On our recent vacation, in order to get to the beach at the resort, we needed to walk along a path through beautiful wooded gardens. On one such voyage to the beach, we encountered a strange looking family of birds…what appeared to be a mother, father and baby bird. We later learned that these strange creatures have an even stranger name, Chachalacas.

As we approached them, something interesting happened. Mysteriously, the baby disappeared. Upon further investigation, we discovered that he was under the tail feathers of his mother, or father (pictured above, just as the baby was heading under the parental tail feathers). What was incredible was that he remained hidden even as they marched along. I was reminded of two things. One, our God is so creative in how He made all the animals, each with unique ways to survive. The second thing that came to my mind was that this is a very similar picture of how God promises to protect us. What an amazing promise for us all!

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Psalm 91:4

Yesterday morning over 700 people gathered in our community for the 23rd annual NWO (Northwest Ohio) Prayer Breakfast. This is a great event that I have had the privilege of helping to organize for the past five years. Our speaker yesterday was Kris Kirschner (pictured at left), from Atlanta, who shared an incredible story of achieving great material success; losing everything including his finances, his company and his family; discovering some painful childhood wounds that affected him deeply; and how God has been healing and restoring him. It was very powerful, to say the least and I believe those in attendance were deeply impacted. And God helped that to happen in a very unorthodox way.

Prior to the event, I picked Kris up at his hotel to drive him to the venue. When we arrived shortly after 6:00 a.m., we were greeted by a member of our committee who shared some very bad news: the sound system was not working well at all. The speakers on the left half of the room were cutting out with great regularity. And when they were working, it sounded very muffled and extremely difficult to hear…and that was in an almost empty room. I thought to myself that if we had trouble hearing now, it would be impossible to hear with 700+ people in a room with all of the accompanying background noise.

At 6:30, we realized that there was nothing we could do about the situation since the event would be starting in half an hour, so we decided to gather in a circle and pray. No one used fancy words. It didn’t seem like anything extraordinary was said. People simply shared their hearts over a five-minute period and humbly asked God to work it all out.

The event was kicked off by John Henry Livingston who does a great job each year of waking everyone up. However, when he stepped up to the mic, he could not be heard at all above the talking going on in the room. Eventually, the room quieted down enough for John to pray (and he did a wonderful job handling some great adversity), but I had a sickening feeling in my stomach that this event might be a disaster because of the sound system. More prayers went up.

After a great breakfast, we kicked off the program, and much to the delight of everyone in the room, the sound improved greatly. Everyone could hear fine. Was it perfect? Nope. But it was good enough. In fact, in hindsight, it may have been better than perfect. Because it wasn’t as clear as we were used to, I noticed around the room that people were really leaning in to hear Kris’ message. I noticed much less background noise. No clanging of silverware on plates. No coughing or clearing of throats. People were tuned in perhaps more than at any previous prayer breakfast. Incredible!

Again, I was taught a great lesson about the power of God. Had I planned it, we wouldn’t have had any sound issues. That would have been perfect to me. Yet, the Lord knew exactly what He was doing. He knew that Kris’ story was so powerful and needed to be heard, so He worked it out better than perfect. And…He got the glory for it!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”
Matthew 6:25

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:9

“Be still and know that I am God…”
- Psalms 46:10a

We often think of being “still” as calm, serene and/or not moving but that is not the meaning of the word “still” in this verse. It actually means “to open up your hands and let go.” We come across so many problems in our daily lives and we often worry about them in a very unhealthy way. When we worry, it actually reveals a lack of trust in God in a particular area of our life.

We have to always remember that God cares for us deeply and that He has all the answers to every challenge that we will ever face. We need to learn how to simply rest in that fact.

A more descriptive version of this profound verse would be:

“Open up your hands, let go of your problem and know that I am God.”

I encourage you to read the entire chapter of Psalms 46 this week and see how it might apply to your life.

Last Friday, I was on my monthly retreat with God. This time has become an incredible time of rest, renewal and revelation for me over the past several years. I usually go to a local university which has a couple of hermitages, or cabins, in an amazing setting in the woods.

Part of my time there was spent walking along a creek which runs through the property. As I was doing this, I observed two Mallard ducks paddling furiously to the creek bank. I thought they were going to get out of the water but when they got close to the bank they headed upstream. Because of the recent rains, the creek was moving rapidly so they were just positioning themselves near the bank so they could paddle upstream as the current was not as fierce there.

