Life's Little Surprises

Life catches us all by surprise at times - the ringing of the phone in the middle of the night; a chance meeting with an old friend you haven’t seen in years; an unanticipated layoff; an unplanned pregnancy when you thought you were finished. And the list goes on.

It’s a mixed bag. Some of life’s surprises are good while others are difficult and challenging, leading to hard times or seasons of great uncertainty. A life full of surprises (good and bad) is to be expected. It’s part of what makes life worth living.

But when it comes to the “bad” surprises of life – the difficult, challenging, heartbreaking ones, the key to living a life of peace in the midst of the storm lies in our power to choose how we will react to life’s surprises. Panic is not a requirement.

If you are a Christian, the one constant and unchanging thing in your life is Jesus. He never changes and is always with us through the surprises of life - good or bad. He is our source of peace, refuge, and comfort in the bad times as well as and the giver of all things good in our lives.

So if life has caught you by surprise today (good or bad) remember to turn to God for help through the bad surprises of life and to thank Him for the good ones.



Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7

Bumpy Roads of Life

Four mornings a week I go to our local aquatic center to work out and swim. Because I am an early riser, I usually try to get there by 5:30 AM when they open.

I am a little nervous about driving in the dark anyway - so I am extra careful when I drive the three short miles to the pool. I have driven the road enough times that I am familiar with the possible hazards I could encounter. I always choose the well-lighted route and am extra careful when driving on darker streets that have rough patches and bumps in the road.

As I was heading to the pool this morning I thought about how God often lights our way and steers us through the dark places. And how he sometimes allows rough patches and bumps in our lives to help us learn what he wants us to know or to help us to grow in our faith.

Have you come to a dark place, a rough patch, or a bump in the road in your life? Remember that our light and our hope is in Christ. Trust him today to take you through it.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. ~ Psalm 119:105

The Reunion

“She was just as I remembered – cool, confident, and possessing an easiness with people that made them feel at ease right away. I couldn’t believe it had been nine years since I last saw her. In many ways, it seemed like yesterday.

Out of everyone I reconnected with that day, she was the one who had changed the least. A strong, powerful, charismatic woman with a “take charge” personality, she never seemed afraid to speak her mind and say what needed to be said. You could always count on her to make things happen.”

Nearly a decade ago, I spent eight years of my life in production work for an industrial bakery. I was part of an assembly-line team that packed, wrapped, and shipped over a million cookies to the uttermost parts of the world every day. People that know me and follow my blog are often surprised to learn that I was a card carrying union member during these years. The occasion for this reunion was unique – an enterprising retiree organized a reunion tour and lunch event for past employees of the plant.

Many of my ex-coworkers arrived at the huge cookie factory and the grand tour began. We walked the same halls, crossed the same floor, and passed by the same machines we had operated for so many years – but everything was different because it was no longer our plant. It was no longer me packing the cookies that flowed down the line from the industrial ovens like a controlled river. It was no longer me visiting with the ladies on the line - coworkers that became friends over time as we worked side by side day after day for weeks, months, and years of our lives.

I saw the young man I had trained from his first day at the plant. None of us thought he would ever learn to pack, but when the production manager suggested we fire him. I recommended that we give him another week. Nine years later, he is still there – packing cookies like a pro. I greeted the feisty woman who is rough, tough, and gruff on the outside. Her harsh personality is a thick veneer that hides a secret treasure that very few of us know about – a heart of gold. The list of people who touched and impacted my life grew longer as the event continued.

Powerful memories of my love-hate relationship with this place and the people who worked there flooded my mind and surged through my heart, immersing me in a swirling gush of mixed emotions. I wanted to smile, laugh, and cry all at once. Strange as it may sound, I loved packing cookies.

The tour went well and it was fun to reconnect with people. Then we all went to lunch at a local pizza parlor for a chance to “catch up” and learn how life has changed for so many of us. Stories and picture of children and grandchildren filled the room. Conversations about who was missing from the gathering were popular. I learned that the funny woman with the great sense of humor who knew how to make us laugh and the sweet, kind-hearted single mom who was loved by most and liked by all had recently died.

