and dedication to family motivate and inspire her to do and be the best woman, wife, mother, and sister she can be. Her life proves it is possible to survive when God is part of the equation.

In addition to writing and speaking, Lisa works as a teacher’s assistant for her local school district and serves at different capacities within her church.

Book Synopsis:

In 1994, my only sister was abducted while working alone at a local convenience store. The book opens with an early morning phone call then details the emotions, grief, and confusion felt in those first moments while transitioning through the days, months, and years to follow.

A sibling's journey is different from that of a parent. Our role and feelings cannot compare yet they are just as important. Parents experience the greatest loss of their lives through the loss of their child. The emotional loss of the missing child’s siblings, has a similar and traumatic effect in their lives too.

I lost more than my sister on April 3, 1994 I lost my faith. Thanks to the bold faith of one child I have hope and a story to share. There is no one person or thing here on earth to replace Heidi or the friendship we had together yet after ten years of searching, I realized there is Someone who can, God.

“Mrs. Buske, you need Jesus.” Words that changed my life for the better.

My name is Lisa M. Buske and Heidi Allen is my sister. She remains missing but never forgotten. Our journeys after loss may vary yet the pain, grief, and need for hope are similar. This is my story of discovery, healing, and hope from the moment I learn of Heidi’s kidnapping until today.

Life after loss is a rollercoaster ride of memories and emotions.

Will you take this ride with me?

Purchasing Information:

Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey will be released, April 3, 2013. Lisa’s book will be available at Amazon.com for your convenience. Additional bookstores and locations will be posted on her website once confirmed.

http://www.lisambuske.com/wheres-heidi-one-sisters-journey.html

Lisa will be hosting a “scavenger hunt” as part of her TOP’S Tuesday blog series in the month of March to reveal a mystery location and book signing on April 3, 2013. There will be a limited number of books available at this location but more will be available at the book release party at The River’s End Bookstore in Oswego, New York later this same day.

More information will be posted as it’s determined.

Contact Information:

To learn more about Lisa M. Buske or to follow her writing and speaking:

Email: lbuskewriter@aol.com

Website: http://LisaMBuske.com

Blog: http://lisabuske.weebly.com/blog.html

Facebook: “Where’s Heidi?” book page and “Lisa M Buske” author page

Twitter: @LisaBuske

AIM: Lbuskewriter

Writing for Him...to keep Heidi's memory alive with prayers to heal those affected by abduction.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 -2 (NIV)

 

Who is the Light of the World?

I was meditating on the things of God the other day and I felt him say to my heart, “I am the Light of the world.” I thought, Wait aren’t we to be a light to the world? Again I heard, “I am the Light of the world.” Because this was different from the scripture in the New Testament (Mt. 5:14), I was set back some. You always need to check what you’re hearing to what God has already said.

So because I realized that the Lord was not simply stating scripture and wanted me to understand something else, I started to meditate and ask God what He meant by the phrase “I am the Light of the world” and what He wanted me to get out of it.

The first thing that came to mind when thinking about the phrase was that when Moses asked God His name, He said, “I Am who I Am” (Ex. 3:14). He is the eternal, self-existent One. Lord, you are the great I Am, the Lord over all creation. Help me to give my life to you today as a living sacrifice and as an act of worship. Too many times I seem to get absorbed into the busyness of my day and forget who God really is and how He wants to express His eternal love in the everyday things of my life. Yes, Lord, You are the great I Am. Now help me to understand what You mean by light of the world.

I started thinking how the very first thing God created was light (“Let there be light” Genesis 13). The Lord brought me to the idea of how the presence and absence of light affects us - the necessity of light for life. I thought about it for a few days – a few very gray days – and realized that on the days when the sun was not shining, it was harder for me to get going and harder to stay motivated. I am definitely one of those people who gets affected by lack of light. I love the sun. I feel better when it’s shining. I feel more motivated, even healthier. I know, I know – skin cancer and all, but even the medical community is now saying that we should expose ourselves fifteen minutes a day to the sun without sunscreen so our bodies can absorb vitamin D.

Consider this article that discusses the connection between the lack of light and depression:

The association between darkness and depression is well established. Now a March 25 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals for the first time the profound changes that light deprivation causes in the brain.

Neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania kept rats in the dark for six weeks. The animals not only exhibited depressive behavior but also suffered damage in brain regions known to be underactive in humans during depression. The researchers observed neurons that produce norepi-nephrine, dopamine and serotonin—common neurotransmitters involved in emotion, pleasure and cognition—in the process of dying. This neuronal death, which was accompanied in some areas by compromised synaptic connections, may be the mechanism underlying the darkness-related blues of seasonal affective disorder.

Principal investigator Gary Aston-Jones, now at the Medical University of South Carolina, speculates that the dark-induced effects stem from a disruption of the body’s clock. Aston-Jones says: “When the circadian system is not receiving normal light, that in turn might lead to changes in brain systems that regulate mood.”*

OK, Lord, I get it now, what you wanted me to know. That you are the great I Am and without the sustaining power of your light, the essence of your greatness and power, I will be negatively affected – the world will be negatively affected. Light is necessary for health – in the natural and in the spiritual.

Thank You Lord for Your desire to speak to my heart, my soul and my mind.

*http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=down-in-the-dark