I reflected on how busy my life seems to be and how it resembles the fast-moving currents of this creek. Though I have a long way to go, I was also pleased to notice that my retreat day was the equivalent of getting “near the creek bank” where the current was not as fierce. As a result, I was able to do some things I otherwise could not do effectively in the rapids of life; things like ponder, think, listen for God and rest.

This retreat practice for me has been very difficult. At first, I thought it was a waste of time. Then I began to see benefits; however, I still felt that I could be doing much more productive things. Now, I view this as the most productive thing I can do. Trust me when I say that many times I have been tempted to cancel this day because of the prospect of some other “important” meeting or task or because I was so busy. However, just as the ducks paddled furiously to get out of the current, I have learned that I need to do the same by being very intentional about protecting this time on my calendar. I must view this as my most important appointment of the month.

So can I challenge you in this? Coming from a task-oriented guy, I’d like to encourage you to paddle out of  the rapids of your life regularly as well. If you can do this, it will be one of the best decisions of your life and I believe you’ll find that you actually will get more stuff done, at least more of the right stuff!

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Mark 6:31

I have something to share with you about me. I have not been a very good relaxer…at least not while I’m at home. On vacation I can “do nothing” with the best of them. But at home or in the office it has been a different story as I tend to continually find stuff that needs to be done. I am learning, however!

With that in mind, I want to share with you a couple of things that occurred last week:

• At one of our leadership roundtable groups I facilitate, we were talking about some ways we can foster an intimate relationship with God. One person mentioned that “Holy Leisure” is a way he connects to God. This really struck me…Holy Leisure. I have since been pondering this.
• On another day I was at the Greater Toledo House of Prayer and the musician who was singing began to sing that “worship was the key to breaking chains.” This caught my attention because I had been in a bit of a funk for several days due to some relational issues. I was not myself and in a way, this had me feeling like I was captive, as if I was in chains.

That night I went to one of our local metro-parks for a brisk walk and to enjoy the amazing weather we’ve been experiencing. I took my iPod with me which contains quite a few praise and worship songs. I began walking and worshiping and enjoying the scenery. It didn’t take me long to find myself in a very thankful mood which I am still in.

Amazing. Exercise + Nature + Worship produced thankfulness and a much better attitude. This is a good formula I will need to remember…a recipe for Holy Leisure!

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:1-3

The 23^rd Psalm. We have heard it at funerals. We have heard it read at church. We may even have it memorized. But do we really grasp its full meaning?

I decided to take this Psalm line by line over the past week to really try to understand it better. Though I probably only touched the surface of the true meaning, this well-known passage became much more meaningful to me as I jotted down thoughts that came to my head for each line. Here are some of the things I wrote down—I hope they help you to come up with some of your own:

Day 1: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

• He cares for me and loves me
• He will protect me and keep predators away
• He will provide for me
• He will comfort me
• He will carry me when needed
• He will help me with difficulties I face
• He will look for me if I wander
• He will call out to me and give me instructions
• He owns me
• He is all I need so I want for nothing
• He will take care of everything so I can be content right now knowing that He knows what is best for me

Day 2: He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.

• He made me to require and have rest
• True rest is found when I follow Him
• Rest is pleasant
• Rest is mandatory
• Even when moving (beside quiet waters), I can have rest
• When stressed, I need to listen and look for the quiet waters
• My shepherd does not want me hurried, stressed and worn out—I was not made to live this way!
• There is great contentment in Jesus

Day 3: He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

• He makes me whole
• He, and only He, completes me
• He makes me shine again
• He makes me run well
• He takes pride in me and likes to show me off
• He gives me lots of loving attention
• He thinks I’m special (He may even take a cloth diaper to polish me up…only hard core car enthusiasts might understand that!)
• He shows me the way to go
• He leads me
• I walk in righteousness because of His name
• He brings me back to life

Day 4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

• Regardless of my circumstances, He is there
• He will never leave me
• Because of Him, I don’t need to fear…no matter what!
• He is the only answer in the shadow of death
• My Daddy is at my side!