Then the treasured old-timers who had the longest careers were featured as our event coordinator facilitated discussion and elicited stories of what they have been doing since retirement. Their stories and snapshots of life gave me a sense of who they are and reminded me that life is precious and meaningful no matter what season of life you are in.

We heard stories of fifty-year wedding anniversaries and terminated marriages. Some people were flourishing in retirement while others were struggling to adjust to life outside the plant. One woman led with her sense of humor and a few people seemed defeated – beaten down by life with little to no hope or joy in their life.

As I observed these cookie industry alumni and listened to the stories of their lives, I was filled with a sense of gratitude and recognized that I am fully known and fully loved by a God who has forgiven my sins and past mistakes and healed my shame. He loves and accepts me just as I am – warts and all. I am blessed with a husband and family who fill my life with joy and meaning.

And today, in a huge cookie factory, I was reminded of the enduring value and great blessing of friendship.

He Arose

Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!


Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior,
vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!


Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;
he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Music and words by Robert Lowry

Once Upon a Time

The bride wore an antique lace dress with a perfectly cut mid-calf hemline. Her long brown hair was pulled back with tiny jeweled pins creating a cascade of ringlets that bounced and flowed down her back. Her face was flush with the excitement of the moment and her eyes sparkled with joy as she started down the aisle to meet the love of her life waiting at the altar to make her his bride. She was beautiful.

The groom was equally impressive. Dressed in dark slacks and a white shirt and tie he stood six feet tall with long, straight dark hair that parted in the middle framing his rugged, handsome face. His blue eyes were fixed on the vision in lace walking toward him and a smile lit up his face.

It was at that moment that I sensed the pure magic of this moment.

The brother of the bride escorted his soon to be married sister down the aisle on his right arm. Cradled in his left arm was a sleeping infant. Huh? What! Hold on a minute! Did you say sleeping infant? Now that’s something different (and you thought this was going to be your typical fairy tale, happily ever after wedding).

Wrong! There is nothing even remotely typical about this couple and the story that led them up to this moment. You see, this is my nephew Joe, who, if you have been following my blog, you met in an earlier post, ( Dec. 30, 2009) and my niece by marriage, Amanda.

From a desperate life of drug addiction, hopelessness, homelessness, death, and despair, this couple by the grace of God, experienced an about face “turnaround” in their lives (and the lives of their two boys) that is nothing short of miraculous. In the process of this transformational life overhaul, they have touched the lives of many other people –many of whom filled the wedding chapel to capacity.

So clearly this was not your typical wedding. Rather, it was a milestone of celebration in a relationship that has seen lower lows and higher highs than most of us can even imagine. This special wedding day was 18 years in the making - with a lot of pain, loss, and heartache along the way.

The truth be told, these two didn’t stand a chance of making it and many times over the years, I was quite sure they wouldn’t. But God had other plans. He used their unique circumstances to radically alter the course of their lives and to significantly impact the lives of many other people from all walks of life (as was evidenced by the diverse backgrounds and lifestyles of the people who attended this wedding celebration.

It’s amazing what God can do with a life that is yielded up to Him – and congratulations to Joe, Amanda, and their boys (Chris and Zack). We’re proud of you! May God’s richest blessings bring you great joy, meaning, purpose, and fulfillment as you continue to live, love, laugh, learn, and leave a legacy for those whose lives you inspire.

Big Faith, Big Results

My husband Curt is a wonderful man. (If you don’t believe me, just ask him.) He is a strong and courageous man of great faith and strong character and God is as real to him as breathing.

As a lifelong entrepreneur and business owner with a heart for ministry, Curt loves to start things from scratch and transform ideas and visions into reality. Over the years nearly four dozen new business and ministry start ups (47) have benefited from Curt’s visionary leadership. With few exceptions, God’s blessing on Curt’s many endeavors has led to financial success and the time freedom and flexibility that passive income produces.

The last few years have been an exception – not that God’s blessing has been removed but that God’s blessing has not led to financial success. In fact, the last few years have been filled with many good ideas that didn’t work (at least not yet). And financially, these have been the most difficult years we have ever known. But I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

About two and a half years ago, Curt and I both felt God leading us to have Curt surrender some licenses that provided us with $90,000 to $100,000 a year in passive income from a business he built in the mid-nineties. We pulled the plug on that income stream in September 2008 and Curt was excited to venture into new areas and master new skills. But the amount of extreme difficulty and long delay in these endeavors has been unlike anything we have ever experienced.

