Taste and See

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who finds refuge in him.

Psalms 34:8

A friend of mine came for a visit with her kids over spring break. She prepared some fabulous burgers for our indoor picnic. As we were setting the table, I noticed that she brought bean sprouts as a topping. All the kids sat down to eat, and when mine were asked if they wanted the bean sprouts on their burger, they turned up their noses and said, "I don't like those." I had to laugh because the reality of it was that I had never bought bean sprouts, so I know for a fact that my boys have never tasted them. Already, in their young, opinionated mind, they had an opposition to the nutritious little spouts. With just one glance at the unique appearance, they deemed this burger topper as inedible. Well, I didn't force my boys to try them, and no one made a big deal about it. But the imagery has stuck with me since that day, and I was reminded of it when I read this scripture in my devotion this morning. How many times do we turn our noses up at things that are so wonderful for us, because we have already drawn a conclusion about it before we ever give it a try? When I was a young girl, fear was the great motivator in my life, and the force that kept me from experiencing all that life had to offer. Granted, it probably kept me out of a heap of trouble, but in the process, I missed out on extraordinary things that would have changed my life. Other times, my life has been so comfortable that the status quo had become my only desire. Life was perfect and conflict free, and that's how I wanted it to stay. In this verse, we are invited to "taste " of the Lord. To give His way a try. Many times I have told my kids to taste something, and then if they didn't like it, they didn't have to eat it. Until they actually tried it, they would never have know if it was the most delicious morsel ever to cross their lips or not. There is a sense of mystery in those few moments prior to the sampling, and we watch intently the faces of our little ones for their reactions. As with food, many of our life choices are open ended. We aren't going to know if we like something until we put in an effort to try it. This invitation in the Psalms, however, is very different. Yes, it is an invitation to "Taste and see", but right away it tells us that the outcome is going to be positive; "that the Lord is good"! It doesn't say, "Try God, you might like Him" or "Give him a chance and maybe something will click." In effect, the only way your wouldn't see that "the Lord is good" is if you never "taste and see". With that logic, who wouldn't choose to try putting the Lord in your life? Maybe you are reading this and have never given God a place in your life other than a religious Sunday morning check off box out of tradition or obligation. He wants to be so much more to each of us than just a meaningless ritual or an aspirin in times of pain. He wants each of us to take refuge in Him, to trust Him by taking the first step in His direction. The step might feel really strange at first. It might seem even scary to some. But I assure you that what will follow will be unlike anything you have ever experienced before. A whole new world will open that has always been there, but you never knew existed. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, give Him a try and you will not be disappointed.

But the Blood

This song has been resonating in my mind since our Easter Sunday service. The words are so powerful! Even now, I am reminded of how much God desired to be close to us again, and so He paid the highest price. What amazing love the Father has for us!

Hello Spring!

It has been a beautiful start to the spring season. The weather has been just gorgeous, soccer has been great and we are looking forward to lots of new things as the year progresses. For now, here are a few snapshots of what we have been up to.

Josh had a super season-lead scorer for his team. It was fun watching him be the "big fish"-one of the oldest on his U10 team. In the fall he moves up to U12 where he'll be one of the youngest again. can't wait for that season!

U10 Big Red went undefeated 8-0 Such a great group of kids, coaches and parents! We were truly blessed with a great season all around!

We have started our evangelism training with Operation Go at Redemption-getting prepared to work with the Hispanic Communities in Greenville and so excited about it! 

Luis (backgound), Josh (orange shirt) and Jonathan next to him sitting with the many children who come out to "Super Saturday"-Sunday school on Saturday in the park. Such a wonderful way to reach the community for Jesus! 

Momentum

Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant,

which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Deuteronomy 8:1-18 NIV

These last few year of economic crisis has undoubtedly touched everyone in one way or another. Whether you have lost a job, an investment, or have just been burdened by higher fuel and cost of living prices, I can say, with certainty, that everyone has been effected. Since Luis lost his job in 2009, and we relocated to Anderson County, South Carolina, we have learned so much about ourselves. I have remained a stay at home Mom, in spite of the tightening of our belts. I have searched and applied for dozens of jobs-dozens of jobs for which I was completely qualified, nonetheless, doors remained closed.  Day after day, I have combed through the job listings online, pray for open doors, applied and waited. I have done everything I know how to do, pursued all the channels at my disposal and prayed, prayed, prayed. I suppose some might look at my situation and say, "Well, where is your God now?" Believe me, I too have questioned, at times, whether my prayers were being heard. Sometimes they felt as if they were ricocheting off a brass ceiling. It's difficult to see all that God is doing, in the midst of our circumstances. But then, as time puts a little distance between us and our struggles, we are able to make sense of those times where we felt as if God was turning a deaf ear. Just like the Israelites who wandered for forty years in the desert, we all have times where we feel as though we are wandering aimlessly in a vast dry land. It is in those times when it is so important to remind ourselves daily (and sometimes hourly or minute by minute) the promises that God has spoken to us. It is also important to stop and remember all that God has brought us through, reminding ourselves that if he did it then, he can do it again! In this passage that I read this morning, Moses held a pep rally of sorts, and reiterated all that was in store for the Israelites in Canaan if they just kept on going. He reestablished the vision and encouraged his people to once again focus on the promises yet to be fulfilled. Then he added an extra dose of inspiration by reminding them of who they were, the miracles God had already performed and battles they had already won. He boosted the morale with yesterday's victories, and inspired the children of God with the hope of tomorrow's triumphs, yet not once did Moses speak to the present location, struggles or circumstances. As it was with the Israelites, so it is with my life and yours. When we choose to fix our eyes on the greatness of all that God has in store, and then gain confidence by remembering all that God had already done, we are caught up in the momentum of those two powerful forces that gives us incentive and motivation to live today with confidence and faith. So even though the doors I thought should be opened are still shut, and I don't see anything happening at the moment, I have a confident expectation that God is at work, and has already made provision for the promises He has given me in the past. To Him, it is already done, because He is not bound by the restraints of time and space as we are. My challenge is to write His words on my heart, and move forward in the flow of His promises and past victories. Great gains take time and nothing monumental happens overnight. My task is to run this race with perseverance as one participating in a marathon and not a sprint. So come on-grab on to your promises, gather up yesterday's miracles and run with me!

Here's some shots from Jonathan's game last night. He scored one goal, and played a super game! Way to go, Blue Lightning!