Day 5: Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

• He loves me so much that He disciplines me when needed
• He guides me in the way I should go with His staff
• His correction and guidance is all for my betterment and this brings great comfort to me

Day 6: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

• He serves me…amazing!
• He hosts me in His house!
• He shows me I’m important to Him
• He protects me regardless of the circumstances
• He presence is the only place I want to be
• He brings peace in the midst of chaos

Day 7: You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

• He prepares me
• He consecrates me
• He cleanses me
• He gives me power and strength
• He covers me
• He blesses me abundantly
• He gives me so much more than I need
• He gives me more so I can share with others
• Thank you God!

Day 8: Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

• He wants the best for me
• He promises to take care of me
• He is love. He promises to never leave me. Therefore, love will follow me always.
• Goodness and love are with me even on my darkest days
• I am a resident in His house forever and ever—Hallelujah!

Recently, I was reflecting on one of my past assignments while serving as a Leadership Consultant. During this time, I worked  at a local company for a couple of days per week providing leadership in turning the company around. My role was to develop a game plan to help the company wherever I felt they needed help, and then help them to implement that plan.

I worked for almost two years with this particular client. The owner of the company had built an impressive company but was currently not actively involved in the operation of the business.  However, she still liked to maintain control.

So when she would call me with ideas or directives that were contrary to my plans, I would simply adjust my schedule and move tasks to future days and then not think of it again.  I wouldn’t get stressed about it at all, because my client was paying me and if she wanted me doing something else, I would do as she requested.

It was during this time of reflection that it hit me.  Why can’t I have this same mentality with my schedule now?  Why can’t I have a “consultant’s mentality” in what I do? Even though I own my businesses, in reality, God is the true owner and I am working for Him…as if I am His consultant.

Because I have a tendency to do things on my own and feel that everything is up to me, I needed to do something to remind me of Who is actually the one responsible for any success I might achieve. This might sound silly, but for each of my businesses, I created a certificate of title which says, “This certifies that the owner of (Company Name) is God.  This further certifies that Jim Lange will be taking the role of Consultant unto God.”  I then signed it and dated it and I have all of them sitting on top of my book shelves in my office as a reminder to me.

Psalm 127:2 says:

It is vain for you to rise early, come home late, and work so hard for your food. Yes, he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep. (NET version)

This verse is a great reminder to me that it isn’t all up to me. That if I don’t get everything done that I want to get done today, the world will not end. God can provide for me even when I’m sleeping.

Yesterday I posted about the fact that God wants one thing from us above all else and that is to love Him with all our hearts (the first and greatest commandment). In the verse that immediately follows, Jesus shares that the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt. 22:39) This one commandment is really two commandments… to love others AND to love ourselves. In fact, in looking at this, loving ourselves is actually required in order to love others…so in reality it could be said that it is much more important that you learn to love yourself than others. I know that sounds so selfish, but this is a commandment from Jesus.

However, this flies in the face of what most of us are taught. We are taught to think of others greater than ourselves and that the best leaders are those who serve. In fact Jesus also taught these principles. So what gives? Are we to love others first or ourselves?

Clearly loving ourselves first does not preclude us from loving others but it is also clear that in order to love others appropriately we must learn to love ourselves. I think it is also important for us to understand that loving ourselves does not make us selfish. In fact, it is really an unselfish act because it is what allows us to love others appropriately.

In my work with leaders, I see this struggle played out time and again because most leaders are not very good at loving themselves. They are typically people who are quick to serve and have a hard time saying no and therefore are too busy to take care of themselves.

The airline industry understands this tendency that many of us have. Before each flight, flight attendants are required to instruct adult passengers to put on their Oxygen masks first before assisting anyone else in the case of an emergency. The reason for this is obvious, if you are not healthy, you will not be able to help anyone else. That is why I have great admiration for leaders who, despite their packed schedules, are intentional about investing in themselves because they are modeling what it means to love themselves. As a result, everyone around them wins. Here are a few things I have seen modeled by some of the leaders I work with:

• They commit to meeting once per month in a 4 hour roundtable group to help them grow professionally, personally and spiritually
• They take personal retreats during work hours to spend with God for direction and restoration
• They commit to exercise regularly to stay physically and mentally sharp

So how about you? Do you love yourself? Do your actions show that you do? If not, you will not be able to love others as God desires you to.