I can only stand back and marvel as I see God’s hand upon Curt and observe the unwavering faith that continues to sustain him through a seemingly unending stream of setbacks and challenges. After thirty long months of struggle, some of his ventures are finally coming together and the possibility of actually generating enough profit to create an income seems to be just around the corner.

I know that he is grateful that we are getting close to profitability and will be excited when our financial situation improves. But as I observe Curt’s life and faith, I realize that it’s not about the money. It’s about the people in his life and the powerful ways God uses my husband to influence them. God’s blessing on Curt’s life flows out of his willingness to be used by God in the lives of others.

We have a friend who’s business was in disarray when he asked Curt to step in and “take the reins” in an effort to turn his businesses around. After nine months, the business is stabilized and growing. But the bigger news has been the way God has used Curt to bring this man closer to God and to radically alter his life and lifestyle. Curt is now mentoring him in business (and in life) and they have become close friends. Curt even performed his wedding recently.

Last spring Curt sensed God leading him to the owner of the gym where he works out. Without knowing why (or if he would be laughed out of town), he walked up to her, shared a bit of his background in business, and asked if he could help with anything. After a few smaller projects, they found a way to work together and her business is now beginning to flourish and they recently even made an offer on a second location.

But the bigger news is that she felt stuck and had been praying for a way to either grow or leave the business she once loved. She recently told Curt that she believes he is God’s answer to her prayers of quiet desperation. How cool is that?

Because Curt’s faith in God is so big and so real, he chooses every day to let go of his fears and doubts about the future and simply trusts that God will continue to provide for us and meet our needs (something I struggle with from time to time). As a result, God uses him mightily in the lives of others.

Even a little faith produces results but big faith produces big results – and huge blessings for everyone involved.

No Cracks

A cracked foundation is no laughing matter. We’ve been dealing with one recently.

My grandson is seven years old and one of his favorite Christmas gifts was a large and extravagant Legos castle. With his dad’s help, he assembled this spectacular edifice in less than a week. He was proud of his masterpiece and we were impressed with the quality of his work.

Then came the post-Christmas “let’s get the house back in order” day when it was time to move his masterpiece from the front room to his bedroom. He prepared for this castle relocation project by carefully placing the structure in a box. During the move he dropped the box and after hours and days of hard work, his masterpiece crumbled to pieces in an instant.

Fighting back tears, he placed the box of broken pieces at my feet and asked for help. I am not a structural engineer by any stretch of the imagination and fixing things is not high on my list of life skills. He was hoping that his grandma could repair the damage and restore his creation. I was quite confident I would not be much help at all.

So I did the one thing I knew I was good at - I sat down beside him on the floor and gave him a big hug. Then something interesting happened. As I held him in my arms, I looked at the largest chunk of the broken Lego castle and noticed a crack on the far side of the floor piece and it occurred to me that this cracked foundation was the primary source of the problem.

I reconnected the broken floor piece to the rest of the foundation and suddenly realized that for the most part, the castle had simply broken in two. Once the crack was repaired and the foundation was back in place, it was easy to see how everything else fit into place. My grandson’s castle creation was restored to its original beauty in less than 10 minutes.

The obvious moral of this life lesson is that once the foundation is restored, the rest of the pieces fall into place. As I explained what had happened and how important it is to start with a good foundation, I heard God’s still small voice talking to me.

I was suddenly aware of my recent struggle with feeling that my life is falling apart – that huge parts of my life are crumbling and things I’ve been comfortable with for years lay in pieces on the floor. I realized it was time for a foundation inspection – time to discover any cracks in the foundation of my relationship with God. I remembered that unless I repair these cracks and reconnect to my rock solid foundation everyday, the broken pieces of my life will remain in a shattered state of “unfixable” chaos.

As is often the case, God used my seven year old grandson to teach me the lesson I was trying to teach him. Here’s to a rock solid foundation with no cracks in 2011.