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:35-40

Friends of mine, a mother and daughter team named Marianne and Mary Rose Takacs, recently released a great book chronicling the incredible health struggle that daughter Mary Rose experienced and how they found peace and hope during the storm which lasted for years. Hope in the Midst contains 30 daily devotions which are a great help for anyone who’s going through a trial or has experienced one. In the chapter below, Marianne describes the battle she faced when she realized she needed to give up total control of her daughter, a very scary thought for any of us. I hope you are as blessed by this as I was:

Either Take Her or Heal Her

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
—Jeremiah 29:11

“Either take her or heal her!” I yelled out in utter frustration. My heart had been broken for what seemed like an eternity now. I was tired of facing the unknowns. The state of my daughter’s health was not good. It seemed no matter what progress we made, there was inevitably a setback headed our way. My emotions were raw, and waiting patiently was no longer a mantra I wanted to live by. The days that turned into weeks, then months, were now being realized in terms of years. I had had enough.

My emotions, fears, doubts, and anger were rushing to the surface. I wasn’t even sure I cared what the impact would be in terms of my relationship with God. Where I was concerned, life needed to make a drastic turn for the better, and immediately wasn’t soon enough. As I yelled out to God, I couldn’t stop the tears I had held back. Rushing like torrential waters, the tears spilled down my face. I wasn’t aware of the presence of the one to whom my fury was directed. But He was there in that moment, just as He had been every day. Waiting patiently me for me to notice Him, He let the waves of sadness overtake me. He knew I needed to let go, and He was willing to let me vent, as it is so commonly known today.

By the time I stopped crying, I knew there was nothing else to do but give up and give in. I wouldn’t be able to change the course of things with my anger. Nonetheless, I needed desperately to let go of it, and to be honest with the one I was blaming, subconsciously. When people asked, “How are you holding up?” I gave the standard answer, “Oh okay, I guess. God is faithful . . .” But as of recently, I wasn’t clinging to that truth. My reality had become a living nightmare, and I just wanted the nightmare to end. I was feeling emotionally battered and was tired of trudging on, not so bravely anymore.

As I sat in a crumpled heap on the floor, I exclaimed with deep anguish, “God, I give up. I can’t seem to control things anymore. I’m tired of seeing my daughter be bounced back and forth like a yo-yo with health concerns.” There were too many to enumerate, and I knew God didn’t need me to list them all off. He waited for me to say what was truly on my mind. Slowly, with agonizing honesty, I asked, “God, where are You? Have You abandoned me?” And as I did, a silence fell over the room, not yet a peace. I was no longer willing to try to keep my daughter with me. I realized, as God gently spoke to my spirit, that she wasn’t mine to keep. With a broken but surrendered heart, I gave her over to the one who had given her life. I knew it would be better, at that point, for her to live in eternity with the Savior she had given her life to than for me to demand that she stay here with her family at any cost. The truth of the state of my heart was devastating. I was no longer trusting the One who lent me my child. I was trying to fix it all, and God had no choice but to back off for a while. He did not leave; He just let me do what I was choosing to do. After all, it was my choice to make, not His. He knew He couldn’t control, nor would He control, my heart if I was not willing to let Him. God knows it’s not about control but about love. I had yet to learn that lesson.

It was in those moments of surrender that I came to know the love of Jesus as my friend. I had trusted Jesus to save me from an eternity without Him. But had I trusted Him to live His life through me? I had read, many times before, the words of Jeremiah, the namesake of my oldest child. When God spoke to him in Jeremiah

29:11-13, He told him He had a plans for life. The words were now echoing in my heart, and not only in my brain. Instead of Jeremiah’s name, I heard my own, “Marianne, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” Wait, did I hear that correctly or remember it accurately from the Bible? It continued, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

Wow, the reality hit like a baseball coming out of midair to strike at my heart. Thud! There it was, the truth. God hadn’t abandoned me. He wasn’t surprised at what was happening. He hadn’t thrown up His arms in the air, exclaiming that all was lost. No, He was reminding me He had a plan for my life and for my daughter’s life. Furthermore, the plan wasn’t for harm, discouragement, or destruction but for hope and a future! Oh, how I needed to hear that, to be reminded of God’s unending love and faithfulness. But there was more I needed to hear. Jeremiah clearly tells us that we will seek God and find Him when we seek Him with all our heart. It was evident that I had not been seeking God with all my heart. I was too caught up in the cares and concerns of life that Jesus told me not to worry about (1 Peter 5:7). I remembered now, each day had enough troubles of its own, Jesus had said in His Word. Why was I inviting more by worrying?

As I sat on the floor, I confessed my worry, doubts, and lack of trust to God. My heart was a little lighter. I realized the future wasn’t mine to control. But God, lovingly and with tender compassion, let me get to the bottom of my worries, and then He reminded me how very much He loved me. I knew as I read over the words of Jeremiah 29 that my fears were unfounded. Did I need to give my daughter to Him? Most certainly, she wasn’t “mine” in the first place. But I had claimed her for my own. Now I gave her back, trusting that the same God who loved me, had a plan for me, and would never abandon me would undoubtedly do the same for her. I was learning to claim, along with Horatio Spafford, the words, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”

Truth in Action

Is your heart burdened to the point of desperation? Are you feeling like maybe you’ve been abandoned? Take heart! God has not nor will He ever abandon you. Will He deliver you from all your troubles soon? Probably not. But He will not leave you alone in them. If we look at the last physical encounter of Jesus and His disciples, as described in Matthew 28, we see confused, perhaps dismayed, and even somewhat hopeless followers. Their world had recently been turned upside down, and now it appeared Jesus was once again leaving and they were not sure what to do. Jesus did not chastise or belittle them. Rather, He inspired hope in their hearts. He gave them truth and instructions of what their next steps should be.

First, He let them know all authority “in heaven and on earth” had been given to Him. In other words, He addressed their concerns by helping them have a different perspective of the recent life changes. He wanted them to see the very unexpected happenings were not a sign of things being out of the control of a loving father, but rather the circumstances surrounding His death allowed Jesus to take control for the world that so needed Him. Second, He let them know what their next steps needed to be as they faced life without His physical presence. They had a mission, a life-altering, eternity giving journey they needed to be attending to. He gave them what some call “the great commission.” Jesus told His followers to spread the news of His resurrection and life to all the world.

In a time when life was looking bleak, Jesus was able to redirect the hearts of the friends He loved so very much while letting them know He would be with them forever, and He would never leave them. His final words were for their comfort, to reassure them of the truth that He would never abandon them: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Did you catch that? He didn’t say, “Go out and do what I tell you, and then I will be with you.” He knew the state of their hearts, their questions, and the processes they would each be going through, and He reassured them that as they took the steps forward they need to, He is with them. Those words are for you today. He’s waiting for you to come to Him. If you’re dismayed, perhaps angry, or brokenhearted, He is here for you. He won’t be shocked. He will, however, want you to get to the bottom of what is truly going on, just as He did with me. It’s only there when you surrender everything, including what you are most hanging onto, that He can calm the storm within you. The surrender maybe bitter, but the healing will be sweet. Jesus loves you, my friend, and He’s waiting for you.

Read through Jeremiah 29:11-13, Matthew 28:20, and Romans 8:28. God doesn’t promise this life will be free of trials, temptations, and suffering, but He does assure us He can and will bring good out of everything His children encounter. He promises to be with you through all of it, as He says He is with us always, even to the end of time. Ask God to show you His plans for you, to make clear to you the good He wants to bring to your life. He wants you to know His presence, to give you peace that will sustain you. He longs to deliver you from the worries that surround you. Just as I had to learn, you too need to know the power of believing, claiming the words written on the pages of the Bible as truth for your life.

This book would make a great Christmas gift. To order, go to the Takacs’ website here or to receive a special price of $12, you can contact them by email at marianneandmaryrose@yahoo.com.

Yesterday I mentioned about how guilt can cause disease. Since then I’ve been thinking about that word…disease. While we usually associate disease with physical sickness, at the root level it appears to mean something else. Dis-ease…not at ease…or not at peace.

I think it would be safe to say that many people, if not most, are dis-eased especially during the month of December. Peace is not the norm with all the shopping, Christmas gatherings and large amount of un-healthy stuff we consume. Stress abounds. We can find ourselves very far from “ease”, we can be dis-eased.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. We are not celebrating the birth of the Prince of busyness or the Prince of stress but rather the Prince of Peace. Do you think He would want us to be this busy as a way to celebrate His birth? I don’t think so either. However, in order to make this a time of peace it will require an intentional decision on our parts…one that is counter-cultural…one that says, “Enough already!”

Not until we do this can we truly enjoy this incredible season of Christmas. By the way, thank you for indulging me since I was writing specifically as a reminder for me…although I do hope this is beneficial for you too!